Ode To OMEA

Over the past few years Ben has been on the executive board of Oregon Music Educators Association. This past year he served as the OMEA vice-president and single handedly put on the best OMEA conference ever.

But, enough of that. I'm going to continue to Keep it Real by telling you that I will not miss his involvement in that organization one bit. As I sit and type this he is spending yet another weekend at the other end of the state. Another weekend away from his growing boys, and infant son. The sacrifice our small family has made for the development and strengthening of the music in Oregon schools is immeasurable. This is Ben's last OMEA meeting...and to be perfectly honest OMEA has become an acronym of dread in our Grants Pass home--least in MY ears. Good-bye and good riddance!!

The following recipe was formulated especially for the 2011 OMEA conference. And the Inspiration logo above was for the 2011 conference as well and my bro-in-law designed it.


OMEA BANQUET 2011 COCONUT BREAD

4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
2 cups self-rising flour (not cake flour)
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
.5 cups sugar
2 lrg eggs

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9- by 5- by 3-inch loaf pan, knocking out excess flour.

Toast and grind coconut:
Spread 3 cups coconut in a large shallow baking pan (1 inch deep) and toast in middle of oven, stirring occasionally, until evenly golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. (Watch flakes carefully; edges burn quickly.) Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 15 minutes, then grind in a food processor to a coarse meal, about 40 seconds (you will have about 1 1/4 cups). Leave oven on.

Make batter:
Stir together self-rising flour, ground coconut, and remaining cup (untoasted) coconut in a large bowl. Beat together butter and sugar in another bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk 1 cup water into flour mixture, then add egg mixture, whisking just until well blended.

Bake bread:
Pour batter into loaf pan, smoothing top with a spatula, and bake in middle of oven until a wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean and top is evenly brown, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool bread to warm in pan on a rack, 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out of pan and set right side up on rack to cool completely, about 2 hours more. Cut into 1-inch-thick slices