Non-dairy milks are all the rage right now. While I’m pretty partial to a couple of them because I don’t eat dairy (very often) due to being paleo and all, I’ve always worried about the added sugars and mystery ingredients in them. Heidi did a great job yesterday going over all the pros and cons of each but bottom line, it’s always better to make your nut milks from scratch. Today I found out how easy almond milk is to make. It’s simply almonds and water, that’s it! You can customize this to you and your toddler’s preference. If your toddler is used to the boxed, sweetened stuff, simply add vanilla and a little honey to the milk for a touch of sweetness. 
Almond Milk
-3/4 cup raw almonds, soaked and peeled
-5 cups filtered water plus 2 cups for soaking
-Cheesecloth or nut bag
-1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
-honey (optional)
Add almonds and about 2 cups of filtered water to a large bowl (almonds need to be covered) and soak overnight or for a minimum of 8 hours. Drain and peel the skins off of the almonds. 
Add soaked and peeled almonds, 5 cups filtered water, vanilla, and honey (if using) to a blender. Blend on high for a minute or until almonds are liquified. Strain almond milk with cheesecloth over a large bowl or enjoy and store “as-is”. If you’d like to use the leftover strained almond meal/flour (why waste right?), lay out the damp almond meal and let dry. You can also speed up this process by tossing it in the oven on the lowest temperate setting until almond meal is dry. 
I’ve never had or made homemade almond milk before trying this and man is it delicious! The flavor is simple, creamy and down right the best almond milk I’ve ever had. The almond milk can be stored in the fridge for 4 days to a week if it lasts that long.
Have you tried almond milk? If not, I’d definitely stop by the store and grab some almonds to make this non-dairy milk. It’s delicious in your coffee, over granola or added to your favorite smoothie. Enjoy!
