addicted #3: vanilla almond milk

i know i'm a little slow on the uptake here...but since i have been making a concerted effort to cut out dairy from my diet (remember this post?), i have even left behind my old friend, skim milk.  to replace it?  smooth, creamy, delicious almond milk (my flavor preference?  unsweetened vanilla).

i started experimenting with non-dairy beverages over the summer when i was making lots of smoothies.  i used rice milk a lot, but i found that i quickly got tired of the taste and the texture.  it was too watery and too sugary tasting to me, for some reason.  a friend of mine suggested i try almond milk (in fact, she was astonished that i hadn't tried it before).  and once i tasted it, i agreed...i couldn't believe what i was missing!

as an added bonus, the nutritional benefits of almond milk are plentiful.  a cup of almond milk gives you the same amount of calcium as 2% milk, which is important for anyone who is cutting dairy out (and thus, risks losing calcium).  additionally, almond milk is loaded with vitamin E: a one-cup serving can provide you with 50% of your daily value of the vitamin responsible for its power as an antioxidant.  and did you know that regular milk has a high sugar content?  i didn't (i hardly looked at the nutritional label on milk). almond milk has a significantly lower sugar content, and no saturated fat.

(nutritional information from livestrong.com)


so next time you're at the grocery store, don't leave without bringing home a carton of almond milk.  use it in your favorite cereal, add a splash to your coffee in the morning, pour a big cold glass full of it to dunk some chocolate chip cookies, use it in smoothies, anything!  they even make chocolate almond milk...and if that doesn't convince you, i don't know what will.

bye-bye, buzz

it has been well over a month since i had my last sip of coffee.  it is something i decided to give up kind of on a whim.  one summer morning at a music festival, i was groggy and sleep-deprived.  wanting to get a little jump before dancing and listening to music all day, i had a cup of coffee someone made for us at our campsite.  but instead of getting the caffeine high that i was hoping for, i felt jittery, queasy, and edgy.

thinking it was perhaps just a product of being sleep deprived and over-stimulated, i tried to give it another chance a few days later, after i had a chance to fully recover from raucous festival-induced debauchery.  slowly sipping an afternoon cup of coffee, the same effects took hold of me: cue heart-racing and cirque-de-soleil trampoline performance in my stomach.  knowing how terrible and unlike-myself i felt after drinking it, i knew it would not be difficult for me quit coffee cold-turkey.

since i have cut coffee out of my diet, i really do feel so many benefits!  i am much more in tune with my body's sleep cycle, i have a lot of energy in the morning, plus i've got a few extra dollars in my pocket since i am not spending 3 bucks a day for my extra tall cafe au lait!

i have to give myself props, however...the week after that festival, i started my second (and final, and most stressful) year of grad school, but i haven't needed to drink a cup yet!  my morning now starts with a cup of green tea, which has a host of benefits all its own.  plus, i have been trying to cut out as much dairy as possible, so drinking super-milky coffee every day isn't exactly conducive to this goal.

it was a little bit hard the first few mornings, i must admit, but after the "withdrawal" symptoms went away (which mostly consisted of me feeling groggy), i have been feeling better than any cup of coffee has ever made me feel!

so, y'all...what do you think?  is anyone else up for the coffee-elimination challenge?

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crunchy

i am straight up craving granola, but reluctant to buy a box from the store, since the majority are simply loaded with sugar (see: eat this, not that!, the scariest/best book i've come across in a while.)

so after work i think i'll venture to the local co op and pick up some ingredients to try to make my own. am thinking spicing it up with some candied ginger, perhaps...?
will keep you posted...

bangin' breakfast

i was home this weekend and i wanted to impress my parents with my cooking chops and surprise them with a nice sunday morning breakfast. as i was thumbing through the old cookbooks in my kitchen looking for a belgian waffle recipe, something better, easier, and more heavenly caught my attention.

behold the puff pancake: this is the taste of perfection.  i'll never go back to regular pancakes again.

dutch baby puff pancake

ingredients

1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2 eggs at room temperature (important! or it won't puff!!!)

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 stick butter

method
preheat oven to 425. in a large cast iron skillet, melt the butter, being sure to coat all sides of the pan. whisk together remaining ingredients in a bowl, then pour into skillet. cook for one minute, until edges begin to bubble.

transfer skillet into oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.

serve immediately, or else it will deflate!

(and add a candle if it's your birthday!!)

serve with a nice spread of the following toppings:
-1 pint strawberries, capped and quartered, mixed with 1/4 c. sugar and chilled
-really good fruit preserves
-cinnamon and sugar
-confectioner's sugar
-maple syrup

try serving this as a dessert, too. serve with coffee ice cream, cinnamon sugar, and nutella and bananas! wow wow wow!