Granola and Almond Milk

I purchased Raw Almonds about a week ago and have been looking forward to making some homemade almond milk for a while now! Well, this past weekend, I finally got to give it a try! Talk about one of the easiest things to make at home! Other than some forethought, of soaking the almonds for a day before making the milk, there is no other preparation.

My almonds were ready Sunday morning and I was amazed to see how much water they had absorbed. I got out the

Almond Milk and remaining Almond Meal

blender, filled it with 3 cups of water and 1 cup of the almonds and blended until smooth. Next, I took used a clean cloth napkin and laid it over a glass measuring pitcher. I poured the almond milk into the napkin so that I could squeeze the milk from the cloth. The left over is called almond meal. I repeated this until all of the milk had been strained and poured into a milk jug. Finally, I used the remainder of my almonds, slightly more than a cup with 3 cups of water and repeated to fill the glass milk jug. The whole process took less than a half an hour and I had freshly made almond milk!

Almonds are packed with good cholesterol, vitamin E and protein. Whether you are lactose intolerant, vegan, or would just like to try something new, you can be reassured that Almond milk is a very healthy alternative to cow’s milk.

Next, I had been dying to make the recipe my brother-in-law’s girlfriend had given me for granola. I have tons of oatmeal in my pantry and lots of nuts and dried fruit. I tweeked the recipe a bit, to use what I had in my pantry and baked it a bit longer than she suggested, to ensure that it was extra crispy!

The recipe I made was:

2 c. oatmeal
1/3 c. ground flaxseed
1/2 c. walnuts
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. raisins (or any dried fruit)
1 tsp cinammon
1/3 c. honey
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. organge juice
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp canola oil

To make, mix the dry ingredients, excluding fruit. In a saucepan over low heat, mix honey, sugar, and OJ until sugar dissolves, then remove from heat and add vanilla and oil. Pour mixture over dry ingredients, spread the granola on a cookie sheet, bake for 10 minutes on 300 degrees and then mix/respread on cookie sheet and bake for another 15, repeat, add extra honey to top and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven toss with dried fruit and allow to cool completely.

Once the granola was finished, I shared it with Connor, who loved it, and made myself a bowl of granola with almond milk for breakfast. The almond milk adds an extra nutty flavor and really goes well with the granola. The large bowl of granola was so popular in my house, it was gone in 2 days. I think next time around I will have to make a double batch! I was suprised how super easy it was, especially when they charge like $8/bag from the market for the same stuff!

Bowl of Granola with Almond Milk

The almond milk has also been a big hit for Connor, who has been chugging it down. I was surprised to see how it settles when it sits in the jar, so it must be shaken before you pour it into a glass.

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