How To Make The Best Quinoa Milk In Town

This recipe makes much more then pictured

"Six o'clock already? I was just in the middle of a dream.  I was kissing Valentino by a crystal blue Italian stream.  Well, I can't be late because I guess I just won't get paid…these are the days when you wish your bed was already made…It's just another manic Monday…Oh oh oh…Wish it were Sunday…oh ohh oh, That's my funday…oh ohh oh…My I don't have to run day...Just another manic Monday." (The Bangles, Manic Monday 1980's)

Actually it's Tuesday-9am, 2014 not 1980 something and I have overslept all to wake up to Time Warner leaving me a message on my home answering machine advising me that my Internet and television will be turned off in 24 hours if I don't pay my two months worth of overdue bills!  Eek!  That got me outta bed real fast!  With one eye still closed, I managed to call Time Warner and pay up!

I think I'd go postal if my television and Internet were sacrificed because of my poor organizational skills!  (How would I get on Facebook? Instagram?-Oh the stress! Ha ha, just kidding)

I had overslept because yet again I have been having sleepless nights.  Falling asleep by 4am does not count for a restful night of beauty sleep.  I figured I'd allow myself to sleep late on my day off so that I could get some restful shut eye-even if my sleep schedule was totally out of whack.

Note to self-when one has medical and health issues it is important to not let bills slide till they are two months overdue!  

I'll have to assume God or my spiritual guide wanted me awake so I could make Homemade Quinoa Mylk, because that's exactly what I did!

A Nutribullet is the perfect alarm, so to speak.  It's so loud, I'm bound to wake from my dreamy Bangles 1980's song stupor.

So I know what you are thinking…Why make homemade Quinoa mylk when you can buy it at the store.  I know, you probably think it's easier, right?  I thought that too.  But what my mylk doesn't have is that nasty inflammatory thickening agent called Carrageenan or those other random additives, preservatives and thickeners.  Because that's what's in the store bought brands.  

What's Carrageenan?  Well, its a thickener derived from red seaweed and red algae added to foods, drinks and even toothpaste!  It seems harmless right?  Wrong!  It's so bad for us, it's used to test anti-inflammatory drugs-to make sure they are working correctly.  And it has properties that contribute to Leaky Gut!  When I read that…Oh boy!  I decided I was quite ok with making it myself.

It's a messy endeavor.  FYI, but a fun one!

Note to self and all others making this mylk-drain in sink!

And although a messy endeavor, it's easy.  And who doesn't love easy?

I was a newbie.  First time and it came out fantastic, amazing, better then I could have hoped for!  Second time was later this evening, and I was blown away.  I'm telling you, you will feel so spoiled if you make it yourself.  It's creamy and delicious and it tastes nothing like the store bought version in a very good way. 

Plus Quinoa is a complete protein!  It's packed with nutrients!  And it will give your energy a huge health boost-hello cartoon Road Runner. 

First I will say out of all the non-dairy mylk's out there?  This one is by far the creamiest!  Creamier then soy milk, similar to almond milk with a different taste and totally awesome in coffee!  Oh and smoothies!  You really cannot go wrong with this mylk.

You can bake cookies with it, bake brownies and cakes with it, muffins anyone? or how bout a creamy coffee or latte?, pancakes? soup batter? smoothies anyone?  This can be your go to mylk.  And it's great for those with nut allergies, soy allergies and dairy allergies.

Ok, now that I'm done selling Quinoa Mylk as if I'm representing the grain, I'll tell you how to make it.

Reminders!
*The milk separates once you put it in the fridge.  Just shake it up before use.
*If soaked the milk lasts 2 days before spoiling.  If not soaked as recipe calls for below-then it lasts up to a week.
*Great for baking, cooking, iced coffee, hot coffee (but separates a little), not good for lattes or cappuccinos as it curdles.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
1 cup white Quinoa
3 cups water (If you want a thinner version, use 4 cups of water)
High Speed Blender or Nutribullet
Cheese Cloth
Nutmeg
Vanilla extract (sugar free if you can find it)
Cardamom

DIRECTIONS:
1.  In your high speed blender or Nutribullet add 1 cup Quinoa and 3 cups water and blend.
2.  Blend, blend, blend.
3.  Add a dash or two of Nutmeg
4.  Add a dash or two of Cardamom
5.  Add 1/2-1tsp. Vanilla extract
6.  Blend again
7.  Drain milk using a cheese cloth (this is the messy part, and if you don't do it in your sink you will end up with Quinoa splatters all over your kitchen like I did-and that stuff dries fast-Remember, it's a grain.

**(If you are using a Nutribullet you may have to divide the mixture as the Nutribullet tall cup cannot hold all of that water at once).

How do you use a cheese cloth?  Easy! 

If I can do it, you can do it.  I didn't know how either.  I just decided to go with it.

Put the cloth over a cup
Drain milk into the cloth
Hold the cloth as if you are milking a cow
I'm so serious.
It's easy.
Once you are done draining your cheese cloth will have what's left of the grainy Quinoa.  That part is garbage and can be washed off the cheese cloth easily after.

Then, Serve!  or store in your fridge for a few days.

Peace and Love!

xx Julie