First, PLEASE  read the Tips for making my Almond-Chia Milk and the instructions for making the chia gel, which is essential to the recipe.

Luscious Homemade Almond-Chia Milk

Vickilynn Haycraft – Real Food Living

You will need:

1/2 – 1/3 – 1/4 cup raw, organic almonds (See Tips for explanation of amounts)

1 cup – 1/2 cup prepared organic chia gel

Pure water

Optional add-ins

Sweetener of choice, to taste,

Organic vanilla extract to taste

Procedure

1) Soak almonds (in their brown jackets) in our water 8 hours or overnight

2) Prepare chia gel per direction and chill overnight

3) If using dates, soak in pure water overnight

In the morning, drain the almonds and rinse well. Either remove the brown skin (see Tips) or simply place them, as is, in the VitaMix.

If using dates, drain and add to the VitaMix.

Add 4 cups of pure water and process as follows: Cover tightly. Turn VitaMix Low toggle switch to On. Slowly increase the variable speed knob to 10, then flip the High toggle switch to On. Let that run on High for 30 seconds for bare almonds and 1 minute for almonds with skin.

Pour in desired amount of prepared chia gel. Start off small, I like 1/2 cup.

Add in sweetener, extracts (I like vanilla or almond), spices (such as cinnamon) and anything else your heart desires such as fruit or vegetable purees. A tiny pinch of Real Salt.

To make it taste like “milk”, I leave it as simple as possible – almonds, water, chia gel, possibly some sweetener. Anything you choose to add after that is based on taste and preference and you can let yourself go wild! But if you’re looking for a non-dairy milk to replace dairy milk (especially for little ones), I recommend starting off with the basics and then make the variations once the regular “milk” has been accepted.

Reminder: If you are using soaked dates, be sure to blend them completely with the almonds in the VitaMix so they will not leave a “texture”. They do have a strong flavor, so unless you really like dates, I’d try something more mild first.

Add in water to the top and mix gently, either with a spoon or the lowest VitaMix setting, for just a few seconds to distribute the add-ins well.

Chill for at least an hour. Before serving,  stir gently and pour. There is no need to strain, you will be amazed at the smooth, silky mouth-feel and the light delicate taste (of course if you added in sweeteners and / or flavors, you will taste them as well).

Makes 64 ounces

First, you ask “Why almond milk?”

For those individuals who need to be dairy-free, or choose to not use dairy milks for other reasons, almond milk can provide excellent nutrients, flavor and be used in every way that dairy mill can, and almonds work well for people with dairy sensitives or deal with respiratory issues. (Dairy produces mucous and can adversely affect people with sinus, allergy or asthma symptoms.)

Almonds have an impressive nutritional profile http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3085/2 consisting of proteins, fats and carbs with the fat source of monounsaturated fat, the same type of fat found in olive oil that has positive health benefits. Consumption of monounsaturated fat is linked with reduced cardiovascular disease. One serving of almonds, or 23 whole kernels, contains 18 g of fat, 11 g of which is monounsaturated fat.

Using such a nutrition-packed nut to make homemade non-dairy milk (almond milk is an excellent source of calcium and several nutrients that dairy does not contain, is an wonderful choice whether choosing almond milk solely or alongside organic raw dairy milk.

However, good quality, raw almonds (as raw as we can get in the U.S., but that is another topic) have risen in price so that many recipes for almond milk that are available, have become too expensive to make for a family on a regular basis.

But WAIT! In my efforts to create a frugal version of homemade almond milk for our family, but unwilling to sacrifice the smooth, rich, texture and flavor  we have come to love in almond milk either in homemade or store-bought, I came up with one that works for us. It uses far less almonds than any recipe I’ve seen, yet retains all the of the thickness and flavor of recipes using more almonds, and because I use less almonds, the price to make at home is much less.

The 2 main secrets to this yummy Almond Milk  are: 

1) Soak the raw almonds 8 hours in pure water, and rinse well before blending.

