You put the lime in the coconut

and drink it all up

Kalpa vriksha, sanskrit, "the tree which provides all the necessities of life."

When I am away J eats us out of house and home, and in the process has made a lovely discovery and my new obsession. Young Coconuts! I had bought the white pointy Cocos nucifera with little intention of actually doing anything with it, and in his desperation, J to the rescue.

-The coconut water, found in young coconuts, is full of fiber, proteins, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and provides an isotonic electrolyte balance.

-It's nature's sports drink.

-It is filtered through the trunk of the palm and sterile until opened. It has even been used for blood transfusions during World War II.

-The nut (fruit) meat contains saturated fat and protein and the vitamins iron, phosphorous, and zinc.

-Harvesting the bud, the heart-of-palm, kills the palm and is therefore a rare delicacy referred to as "millionaires salad."

This man taught J how to open his coconut and has since become our best friend. We enjoy blending the gelatinous meat with the water and one whole vanilla bean for an island-life-giving smoothie, or just sipping the water and scooping the flesh.

I use the empty husks as tea light holders or as chocolate pudding pots!

get to know our man, the life regenerator! click!!! click!!! click!!!