Category Archives: Wellness

Apothecary, Knowledge Center, Lifestyle, Wellness

Lifestyle: Apothecary – Herbal Remedies You Can Find in the Grocery Store or Your Garden

November 8, 2020 Kristi Leave a comment

Herbal remedies are plants that have a medicinal effect. Herbal remedies have been around for thousands of years. In fact, some evidence suggests that plants were used for medicinal purposes over 60,000 years ago. The earliest written evidence dates back to over 5,000 years ago.

Such herbal remedies have been making a real comeback in recent years.

Herbal remedies contain powerful chemicals that many pharmaceutical companies and scientists are studying. Many of these plants are either available in the grocery store or can be grown quite easily in a garden. Using these plants in your diet can have a significant effect on your health and overall wellbeing.

These herbal remedies can often be just as effective as pharmaceuticals in the prevention and treatment of disease:

Ginseng. Ginseng is one of the most popular plants in Chinese medicine. The most popular varieties are American ginseng and Asian ginseng. American ginseng is considered to have a greater relaxing effect, while the Asian variety is more stimulating.
1. Consider these benefits: Ginseng is an excellent antioxidant and reduces inflammation. Ginseng has shown promise for improving brain function and treating erectile dysfunction. It could also lower blood sugar, lower fatigue, and have benefits against cancer.
Garlic. Garlic is readily available and a powerful herbal remedy. Most people enjoy the taste of garlic, bad breath notwithstanding.
1. Garlic has been shown to significantly reduce the duration and severity of cold symptoms. Hypertension responds positively to garlic consumption. In fact, garlic is at least as effective in treating hypertension as some medications.
1. Garlic also lowers cholesterol levels, may help prevent Alzheimer’s, and could help with the process of removing heavy metals from the body.
Turmeric. Turmeric is used in Ayurvedic medicine and is also a popular spice in Indian food. Turmeric is also readily available in any grocery store. The primary active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin.
1. Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory. It is as effective as aspirin and ibuprofen in treating inflammation. It is also believed to be beneficial in treating and preventing cancer. Depression, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s are also believed to be helped by the consumption of turmeric.
Ginger. Another very common grocery store item, ginger, is excellent for the treatment of nausea and morning sickness. Ginger can be used as a spice or made into tea. More benefits include:
1. You can use it to help treat muscle pain and soreness.
1. Ginger is another excellent anti-inflammatory.
1. Indigestion, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol can all be reduced by ginger.

Valerian root. This might be a little harder to find. In fact, you’ll probably have to grow this one on your own, but it’s worth the effort. This flowering plant has many health benefits.
- Headaches, insomnia, digestive issues, muscle pain, fatigue, and anxiety can all be helped by valerian root.
Chamomile. This daisy-like flower is most commonly consumed in tea form. Chamomile is believed to treat insomnia, reduce cold symptoms, boost immunity, and lower stress levels. Chamomile tea is available at your grocery store.

Herbal remedies can’t replace all pharmaceutical drugs, but they are viable replacements in many situations. Of course, you should still include your doctor in your herbal remedy plans.

Herbal remedies can be very effective and inexpensive. $1 of garlic can easily last a week. If your budget is tight, herbal remedies can be a great way to boost your health without breaking the bank.

Even if you’re in 100% perfect health, herbal remedies can help to keep you healthy. You have nothing to lose. In fact, your food might taste even more delicious while you’re making your body healthier.

Apothecary, Articles, Knowledge Center, Lifestyle, Wellness, Woodnote Lab Notes

Lifestyle: Apothecary – Mugwort

July 20, 2020 Kristi 1 Comment

Generally speaking mugwort grows along streams or river banks in large patches. Mugwort is part of the sage family and is a cousin to sagebrush, which has a similar scent. However, culinary sage is actually in the mint family, which is different than the sage family.