2) Add in organic, homemade chia gel, which thickens and smooths the texture, while boosting the nutritional value over the top. Chia has no flavor on its own, and does not impart any flavor to the milk, in fact, it absorbs the milk flavor!

There are several schools of thought on whether to retain the brown inner skins from the soaked almonds. When making my almond milk for myself, I keep them on because of the added nutrients and because I don’t like to waste ANY of the almond!

When I make this almond milk for family and friends, I DO remove the brown skin which results in a bright white, even smoother end product, providing no grit and no excuse for little ones (or big ones) to turn up their noses at this delicate, delicious and silky milk.

To easily remove the brown skins, the almonds must be soaked,  again I prefer 8 hours. Rinse the almonds well, and hold the end of the whole almond with your thumb and forefinger and gently pinch. The white almond  (sans its brown jacket) should POP out, leaving both intact.

You can add these lovely skins to your compost if desired.

Whether you leave the skins on, or remove them, the next steps are the same.

Place the soaked (jacketed or bare) almonds in a powerful blender. I use the VitaMix and it is my favorite. You can use what you have, but the VitaMix will pulverize the almonds and not leave pulp or grit, not all blenders have give these results.  So if you’re using a regular blender, NOT a VitaMix, you may need to strain out the pulp. I do not with the VitaMix.

Cover the almond with 2-3 cups pure water. Start on Low and slowly turn up the variable speed the to the highest and then flip the switch to HIGH. Blend this for 30 seconds for bare almonds and 1 minute for almonds with skin. No more.

Return the toggle switch to low, and slowly turn the variable speed back to its lowest.

At this point, pour in the prepared, thickened chia gel.  I started with using 1 cup and then was able to reduce the amount to 1/2 cup, again making this more frugal. Use amounts that suit your taste and preferences.

I add in my sweetener of choice and amount. For myself, a diabetic, I only use pure stevia and only enough to lightly sweeten. For my family, I use organic unrefined cane sugar, or sucanat for a stronger flavor, or raw honey or maple syrup. All of these will flavor the milk, away from a “milk” taste, except the stevia and organic unrefined cane sugar. I only sweeten my almond milk “gently”, to give it a delicate flavor, some prefer no sweetening at all, but neither should this be a very sweet beverage, it should be light, refreshing, soothing with just a “hint” of sweetness.

Another option I came up with years ago was to soak several organic Deglet dates at the same time I was soaking my almonds (but in different containers) and adding the soaked dates with the soaking water if desired into the VitaMix when blending up the almonds. It works very well. You can read more about this process using dates at Real Food Living.  And here. Again, don’t overdo the sweetener as it will overpower the delicate flavor and natural sweetness that the almond possesses. Start small with any additional sweeteners.

Reminder: If you are using soaked dates, be sure to blend them completely with the almonds in the VitaMix so they will not leave a “texture”. They do have a strong flavor, so unless you really like dates, I’d try something more mild first.

Next, when all the add-ins are in, add pure water to the very tippy-top of the container  and very gently, stir, either with the VitaMix on its lowest setting, or with a spoon, to bring the settled chia seeds to the top, so when you pour your glassful, you get milk AND chia.

If you follow these directions, your chia should be very plump, soft and pleasant additions to your almond milk. If however, your children (or other family) balks at the presence of chia, let the seeds settle to the bottom and just drink the lovely, silky milk above, since the chia has already expended it’s smooth gel into the milk, making it silky smooth.

I would hate to see the chia wasted though because it is a nutritional powerhouse and very beneficial to ingest! You can read more about the advantages of chia here and decide to slowly introduce it to those who are hesitant. Their bodies will thank you, even if they don’t know it yet!

Here is the recipe for my Luscious, Frugal, Smooth, Healthy Almond-Chia Milk. Enjoy!

For Shabbat (Sabbath – Friday night at sundown to Saturday sundown) I made my favorite chicken dish using my favorite  method of cooking whole chicken. Two whole chickens roasted to a gorgeous brown, served juicy and moist, the leftovers for another meal and then the carcasses made  into lovely, rich broth. I prefer using roasted chicken (and turkey) carcass instead of raw chicken with meat because the roasted carcass makes a deep, rich, flavorful and healthful broth.

