Ode to Almond Milk

Now that I know that I should avoid dairy for the sake of my skin and digestive system I have had to find some substitutes for the dairy-laden meals I used to love. I have learned that with enough gaucamole cheeseless nachos are delicious and that high quality thin crust pizza with thinly cut salami can be tasty even if there is no cheese on it. Also, I discovered that in many situations Almond Milk can be a geat replacement for milk. I had tried soy and rice milk before and never really got on board but almond milk is by far my favourite yet! It's great in cereal or by the glass and I have even successfully used it in baking once or twice. My favourite kind is Silk True Almond Original. However, I also found a recipe in Chatelaine Magazine of all places for almond milk you can make yourself...

Homemade Almond Milk (Courtesy of Chatelaine)

• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 cup honey

Soak almonds in water overnight. In the morning puree almonds and water in blender for 3-5 minutes until very milky looking. Strain mixture into bowl through a cheesecloth-covered seive, pushing around the grounds with the back of a ladel to make sure you get all the "milk." Stir in honey and store in the fridge up to 3 days. Just make sure to give it a stir before you use it each time as it does separate a bit. Almond milk is super low in calories and carbs and doesn't have much fat in it at all. :)

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