An edible plant, but is used more like an herb than anything else. With it’s distinctive scent, Mugwort is used to flavor meats, and was also commonly used to flavor beer before hops were introduced. In fact it has been a key ingredient in the infamous absinthe. In addition to the culinary uses, it is also medicinal, and is sometimes called the “dream plant”, as it is known for enhancing dreams and is often dried and smoked for this purpose. Mugwort is also antibacterial and anti fungal and is good for topical uses for itching and burning, helps with rashes and poison oak.

Menstrual Cycle Pain

One of the uses of mugwort tea is in the treatment of dysmenorrhea, more commonly known as menstrual cycle cramps. It is also known to stimulate and regulate menstruation and support the body as it changes through menopause.

Toxin Effects

This herbal tea is also linked to cleansing the kidneys, reducing the chances of infection and improving function. it encourages sweating. Further, eliminate toxins from the body through the skin.

Malaria Prevention

Malaria is a contagious very bad disease caused by a parasite that invades human red blood cells, transmitted by mosquitoes. The most effective malaria drug is Artemisinin. It contains a large amount of Artemisinin.

Strengthens The Immune System

The high concentration of vitamin C active antioxidants makes mugwort tea a wonderful choice for boosting the immune system. Vitamin C can stimulate the production of white blood cells, and act as an antioxidant, which can neutralize radicals that cause inflammation and weaken the body’s defenses.

Antimicrobial and Antifungal Properties

Clinical studies have shown that wormwood tea has an antimicrobial effect. E. coli (a disease that damages the kidneys, intestines, and brain caused by an unhealthy red meat-borne parasite.) and salmonella (it’s a poisonous germ.) protect against various types of bacteria, including.

Sources

PlantsHospital.com

GrowForageCookFerment.com

Blog, Lifestyle, Massachusetts, Wellness

Personal Wellness at The Stonehedge Hotel Spa

January 13, 2020 Kristi Leave a comment

TYNGSBOROUGH, MA – Continuing my personal wellness series, I did go to a Spa in November however I’ve just been so busy with the holidays that I haven’t had a chance or frankly motivation to post. But now I have and can post a few pics. Honestly I don’t have much to say other than it was a super casual but affordable experience. The food wasn’t really much to rave about and was a bite to eat but in a pinch it worked.

Blog, Domestic Travel, Lifestyle, Massachusetts, Pioneer Valley, Wellness

Personal Wellness at a Hillside Town Spa

September 14, 2019 Kristi Leave a comment

LEE, MA – I have been on a personal wellness quest and figuring out the best anxiety and pain management for myself. So far I have discovered water or hydrotherapy does wonders for me. During the summer lakeside beaches really are a huge benefit but they are not open year around. I found a place recently that offers holistic baths which are a nice option because hot tub therapies usually require at least two people, which makes it awkward for myself. I was a bit early to my appointment so I explored Lee. A few years ago I visited a cafe that was known for their crepes, ironically called the Starving Artist Cafe but they were unfortunately closed. I took a few photos, so here they are from my experience.

Belchertown, Blog, Excursions, Exploration, Lifestyle, Massachusetts, Travel, Wellness

Personal Wellness at a Lakeside Beach

August 24, 2019 Kristi Leave a comment

BELCHERTOWN, MA – I initially got my apartment here because of several things, most I am sure most people wouldn’t have considered. One of these amenities is a public beach not too far (walkable) distance from my apartment. However, I have been here two years and this month it was my first time visiting. While a little small, it was a quiet place to getaway for a little bit. They also had a concession stand and some amenities (bathrooms, and boat launch). Earlier this month I took a few photos and was excited to learn they will remain open throughout September!

Lifestyle, Wellness

Lifestyle: Apothecary – Yarrow

June 27, 2019 Kristi Leave a comment

This past winter I had a Soul Path reading with Winifred at AwenTree as part of my healing journey. The reading was very insightful and confirmed some of the things I had been seeing personally. One of the things Winifred suggested was to see an herbalist in town and to get a consultation. One of the things that have struck me is how much my third-eye has a play in all of this – although not too surprising.