I usually buy fresh organic or local free-range or “natural” (with no added anything) whole chickens, about 4- 5 pounds each. If there is a sale on these chickens frozen I will buy several for the freezer and when ready to cook, I allow the chicken to thaw at least 48-72 hours in the fridge before cooking.

To prepare; I remove the innards (giblets) and the neck. I toss the giblets away (just a personal preference) and keep the neck to roast alongside the chicken (it adds a lot to the broth). You can roast the giblets to add to your stock if you desire.

I wipe the birds down and spread a little olive oil on the skin, then sprinkle on a spice mix, which either I make, or something like an organic Mrs. Dash with no MSG. I stuff the cavity with an onion cut in half and sometimes a couple of carrots, and place the chickens breast-side down on the roasting rack in my electric roaster. OR, I butterfly the chicken (oil and spice the same way) and roast it in my NuWave oven, breast side down. If roasting in the oven, I use a roasting pan with a rack or I make a bed of cubed veggies (carrots, onions, celery, potatoes) to place the chicken on.

Sometimes, I mix up a compound butter like Alton Brown’s recipe. I use this at room temperature and rub it on the birds instead of the the dry herbs and olive oil. It can also be placed underneath the skin before roasting the breast side. Loosen the skin first and when the birds are flipped over, carefully slip the butter underneath the skin. Be careful, it’s HOT! If the skin is not loose, place the butter on the outside of the skin and roast.

* I don’t usually brine, but if you do, you can still follow these tips with brined birds.

Whichever vehicle I use to cook the chicken, it is most important that I flip the chicken over (breast-side up) halfway through the cooking time and sprinkle with the spices or rub with compound butter.  There is no need to use oil, the skin should be glistening with juices. I cook the chicken at 350 – 375 degrees for a moist, tender chicken, usually about 1 1/2 hours – 2 hours or until the internal temp reaching 165 -170 degrees taken at the thickest part of the thigh where it meets the breast. *The NuWave roasts faster than the convection oven or electric roaster, so cooking by temperature rather than time is essential to the perfectly-roasted chickens or turkey.

When the chickens reaches 165 -170 degrees, I turn the heat off and let the chickens sit covered for 30 minutes (for moist meat). I then carve the meat to serve and break up the carcass. If I’ve used the electric roaster, I put the carcass right back into it, without washing the roaster first (to pick up all those wonderful browned bits of flavor called fond.) If I have used the NuWave to roast the chicken, I place the roasted carcass in a large slow cooker.

I add the onion I roasted with the chicken and sometimes a TB or two of organic apple cider vinegar, some celery, garlic, powdered ginger, salt and enough water to cover by about 3 inches and let it slow cook overnight on Low. I let it cook at least 24 hours to extract as much flavor and goodness from the bones and bits of meat. Next I let the broth cool, remove the solids and strain the broth into a large stockpot and into the fridge it goes. I leave it untouched until the broth is completely cold and the fat has risen to the top and solidified, which at that point, I remove the fat.

Homemade roasted chicken or turkey broth is amazing to drink as is on a cold Winter day, or use as a base for many types of soups, or to cook grains or vegetables with. Homemade broth freezes well and keeps well. Some people like to freeze the broth in ice cube trays and place the frozen broth cubes into a bag or container kept in the freezer. That way, you can use as much or as little as you like.

So, we’ve had our roasted chicken, and to serve with it, I also roasted whole green beans in olive oil and Kosher salt and also roasted oven fries. In addition I served homemade whole wheat Challah and butter.

YUMMMMM!

What did y’all cook up in your kitchens today?

~~In Messiah Yeshua,
Vickilynn
Micah 6:8

This is easily halved and you can use less fruit if desired. (We like a LOT of fruit!) You can cut back on the liquid and make it more like a snack “cake.” This recipe is very versatile!

