Any exercise enthusiasts out there? Back in the day I was an avid exerciser. I would come home from work, change, and go out for a run several days a week. When I first became a mother, as some of you know, your time is not your own, so I stopped running and would hope to find an hour a week to get to the gym. 

When my boys started school, I did find the time to go to the gym and began running again. Unfortunately, all those years I had spent running took a toll on one of my knees, and I ended up having surgery and stopped completely. Although I still went to the gym, it was sad to think I had to let a passion go. When I was in my forties, I found a professional boxer who was giving boxing lessons. I immediately called him. I had tried it before, and was excited to explore a sport I loved from the very beginning.

Wow, what an empowering feeling it is to know how to box. I worked hard and of course, I will never get in a ring, but I felt powerful every time I hit that bag correctly or lasted for 4 three-minute rounds. Intermittently, my trainer was working on my running posture, in hopes that I could run again. I tried running again this past summer, and I found that with the instructions my trainer taught me, I could do it! I was much slower than before, but I managed through. 

Imagine my surprise when fall rolled around and the weather became cooler. My age had not slowed me down, but the heat did! I can now run again at a decent pace and I am hoping to try a mini-marathon this spring. I encourage all of you to be patient and stick to anything that you wish to accomplish, no matter what it is. When it comes to perseverance, only good things can happen. 

While some of us use exercise to improve our mood or maintain a goal-oriented lifestyle, others use it to stay fit enough to eat whatever they please. This is one recipe that might take a while to sweat out, but it is worth every calorie. The author of this recipe included instructions to make a homemade pie crust, but I just did not have the time, and a store-bought one worked perfectly. In fact, I have never made a pie crust, but maybe next time will be my first. This pie is so easy to prepare and I would bet you have a lot of the ingredients in your pantry. It is so rich and creamy, with a little hint of vanilla that makes it wonderfully sweet. There is a mouth full of coconut in every bite. I toasted up some extra coconut flakes to put on top. Of course, ice cream or whip cream would be even better. 

This recipe loosely adapted from Food and Wine and will serve 8 people who will be sure to over indulge.

Ingredients for Coconut Custard Pie:

1 frozen deep dish pie crust
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
6 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Salt 
2 cups shredded sweetened coconut

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place pie crust in oven for 10 minutes to just lightly brown it, so the batter will not leak through.

Remove it and let it cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar with the butter, then whisk in the eggs.

Add the buttermilk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt and whisk until incorporated.

Stir in the coconut.

Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the custard is set and golden brown on top.

(I didn’t have a deep dish pie crust, so I used two regular ones!)

Let the pie cool completely.

It’s that simple!