Making almond milk

• Soak 1 cup almonds in water 6-8 hours or overnight
• Strain and rinse almonds thoroughly
• Combine soaked almonds with 4 cups water in juicer, adding water evenly with almonds
• Strain milk and refrigerate
• Almond pulp can be saved in the freezer for use in baked goods or for making crackers     http://www.elanaspantry.com/vegan-almond-pulp-crackers/

Almond milk can be made with a juicer, Vitamix or common kitchen blender.  Our preferred ratio of almonds to water is 1 cup almonds to 4 cups water.  Any ratio is acceptable as long as you like it.  It can be made from a 1:2 (which would be difficult to strain) up to a 1:4 ratio!  The most important piece of equipment is a strainer.  I have a stainless steel strainer with a closely woven mesh.  There are nut milk bags that are made specifically for straining home made "milk".  A bag would strain out most of the nut meal that can still get through a strainer, but I don't bother to use a nut milk bag.  If using a Vitamix, the almonds can be blended completely into the water making a very rich and "creamy" milk with no need to strain.  In that case, running the Vitamix for a minute allows ample time for the machine to do a thorough job. 

We discovered that home made almond milk was absolutely delicious!   We really don't drink almond milk as a "milk beverage" unless we have an occasional hot cocoa.  Most of the time, our almond milk is the "creamer" for our morning coffee.  When we eliminated dairy from our diet, I went on a quest for a cream substitute.  Oat milk, rice milk and coconut milk fell short of my expectations.  Almond milk from the grocery store was barely tolerable, and we had a difficult time finding packaged almond milk that didn't have carrageenan in it.  (Carrageenan is a seaweed derivative that is added to foods and cosmetics.  In research, carrageenan induces colon cancers and enhances growth of implanted tumors.)  So we bought a one pound bag of raw almonds, soaked them overnight, rinsed them and put them through our juicer.  We were hooked! 

Why we don't consume dairy  

• Without a doubt, dairy contributes to the increased incidence of colon, prostate and breast cancers.  The dairy protein, casein,  enhances tumor growth.  
• The fat in dairy products contributes to elevated cholesterol which leads to a host of metabolic diseases, especially the clogging of arteries.
• Based on the world-wide studies of diet and disease, dairy consumption has been implicated as a contributory factor in many diseases: Allergies, Anal fissures, Chronic constipation, Type 1 diabetes, Crohn's disease, Ear infections and Multiple sclerosis to name a few.
• It is unknown if some bovine diseases could be linked to human diseases: bovine leukemia virus and human leukemia, Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) and Crohn's or irritable bowel syndrome.
• Cheese contains a high fat content.  Toxins and chemical pollutants bind with fat and are therefore found in higher concentrations in cheese.