Apple-Berry Baked Oatmeal

Apple-Berry Baked Oatmeal (9 x 13)
Vickilynn Haycraft

5 cups organic rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dehydrated apple slices (or 2 cups fresh)
1 cup dried mixed berries (or 2 cups fresh sliced)
2 1/2 cups milk (2 if using fresh fruit)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup honey

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix dry ingredients.
Mix wet ingredients.
Mix ingredients together and stir well to incorporate.
Pour into an ungreased 9 x 13 pan and bake uncovered for 40-50 minutes or until middle tests done.

Cut into squares and serve with milk, kefir or juice.

Come and read the review at Real Food Living.

Wonder Junior Deluxe

I posted a picture of our fab Green Pizza Swirls and promised more info, which I promptly forgot about until today. I was looking up the Pizza Swirls for a friend’s request and saw that I left this undone! Accccckkk!

So, here is the follow-up:

OK, the Pizza Swirls. My family (and friends) have been going crazy over these and the possibilities of stuffings are endless.

Basically, think of a jelly roll, or rolled cinnamon buns made savory.

So, you choose your bread. I really love using  Green Pizza Crust if I’m making pizza swirls. And many, many stuffings work well with her crust. I also use my plain WW bread dough, OR my WW Challah dough.

Next week, I’ll be making some Rueben swirls using rye bread dough!
YUMMMMMMM!!!

OK, so you take about a loaf worth of dough. Anywhere between 1.5 and
1.8 pounds by weight. Roll it out into a rectangle of 16 inches long, by 10 inches wide.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

On 1/3 of the rectangle long-wise, (the wide end away from you) leaving a 1-inch lip, spread your filling generously and evenly. I’ll post some fillings below. Starting at the wide end, roll up tightly, jelly roll style, pulling the dough gently to cover the filling and roll to the end. Pinch the ends and the seam. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Place unbleached parchment paper on a large baking sheet. With a sharp serrated knife, (or clean dental floss or thread) gently cut slices from the long roll. Each slice should be about 1 1/2 inches. Carefully move them to the covered baking sheet. If some filling escapes, no worries, just pile it on top of the swirl.

This usually makes about 14 swirls.

When all the swirls are finished, pop the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown, the swirls are puffy and the cheese (if using) is melted. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes (the swirls will deflate slightly).

Serve with dipping sauces if desired.

Filling suggestions:

Pizza with sauce
Layer mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, drizzle organic marinara and any other fav pizza toppings chopped finely. Only drizzle the sauce (a few tablespoons) or the swirls become soggy.

Garlic and cheese
Layer mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic

Smoked Chicken and Green Pepper
Layer cubed smoked organic chicken, sauteed green peppers
Cheese if using

Asian Chicken and Veggies
Layer sauteed chicken, roasted Asian veggies and drizzle toasted sesame oil

Veggie Omelet
Layer scrambled eggs, veggies, cheese, if using

Smoked Salmon Spread
BBQ Chicken
Curried Veggies

You see? Endless possibilities!
Our favs though are the Pizza ones and the Garlic Cheese ones. My family wants these every day! The ones I’ve done for my class and for home groups were these as well, and WOW, were they a hit!

Each year we learn a bit more about how to garden organically and what’s best for our area and family.

This year we have 4 small raised beds (4 x 4) so that I can reach them without too much pain In them we have zucchini, eggplant, broccoli, cabbage, seedless cukes and spinach and lettuce. Some are doing well, but we are just budding as I got them in late.

Yesterday I had to hand-pollinate the first squash blossoms as our bee population is low here. The bad thing is, there was only ONE male blossom (with the pollen) to several female blossoms. I need more pollen-carrying male blossoms to be able to have a harvest.

We also have Earthboxes and they do pretty well. We have lots of strawberries growing and some herbs (basil, garlic chives, sage, mint). We also have some roma tomato plants which are flowering.

We have some fruit trees, but they are young and this year we see our first peach! The pear tree has no blossomed yet. We have some apple trees, blueberry bushes, blackberry and raspberry brambles.

We want to plant more fruit trees each year.

