If you want an alternative to cow's milk then almond milk is a great choice. Many people suffer from lactose intolerance and there is growing concern about the addition of growth hormones and antibiotics to cow's milk. Many people also suffer from allergies to cow's milk.

Almonds are also an awesome choice for milk. They're high in magnesium, zinc, as well as vitamins B2, C, and E and unsaturated fats, all of which are great warriors against free radicals, which have been shown to cause cancers, heart disease and contribute to aging.

Almond milk is very easy to make, is very healthy and also taste's great. Although you can buy it stores, it will usually contain sugar and will have a lower concentration of almonds.

Ingredients

• One cup of almonds
• Filtered water (you can also use bottled water)
• Sea salt
• Sweetener of your choice, such as maple syrup or honey
• Cheesecloth (straining cloth)

Preparation

First you need to put the almonds into a bowl of filtered water and leave them to soak overnight. If you want to make the milk in shorter time, you can put the almonds in some boiled water to remove the skin more easily.

Once you have the blanched almonds, put them into the blender along with four to five cups of the filtered water. Add just a pinch of sea salt and blend at high speed until you get a smooth mixture.

Next, you should use the straining cloth to strain out the excess almond pulp. Don't throw it away as you can use this pulp for other things.

To sweeten the almond milk, add your chosen sweetener in small amounts and keep tasting until you get the right level of sweetness. After this you can place the mixture back into the blender for around 5 or so seconds.

Finally, place your almond milk into the fridge for storage. You can use the almond milk for both drinking and cooking. You can use it to replace cow's milk in coffee, lattes, cereal, milkshakes, smoothies and so on.

By having a ready supply of almonds you can make fresh batches of almond milk, ensuring you have a constant supply.

The pulp that was obtained after straining the milk can be used as an ingredient in other foods such as home-made cookies. It can even be used as an exfoliating facial scrub which nourishes the skin as well as exfoliating it.