Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Moving...

I have had different blogs for what I thought were different parts of my life. The thing is that it is all just one interconnected life, so everything is now in one blog: www.dreamjoyfully.blogspot.com

Friday, November 12, 2010

Almond Milk and Chia Pudding

Two simple but wonderfully useful recipes. Happy Eating!

Almond Milk:
1. Soak 1 cup of raw almonds for 10-12 hours.
2. Rinse & drain well a couple of times.
3. Put almonds in blender with 3 - 4 cups water.
4. Blend well on high for 3 - 5 minutes (time varies depending on your blender).
5. Pour through a nutmilk bag, dishcloth or multiple layers of cheesecloth to strain out the pulp. You can toss the pulp or use it in dehydrated crackers or cookies.
6. I like my almond milk plain if/when I get good almonds, but some people like it with a little sweetener &/or vanilla blended in. Add these things & blend AFTER the milk has been strained.

I like to drink almond milk straight, make chia pudding out of it, and use it as a base for smoothies & blender soups. Almond milk will keep in the fridge for about 3 days.


Chia Pudding:
1. Mix 1 part chia seeds with 5 parts almond milk and a little of your favorite sweetener, and stir well.
2. Let it sit out for an hour or two, stirring well occasionally (especially during the first half-hour or so) to avoid/mash up the little gooey lumpy clumpies.
3. After it's done soaking, you can add in things like raw cacao (chocolate) powder, cinnamon, etc.
4. EAT. :)

This is good stuff!

*Note: It is important to use a water-based liquid for making chia pudding, as actual milk will not absorb into the seeds well. Young coconut juice is a good liquid to use in place of almond milk.