Recipe: homemade almond milk

As I stated in yesterday's post, 

I have been on somewhat of a health 

kick recently.

I am lactose intolerant, & have

taken a liking for milk

alternatives like coconut & almond milk.

The problems with store-bought kinds

are they run a bit expensively, and they

are often too sweet to cook with

and too flavorless to drink straight. 

My mom sent me an email
 from this blog & the results were delicious! 

I was worried that it would be labor-intensive

but it was  extremely easy. 

I found it still too sweet for my liking, so

I altered the recipe a little:

Almond Milk: 

Yields approx. 5 cups

1.5 cups whole, raw almonds

5 Cups water

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbs maple syrup

dash of cinnamon

[also need: blender, metal strainer, cheesecloth]

This recipe is simple: 

1. Soak the almonds completely covered by water for 12 hours.

The next morning, drain them and add to blender with 2.5 cups 

of fresh water. 

2. Blend the almond & water mixture for 1-2 minutes

until it forms a very smooth paste.

[This is when I resorted to the magic bullet. If you don't have one,

be patient with your blender.]

3. Add vanilla, maple syrup [or honey], and cinnamon. 

Pour in another 2.5 cups of water & blend for another minute, until frothy. 

Adjust sweetness.

[the key here is to blend until you could drink

the mixture now-still gritty, but mostly smooth.]

4. Strain mixture into a bowl through 

2-3 layers of cheesecloth in the strainer, 

gathering the cheesecloth and squeezing all the milk out.

5. Place into jars, bottles, or jugs and refrigerate.

6. You're left with a very fine almond meal in

the cheesecloth. You can dry this out

in a low-heat oven and use for baking. Or you can

throw it away.