Almond Milk

I haven't been blogging lately due to some health issues. I went on a pretty strict diet for a few weeks to try to identify what was causing my headaches. Initially, I thought this meant no fun food at all, but of course I eventually found ways to be creative in the kitchen despite my new-found dietary restrictions. Look for an abundance of healthier and/or dairy-free recipes to follow.

My first fun dairy-free foray was to make my own almond milk. The store-bought brands are chock full of ingredients I can't pronounce, and I'm trying to avoid processed foods like that right now. A little internet research helped me realize that almond milk is insanely easy to make. After a few weeks of trials, I have perfected this recipe as a safe, yummy, easy alternative to cow's milk.

No, the cookie isn't dairy-free... but at least it was homemade!

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted almonds*
3 cups water
1/4 cup honey**
1 t vanilla

* I know almonds can be expensive. I found the bulk trail-mix section at Whole Foods to be the cheapest option for almonds in my neighborhood.
** I am lucky enough to have a brother with bees who provides me with awesome honey. For those of who aren't that lucky, I recommend finding a local honey at a farmer's market or higher-end grocery store. It's worth the extra money.

Soak almonds overnight in enough water that they are covered.

After soaking overnight, drain and rinse almonds. In a blender, combine almonds, honey, vanilla, and 3 cups of water, and blend for a few minutes until there are no large chunks of almonds left.

Use a strainer or cheesecloth to separate the liquid from the almond meal. I pour the milk into a strainer over a bowl and let it sit for a few minutes to drain. Store in a quart jar in the refrigerator. Use within 48 to 72 hours (never a problem in my house; I drink it all within 24 hours!).

The leftover almond meal can be used for other recipes. Apparently there are also special cheesecloth bags made specifically for making your own nut milk, but I haven't taken time to look for these yet.

References: 
http://www.choosingraw.com/raw-101-homemade-almond-milk/
http://thisiswhatwemade.blogspot.ca/2012/03/almond-milk-vanilla-almond-milk.html
http://naturesnurtureblog.com/2012/06/08/homemade-almond-milk-almond-meal/