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the time i made bulletproof coffee…

June 19, 2014
ramblings
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It seems that this Tibetan-inspired morning joe is the newest of the coffee trends, and I am not terribly impressed. I am known to switch up my morning coffee routine with whatever liquids are in the fridge. Almond milk is typical, but other nut milks, cow’s milks, and hell–even heavy cream, make their way in from time to time. So of course I had nothing inherently against adding my favorite grass-fed butter and some coconut oil to the mix.

The problem I had is that, for the extra step of transferring to a blender and whirling it about, it just wasn’t worth the effort. I’ve had coffee just as tasty and satisfying as when I add heavy cream. I’ll even argue that, if you stir in some grass-fed heavy cream, you’ll accomplish the same thing. And that thing, when it comes right down to it, is a delicious cup of caffeinated goodness–not a super”food”.

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sprouted mung beans

May 11, 2014
the underwear diet
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There are times when you just gotta embrace your inner crunchy self. Previously, my most granola moment was when I made homemade nut milk. This venture, I believe, takes my hippie-chicness to the next level; this is my level “11”.

No matter the quantity or type of bean, the procedure remains the same:
1. Rinse the beans a few times in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water
2. Place the beans in a bowl and cover with cold water by an inch or two
3. Soak at room temperature overnight
4. Drain and rinse the beans in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water
5. Wrap the beans in a clean, damp kitchen towel, place it in a bowl, and keep in a dark place at room temperature for at least a day to sprout (I left mine for about 36 hours). The longer you let them sit, the longer their tails grow!

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the time i got a ninja

February 24, 2014
drink this, the underwear diet
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(Or, my first attempt at homemade nut milk.)

I’ve been hurtin’ for a blender for a while now (though, if you’d ask my boyfriend, he’d say, “We need another blending device?”). I finally invested in a Ninja, and damn! if it’s not one of the most fun tools I have played with in a while. I mean, come on–there are THREE BLADES, people! Two more blades to injure myself on (I am notoriously clumsy), but it makes for a pretty lethal toy for anything that enters the vessel.

The main motivator behind this purchase, besides the smoothie appeal (an immersion blender is only useful for blending soft things, and I was growing tired of banana-only beverages), was to make homemade nut milk. No, I do not consider myself one of “Those People” (though I do consider myself “hippie chic”). But the allure of making things at home that one would normally purchase is exciting to me. Sure, it’s a totally over-involved process, and does not save you an exorbitant amount money when it comes down to it, but it’s a great DIY project that beefs up your culinary chops. So why not give it a whirl (ha)?

1 cup sunflower seeds
3 Medjool dates, pits removed
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch kosher salt

Makes 1 quart (4 cups)

1. Cover sunflower seeds with cold water by 2 inches and soak overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Drain and discard the soaking water and place seeds in the blender.
3. Blend on high for 2 minutes, or until completely pureed.
4. Add dates, vanilla, and salt and whirl for another minute.
5. Strain the nut milk using a nut milk bag (I don’t have one of these…yet…so I used a fine mesh strainer, which worked okay–left a bunch of small bits. You can also try a few layers of cheesecloth)

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I chose to start with sunflower seeds because they were the least expensive nut/seed I could find. They have a nice flavor, almost vegetal, which is great on its own, but I had fresh dates on hand and was in that kind of a mood. The end result was mildly sweet, which worked well with the hint of vanilla. Since the fine-mesh strainer wasn’t the greatest option (the little bits were strange, floating around in my coffee), I used the sunflower seed milk in my morning smoothies.

Many people bake the leftover strained meal (in most cases, almond) to use later in baked goods in place of flour. So I spread the sunflower seed meal onto a baking sheet and baked on very low for a very long time. It smelled gross. It looked strange. I must have done something terribly wrong.