Almond milk

First off, let me say that I really can't stand the taste of soy milk.  Never have, likely never will.  That is odd, since I do like tofu.  Not such a big deal, but soy milk is really the default non-dairy milk-substitute out there.  However, even my local Safeway has started realizing that milk-avoiders are shoppers too, and have started carrying different options.  I had tried rice milk before, and was underwhelmed.  This time I decided to try almond milk.  The taste is not offensive, although none of these substitutes really tastes like milk.  But really, they aren't supposed to taste like milk. 

Being a do-it-yourself kitchen kind of guy (I make my own beer and used to make yogurt), I figured I would see about making almond milk.  It is actually quite easy to do.  I soaked a cup of almonds in water for a few hours, then threw them in a blender with a few cups of water (I read that 3:1 is the proper water to almond ratio).  Put it in a blender, pour it through a nut bag (I actually prefer the term "nut sack", but realize that might be off-putting to some).  Squeeze your nut sack until all the white creamy liquid comes out and there you have it - almond milk.  The homemade tastes a bit different than the store-bought - I suspect the store-bought has some thickeners in it for texture that mine lacks, so mine is more watery.  Perhaps because mine is so fresh, it tastes nuttier and less 'fake'.  Quite good, actually.  Plus, a lot cheaper.  I will stick with the homemade, I believe.

I will have to break out the ice cream maker and try my luck with a chocolate peanut-butter almond ice 'cream'.  Maybe ginger as well.  Or a nice green tea almond ice.  Lots of options to replace the ice cream cravings.

I actually made myself a hot chocolate with cocoa and agave nectar tonight, and it was quite delicious.