I often feel alone in my daily life challenges due to a lot of coming from a spiritual nature. Most of the time people understand only fractions of what I’m going through. Seeing this herbalist was the first time someone could understand on some level what I am going through. He combined both western and eastern practices as well as deeply spiritual anecdotes. I recalled my experience in Salem where my third-eye shut off completely during a shift and how traumatizing it was. The herbalist provided another perspective and that my third-eye shut off due to protection. This was an eye-opener (no pun intended) and led to another discussion about providing more spiritual protection in my day to day life.

I was also reminded that the pineal gland is connected to the endocrine system in the body which is said to house the third-eye and our connection when someone goes into the fight or flight tendencies from a PTSD episode our endocrine system becomes exposed to the adrenaline and when our endocrine system is exposed to these adrenaline energies for too long it causes inflammation to the body. If you can find ways to reduce inflammation it will in turn reduce effects of anxiety and PTSD. I’m not saying this is the treatment for all of PTSD disorders but it’s a huge aspect of it. For me being completely ‘open’ spiritually I was ‘inhaling’ all kinds of excess energy especially in an office setting – interpreting others’ energy as my own and seeing myself in them. One of the things that was suggested by the herbalist is to take Yarrow for negative energy and spiritual protection. I’ve done a lot with protection but it seems like my techniques aren’t serving me anymore so I’ve been on a quest to finding other healing techniques.

The Healing Power of Yarrow*

Adapted from: https://eluneblue.com/yarrow-magical-properties/

Perhaps the most popular use for yarrow is as a sweat inducer. A cup of yarrow tea can help you break a sweat, which in turn can help break a fever.
Among yarrow’s many folk names, it is also called nosebleed, and by no coincidence. Not only can yarrow cause nosebleeds, it is an effective remedy for against them. Simply take a yarrow leaf, squish it a little to release its aroma and therapeutic oils, roll it into a ball and use this to plug the nostril(s) that is bleeding.
When suffering from hemorrhoids drink yarrow tea, or use a yarrow poultice on the affected area.
When it comes to issues of the blood, yarrow is a powerful balancer, especially when it concerns the menstrual cycle. Yarrow is often used to start a menstrual cycle that is arriving late, as well as ease the flow of a heavy cycle. For these same reasons, pregnant women should not ingest yarrow.
Yarrow is Nature’s bandage. Folk names like Soldier’s Woundwort and Knight’s Milfoil hint at its history as a sort of first aid kit in the midst of battle. Yarrow leaves can be used to pack a wound and stall its bleeding. They also have antibacterial qualities to help keep the wound clean of infection.
Using yarrow to wash your hair is believed to prevent baldness, although it won’t cure it if already balding.
Yarrow encourages the body to sweat, which can help break a fever. It assists the body in ridding itself of toxins, and a steam bath with yarrow in it can help relieve a headache.

*FDA Disclaimer

The contents of this website are for informational purposes only and do not render medical or psychological advice, opinion, diagnosis, or treatment. The information provided through this website should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a medical or psychological problem, you should consult your appropriate health care provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. Links on this website are provided only as an informational resource, and it should not be implied that we recommend, endorse or approve of any of the content at the linked sites, nor are we responsible for their availability, accuracy or content.

Blog, Exploration, Greenland, Iceland, Lifestyle, Luxury, Travel, Wellness

Exploration: GeoHotel and Blue Lagoon

June 5, 2019 Kristi Leave a comment

GRINDAVIK, IS – On my stop over on the way home in Iceland from Nuuk, Greenland I stayed at Geo Hotel in Grindavik. I ended up being super thankful for the transportation services offered at Geo Hotel as my flight from Nuuk was delayed half an hour and I missed my car rental pick up.

If you are on your way or visiting Iceland Geo Hotel makes it super easy to travel to Blue Lagoon or to the airport via Blue Lagoon. It was easy to call them to schedule a pick up and then a ride to the Blue Lagoon transfer station.

