Raw Almond Milk

Raw Almond Milk
to be used as you would milk or soy milk!

1 cup raw almonds (soak in a bowl of water overnight, drain & rinse before using)

3 cup water

sweetener of your choice, and to your taste. choose 1 or 2:
stevia (sometimes we use vanilla flavored stevia drops!)
agave
3 - 5 soft pitted dates
honey
real maple syrup

vanilla (optional)

To make raw almond milk blend the soaked almonds with the water until smooth (give it a minute or 2, on high). Then strain the mixture through cheesecloth, or strainer into a big bowl. (we use a fine strainer) If the pulp texture is fine & soft, then you know you've gotten the most milk for you buck! Save the almond pulp in a container and put in the refrigerator for later use.... it can be used for many nummy things: add to cereal, add to cookies, eat with fresh fruit & almond milk.

Put the almond milk back into the blender, and blend in the vanilla and sweetener until smooth. (We sometimes skip this step and just add these to the blender in the first step, this way the pulp is sweetened too!) This milk will last in the refrigerator for about 3-5 days. Shake well before using.

Variations: Blend in a banana and nutmeg to make a festive rawnog. Blend in mango & ice for a nice mango lassi. Blend frozen papaya & fresh mint for a refreshing cooler (this is the Hawaii version) Blend frozen blueberries & fresh mint for a Pacific Northwest Cooler ;) See how much fun this can be!

Here's a tip: Raw almonds can be a pricey thing if you don't know where to shop. Organic is always best, though for more budget conscious, Costco has a great deal on a large bag of almonds (and they are raw, too!)

The Truth About Soy

The Truth About Soy, this was the title of one of my nutrition classes at Body Mind College in 2004.


This class was the beginning of my life without most soy products. Before this class, I was a soy milk, tofu & soy protein consumer.

I learned in this class that soy products, that are not fermented, put a huge tax on many parts of our digestive systems. I also learned that the touted benefits of soy and our health are misleading & sponsored by the large soy companies. Fermented soy products, like tempeh, are actually healthier for you because they contain digestive enzymes to help you digest, & they contain beneficial bacteria. It's too bad that tempeh lattes don't exist ;) Though, I am not writing this so you will switch from tofu burgers to tempeh burgers. I'm writing this in hope that if you are a soy milk/tofu/soy protein consumer, you will either research on your own about the truth of soy, or take advice & find alternatives to this fast growing mainstream product.

I receive a weekly newsletter from Dr Mercola @ http://www.mercola.com/. He is a leading advocate on health & nutrition. This weeks newsletter was titled What's So Bad About Tofu? It reminds me of my lifestyle without soy. Also, it reminds me of my friends & family who have soy milk in their refrigerators. Thus I am inspired to write this email. On Mercola's website, there is a short video clip of an interview with Dr Mercola & Dr. Kaayla Daniel, as well as some great written information. This would be a good place to start if you are interested in finding out more about soy. You can find it here http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/09/16/what-s-so-bad-about-tofu.aspx Also, Dr. Daniel is the author of The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food. This seems like a great read for you health concious folks.

There are many alternatives to soy.
At our house we make our own almond milk. This is such a delicous treat!

What do you think about soy? Share you thoughts!