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!

You can grind chia seeds into flour, add the tiny seeds whole and raw into foods for crunch and fiber, but my favorite way to use chia seeds is to add them to water, shake and let them transform into a thick, silky-smooth gel where the seeds are soft and plump, having released their gelling-actions and created a pudding-like gel.

I use chia gel to smoothly thicken my Homemade Almond Milk, add moisture and bulk in meatloaf, salmon burgers, salad dressings, breads, jams, instead of eggs in baking, making chia puddings and all other sorts of fabulous uses.

The chia plant (Salvia hispanica) seeds can be eaten raw and also processed in a variety of ways. Chia seeds are high in dietary fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential to good health.

When I added the chia gel to my almond milk experiments, I discovered I could use less almonds and still get the lovely, rich texture of almond milk, but with the added nutrition of chia seed gel, it is a “win win” not sacrificing nutrition, taste or texture or frugality.

There are many, many, many variations on how much chia to how much water to use, and in the end it comes down to your preference for thickness and what you’ll do with it. This video show the amazing gelling properties in only 4 minutes, with gentle stirring (no cooking).

A popular, pudding-like consistency is:

1/3 cup chia seeds to 2 cups of water,

stir until thickened, use or let rest to thicken more.

You can increase / decrease ratios to make yours thicker or thinner to fit your needs and preferences.

Again, for our purposes, I try to get as much “bang for the buck” and I use what I need to make a thick gel, one that will serve my uses, while saving money, so I may vary the amounts depending on where I am going to use it. This is what I do most often, especially for my Luscious Homemade Almond Milk:

Chia Gel for Thickening Almond Milk

5 tablespoons of organic chia seeds (whole)

1 quart of pure water

Place seeds in quart jar, add water, cover and SHAKE the jar vigorously for 5 minutes. Do not cheat and try using blender, the blades may break up the seeds and that is not the desired effect. I want them to swell, soften and release their mucilaginous properties into a thick, smooth gel without any grit.

After 5 minutes of shaking, let the chia water mixture rest for 10-15 minutes, then shake again, vigorously, for 5 minutes. Again let rest 10-15 minutes. At this point, check the chia gel to see if it’s thick enough.

You can, as the video above demonstrated, simply place your chia and water in a bowl, or cup, add liquid and stir. This works as well.

You can use your chia gel right away if it is the desired consistency for your use (egg replacer, smoothies, puddings, breads etc.) and the chia will absorb 9 times it’s own weight in liquid.

I let my gelled chia chill overnight and it is the perfect texture for me in the morning. I like to let mine rest overnight after gelling because I keep the seeds whole and they become more plump and tender and pleasant in beverages such as Homemade Almond Milk (think Bubble Tea).

Store chia gel in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Today, I am thankful and humbled by the blessings G-d has given to us and these include providing good foods for us. I wanted to share with you what is in my kitchen today.

What's in my hands?

This morning I:

~ Picked wild blueberries and had a time of prayer. Then I made whole wheat blueberry pancakes.

Wild organic blueberries

~ Went to the garden and picked cabbage, kale and zucchini. I used them in my Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry.

~ Rinsed and drained my growing organic sprouts. I used some in my scrambled eggs.

~ Removed the fruit from the dehydrator that had been drying overnight. I vacuum-sealed some for long-term storage and left some for snacking.

~ Snipped the organic chocolate mint patches and made a mint infusion by muddling the mint leaves in pure water and placing it in the fridge to steep. I dehydrated the rest to have for mint teas.

~ I dehydrated the kale and zucchini and vacuum-sealed them for long-term real food storage.

What is in your hands today? What do you have that you are working with?

There are many reasons, which include dried / dehydrated cooked foods are perfect for camping, backpacking, traveling, vacationing, cooking away from home (maybe in a hotel room), long-term storage and emergency rations. They are lightweight, take up little space and can be rehydrated easily and quickly for hot, whole meals any time and almost any place.

Dehydrated meal fixin's

However, there are problems with buying foods already dehydrated. For one, the cost can be exorbitant, especially right now. Dried foods are in great demand as food costs rise and consumers worry about an uncertain future. In addition, many processed dried foods contain a LOT of  preservatives and chemicals you may not want to feed your family.

