Home is where the... Homemade almond milk is!
Consider This
American girl lives in miami. She works and spends money however she likes. Indian boy lives in miami, he works and spends money however he likes. Boy and girl meet, fall in love and start a serious relationship. Boy is transferred to Singapore due to US working visa issues. Girl quits job to move to Singapore to be with boy. Boy loses job after 3 months. Boy and girl get married. Boy and girl move to India to live with boy's family while boy searches for job. Boy finds job in Delhi, India working on Indian salary. Girl can't work due to Indian Visa restrictions. Boy and Girl must still pay USD loans on Indian Salary. Moral of the story, every penny counts at this point.
Fast forward to this moment. We have moved into our apartment here in Delhi NCR, India. Rent is pretty reasonable compared to US standards and fresh fruits and veggies are also very reasonable. What is not reasonable is the fact that we have loan payments that account for more than 1/3 of our monthly income. Take into account high taxes and we have got very little wiggle room for anything else.
The good news is that I love a challenge, even if that means challenging the small pleasures that I once enjoyed so thoughtlessly while living a single life in Miami. Things that include, buying craft coffees for $5 a cup (250Rs) or coconut oil at $10-$15 a jar (1000Rs). All those delicious nut milks that can cost anywhere from $5-$8 a box (500Rs) and of course the crunchy granola that if you buy packaged can run you around $6 (350Rs). What I'm trying to say is, these costs add up and they are not exactly considered essentials for living. What we do consider essentials though, are almonds, oats and even coconuts can be considered essential because 1 coconut here is about 20Rs, equivalent to about $0.30!
So the answer to this challenge seems pretty simple. Take the essential ingredients and make my own. Make my own Almond milk, Coconut oil (with these fabulous instructions 3 coconuts can lend you about 500g or 8oz of oil!), and granola. These are all pretty simple to make and help cut the cost to more than 1/4th the packaged buying price. You can use the left over almonds and coconut shreds from the milk and oil and put them into the granola!
These three things are just the start. At this point I am looking for anything I can make on my own to avoid paying the processing markup fee. This year is a journey into DIY at its finest. I hope you will also consider taking the time to make your own!
No Waste Homemade Almond Milk
Ingredients:
1 cup almonds (soaked over night in filtered water)
3 cups filtered water
Optional Ingredients:
2 dates for sweetness
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Combine the soaked and drained almonds with the 3 cups water (add other additional ingredients) and blend in high speed blender for about 2 minutes. Using a cheesecloth or fine mesh tea strainer strain the milk from the other ingredients. Store the milk in the refrigerator in a glass jar and use whenever needed!
Note: This recipe is basically the same for all nuts! Cashew, walnut, hazelnut, the list goes on!
Important Note: Make sure you use the left over almonds in other recipes including your homemade granola, pancakes, or dry it and create homemade almond flour!