Due to miscommunication at Blue Lagoon I had missed my transfer bus to the airport but it ended fine as I had two hours at the airport to go and checkin and go through security.

Geo Hotel offers a comfortable room at an affordable price within a quint town in Iceland. They also offer free breakfast starting at 6 am which allows enough time for a 7 am Blue Lagoon reservation.

GeoHotel graciously extended a double room for my stay and I am happy to include them on this blog however I haven’t had the time to take pics of the room while I was there or explore the town as much as I would’ve liked so the pics posted to this blog are owned by GeoHotel.

Blog, Lifestyle, Product Reviews, Wellness

Lifestyle: Apothecary – Urban Moonshine

January 13, 2019 Kristi Leave a comment

One of the best things about working at a food cooperative is having access to their robust Wellness Department. I have never been to a store where you can get Apothecary grade products readily available in person without having to order online. With recent developments I have been utilizing this department more so. In my first week back I was experiencing vertigo and the last time I did was when I had surgery in my ear – that time I used ginger powder to combat symptoms and ginger powder worked this time too. Though I ended up using more of a ginger syrup for this type of thing. Ginger also has been a great detoxing agent for me.

Additionally I had been enjoying an aromatherapy diffusor and the Eucalyptus scent. It’s been a great mental clearer as well as helps reduce stress and anxiety. I have been working on making my apartment stress free and finding ways to create a relaxing ambiance.

Lastly, to help with my insomnia I have been enjoying the Urban Moonshine Herbal Apothecary Simmer Down Tonic with Calming Adaptogens, Ashwagandha and Tulsi. I have been making an effort to move away from OTC drugs for everyday use and just consume prescription medicine. URBHA Simmer Down Tonic is a great solution to insomnia and sleepless nights due to stress. Though do keep it mind it won’t eliminate it just help reduce symptoms and promote restful sleep.

Less Stress, More Rest
A calming, adaptogenic formula that helps deeply replenish and restore the nervous system.* Certified Organic. Gluten Free.

Promotes a mellow mood*
Encourages restful sleep*
Soothes nervousness, stress & irritability*
Protects against the depleting effects of stress*
Non-sedating—take any time of day

Articles, Business, Lifestyle, The Essential Girl, Wellness

Top 5 Nutrition Hacks for the Busy Woman

July 31, 2016 Kristi Leave a comment

In a world that never stops moving, life can get pretty busy, overwhelming even. And even when nutrition is a priority, it can often fall down your list of priorities and become forgotten. Because your job is more important. Or your kids are more important. And of course these things need to be taken care of. So when you only have a minimum amount of time to think about nutrition, using nutrition hacks can save the day.

I live a busy life: between working on my master’s and curating my blog into a business, sometimes it seems like I don’t have any free time. BUT over time I’ve developed a few tricks to keep up with my nutrition even when it seems like there’s barely time to breathe. Here are my top nutrition hacks for the busy woman.

• Sneak in nutrients
• Plan to go shopping once a week
• Pre-make meals
• Make snack packs to take with
• Know when to compromise

Sneak in nutrients

This is a fairly simple strategy, and one of my favorites. In short, it’s a game of replacements. Replacing one less nutritious food with one more nutritious food takes practically no effort, apart from remembering to actually do it.

There are two ways to look at this strategy: one is to look at it as adding a more nutrient dense food, the other is to look at it as removing a more harmful food.

In the first strategy, for example, you could replace your morning breakfast toast with fresh fruit. And to be honest fresh fruit might take even less time to prepare, as it’s generally ready to eat. Fruit is more nutrient dense than toast because calorie for calorie, it contains more nutrients.

In the second strategy, for example, you could replace your standard, sugary peanut butter with natural peanut butter (i.e. the only ingredient is ground peanuts and maybe salt). In this way, you’re eliminating not only unnecessary sugar, but also harmful preservatives. This takes literally zero extra time, and can make a huge improvement on your health.

