Weekends are my time to make big breakfasts (as in… more than just toast and coffee), and this past weekend I whipped up a batch of delectable coconut orange pancakes.

This is another tester recipe for Tay and her blog Vegan in the Sun. These were so tender and delicious I am still thinking about them days later. We ate them topped with margarine, maple syrup and freshly shredded coconut.

Although I can’t share the pancake recipe with you, I can share with you…

How to open a coconut

1. Drill three holes in the three “eyes” of the coconut, through to the inside cavity.

2. Place drilled coconut upside down over a measuring cup to drain the coconut water. (Don’t throw this coconut water away… drink it, it’s yummy and nutritious.)

3. After coconut water has drained, wrap coconut in a towel and put it on a hard surface such as a garage floor.

4. Whack the coconut a couple of times with a mallet. The force of the mallet will separate the coconut flesh from the hard shell. You may have to give it another whack or two if there are still some bigger pieces with the shell not yet detached.

5. Using a sharp paring knife or a vegetable peeler, remove the brown skin that is remaining on the coconut flesh. Rinse pieces with water to remove any bits of detritus.

6. Coconut can now be shredded (food processor makes this easy).