Oh, this year I am growing more stevia. I tried it one year and it did not do well, but I have a nice plant and we’ll see how it does.

Our mint patch is awesome!! I dried some chocolate mint and will harvest again soon. We have Chocolate Mint, Peppermint and Spearmint.

Please share what’s going on in your gardens!

Obese women with insulin resistance lose more weight after three months on a lower-carbohydrate diet than on a traditional low-fat diet with the same number of calories, according to a new study. The results will be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Society’s 92nd Annual Meeting in San Diego.

“The typical diet that physicians recommend for weight loss is a low-fat diet,” said the study’s lead author, Raymond Plodkowski, MD, chief of endocrinology, nutrition and metabolism at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno. “However, as this study shows, not all people have the same response to diets.”

People with insulin resistance, a common precursor for Type 2 diabetes, metabolize carbohydrates, or “carbs,” abnormally, which may affect their rate of weight loss. For them, Plodkowski said, “the lower-carb diet is more effective, at least in the short term.”

At 12-weeks, the study funded by Jenny Craig and using prepared calorie-controlled meals as part of a behavioral weight loss program, found that the insulin resistant women on a lower-carb diet lost 3.4 pounds more than those on a low-fat diet.

Forty-five obese women between the ages of 18 and 65 years participated in the study, and all had insulin resistance, as found by fasting blood levels of insulin. The researchers randomly assigned the women to either a low-fat or lower-carb diet. The groups did not differ significantly in average body weight, the authors reported. On average, women in the low-fat diet group weighed 213 pounds, while women in the other group weighed 223 pounds.

The composition of the low-fat diet was 60 percent of calories from carbs, 20 percent from fat and 20 percent from protein. Although the lower-carb diet also had 20 percent of calories from protein, it had 45 percent from carbs and 35 percent from primarily unsaturated fats, such as nuts. Menus included a minimum of 2 fruits and 3 vegetable servings a day.

Use of prepared meals helped make the structured diets easier and more palatable for the dieters, according to Plodkowski. “We wanted to make this study real-worldA—anyone could follow this plan by making moderate changes as part of a healthy menu,” he said.

Both groups lost weight at each monthly weigh-in, but by 12 weeks, the insulin resistant group receiving the lower-carb diet lost significantly more weight, 19.6 pounds versus 16.2 pounds in the low-fat diet group A– approximately 21 percent more on average.

“These data have potential widespread applications for clinicians when counseling people with insulin resistance to help improve weight loss as part of a calorie-restricted diet,” Plodkowski said. “They should at least initially lower their carbohydrate intake.”

I’ve been messing around with this recipe for some time. I have a great version in my newest book, but I wanted to tweak it even more. I think I have achieved exactly what my family wants.  Now, having said that, you may not like the texture of this recipe at all because it’s very “saucy” and creamy. If you like your mac and cheese more “sturdy” and less saucy, simply decrease the milk by 1-2 cups. But, be warned, the texture will firm up the longer it sits and it will firm up after being refrigerated, so try it the “saucy” way first!! I also like to switch the cheese  options and make new flavor combinations, just for fun!

CREAMY CHEESY SLOWCOOKER MAC AND CHEESE

1 pound whole-grain elbow macaroni or rotini, DRY (do not cook!)

6 cups shredded cheese (I use half cheddar and half mozzarella)

6 cups milk

2 large eggs

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

2 Tablespoons spicy brown mustard

Salt to taste (we usually don’t use any since cheese is so salty)

Place the pasta in the dry slowcooker.  Add cheese.

Place the remaining ingredients into a large blender (I use a VitaMix) and whiz until completely smooth. It will fill up the blender!

Pour the liquid over the cheese and stir well.

Cover tightly (you may need to place a sheet of parchment or foil under the lid if your slow cooker does not fit tightly) and cook on LOW for 4 hours, or until pasta is tender.

*I stir the mac and cheese twice while cooking, just to make sure it cooks evenly, being sure to scrape down to the bottom of the slowcooker to bring up any browned bits.

When pasta is cooked, I sprinkle a little more cheddar over top.

Enjoy!