As time goes on, you can replace more and more foods, making a seamless and time-efficient transition into a healthier diet.

Not sure what foods to replace? Grab a copy of my Unhealthy -> Healthy Food Replacement Cheat Sheet from my free resource library by clicking the photo below

Plan to go shopping once a week

The biggest mistake busy people make is not planning meals ahead of time. It can seem so much easier or faster to just stop by the store everyday on the way home to pick up what you need for dinner, but I can guarantee that this is actually wasting your time.

Not only are you spending extra time in the store, but you’re also leaving yourself no room to pre-make meals, which can be huge time-savers. You’re also leaving dinner up to a whim, which often means you’re not making the healthiest choice you could be making.

What I have found is the most efficient way to deal with shopping and meal planning is to sit down once a week and write out all my meals for the week, then just do one big shopping trip. Now there are a few tricks to making this planning process efficient and effective, and you can read about my process in my post “Top 5 Meal Planning Tips to Help You Stay On Track.”

Pre-make meals

As I mentioned above, pre-making meals can be a huge time-saver. To cite the classic example, making up lasagna and then sticking it in the fridge in the morning so you only have to throw it in the oven when you get home. Another example would be something like pre-forming/seasoning some burger patties on the weekend so that you just have to throw them on the grill when it’s time to make dinner.

Another way to look at this is to plan leftovers for dinner. I like to make a big pot of chili on the weekend and then eat the leftovers for lunch or dinner throughout the week.

Make snack packs to take with you

Snacks are often the undoing of our nutrition plan. Say you get hungry at work. It’s still 2 more hours til you get off, so you walk down to the vending machine and grab whatever looks good. You know it’s not the healthiest, but you gotta eat right??

The best way to avoid this trap is to bring snacks from home. Not only are these cheaper, but they will be a much healthier choice come mid-afternoon.

Some of my favorite snacks to bring to work are raw almonds, carrots, hummus, and homemade granola. The biggest idea here is to make sure you’re not just bringing your own bag of chips rather than buying them from a vending machine.

Know when to compromise

My final tip is to know when to compromise. You aren’t always going to have the time to be healthy, no matter how much planning you do. So it’s important to know which things are least-harmful to compromise on.

For example, take the mid-afternoon snack craving we talked about above. If you really are hungry, you can compromise and get something from the vending machine. At the same time, you can choose to get something healthier than potato chips. In terms of health, if they have Nature Valley granola bars I would choose one of those. If you’re more concerned about clean eating, Fritos are actually the way to go, because they have no preservatives.

Another example might be one day you realize you’ve forgotten to plan a lunch for the day and you’re already trying to rush out the door. Instead of skipping lunch to have a pity party, it’s healthier for you to go ahead and buy something on your lunch break. Just as long as you’re not reaching for something that comes with fries.

Really, the key here is moderation. You won’t always be able to perfectly keep up with your nutrition, and that’s ok. As long as you keep unhealthy foods to a minimum, your overall health should be just fine.

So now my question for all you busy women out there is: What do you do to keep up with nutrition? Are these all things you already do, or do you have a few extra tips you could share with me and my readers? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear from you. ☺

About Rachel

Rachel is a blogger and Bioengineering masters student who lives in Clemson, SC (go tigers!). After studying conventional pharmaceuticals and how they target specific ailments, she applied that knowledge to figuring out how essential oils can work to treat the same ailments, and ended up creating the blog The Essential Girl. When she’s not blogging or sciencing the shit out of something in the lab, she likes to drink tea, nom on popcorn, and binge Netflix with her Astrophysicist boyfriend.

