day 14: homemade almond milk (it's raw, too!)

I gave milk up over a year ago and haven't looked back. I have never been a big milk drinker so it wasn't a tough adjustment for me. Despite growing up with my dad's famous "milk with meals" rule, once I reached adulthood and lived on my own I realized I didn't even have milk in my refrigerator most weeks, let alone crave it.

I won't bore you with my vendetta against milk. I'll keep it short and sweet. In my opinion: cow's milk is for calves; goat's milk is for kids; sheep's milk is for lambs . . . you get my drift :)

Almond milk is a great alternative to its dairy counterpart. And homemade almond milk is ever better. In any given commercial non-dairy milk you'll find a long list of ingredients -- or at least longer than I expect and like. And while sometimes it's hard to avoid eating processed foods, when there's an option I always take the less-processed route, even if it requires more work.

The good news about making homemade almond milk is that it takes less than five minutes!

You need a blender to make almond milk. If you don't have a high-powered one like the Vitamix, I suggest soaking your almonds overnight to make them softer and easier to blend.

Good luck and I hope you'll try this recipe. You'll see how easy it is to make your own almond milk.

Off to my grandpa's birthday party! Happy Sunday, everyone :)

Peace and love --
~Jo

Raw almond milk

Makes 4 cups

1 cup raw almonds
4 cups filtered water
3-5 medjool dates, pitted
Vanilla (optional)
Stevia or agave syrup (optional)

Pour the almonds, water and dates and stevia/agave, if using, into a blender and blend on high for 2-3 minutes.

If you have the Vitamix, I start on a low variable speed and then quickly shift to high variable and then switch to high.

Strain the milk through a nut milk bag (or a colander with really small holes) into a large container or bowl, squeezing the excess milk out until all that remains is almond meal.

Pour into a mason jar or pitcher with a lid. Add vanilla, if using, and stir.

Store the milk in the refrigerator. It'll stay fresh for about a week.