Drinks.. Almond Milk ~ with Chocolate

Stage 1

2C Almonds
4C Water

Soak overnight.. this is necessary.. soaking nuts increases the vitamin and mineral content and neutralises phytates... Change the water/rinsing the almonds once or twice... this gets rid of the phytates and tannins released from the Almonds.. never use the soak water, always discard it..

Stage 2

Vita-Mix
1C Almonds : 4C Water (as pure as you have)

Blend on very very high for 1-2 minutes... (increase speed slowly at first)

For a thicker Milk and/or Cream you increase the nuts:water ratio.. so i use 1C soaked Almonds to 2C Water for a much thicker 'Cream'... it really depends on your taste and use..
You can also use the thicker 'Cream' as a base for mayonnaise, salad dressings, pasta sauces etc...

Stage 3

NutMilk Bag & a Very Large Bowl

Pour the Milk into a nutmylk bag that is in a very large bowl..
Start squeezing slowly (being careful not to burst the seems of the bag)...
Squeeze until all is squeezed out..

VOILA!!

The Milk is now in the Bowl... its up to you what you do next...

Options:

1.  Put the almond meal in the dehydrator (on a teflex sheet) until completely dry, then turn into flour.

2.  Put the milk in the fridge plain, and/or

3.  Put some or all of the milk back in the rinsed out blender and add other flavours (fruit/cacao/agave) and blend into a lovely milkshake...

Enjoy :)