Social Media:
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Email: rachel@theessentialgirl.com

Blog, Business, Excursions, Lifestyle, Wellness, ◆◆◆

WORCESTER, MA – Gluten and Allergen Free Expo

July 25, 2016 Kristi Leave a comment

Gluten and Allergen Free Expo

WORCESTER, MA – Saturday I attended the Gluten and Allergen Free Expo. I was invited as a blogger to participate and network and cover the event. I’m not sure if this is coming from a non-gluten-free patient, but I found the event to be slightly disappointing. I am trying to translate some food items in my life because of my hypothyroid disease and found the information that I did get to be informative, but most of the booths are food-based which is great and all and was fun to taste the different gluten-free products out there. I was surprised by the quality of some of them and how some of them did taste like the ‘real thing’ (if you will). But there weren’t many informative booths. People I could actually come up and talk to without being swarmed by crowds of people wanting to taste the food. The people that were there where swamped with handing out samples, which made things to be very unapproachable. A few booths did have a spokesperson there but otherwise it was hard to network. Also definitely one of the smaller conventions I’ve been to. The Boston Travel Trade show was huge, but that was also more centered around sales and marketing so the people whom I wanted to talk to where right there. Here it was a bit different.

Regardless, I am glad I went as it did give me an eye-opener and how to approach switching gluten-based products to gluten-free ones. Below are a handful of pictures from the event.

Getting There

I travelled an hour by car from Northampton, MA to Worcester, MA. It is very close to Boston, MA as well as many other suburbs of Boston. Use the widget below to find a place to stay and you’ve got an interesting weekend trip for sure.

[tp_hotelmap_widget coordinates=”42.262593, -71.802293″ width=500 height=500 zoom=12 subid=””]

Blog, doterra, Lifestyle, Product Reviews, Wellness

Product Review: dōTERRA essential oils

July 14, 2016 Kristi Leave a comment

These past few weeks, I’ve been lucky to connect with Kari Cummins from over at Mom on a Mission and she was looking for product reviewers of dōTERRA essential oils! I have heard of the brand from several of my holistic/alternative health friends and have been wanting to try them but not splurge on a bottle only to find out it didn’t work for me (which has happened before). She was gracious and sent me a few product samples of Peppermint for invigorating of the lungs, Melaleuca for minor skin irritation and Lavender for stress related symptoms and Breathe, On Guard and Digest Zen for bodily dysfunctions. At the time I was going through heavy stress inducing insomnia and my normal stress relief routines weren’t working. Well the Lavender has certainly helped my stress relief and for that I am grateful for, I am curious to start working with essential oils more for other areas of my life. For Kari it had given her a huge wake up call in regards to the chemicals we put in and around our bodies. She has written about her experience over on her blog: How Essential Oils Change Her Life.

When I received the package from Kari, I quickly opened up the Lavender sample and placed it on my temples. I immediately felt relief as that is where I feel stress the most and continued to work with the oil in that way. I then realized it may last longer seeped into an herbal pillow I have used to help me sleep. So the rest of the bottle I poured into the square pillow and keep it by my nose when I sleep. It had the same effect.

Once I am able, I look forward to offering essential oil content on my blog after some use of the product in it’s full size. Herbal/plant based remedies have often worked well for me and it may just be because I am drawn to the plant world; being an Aquarian with Capricorn stellium and all ;).

Click the related articles below to learn more about essential oils and how they can help you leverage your life and even help relieve mysterious bodily issues! And check out Kari Cummins’s blog on a more in-depth testimonial for dōTERRA essential oils!

Lifestyle, Recipes, Wellness

Almond Milk

June 3, 2011 Kristi Leave a comment

Fresh raw almond milk is delicious, healthy, unprocessed, and economical. There is no waste, no unrecyclable plastic-lined tetra-pak boxes or cartons to put in landfills and drink BPA out of, and this tastes much, much better than storebought. The resulting almond meal is a free bonus, useful in cookies, crumb crusts, porridge, granolas, or in lieu of bread crumbs in stuffings and dressings, breaded crusts, etc.

