Making Almond milk

With all that is said about processed food and additives I have been trying to cut back and eating real food. Even things like almond milk have questionable ingredients. The additive carrageenan; a seaweed-derived texturizer is been known to cause stomach problems . So I thought how hard is it to make almond milk? Plus Care2 had a piece about making non-dairy milks.

The simplest way to explain is 1 part almond 2 parts water.
No more wasting almond milk cause I didn't use it up in 7 days..... now I can make as much or as little as I want.  If I need a cup of almond milk I can use 1/2 cup of almonds and 1 cup water. Plus you can store the extra almonds in the freezer and use the ground almond as almond meal (flour)



1 part organic almonds
2 parts water

Soak the almonds in the water (cover about 1 inch above them) over night or for up to 2 days.

Drain  the almonds from the water and rinse.
Put almonds and the 2 parts water in a blender.

Pulse to start to chop them up. Then blend for 2 minutes.  It will look like milk

Strain with cheese cloth the almond meal.  Press the remaining milk.out of the cheese cloth.

You can add sweetener and or vanilla  if you want.
Refrigerate. This fresh almond milk only last for 2 days but you can make as much and as little as you want. You can always have your almonds soaking for the next batch!!

Eggnog!

First I want to thank this video for the visible help..



I used the Incredible Egg recipe.


Classic Cooked Eggnog
6 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups milk, DIVIDED
2 cup of french vanilla coffee half and half
1 tsp. vanilla


BEAT eggs, sugar and salt in large heavy saucepan until blended. STIR IN 2 cups milk.
COOK over low heat, stirring constantly but gently, until mixture is just thick enough to just coat a metal spoon with a thin film and temperature reaches 160°F, about 15 minutes. Do not allow to boil.
REMOVE from heat immediately.
STIR IN remaining 2 cups milk and vanilla.
REFRIGERATE, covered, until thoroughly chilled, several hours or overnight.

Silly me read the recipe as after reaching 165 degrees cook for 15 minutes.... yea my first batch as sweeten scrambled egg mess.... Good thing I did a half a recipe for that!! PLUS I also saw that adding half heavy cream or half and half will make it richer, having used most of the container of heavy cream I  used  what was left plus some of my french vanilla coffee creamer in the remaining milk... YUMMM

Hot Chocolate for Santa

10 2/3 cups powdered milk (equal to a box that makes 8 qts.)
4 cups Chocolate Powder (milk flavoring mix)
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 1/4 cups coffee creamer

Directions
Combine all the ingredients.
Stir until all the ingredients are mixed evenly.
Pour into an airtight container and store in a dry area.
To serve, add 1/4 to 1/3 cups of hot chocolate mix to 1 cup of boiling water; stir until mix is dissolved.

Friendship Tea

1 jar (18 oz.) Tang or store brand equilivant
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup instant iced tea
1 package powdered lemonade mix
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix together in a airtight jar or bottle.
1 tablespoons of mix (or to taste) into 1 cup hot water

Spiced Chai Mix

1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
1 cup French vanilla flavored powdered non-dairy creamer
2 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups unsweetened instant tea
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves

Place items in blender. Blend till fine powder.
Stir 2 heaping tablespoons per cup of hot water.

Hawaiian Iced Tea

4 orange pekoe tea bags
1 quart of almost boiling water
1 quart of cold water and ice
1 cup  pineapple juice
1/2 cup of simple syrup or 3/4 cup (or more to taste)  of sugar

Place the tea bags in the almost boiling water. The secret to great tasting tea.
Steep for 2 to 4 minutes. Remove tea bags. Add sugar if using.
Add cold water and ice. Pour into pitcher.
Add pineapple juice and simple syrup.
Chill for a hour before serving.

Simple Syrup

Simple to make!! 

I part water
1 part sugar

Pour water into a sauce pan add sugar.
Heat until sugar is dissolved.
Cool and then bottle.
Will keep for a month in a glass bottle in the refrigerator.
Use in drink recipes.
To sweeten Ice Tea. Iced Coffee.

Agua Fresca

Translated as "fresh water". Sometimes known as Aguas de Frutas translated= "fruit waters". Fruit water without the plastic bottle, preservatives and dyes of the bottled. Traditionally the water are made by mashing fruit then adding water and sweetener.

For honey use a small amount of hot water to help mix the honey into the drink.
If you use a blender don't all all the water in recipe just enough to make it drinkable.
Never add ice this is dilute the fruit flavors. Place in the refrigerator until cold. Use cold ingredients.....

Strawberry Agua Fresca 

* 3 cups hulled and quartered strawberries
* 1/4 cup sugar (more or less depending on sweetness of the berries)
* 2 cups cold water
* 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice



Watermelon  Agua Fresca
1 1/2 cups watermelon, diced (no rind)
5 cups cold water
1/4 cup sugar

Blend for a minute or two until the seeds break up . Let the  seeds fall to the bottom and should stay in the bottom when you pour.  You could use a strainer if you like to make sure the seeds don't get added to the drink..

  Melon Agua


1 ripe cantaloupe or honey dew peeled, seeded and diced
2 qts cold water
1/2 cup sugar

Apple Chai tea

My daughter loves the apple chai tea from Eat and Park. I have tried to make this at home and really fall short. But I did make this chai tea mix and she liked it. I think maybe we can add this to hot apple cider... maybe?




* 1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
* 1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
* 1 cup French vanilla flavored powdered non-dairy creamer
* 2 1/2 cups white sugar
* 1 1/2 cups unsweetened instant tea
* 2 teaspoons ground ginger
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground cloves

Yields 36 servings

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine milk powder, non-dairy creamer, vanilla flavored creamer, sugar and instant tea. Stir in ginger, cinnamon and cloves. In a blender or food processor, blend 1 cup at a time, until mixture is the consistency of fine powder.
2. To serve: Stir 2 heaping tablespoons Chai tea mixture into a mug of hot water.