On my walk to the dogpatch the other day to get a fancy cup of joe, I couldn't help but notice that all of the cherry blossom trees were fully bloomed. Maybe it's because I'm originally an Arizona girl, but spring is definitely my favorite season. It's also a season for detox. I don't mean detox like, let's go on a juice fast for 20 days, but it is a good time to cleanse your body of all the warm, heavy winter foods we've been feeding on. In the next couple weeks I'd like to discuss many ways we can detox and eliminate harmful toxins from our daily lives.
One thing we can do is limit our exposure to BPA. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used in some plastics. In our bodies this chemical disrupts our natural hormone levels. Some ways we can avoid it is to store our food in glass containers, and limit our intake of canned foods. Canned foods are lined with a BPA plastic, so the acidity of the food doesn't rust the can. Two foods with the highest found levels of BPH are tomatoes and coconut milk.
For a while after I found this out, I avoided coconut milk all together. Which is sad because I love making curries. Until I found out how easy it is to make your own! If you don't now how, I've left instructions at the bottom of the page.
In line at Piccino's coffee stand in the dogpatch
Homemade coconut milk
Need:
A blender or a food processor
cheesecloth or muslin
bowl
a cup of shredded unsweetened organic coconut (more like 7/8 a cup)
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 small jars
1. Place shredded coconut in your blender or food processor and add 1 cup of warm water. Pulse 5 or 6 times, or blend on high for about 30 seconds.
3. Place the coconut back into your food processor or blender and add the remaining 1/2 cup of warm water, and repeat the process.
4. Pour the milk evenly into the jars, and store in the fridge or freezer.
5. Save for a detoxifying recipe that is coming up this week!