To make a half gallon (or 2 liters) of delicious fresh almond milk, you will need:

about a pound (or roughly half a kilo) of fresh raw almonds out of the shell
A blender or food processor
A large bowl to strain into
A mesh bag or cheesecloth for first straining
A reusable fine wire mesh coffee cone or fine muslin bag for second straining
A half gallon or 2 liter refrigerator jug to keep it in
A few pinches of salt (optional)
Sweetener of your choice, to taste (optional)

You will be using about 3 cups of water for every 1 cup of raw almonds out of the shell. Soak overnight in enough water to cover with a little water more, to provide room for swelling. Another easier way to measure if you want to make 2 quarts or 2 liters at a time, is that 1 lb (or roughly a half kilo) of raw almonds out of the shell, makes a half gallon or 2 quarts or roughly 2 liters of creamy, rich almond milk when sufficient water is added after squeezing, to equal that volume. You can of course halve the water to make an almond cream suitable as coffee creamer, nog base, cream pies, or other uses where milk may be too thin.

A quick whir in a powerful blender results in a thick, frothy almond puree, ready to be squeezed in a mesh bag or jelly bag, cheesecloth, or something similar. Simply place your cheesecloth or mesh strainer bag over the bowl, pour and scoop your puree into it, draw it closed, and start squeezing until the almond meal is as dry as you can get it. Don’t add any more water at this point.

The harder you squeeze, the more creamy and nutritious your milk will be, but not to worry, any you don’t get into the milk will still be eaten in the form of the almond meal, so there is nothing wasted. I use a fine plastic mesh drawstring bag that doubles as a shopping bag for small loose items like garlic or peppers.

then pour the undiluted almond milk (that I just strained through the bag into a bowl) through a reusable gold metal mesh coffee cone filter. When it slows, gentle stirring makes filtering go faster. At the end, I press the bit of almond paste in the bottom to extract the last and creamiest bit. This finer, white almond meal is good to keep and dry separately and use as almond flour.

I make this easier by straining it the second time directly into my glass half-gallon refrigerator pitcher, and then adding more water to fill the pitcher, but if you are making an amount different from a half gallon, proceed accordingly to get an end result of 3 cups of water for every cup of almond. You may thin it to taste by adding water, but better too rich than too thin, because too rich can be solved by adding water, but too thin is too bad.

Let it sit covered in the refrigerator pitcher for 24 hours. You will notice a creamy layer floats on top, but with a few gentle shaking sessions and a day or so in the refrigerator, it will blend nicely and taste superbly creamy. Once that has happened, add sweetener if you choose, and salt a pinch at a time, shaking in between and tasting, until the flavor goes from a little “flat” with no salt, to “better than any milk I ever tasted” (perfect). If not sure, hold back on another pinch of salt because one pinch too many ruins it. If you accidentally do add that one extra pinch past perfect taste, add more sweetener and it will no longer taste salty. Some add vanilla, others add almond extract or other flavors. You can even add dutched cocoa for a creamy sensation.

See how this clings to the glass like the freshest dairy milk? Commercial preparations use thickeners such as guar gum to achieve something similar but their results are inferior. It’s hard not to drink it all up the first day, but it’s even better the second. Keeps about a week in the refrigerator, but don’t leave it out on the counter unless you want to experiment with raw almond yogurt or kefir.

Now you can enjoy lowcarb (depending on type and amount of sweetener if any) delicious vegan milk useful in vegan nogs, cream soups, mac-n-cheese, cream pies, alfredo, and so forth, whilst saving money over wasteful inferior pasteurized storebought concoctions, and keep your almond meal for the same price!

As for the almond meal, that may be another Instructable, but briefly, you spread it out on a half-sheet in a 300 degree F oven stirring a few times here and there until toasty and dry. Store in a jar, use as breadcrumbs, crumb crusts, breading, stuffing, cookies, cakes, and bars, or make into low glycemic granola.

Source: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Milk-an-Almond-fresh-homemade-almond-milk/