Sunday Smoothies ~ Homemade Almond Milk
FEBRUARY 21, 2016
Homemade nut-milks are very easy to make.
Almond and cashew are my go to nuts
for my smoothies and other recipes.
These homemade nut-milks have no fillers, additives,
and give you the pure goodness of the nuts you use.
You must however,
use the milk within three days.
Nuts are better for us when they are soaked first, then rinsed well.
This releases the phytates from the nut skin.
Phytates are naturally occurring,
and necessary in small quantities for robust health.
When too many are consumed
they can block mineral and vitamin absorption.
Almond and cashew are my go to nuts
for my smoothies and other recipes.
These homemade nut-milks have no fillers, additives,
and give you the pure goodness of the nuts you use.
You must however,
use the milk within three days.
Nuts are better for us when they are soaked first, then rinsed well.
This releases the phytates from the nut skin.
Phytates are naturally occurring,
and necessary in small quantities for robust health.
When too many are consumed
they can block mineral and vitamin absorption.
**Homemade Almond Milk**
makes approximately 3 cups of almond milk (1 cup per serving)
**Ingredients:**
- 1 cup of unpasteurized quality almonds or cashews (**Almonds**: soak a minimum of overnight on your counter or up to two days in the fridge. **Cashews**: soak a minimum of two to **six hours max** for the milk recipe. Longer for food recipes if required) .
- 2 cups of filtered water
- 1 nut-milk-bag\* only for the almonds. Cashews are so fine when blended that they do not have to be strained through a nut bag.
**Options**
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/4 tsp of vanilla
**Directions**
- After soaking nuts for a minimum of one night to two days, rinse well and place in a high-powered blender (I use a Vitamix).
- Add two cups of filtered water
- You can add a pinch of sea salt and/or vanilla here if desired. I usually leave mine plain as a base for my cooking and making smoothies.
- Blend on high until creamy-smooth
- Pour through a nut bag, squeezing out all liquid (you can use the remaining pulp for all sorts of recipes!)
- Use immediately or refrigerate for up to three days.
Enjoy!
\* (I got my first nut milk bag from [Brenda Hinton of Rawsome Creations](http://www.rawsomecreations.com/kitchen-tools). I have even used the reusable veggie bags that I bought at Whole Foods with good results!)
makes approximately 3 cups of almond milk (1 cup per serving)
**Ingredients:**
- 1 cup of unpasteurized quality almonds or cashews (**Almonds**: soak a minimum of overnight on your counter or up to two days in the fridge. **Cashews**: soak a minimum of two to **six hours max** for the milk recipe. Longer for food recipes if required) .
- 2 cups of filtered water
- 1 nut-milk-bag\* only for the almonds. Cashews are so fine when blended that they do not have to be strained through a nut bag.
**Options**
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/4 tsp of vanilla
**Directions**
- After soaking nuts for a minimum of one night to two days, rinse well and place in a high-powered blender (I use a Vitamix).
- Add two cups of filtered water
- You can add a pinch of sea salt and/or vanilla here if desired. I usually leave mine plain as a base for my cooking and making smoothies.
- Blend on high until creamy-smooth
- Pour through a nut bag, squeezing out all liquid (you can use the remaining pulp for all sorts of recipes!)
- Use immediately or refrigerate for up to three days.
Enjoy!
\* (I got my first nut milk bag from [Brenda Hinton of Rawsome Creations](http://www.rawsomecreations.com/kitchen-tools). I have even used the reusable veggie bags that I bought at Whole Foods with good results!)
View more

Labyrinths provide us with a path to practice change. Some labyrinths have withstood the passage of time for thousands of years. Others are here for just an afternoon, drawn in the sand at the edge of the ocean. Many modern labyrinths were meant to last for years, but because of unforeseen circumstances their time is shorter than intended. And they once again help us to practice letting go and giving thanks for the time they are with us. The Labyrinth of Life at the Sebastopol, California Teen Center reached such place of letting go and is at the end of one chapter and the beginning of another chapter that is yet unknown.

Sometimes... a labyrinth can take years to become a physical reality. In 2018 I met with my friend Deb, to discuss her desire to have a labyrinth on the beautiful land she lives on. Despite our plans and several meetings, listening to the land and finding the right spot, the labyrinth did not come to fruition. Fast-forward five years and in the blink of an eye... it happened!