Almond Milk

Not long ago I saw a video by one of my role models, Niomi Smart. The video is about how she keeps herself healthy even though she is living a busy life. That video inspired me to get even healthier, because I saw how easy it really is to make those healthy choices if you really want. So I decided to follow Niomi's footsteps and try a more plant-based lifestyle. To do this, though, you sometimes have to be a little more creative and do a bit yourself than you should have done if you weren't going all I'm-going-all-nature. As you may know I absolutely love having oats for breakfast - That's plant based, I can eat that. But the milk upon it, on the other hand, isn't plant based, so I have to be creative. SO! I made myself some almond milk.

Making the switch to drinking almond milk has lots of benefits!

1.   It's strengthen your bones

It may not offer as much calcium as milk from a cow does, but almond milk gives you 30 percent of your daily amount of calcium and 25 percent of your daily vitamin D.

2.  It makes your skin glow

Almond milk contains up to 50 percent of your daily amount of vitamin E, which is the vitamin that helps antioxidant properties essential to your skin’s health.

3. It helps strengthen and healing your muscles

Besides containing vitamin E and D, almond milk also contains plenty of vitamin B, which is important if you want to strengthen or heal your muscles.

4. It helps you keeping your weight

One cup of almond milk contains only 60 calories, where a cup of cow's milk contains 146 calories. Just by this you want to drink almond milk, right?

5. It doesn’t need to be refrigerated

So you can literally have it wherever you go!

6. It doesn’t contain lactose

People who are lactose intolerance can drink this milk!

7. It helps your heart staying healthy

Almond milk is high in healthy fats, which helps your body to prevent heart diseases and high blood pressure. Also there is no cholesterol or saturated fat to be found in almond milk.

8. It’s very easy to make!

Almond milk can be a bit pricey, so it’s good that it’s easy to make it yourself! Just follow the recipe below

You will need:

1-2 cups of almonds

Vanilla Extract

Water

Dates (not necessarily needed, but is good as a sweetener)

A blender or food processer

Kettle

Strainer or cheesecloth

Instructions:

1. Almonds in a bowl

Pour the almond in a bowl that is not too big, but on the other hand not too small either.

2. Almonds and water in a bowl

Pour water into the bowl just so the almonds is covered

3. Overnight

Cover the bowl with kitchen foil and let the bowl stay overnight. Make sure stays in a dark corner, so it doesn’t get any sunlight when the sun gets up in the morning.

4. Get rid of redundant water

Carefully pour the redundant water in the bowl into the sick. Make sure that you keep all the almonds in the bowl, and none floats with the water.

5. Boil some water

… and take it off the heater.

6. Put the almonds in the blender / food processer

… and pour the boiled water over the almonds until they are cover

7. Add vanilla extract

Add 1 / 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

8. BLEND! BLEND! BLEND!

Blend it until it all fluid. If it’s keeps staying thick pour in more of the boiled water

9. Taste it

If you like it continue to the next step. If you want it a bit sweeter add one or two dates and blend it again

10.  Run the liquid through a strainer or cheesecloth

This will make the milk have the right consistence. This step can be left undone if you want your milk to be a little crunchy.

11. Pour it into a bottle

… and let it cool down

12. DRINK IT

... and enjoy

(MAKE SURE TO SAVE THE ALMOND DREGS. THIS YOU CAN USE IN A DELICOUS GRANOLA (RECIPE COMING SOON!))

Enjoy your almond milk!

xx Emma