almond milk – The Cookbook Experiment

Chocolate-Peppermint Milkshake, THM Style

Today marks little Miss Mia’s 5-month birthday! I can’t believe my sweet darlin’ is this old already! She is quite a character! I love watching her personality emerge!

Even though it is pretty cold outside, even here in the south, I’ve been craving a peppermint milkshake. Unfortunately, the ones purchased at most of the fast-food drive-throughs, are loaded with sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup and totally bad for you. The voice in my head yesterday was telling me to head for my favorite drive-through and get one. And I almost did! I actually turned in that direction when I left the grocery store, fully intending to stop and get one, but decided just in time to go home instead. Victory!!

Today I decided to make my own chocolate-peppermint shake. I followed this recipe found over at Gwen’s Nest. Of course, I always seem to change a few things when I follow recipes, and this one was no different.

I used 0% Greek yogurt instead of the cottage cheese. I used 3 drops of food grade peppermint essential oil instead of peppermint extract. I also used 2 tbsp. of organic Stevia instead of erythritol.

Using my brand new Ninja blender made making this a snap! It totally hit the spot for my choco-peppermint craving! Delicious!

“Pumpkin” Smoothie

I really am trying to get more recipes posted here…really, I am! However, sometimes this little bundle of sweetness just takes over my time! I can’t believe that she is almost 3 weeks old already!

The other day I did a little searching through my freezer to see what was there that should be used up soon. I came across a small container of cooked sweet potatoes. Knowing that sweet potatoes can be used in similar fashion to pumpkins, I decided to make a smoothie. It was delicious!! If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that I just love anything pumpkin or apple or cinnamon during the fall. Fall just came yesterday and with it came fall-like temperatures, so this smoothie was perfect for me! I just played around with the amounts, so what I put here are estimates.

1 c. almond milk

3/4 c. mashed sweet potatoes (mine were still partially frozen)

1 heaping tsp. of pumpkin pie spice (I used this.)

1/2 tsp. of sweetener (I used pure cane sugar)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend well. Add a little extra almond milk if it is too thick for you. Enjoy!

Baking Powder-Coconut Oil Biscuits

This recipe began as an experiment and turned out amazingly well! I saw the basic recipe on line but decided to make some changes just because I could. I loved the results, and the hubby did, too! I used a 3-inch diameter glass to cut out the biscuits instead of a regular biscuit cutter.

2 c. all-purpose flour, divided

1/2 c. almond flour

1/2 tsp. salt

4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 c. coconut oil, softened but not melted

3/4 c. almond milk

1-2 tbsp. soft butter

Mix 1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour, almond flour, salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Cut in the coconut oil. Add almond milk and stir until blended and a soft dough forms. Using the remaining flour, knead the dough a few times. (I just kept the dough in the bowl and turned it with my hands.)

Press dough out on a floured surface to 1/2″ thick. (Again, I just used my hands instead of a rolling pin.) Cut out using a biscuit cutter or inverted glass.

Place on baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Brush with butter and bake for another 3-4 minutes or until golden. Serve with your choice of jam or honey! Using the glass to cut out the biscuits yielded 7.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Milk Shake

I created this recipe this afternoon after reading a recipe about making something similar to a Wendy’s Frosty. The original recipe called for a banana, but since I didn’t have any, I used peanut butter. Oh. My. Word. The flavor was amazing!! The hubby loved it and couldn’t believe that there is no ice cream in it! It is a great treat for a hot summer day!

1-1/2 c. almond milk

about 25-30 ice cubes (I used the cubes from my ice maker which are smaller than cubes from a tray)

1 tsp. vanilla

3-4 tbsp. cocoa powder

5 tbsp. sugar

1/2 to 3/4 c. peanut butter

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until ice is crushed. Makes 4 cups.

Green Monsters and Oatmeal Smoothies

I can’t believe it has been over 10 days since I last wrote a post for this blog! So sorry, everyone! Summers do tend to keep us all busier than at other times of the year. Last week, when I probably would have written a post, found me visiting my sister in Alabama. All my guys were gone for the week, and I found myself totally alone for the first time in over 24 years. The first day or two really were not so bad…no responsibilities was actually sort of nice! However, I am a people person, so I made arrangements for the dog and set out on my journey. Making that 6-hour drive alone when I was in my 20s never bothered me; but now that I am older I realize that I like company when I drive. Anyway, I had a marvelous time getting to visit with my sister, her two daughters, and her 5 grandbabies. The men in her life were gone for the week, too! I stopped to see Barbi on my way home and had a great few hours with her, too!

Today is a sad day in the Gardner kitchen. My faithful food processor, which I bought used over 24 years ago, died this morning. I was in the middle of chopping up ingredients for a 3rd batch of salsa when it refused to turn on. I switched the plug to a different outlet and made sure I had all the parts on correctly, but it just wouldn’t work. Saddness. I had to finish the job by using the mini processor that came with my blender.

The other day a friend of mine shared her recipe for Green Monsters and oatmeal smoothies. I have heard of green monsters before, but didn’t have a recipe for them. Kate was saying how good they are and how convenient they are to grab and go when in a hurry in the mornings. I’m not usually in a hurry in the mornings, but love these just for a change from the norm. They are also great for these hot summer days!

The oatmeal smoothies recipe can be found here: http://www.theyummylife.com/Oatmeal Smoothies. I made the Pomegranate Blueberry Smoothie which is just amazing!

Green Monsters:

1-2 tbsp. whole flax seeds

1 frozen banana

1-2 tbsp. peanutbutter

2 big handsful of spinach

1-1/2 c. milk

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth! Kate uses almond milk instead of cow’s milk and said it tastes great!