Dairy Free Whipped Cream

I can't believe its been SO long since I last posted...okay, maybe I can believe it.  In the last couple of months I've had a baby (now making my husband I proud parents of 3 very busy boys!), started homeschooling my oldest son, and, well lots more has been going on, but those are my biggest distractions these days.  A month or so ago we had our 2 oldest sons tested for food allergies, in which we discovered my oldest was allergic to just about everything.  Poor kid!  The major culprits were wheat, milk, and peanuts.  So our way of eating is going through quite a metamorphosis these days.  In some ways its more challenging than I thought and in others its actually easier.  I am finding it a lot easier for him to adjust then it would be for myself or my husband.  While I think most of the prepackaged cookies and breads and such are pretty much nasty, he loves them.  Go figure.  For once in his life he's actually being easy about something :-)  But through all of the hard work, its been worth it!  He feels better and acts so much better.  The point of my whole rambling is that my recipes may be changing a bit.  Not necessarily entirely, but be on the lookout for new gluten-free, dairy-free, peanut-free, and even some vegan recipes.  

To start off with, I've found that coconuts are my new best friend.  It can be really healthy for you.  Coconut oil is a great alternative to other oils in baking and cooking.  Coconut milk can be substituted for milk in lots of stuff.  Although its more expensive, coconut milk yogurt and ice cream are tasty alternatives.  But if you make it yourself (I'll post when I try it), then it won't be so expensive.  Curries with coconut milk are always wonderful.  You can even make coconut flour (and coconut milk) from unsweetened coconut flakes (haven't tried it yet, but looks tasty).  Recently we tried out whipped cream using coconut milk.  It was actually tasty!  My son LOVED it and better yet we all liked it!  Try it out!

PS...if you don't like coconut flavor, you can still use coconut milk and oil in recipes (usually you can't taste it), but I wouldn't recommend this recipe or yogurt or ice cream made from coconut milk!

• Can of Whole Fat (NOT low-fat) Coconut Milk
• Sugar
• Vanilla (optional)

Refrigerate the coconut milk for a minimum of 4 hours...I'd recommend at least overnight, if not for a couple days.  DO NOT shake can!  After it has been refrigerated for preferably a couple of days, open the can.  You will find that all the fat will have risen to the top with the liquid at the bottom.  For this recipe you will not the liquid, so scoop out all of the coconut fat and place into a medium-sized mixing bowl (you can discard the liquid or save it to drink or use in smoothies or something)

With a mixer, blend the coconut on high speed.  After a few minutes it will start to get fluffy.  Gradually add sugar and vanilla (optional) to taste.  Continue mixing until it becomes very light and creamy, much like regular whipped cream.