Recipe: Homemade Almond Milk

Most people are aware that having a handful of almonds every day will help you lower your cholesterol and lose weight, but did you know that just 1/4 cup of these nutritionally dense nuggets offers you nearly 10% of your daily calcium needs? This is great news for those of us who can't/choose not to consume dairy and are looking for other calcium-rich foods to to eat.

So you like munching these tear-shaped nuts...but have you tried DRINKING them? Most of us have not experienced the refreshing, smooth experience of quenching our thirst with almonds. Just last week, for the first time I made a quart of homemade almond milk - and not only was it the freshest tasting milk I've had since I can remember, but it was also extremely easy!

To make homemade almond milk, start out by soaking a 1/2 cup of almonds in water. Make sure the almonds are fully submerged in the water and cover the bowl with a paper towel. I soaked the almonds overnight (though I've head that you don't have to wait that long). While the almonds soak, you will begin to see them plump.

When the soaking is over, place the almonds into a blender along with 4 cups of water. Blend it on high until you feel that the almonds won't grind any further. At this time, pour the liquid through a sieve into a container and throw away (or store) the almond meal. Take the container of liquid and pour it back into the blender. (During this time, you may want to taste the liquid to see if you like the consistency. Some people will like it thicker, others will prefer a lighter milk. I chose to add one more cup of water.) At this time, you can add any preferred flavors such as vanilla, cocoa powder or a sweetener like honey. My preference is to add 1 tsp of vanilla to the blender as well as 1/2 tbsp of honey for each cup of milk. Blend until the flavors have been mixed well.

That's it - you're done! Before you drink it, I would recommend refrigerating the almond milk until it is cold. Room temperature milk is never very pleasant, no matter what kind of milk you are drinking! Enjoy this new alternative to other dairy-free milks, knowing that what you are ingesting is raw, fresh and free of added, unnecessary ingredients.