What’s the answer? Cook real foods from scratch, the kind you want to feed your family, without additives and seasoned the way you like them. Then dehydrate and store them. The cost is minimal, the savings are huge and you can feed your family the quality food you desire under any circumstances.

Some simple foods to get started with are rice, beans, fruits and veggies. These foods are staples and can be purchased organic, grown locally, in bulk and in varieties your family will eat.

To cook dried beans, soak for 12-24 hours, drain the soaking water and cook until tender. Let the beans cool, spread them out on dehydrating trays (or on baking sheets for oven dehydrating) and dehydrate until completely dry.

It can be confusing to consider drying cooked beans that were already dried, but remember, the starting product were RAW dried beans, not cooked dried beans. So they must be cooked to be eaten. And once cooked, they can be dehydrated to be stored. The cooked, dried beans do not require long soaking or cooking times and a large amount of precious water as the raw dried beans do, in fact, the cooked dried beans can be rehydrated with boiling water to cover in a pan, bowl or even thermos for no-fuel rehydration.

Lentils are easy to cook and dehydrate as they do not require pre-soaking. Simply cook lentil until done (but still firm), let cool and dehydrate as any other cooked bean. You can salt or season them before dehydrating, but be warned, dehydration intensifies flavors, so season lightly!

Cooked lentils for dehydrating

This weekend, I am cooking and dehydrating lentils, kidney beans, vegetables, brown rice and applesauce. My cooked lentils dried nicely overnight in my Excalibur dehydrator. After drying, I let them cool completely before sealing, as this reduces the chance of moisture and condensation.

Dried cooked lentils

Next, I vacuum-seal them in portion-sized bags and place those alongside the other components of the full meal, so it is easy to grab or pack all at once.

I also dehydrated applesauce “plops” which turned out great as well. I’ll roll them up in parchment and seal those in baggies as well.

My goal is to create dehydrated meals we can take with us camping, or traveling, or for emergencies. We have some thermos bottles and we can place boiling water over these dehydrated foods and have lentils, rice, seasonings and applesauce for dessert.

I’m doing the same with the kidney beans, which I slow cooked overnight. I used some for chili for supper and the rest I’ll let cool and dehydrate overnight. Today I have the dryer filled with more applesauce “plops” and some sliced, blanched potatoes.

Are y’all dehydrating?

Two of our favorites are Watermelon Juice and Ice Pops and refreshing Chocolate Mint Coolers (no alcohol).

Refreshing Summer Coolers

Chocolate Mint Coolers (you can use any flavor mint) emply non-electric, old-timey methods and are as simple as gathering fresh, organic chocolate mint *(See tips on growing mint), removing the leaves from the stems, washing the leaves carefully and placing about 1 1/2 cups of washed mint leaves into a half-gallon container, preferably glass.

Two easy, no-fuss methods to infuse the minty-chocolatey goodness into the pure water to turn this into a cool refresher are cold and warm. The first way is simply to place the washed leaves into water and chill – for a cold infusion. Please the filled container in the refrigerator for 24 hours, strain the leaves, add stevia to taste and drink!

The second way is akin to a “sun tea” and that method again is simple. Place the mint and water-filled glass (not plastic) containers in a sunny spot in the morning and in a few hours (depending on the sun and how strong you want the taste), it’s done!

You also have the choice to bruise or muddle the leaves to have them release more oils and flavor. In the pictures, the darker-colored liquid is a result of the leaves being bruised or muddled. The clear liquid is a result of leaving the mint leaves intact and allowing them to infuse gently in the water. This yields milder in flavor and yet has a lovely, smooth mint flavor.

For those who prefer a more muted mint taste, this method is preferred. If you do muddle or bruise the leaves and the mint flavor is too pronounced, add more fresh water to dilute. We also sweeten to taste with stevia.

Call the family, pull up a rocking chairs on the front porch and bring out a pitcher of ice cold chocolate mint cooler in tall glasses, over ice with an extra sprig or two of fresh mint, and enjoy some refreshing time together.

