I have a new love.....Almond MIlk. It's replacing my half 'n'half!

I have done a lot of research and tried to find something, anything that has nutritional value(but still tastes good) to replace my addiction for half n half. I have done it!! Almond milk. Seriously people. I had my doubts, I've tried everything and this hits the spot for dairy. But unlike Dairy this has an amazing amount of nutrient value. I'm not saying dairy doesn't have any nutrients but let's look at some facts about almonds milk

Nutrient Facts for almond milk Health Benefits of Almond Milk Almond milk is rich in Vitamin E, a known antioxidant, and thus, is believed to good for those undergoing detoxification programs. Almond milk contains high levels of unsaturated fat and has been associated with lower risk of heart attack. Almond milk has been found to contain little to no saturated fat and no cholesterol, making it extremely good for those suffering from high cholesterol problem. Almond milk does not contain lactose. This makes it easily digestible and the perfect alternative for those suffering from lactose-intolerance. Owing to the absence of saturated fats and presence of unsaturated fats, almond milk can be said to be good for those trying to lose weight. Nutritional Facts about Almond Milk Almond milk is rich in protein and omega fatty acids. Almonds milk does not contain cholesterol and saturated fats Almonds milk has high levels of vitamin E and unsaturated fats Almond milk contains minerals such as zinc, magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron. 8 oz (237ml) of almond milk contains 70 calories, 2gm protein, 10gm carbohydrates and 2.5 gm fat: 2.5g Almond milk has zero fiber. That's a lot of good stuff!!! I've done some research on which is better to do store bought or homemade.... it looks like some of the almond milks out there in stores have alot of sugar in them. Which i am trying to stay away from. So homemade it is! Here's how I did it. 1 1/2 cups all natural or organic whole almonds. enough water to cover the almonds. put almonds in jar, cover with water, let sit over night. next day, put almonds in blender with 3 cups purified water and blend. strain, I used my reusable coffee filter to strain and a wooden spoon to make sure I got all of the milk out of the almond puree. store in fridge. I am going to save my pulp that was strained and put it in oatmeal, cakes, muffins. Whatever. If you have any ideas or recipes please give them to me.

• English Muffin
• whole milk
• Low-fat turkey bacon breakfast sandwich
• Ice Cream Cone
• Biscuit
• Coors Light
• Chicken Wings
• Breadstick
• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
• Cucumbers

Rice milk? Anyone.........

So I watched this video on milk last night about milk and how we shouldn't drink it at all. It freaked me out a little. I'm not going to get crazy and ban milk from my family's diet, but I want to try and consume less dairy. Dairy has always been a struggle for me. I know that I am addicted to it. I probably drink on my own, at least 1 big container of half n half a week in my coffee.. CRAZY, huh? I've been trying to use Coconut Creamer, and it is really good. I am making some changes, but they need to be more drastic. So any help or tips on how to quit the dairy all together would be awesome!
So I bought Rice milk tonight, has anyone ever used this? I'm going to try and substitute my family's milk for this in cereal and oatmeal and stuff like that and see if they like it. I will report back. Does anyone have any good recipes they use for this? After researching this more tonight I've found that almond milk is actually alot healthier, I am going to make that next week. It looks really good! Here's a recipe I found for it. I found it one The Happyfoodie Blog

"A sweet and delicious fresh milk with the elegant essence of vanilla"

1 cup soaked raw almonds (soaked 4-8 hours)
4 cups filtered water
Pinch of sun-dried sea salt
1 T non-alcohol vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean (optional)
3 T raw honey or maple syrup (or 3 soft dates, pitted)

In a blender, at medium, then high speed, blend soaked almonds, water, and sea salt until smooth. Pour through a strainer (or use a nut bag) to separate pulp. Pour liquid back in the the blender and blend in vanilla extract and bean (if using) and sweetener until smooth.

Human beings should not drink milk from a cow. It's that simple. So many illnesses and afflictions in children (and adults for that matter) could be cured if they would just cut out milk and milk products. There are tons of doctors, organizations, websites, etc...that will tell you the same thing, so you can do your own research. Here is one to get you started. Almond milk is a delicious alternative to cow's milk. Once you make your own...you'll never go back! It's so creamy and delicious. Perfect for dipping cookies, baking with, or drink it plain. Yum!

Here's some more cool info I found out about almonds which makes me want to substitute with it even more!

Almond milk is a milky drink made from ground almonds. Truth be told, it's much more almond than milk, as it contains absolutely no cholesterol or lactose. It can, however, be used to replace real dairy milk in many recipes.

Being able to use almond milk in place of dairy milk provides quite a few benefits. Besides opening the menu up for the lactose intolerant, it also removes the ever-problematic cholesterol from the equation.

Almonds alone have been hailed as a "super food" due to their high concentration of vitamins (especially the all-important Vitamin E), antioxidants, protein, and minerals such as zinc, magnesium, potassium, iron - and calcium. In fact, an eight-ounce glass or dairy milk contains 300 milligrams of calcium. Eight ounces of whole almonds - the overwhelming ingredient in almond milk - contains almost 550 milligrams of calcium.