I hate getting old. Well, sometimes I hate getting old.
Honestly, you couldn’t pay me to go back to my 20’s. They weren’t awful years,
but I find it easier to be content these days. I suppose most, if not all of
that has to do with my relationship and commitment to God. He taught me how to
love my husband and he taught my husband how to love me, all after we had been
married over ten years. It turns out, being incredibly in love with my best friend
and having the privilege to be married to him makes me happy. Who knew? I didn’t realize how superficial and selfish I
was until God changed my heart.
What I hate about getting old is the physical changes. I have to eat about half the amount of food and I have to exercise twice as much to lose
weight as I did in my 20’s. My hair is thinner and it takes more coffee to get
motivated in the morning. Also, I can no longer eat things I have always been able to
eat.
About a year after my son was born I started losing my hair,
by the handful. I didn’t know what was going on. I was pretty worried. I lived
in Western Washington at that time and going gluten free seemed to be the biggest
trend, it seemed like everyone was doing it. So I decided to try it. Three days
after I removed gluten from my diet I felt a noticeable change. It was like my
steps had gotten lighter. I was walking on air! I felt wonderful and energized.
A few days later, my hair had stopped falling out. It was great. Avoiding
gluten wasn’t ideal but at least I was able to function at a normal energy
level.
It wasn’t long after that, I noticed my stomach hurt when I
drank milk. Not good! I love milk and cheese and yogurt and ice cream and the
list goes on and on. Not only do I love dairy, but my breakfast usually
includes a protein shake. How do I make a protein shake without milk?
That’s where today's post is helpful. If you can’t make your protein
shake with dairy milk, make it with almond or coconut milk. I prefer almond, so
that is what I will be sharing today. I’ll save coconut milk for another
day.
There are a few reasons to make your own almond milk. One
very good reason is chemicals. Typical almond milk from the grocery store has
preservatives and other chemicals in it. When I make it myself, I know exactly what
is in it and don't have to question whether it may be harmful or not. I find comfort in that. Another reason is price. Almond milk at the
grocery store is pretty expensive. If you get your almonds in bulk, it costs less than
half the price to make it. Lastly, I make it is because of my gluten sensitivity.
I can’t tolerate wheat flours and almond flour is one of my favorites to bake
with. It is perfect for low carb baked goods. After the almond milk is strained, the almond “pulp” can be dehydrated
and ground for flour. I have a recipe for Low Carb almond bread and it is amazing!! I made gluten free subs with it for the Super Bowl this year.
This recipe is pretty simple, but you have to plan a little.
·
Soak one cup of almonds in water overnight (or
at least 8 hours)
·
After soaking, drain and rinse Almonds.
·
Put almonds and 6 cups of distilled water in a
high power blender (I use my Ninja).
·
Blend on High.Strain almonds in a nut bag (I don’t use a nut
bag, I use a piece of muslin I got at the fabric store. It strains beautifully and
is reusable).
·
Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla if desired
Bottle and refrigerate the almond milk for up to 4 days.
Continue if you want to make almond flour with your almond
meal. You can also mix the almond meal as is with spices and bread meat with it.
·
Spread almond meal over parchment paper on a
cookie sheet.
·
Place in oven, with oven on lowest temperature, for 1
to 2 hours, until dry. *Leave oven door open!!
·
Grind meal and store. I use my magic bullet; you
can use a coffee grinder or any type of grinder with a flat blade.
This milk should have 35 to 40 calories per serving, similar
to the low calorie Almond Milk at the grocery store. If you like your almond
milk creamier, use less water. If you want to drop the calorie or fat content,
try adding water. This is a very flexible recipe and is easily altered to fit
your Almond Milk needs.
As I wrote this post, I asked myself a few questions. Some of these are questions I wish I had asked myself ten years ago. What stage of life are you in? Do you ever wonder what your
future self would think of you now? Do you ever question your priorities or motives;
question whether they really matter in the grand scheme of things? If you are
unhappy, is it possible you are looking for the wrong things to make you happy?
Are you putting your hope for happiness in eternal things, or in fleeting
things?
May Your Joy Be Full,
Rachel
4 Even to your old
age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and
I will save.
Isaiah 46:4 (ESV)
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