Coconut Bread Recipe

Coconut-Bread (1)As you know from my Friday post, I have been working with CFCA to help bring awareness to a wonderful organization that I am extremely passionate about. One of the things we are doing, that I am really excited about, is sharing recipes from the countries of our sponsored friends around the world. It's fascinating to see how our daily lives differ so much from these people yet somehow we are all trying to accomplish the same things. We are doing our best to take care of our families and finding ways to make ends meet. What is interesting though is how quickly we take for granted the things that people in third world countries have no access to.  For instance, today I am sharing a bread recipe. If I didn't have an oven, I wouldn't bake bread. However, in Guatemala, a woman named Isabel bakes bread every day without an oven. She uses wood and fire, because she has to.

In honor of Isabel and all of the women in Guatemala who work hard to provide for their families, I decided to share a recipe for coconut bread that you would find here in the United States. If you think it looks difficult or time consuming, you need to watch the video of Isabel making her coconut bread. She makes it every day. It is humbling to watch and will make you truly appreciate the little things you are lucky to have!

Coconut-Bread - Copy (2)I used ingredients that I could pick up in a grocery store. Isabel shreds the coconut by hand.

Coconut-Bread (2) - CopyI used coconut milk. Isabel uses the water that she squeezes from the shredded coconut.

Coconut-Bread (4)The dough needs to be kneaded by hand. Imagine doing that every single day. Coconut-Bread (6)The dough is set aside until it doubles in size. It's really hot in Guatemala so I'm sure the dough rises quickly there. It took about an hour and a half in my house.Coconut-Bread (7)Once it doubles, it is divided into small pieces and set aside to double again. Coconut-Bread - CopyI actually set the tray of rolls in my microwave so the dough would rise. It's a little warmer there than on top of the counter. Coconut-Bread (3)Once the dough rises a second time, the rolls are ready for the oven. They took about 20 minutes to bake. They were absolutely delicious, a little sweet with a hint of coconut flavor.

Coconut-Bread (2)I appreciate the opportunities I have living in this country and feel fortunate to have access to the things that make life comfortable. I respect the hard work that people in less fortunate countries have to do in order to survive. Whatever you are doing today, appreciate exactly where you are. We have a lot to be grateful for!

Enjoy!

Leslie xo

Coconut Bread Recipe
Author: Adapted from the [url href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/coconut-bread" target="_blank"]Whole Foods Recipe[/url]
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened finely grated cocount
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 (0.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, more for kneading
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 3 tablespoons butter or non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening, melted
Instructions
  1. Put coconut, sugar, yeast and water into a small non-reactive bowl and stir briefly. Set aside until mixture is swollen and bubbly, about 15 minutes.
  2. Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture, coconut milk and butter. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, stir until well combined.
  3. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead, dusting with more flour as necessary, until soft and elastic, 5 to 6 minutes. Form dough into a ball, dust generously all over with flour and transfer to a clean large bowl. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel and set aside in a warm spot to let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
  4. Divide dough into 8 pieces and roll each into a ball. Arrange balls of dough on a large greased baking sheet, spacing them 3 to 4 inches apart. Set aside in a warm spot, uncovered, to let rise until doubled in size again, about 45 minutes.
  5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake bread until deep golden brown and cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm or set aside to let cool to room temperature.

Click here for the Guatemalan Coconut Bread Recipe

Click here to watch the video of Isabel making Coconut Bread

Blogging for a Purpose

CFCA-quoteToday instead of sharing my regular Favorite Things post, I decided to share something that in many ways, has become a favorite thing for me. It looks very different than a list of favorite candies, comforts or websites. It's something with more of a purpose and something that I am proud to be a part of.

My involvement with CFCA, Christian Foundation For Children and Aging, began six years ago when I had the opportunity to participate in a sponsorship event at our local church. I was extremely moved by the stories of families that have been helped by CFCA. This organization works hard to provide support that benefits the family as a whole by focusing on education and creating a better future. They are currently serving more than 300,000 children, youth and aging persons in more than 22 countries around the world.

429765This little girl is now part of our family. She is very special and we are so proud of her.

Once the presentation was over, I sat for a minute and thought about my options. I hesitated, naturally wondering things like whether or not all of the money really goes to these families and would I really be helping the specific child who's folder I chose. I could walk away or I could help. Something told me to help, so I did. I decided to sponsor a child from Guatemala. She was 12 years old at the time. At that moment,  I felt like I had done my good deed for the day. Little did I know, I was not just changing the life of this child, but my own life as well.  It wasn't long before I was receiving letters and photos of my newly sponsored child. It was wonderful to watch her progress and I was overwhelmed with the gratitude that she expressed in each letter that was sent. I knew I was making a difference.

CFCA-Guatemala (1)

The following year, my daughter Elizabeth decided to participate in a Semester at Sea program while she was in college. She would be traveling to several third world countries during her trip. We were busy planning and getting her ready to go and one day it hit us, she would be going to Guatemala! We decided to contact CFCA to find out if it would be possible for Elizabeth to visit our sponsored child. We figured it was a real long shot but why not look into it. What happened next was truly life changing. After many back and forth emails and phone calls, the CFCA team arranged for Elizabeth to meet our friend and her mother. It wasn't easy. By the time it was all arranged Elizabeth was well on her way, in the middle of the ocean, but after a continued effort on all of our parts, we connected Elizabeth to our friend and they had a chance to meet. They exchanged small gifts and had a chance to  speak through a translator. It was an overwhelming and humbling experience for Elizabeth and a moment of extreme gratitude for our new friends.  One of the most profound moments for me was to hear what Elizabeth had to say when she returned from that trip. She told me that as she traveled  from country to country, she noticed that the people who had the least were the happiest and most grateful. They appreciate the little things.

CFCA-GuatemalaI am extremely impressed by the work that CFCA does and I am thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful organization. In an effort to collaborate with the CFCA community, I will be dedicating a page on my blog specifically to this foundation. I plan to bring you inspiring stories and information about the many people involved. I will be sharing special recipes from the countries where our sponsored friends live. It's fascinating to see how bread is baked  without a traditional oven! I hope you'll stop back to check out the CFCA page, which will be up soon. Feel free to leave comments, get involved or just stick around to be inspired. It's amazing how one small act of kindness can change so many lives. Whatever you chose to do, make it count!

Happy Friday! Have a wonderful weekend!

Leslie xo

*Names and exact locations were not used in order to protect the privacy of our sponsored friend. All opinions are my own. This is not a sponsored post.

*Please note ~ CFCA is now UNBOUND