DIY almond milk

The unfortunate reality of processed food is that it usually has a whole lot of crap in it.

For example, my soymilk that I buy at the store has a whole bunch of sugar. It's also fortified with vitamins and has extra protein, which is great, but sometimes I just want to make something so that I know exactly how much of everything has gone into it, y'know? And while I am part hummingbird, I've been trying to consume a little less sweet stuff.

So here's something for those of you who are trying to incorporate DIY into your diets...or if you're just looking for something fun and easy that you can make yourself that's good for you.

It is a zillion times better than the store kind.

Note: Almonds are expensive. At the end of this process you're going to end up with a bunch of crushed almond. So, what do you do with it? I like to eat it as is, as breakfast cereal, but sometimes I roast it in a 300 degree oven, checking every 15 minutes until it is golden brown. I then grind it up into almond powder. You can use this to bread just about anything and to thicken sauces. You can also replace about half of your flour in cookie recipes with this almond flour and it is decidedly delicious. Experiment!

~*~

Makes ~3 cups almond milk

2 cups almonds
8 cups water

optional flavorings, add as many or as few as you like

1 tbsp chai tea (if you add tea leaves, blend them with your almonds)
1 vanilla bean, seeded
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch cardamom
2 tbsp cocoa (for chocolate almond milk)

Rinse almonds. Place in container to soak with 4 cups of water overnight, or for two nights for a creamier milk.

Once your almonds are soaked, rinse them off and put them in your blender.

Add 4 cups of fresh water.

Pulse a few times to break up the almonds, then blend for a few minutes.

Bust out your cheesecloth, an old, clean t-shirt, or some layered paper towels.

Cheesecloth is pretty cheap at the store--you get a bunch of it and can wash it and reuse it.

Strap it over your container, or lay it over a mesh strainer, and strain your almond mixture. If you let it drain naturally, that's great, but I get impatient and smoosh it down, probably sacrificing some of the almond milk as I go. I scoop out the crushed almond meal periodically and save it in a separate container.

P.S.: This container was not super ideal for this process, but I had already started and it was too late. If you use a wider-mouthed container, you'll have to scoop out the pulp less often and it will be way less annoying.

Et voila! Here is your almond milk. You can add seasonings to your taste, and sweeten it with sugar, honey, or agave.

Store for up to 2 days in the fridge. I have usually drunk it by that point because it is so good, but if you'd like to store it longer, bring it to a boil and it will keep a few days more. It separates naturally in the fridge, but with a good stir it will be back to normal.

Yum!