make your own almond milk.

I'm never buying almond milk from the store again.  Nope. Not ever.  And I think I am going to try to make rice milk and coconut milk too.  Even though they seem like great options, those store bought "milks" tend to be extremely processed and filled with ingredients that we would rather do without.  This was too easy not to do all the time!

almond milk

• 1 cup of raw almonds (soak for 8-12 hours prior)
• 4 cups of water
• 1 tsp of good quality vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup honey

Blend in a blender on high for at least 1 minute.  Strain with cheesecloth and you're done!

roasted red pepper salad dressing.

I'm all about making as much from scratch as possible.  Saves you money and ensures that you know exactly what is in the food you are eating.  Dressings and marinades are a perfect thing to make yourself.  All you need is some staple pantry ingredients and a blender/ food processor of sorts.  Here is an easy roasted red pepper dressing, delicious on a simple bed of lettuce.  Feel free to alter the recipe to make it your own.  Any combination of ingredients, spices, and cheese will do!

roasted red pepper dressing

Blend the following ingredients in a blender until desired constancy:

• 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of evoo
• 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard (any mustard will do)
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• oregano or Italian seasoning to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• a little bit of feta or goat cheese
• some roasted red pepper slices (i used ones from a jar but freshly roasted would be even better)