Homemade Almond Milk

My dear friend Allison just started a blog of her own. She recently tried her hand at homemade almond milk.  Inspired, I decided to whip up a batch of my own. She owns a shmancy pancy Vitamix, so I crossed my fingers that our regular old blender would do the trick.

I added a generous 1/2 cup of almonds to a bowl and covered with water (about 2 cups), topped with plastic wrap and left it on the counter for about 24 hours. (You don't need to do that long - 8 hours should do the trick.)

I once saw on Good Eats that when soaked, the skins separate easily from the nut. I was having a little too much fun doing this and showed Francis. Just then, I got a phone call and stepped into the other room. Being ever the helpful husband and assuming me removing the skins was part of the recipe, (not just my child-like curiosity) he tediously removed each one and tossed them. This is not part of the recipe, but once in the trash bin, we decided, what the heck, carry on. That's why from this point on - we were working with naked almonds. 

I added them to our blender and poured in 2 cups of water and left it to puree away. 

Meanwhile, I cut a piece of cheesecloth for straining the milk.

I MacGuyvered a bowl with a fine metal strainer as well as the cheescloth - just to be super sure that any pesky almond pieces didn't make their way into my milk. 

I poured it in. The texture of the milk was smooth and completely blended. Proud of you little blender that could!  

Then, I removed the metal strainer and squeezed the bag gently to get all remaining milk out. 

The finished, pre bottled product. 

Using a funnel, I poured it into a plain glass bottle. And, as you can see was ever so neat. (Lies!)

After that, I was left with almond particles in the cheesecloth. On A's blog, she said to save this because it can be used in recipes, like granola bars. I'm following suit and will probably copy cat her again whenever she uses hers in a recipe. 

The finished product. 

Thanks for the idea, A. 

images: hilaryclair

Cold Avocado + Cucumber Soup

I love cookbooks. There, I said it.

Love them in a I don't even want to make the recipes, I just want to stare at the pictures and lovingly caress the pages. A month ago, Francis let me use a lingering wedding giftcard to buy Giada's new cookbook. I perused it. Loved it. Added it to our cookbook menagerie. A few days later, I saw Gwyn's new cookbook and HAD to have it. After a stern talking to from the Mr. about my obsession love of cookbooks, and a promise from me that I would actually make the recipes, Gwyn and I walked out of the store together.

Her book is filled with new twists on classic recipes, all focused on eating clean and healthy. We had to take a trip to Whole Foods (who am I kidding, that place is like a vacation for me) to pick up a few less common ingredients, like brown rice syrup and grapeseed oil. My mother-in-law rocked my socks and hooked me up with gochujang, sesame seed oil, fish sauce and other Asian flavor goodness. Then, I was ready to roll. 

I've been rocking a fuzzy fro all week due to the heat and humidity, so any recipe that doesn't require stove, oven, or heat of any kind is a friend of mine. Enter --- Cold Avocado + Cucumber Soup.

This is it, folks. All the ingredients for a delicious summer soup.

NOTE: The recipe calls for the juice and zest of 3 limes. Next time I make it, I'll either take away a lime or add a cucumber and avocado. Though delicious - the lime flavor was a bit overwhelming. 

I scooped out the seeds of 2 large cucumbers. (Really easy to do - just use a spoon.)

Roughly chopped the cucumbers. They are going into the blender, so no need to be too precise. 

Add lime juice and zest. 

Add cucumbers, 2 avocados, and a pinch of sea salt. Blend away. 

The avocado makes the soup creamy, the cucumber makes it refreshing,and the lime adds a nod to summery citrus (too much in this case, but now we know.)

Here's the recipe:

Cold Avocado+Cucumber Soup

Serves 4

Vegan

Zest and juice of 2 limes

2 large cucumbers, peeled and seeded, roughly chopped

2 avocados, peeled and roughly chopped

1 teaspoon of sea salt

Combine everything in powerful blender and blitz until it's totally creamy and smooth.

Bon appetit!

images: hilaryclair

Love means nothing to a tennis player

Friends, have I told you how ardently I adore tennis? 

Being far from gifted at anything athletic, my adoration doesn't stem from my less than astonishing record. In the 4 years that the Mr. and I have been playing, I've only taken 2 sets from him and have yet to win a match. There's just something about it - the competition, the fresh air, the green courts, the sprints for the ball, the feeling after a great shot, and determination after a humbling one, the sound of the racket when it hits the ball - that makes my heart beat fast. I have far from mastered slicing, and kill shots - heck my serve and returns still look like I'm a total newb at the sport. 

I like to think the pretties below could help me look more experienced, or if nothing else, stylish.  

images: Kate Spade (match point collection)

MOR, please

This pretty packaging swirls together two of my favorite things:

macarons and lip balm. 

And, in a sorbet flavor...heart be still.

It's being added to my wishlist (aka emailed to my husband). 

xo

image: MOR

to buy: Nordstrom

Summer Roadtrips

The Mr. and I were in Madison this weekend for the wedding of one of my dearest friends. 

I love road trips. There's just something about them - the open road, the fresh air, the destination, the uninterrupted time.

For me, they always begin with a breakfast of sorts. The excuse to try someplace new is a welcomed one. I love to leave early to soak up every second of our days off. We spend the majority of our time listening to podcasts and talking about plans, dreams, and life. 

I just love the newness of travel. New hotels, smells, culture, and restaurants. 

Looking forward to our next adventure.

images: hilaryclair