Home made Raw Almond Milk

I'm currently dairy free because I think my baby girl gets gassy whenever I drink cow milk. I tried some store bought almond milk (blue diamond) and didn't like it much although I could use it in a pinch. It's also expensive at $2.70 per carton of 32 oz (4 cups). 

Mmmm mmm good.

I had almonds in a 10 lb bulk pack ($55, from Amazon) and calculated the cost of making my own. 

The basic recipe calls for 1 cup (4 oz) almonds to two cups water. So four cups of milk would need 8 oz almonds ($2.50).  That works out to cost just as much as store bought.

I'd still make my own because it tastes better, isn't pasteurized, and doesn't have other stuff added to it like carrageen gum, sugar etc. 

Ok here's the recipe:

• Soak the almonds in a bowl of water overnight or up to two days. I like to soak longer as the almonds really plump up and yield creamier milk. 
• Drain, put in blender with 2 cups water and blend till smooth. 
• Filter with a cheesecloth, and squeeze as much as you can out. I save the almond meal and dehydrate it to use as flour in my baking. 
• Season with sugar and sea salt, to taste. 

Enjoy!

My favorite Vanilla Sunrise Gluten Free Cereal with Freshly made Almond Milk

Best Ever Mango Lassi

Mango lassi is a great accompaniment to spicy Indian foods. Tame that fire on your tongue with this cool, soothing and tummy-settling concoction. This is so easy to make - all you need is a blender, some ice, ripe mangoes, yoghurt, milk, and sugar to taste.

Choose Your Mango
The tastier the mango, the tastier the resulting lassi. Pick mangoes that are softer (yet not bruised) - these are usually riper. Try to get the ones that give off a sweet, aromatic mango-ey scent.

Recipe
(makes 6 cups lassi)
1 large ripe mango
1 cup yoghurt (I like full cream)
1/2 cup milk (I like full cream too!)
3 cups ice cubes
3 tablespoons sugar or honey

1. Peel mango and deseed. Cube the mango. It should yield 2 cups.
2. Put all the ingredients into the blender and whizz till smooth. It's ok to add a little water to help with the blending process. 
3. Taste, add more sugar or honey if desired.
4. Serve immediately. Yum!