Some things bring more awe than they deserve for the amount of work entailed.  Examples?  Making chocolate-covered strawberries, doing the Electric Slide, or folding a cootie catcher.  (Why are cooties always so wily?)  I recently came upon another unnecessarily impressive task when, after years of reading and deliberation across the blogosphere, I tried my hand at making my own almond milk.  And when it came together ridiculously easily, I still couldn’t help myself from feeling like a magician, holding up two mason jars of homemade almond milk, and feeling a surge of pride.   With a dumbfounded smile I turned to my husband and said, “Look what I made!”  (Then before sharing my jar with him, I tested him for cooties.  Can’t be too safe.)

If you want to easily impress your friends and family too, just soak a cup of raw almonds in water overnight.

Then drain the almonds and add them to a blender with 6 cups of water.  (I just filled my blender to the top line.  Some people add a dash of vanilla, sweetener, or a sprinkling of salt, but I didn’t think it was necessary.)  Mix for a couple of minutes, until well-blended.  Pour the almond mixture through a cheesecloth and into a pitcher or bowl.

What results is a creamy and nutty milk that’s great for smoothies, baking, cooking, or drinking cold by the glassful.  Just add cookies.

Before I make my next batch, I’d like to invest in a better straining cloth, instead of cheesecloth.  I found cheesecloth at my grocery store for only two or three dollars, but it would be nice to have something I can reuse.  (Although, I was able to use it several times by rinsing and hanging to dry.)  I’ve heard of people buying paint strainer bags from the hardware store, jelly strainer bags, or nut milk bags from Amazon or sites specializing in goods for a raw diet.  Some people just use old cotton t-shirts.  I’ll have to keep trying to see what works best for me.

I haven’t found a great way of using the leftover almond pulp, but I’ve heard of people putting it into baked goods.  I skipped out on that idea, because I didn’t want a boomerang task.  (Do one task and it immediately requires more work.)  So I just used the almond pulp in the shower as a natural exfoliator.  It’s surprisingly gentle, even on the face.

Oh, and by the way, you’ll be happy to know that my husband tested negative for cooties.  Our marriage is safe.