Homemade Almond Milk

[Please welcome back our guest blogger, Jamie, with another one of her delicious recipes!]

KITCHEN EXPERIMENTS WITH JAMIE

**Jamie’s passion for food and cooking began as a young girl, while watching her mother in the kitchen. Her curiosity has pushed her to learn how to make a lot of her own products from scratch instead of buying it at the market like hummus, granola, yogurt, pickles, and much more. Jamie is currently studying to become an Occupational Therapist and would love to incorporate cooking into her practice one day.**

Today, one can find milk made from almost anything—soy, rice, different kinds of nuts, etc. They can be a little easier to digest than milk and I personally like the taste. While it is possible to find great quality milk substitutes at Whole Foods and other health food stores, they can be pricy and some brands can be high in sugar and contain additives. So, why not make your own?

Making your own almond milk is unbelievably easy and resourceful because you can utilize the whole almond with zero waste. After pulverizing the almonds to make tasty milk, try using the almond grounds in granola, in baked goods, or even just toast them in the oven with some sugar or spices and use them as sweet or savory crunchy topping.

Here’s my recipe for homemade almond milk. As always, feel free to play around with it!

Ingredients:

2 cups raw almonds, soaked in water overnight
5-7 cups water
5 Tbs. simple syrup (use any sweetener you like)
2 tsp. vanilla extract (or a whole vanilla bean, chopped)
small pinch of salt
Cheesecloth and large bowl

Directions:

1. Drain and rinse the soaked almonds.

So pretty!

2. Place almonds in a blender along with the water, simple syrup, vanilla, and pinch of salt. (I had to do mine in batches because my blender could not hold all the liquid)

3. Blend for a minute or so.

4. Place cheesecloth over large bowl (I held mine in place by wrapping a rubber band around it), and slowly pour almond mixture over it. Squeeze the bottom of the cheesecloth to release the milk.

So cool!

5. Pour into a pourable container to store in the fridge for about 5 days.

Makes 5-7 cups

You can make your own simple syrup by boiling equal parts sugar and water until the sugar dissolves and letting it cool to room temperature. I like to infuse mine with herbs like rosemary or sage and vanilla beans! Enjoy this recipe and as always, stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Jamie’s adorable cats

Apr292014

Make One Healthy Decision Every Day

There is a very simple rule Hungry and I try to adhere to: make one healthy decision every day. It can make the difference in your mood, your body, your spirit, your day–you name it! Everyone has a different something, but it’s great that it is an actual something. The way to achieving great health is through baby steps. Nobody ever took a big leap to their ideal body or lifestyle…it takes progress. And that’s a good thing. If we never take little steps towards our goals, it will never stick. It will never become a true part of our life.

The one healthy decision I make is choosing Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almondmilk. When I’m craving something to drink other than water, I know I can pull out the carton of the Silk Almondmilk and take a glug. It prevents me from getting into other stuff like soda or fruit juices that I avoid. It’s something that helps fit into my macros and my journey to good health. It is non-GMO verified, plant-based, heart-healthy, and has 50% more calcium than dairy milk. It’s my little step each day. And it’s one I take every day (multiple times).

I believe it’s important for everyone to take this little step. It could be taking the stairs, taking a walk during lunch, avoiding the bag of chips, or taking a few minutes for a meditation. People think getting fit is always a dramatic change. Well, it shouldn’t be. It should be little steps each day which eventually turn into habits which eventually turns into a permanent lifestyle. Pick a healthy choice every day and you will see that eventual, permanent change.

For me, Silk has lots of these healthy choices. From Almondmilk to their Soy Milk, I always keep the fridge stocked so that I continue to make these healthy decisions each day. This helps me create a better, happier me. You already know that Silk helps us bloom. Try it out for yourself! Sign up for the Silk.com newsletter and receive free coupons, sweepstakes, and monthly chances to win a YEAR’S supply of Silk products. If it works for me, it will work for you. Also, check out Silk’s Facebook Page. I literally JUST found an oatmeal recipe that I’m dying (and drooling) to try! Like their page and you’ll be in for good tips, recipes, and general happiness-helpers. I wouldn’t lie! Make a healthy decision every day to stay hungry and fit!

Question of the Day: What healthy decisions do YOU try to make every day?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

Jul182013

Quinoa Chia Bowl

I always like saying quinoa the wrong way (“kih-no-ah”) just to bug Chris, so it’s always great when it’s in my life more frequently. This is an easy (PEASY) recipe that is perfect for breakfast, but will serve as a nice refreshing snack anytime of the day. I was inspired by Happy Fit Mama when she instagrammed a picture of this dish. I had to try! It fit my clean-eating perfectly. After all, I’m getting close to the end of contest prep! She gave me the ingredients she used, but I went ahead and created the recipe with measurements and all. Kinda winged it, but it worked! Enjoy this perfect recipe for summer living.

Mmmmmm!

Macros (for 1 serving)

Serves: 2
Calories: 208
Fat: 5g
Carbs: 33g
Sugars: 4g
Protein: 8.3g

Ingredients

3/8 cup uncooked quinoa
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp drizzled honey
1/2 cup Silk Vanilla Unsweetened Almondmilk

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F
Mix together the quinoa, cinnamon, chia seeds, and honey in a small dish that can be put in the oven

Mixed up and ready for bake-age!

Put in the oven for about 15-20 minutes (until well-bonded and kinda crisp)

THIS is the proper serving. If you eat the whole thing, double the macros at the top of the post

Pour 1/2 cup almond milk over and enjoy!

Mmmmmm!

Yeah it’s that easy. And I was able to have the other half for breakfast the next morning! Talk about a good deal. The texture of the chia seeds after baking and then drowned in almond milk is next to perfect. It feels like a truly wholesome meal whether you have it for breakfast or any other meal of the day. Use this recipe to stay hungry and fit!

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BONUS KITTY PIC