I am going to show you how to make the easiest nut milk available! As someone who lives dairy-free, I have attempted to make my own nut milks before. Almond milk is great, but it requires the dreaded nut milk bag to strain the bits of nuts out of the milk. Which requires cleaning said nut milk bag, which is quite tedious and a definite mental hurdle to me making almond milk on a regular basis.
Enter cashew milk: it requires no nut milk bag and no straining, which makes it a breeze to make. The only equipment necessary is a high speed blender such as a Vitamix or Ninja so that you won’t have bits of nuts floating around in your milk.
This makes an amazing coffee creamer, as well as a treat with a gluten free graham cracker or biscotti!
So here is the recipe:
Cashew Milk
(yields approximately 6 cups)
2 cups raw cashews, whole or pieces
4 cups filtered water
2 Medjool dates (optional)
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract (optional)
pinch of sea salt
Place cashews in bowl and cover with water. Place a clean dishcloth over bowl. Let sit on counter for at least 4 hours. (It was more like 10 hours for me because that’s when I got around to making the milk.)
In a colander, strain out the water and rinse cashews.
Place cashews in blender with 4 cups water, dates and vanilla (if using), and sea salt. Blend on high for 2-3 minutes.
Place in clean mason jars or glass pitcher in fridge and drink it up within 4-5 days.
You can always cut the recipe in half if you can’t drink it as fast. And you can always add more water to the recipe to thin it out if it’s too creamy for you.
Do you have go-to lunchtime fare? I should, I know, but I don’t. Some days it’s a salad, others soup, and then there are the times when I make smoothies because they are so darn easy! This is one I blended up the other day when I didn’t want to hang out in the kitchen for very long.
Last Friday afternoon, my dear friend Britt came over for lunch and, as I usually do, I served soup and a tossed salad. Soup is a favorite of mine because it’s easy to make and fits in with my lazy cooking preferences. Alan laughed when I called myself a “One Bowl Johnny” last week, but if I could be that minimalist in the kitchen, trust me, I would!
Most of the gluten free, dairy free, from-scratch food I make tends to require many bowls, spoons and pots with plenty of steps. So when I find a recipe that is simple enough to use only one pot, I rejoice. This is why I love soup so much! Well, that and the fact that it’s such comfort food if one is feeling a bit under the weather.
This particular soup was created because, like most other home cooks, I am frugal and wanted to use up the ingredients in my pantry and fridge. And I had a hankering for the combination of sweet potatoes (yams, and yes, I know the difference!) and leeks. Get ready for one of the easiest soup recipes in existence!
Sweet Potato-Leek Soup (serves 6)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 really large yams (or 4-5 smaller ones), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 leeks, trim off the bottom and the tough green stalks. Use the 3 inches of white part, cut in half lengthwise, slice across, and rinse thoroughly before using.
How was your Monday? I felt like I didn’t move very quickly from one task to another today. My theory is that my body gets to the point where it just has enough and purposely slows down. The weekend was full with late work hours and going to see my daughter in The Addams Family Musical at her high school on Friday and Sunday.
On Sunday evening after the show, Alan and I made a Vegan Shepherd’s Pie and Gluten Free, Dairy Free Irish Soda Bread while listening to Celtic music in celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day. It felt good to return to a tradition I enjoyed with my children when they were younger and had let go of in the past few years. I am looking forward to the rest of this week and to another celebration– the first day of Spring!!!
So here is where I follow several bloggers who have taken a cue from author Barbara Brown Taylor to answer the question: “What is saving your life right now?” Here is my list of current or ongoing lifesavers.
My Bullet Journal Notebook: I’m not going to stop singing the Bullet Journal’s praises, so if you’ve never heard of it, here’s an in-depth delve from Lazy Genius into the Bullet Journal world. (It really is the ultimate guide and will answer lots of your questions.)
The Bullet Journal is this ridiculously simple analog method of keeping your life together in one place. It works for everyone, is completely customizable, and once you start using it, you will be lost without it. This year, I got Alan on the Bullet Journal train and he’s enjoying using it to keep his life organized. This is my fourth year and I am continually finding new ways to entrust my life to its pages. The good news is, you can start it anytime. Check out the Bullet Journal website for short videos showing what it is and how to use it. Once you start, you won’t look back.
My diffuser: I haven’t been sick once all winter and I credit my diffuser, as well as my diet full of whole and green foods and low in sugar! I have several essential oil blends I’ve made and tested to keep me healthy. I’ll be sharing a few blends this week on Wednesday’s post.
My Blackwing Palomino 602 Pencils: as a left-handed writer, my hand tends to cramp up and get tired fairly quickly. There is a fluid elegance and ease to these pencils that have earned them high praise from many famous creatives.
Glo, formerly YogaGlo, is the primary way I practice yoga. In early December, I signed up for the free trial and never looked back. From 5 minute meditations, to 90 minute yoga classes, from super chill restorative Yin and gently Hatha to a sweaty Vinyasa Flow, there are choices for everyone.
You can search by time length, by instructor, by style, by body part you wish to focus on, by time of day, etc. As I work toward my goal of yoga and meditation everyday, Glo provides me with a feast of opportunities to practice.
Barre3 is the other exercise life-saver that I am in love with. It is a combination of ballet, Pilates, cardio, and yoga and is always low-impact. You will sweat, but you will never jump. Even their Barre3 Burpees are slow and much attention is paid to proper alignment, so my wrists and knees have never been sore afterwards. My butt and legs have, though!
It is a workout unlike any other I’ve experienced and the Barre3 message is body-positive and affirming. They’re never pushing you through a workout so you can look great in a bikini. Their language is aimed at building strength, confidence, and feeling good in your own body. They encourage people to pay attention to how they’re feeling (example: “If there is any tension in your neck, lower your arms, etc.”) and to modify each move to make it their own. Here is $10 off if you decide to join!
I’d love to hear what is saving your life right now! Please share in the comments below. Also, I will be giving away my copy of The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll and a couple other goodies on Instagram this week. So head over to my Instagram tomorrow Tuesday March 19 to enter. (US only)
Life of Kim 