Cool minty drink

Watermelon juice Coolers

Watermelons are a recognized symbol, food and drink of Summer. Watermelon’s sweet flesh bursting and overflowing with juice is enjoyed by all ages especially in hot weather and especially when the watermelon is ice cold. At picnics, BBQ’s, cookouts and all sorts of gatherings during the Summer, the cold watermelon has a place of honor.

There are many fun traditions surrounding the eating of the watermelon due to its juiciness and it’s seeds. In our family, we like to have watermelon eating contests, complete with seed-spitting distance markers. However, again due to watermelon’s signature high juice content (water+melon+watermelon), eating the sweet fruit can be messy as the juice drips down the chins of the eaters.

So, for a change I decided to blend up the watermelon into 100% smooth juice using my VitaMix and serve that as a cooler. There is so much you can do with juiced watermelon (think ice cream, sorbets, slushies, and more!

Again, the simplest method is cutting away the ripe, sweet flesh from the rind in pieces to for in the VitaMix and fill to the top. I don’t bother to de-seed since the VitaMix pulverizes the seeds and any remaining particles will fall to the bottom of the container. Cover the VitaMix jar and using the tamper, start on speed #1, move to #10 then flip on the high speed and blend for 1 minute.

If you don’t have a VitaMix, you may want to use smaller batches in your blender and remove any black seeds.

Watermelon Juice Cooler

For maximum refreshment, chill the watermelon juice and serve icy cold (do not serve over ice as this will dilute the juice), no
sweetener necessary and this too could benefit from a sprig of fresh mint (perhaps pineapple mint, orange mint or even classic peppermint) in the serving glass. No napkins required!

With any remaining watermelon juice, fill up ice pop containers, or use BPA-free cups with small spoons inserted. Freeze and enjoy!

*Tips for growing organic mint: Only use organic mint starters.

Mint spreads! Be sure to plant your mint in a container or in the ground using an organic mesh bag, or in a separate bed from other mints and other plants.

Pick the leaves often and evenly to encourage growth. Dehydrate the extra for mint tea or cooking with mint year round.

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

What to do? Buy another oven? Most of us wish that we could, (unless we are one of the blessed ones who already have a second oven). However, an electric roaster makes an instant extra oven and stress reliever all in one.

Give yourself another oven this holiday!

Choose a electric roaster large enough to accommodate your needs and a little extra. Think about the largest holiday turkey your family enjoys, as well as roast beef, or roasting 2 chickens for weeknight meals, extra to freeze and make broth, (more on that coming up). An excellent family size is 18 quart, or if you have a large family or like to entertain, consider a 22 -24 quart size roaster. If your family is small, or space or budget is a problem, smaller sizes such as 6, 8, 12 quart models work well with smaller cuts of meat.

Some models of electric roasters have an added feature of a convection fan which greatly reduce the cooking time and cook evenly. They usually come with racks to place inside the pan to raise the meat up out of the drippings. We recommend choosing the enamel-lined  or stainless steel roaster pans rather than those with a non-stick coating, as these can be toxic. Enamel and stainless clean up easily and do not carry the concerns of toxicity that non-stick coatings do.

Now that we’ve gotten the electric roaster picked out, did you know you can roast the turkey or chicken, or beef in the roaster and then slow cook rich, deep broth in the same one (without washing it out?) True! Seriously!

Perfect Roast Turkey in an electric roaster

1) Prepare your turkey  as desired (remove giblets, wash, brine, season etc.). Tuck wings underneath and secure wings and legs with twine.

2) Place turkey breast side down. Add any seasoning.

3) Heat electric roaster (with or without convection fan) to 350 degrees. Place lid on roaster.

4) Roast according to your turkey’s weight and until a thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 165 degrees. Partway though cooking, flip the turkey over, breast-side up, season again if desired..

5) Leave turkey to cool (with lid on) for 20 minutes before carving. Slice serve and enjoy.

Part Two coming up – Making homemade broth in an electric roaster.

–
~~In Messiah Yeshua,
Vickilynn Haycraft
Micah 6:8
http://www.realfoodliving.com
http://www.examiner.com/x-9357-Product-Reviews-Examiner

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.