Raw Creamy Coconut Almond Milk

Growing up as a military brat, I didn't really have anyplace to call home except for my grandparents homestead in Bradley Junction, Florida.  We found ourselves there for vacation leaves and sometime for extended stays when dad was stationed somewhere we couldn't follow.
As I think back on these visits, I realize my grandmother was the original back to the lander/prepper. She grew a garden not a lawn, which included fruit trees. Kept her own peacocks, chickens, ducks, turkeys, and pheasants! She also raised animals for meat and dairy all the while cooking, canning, and loving her family.
When the car pulled up the dirt road, horn blowing, my sister would jump out, ignore the waiting family and rush off to grab a cat and visit the chickens.  I, being the older, after the grandparent hug, would go to see the milk cows.  I loved everything about them, their long eyelashes, their soft brown eyes and the wonderful milk they gave.  When it was milking time my little sister would appear and beg to sit on the cow while my grandmother milked. Of course, she was placed on the gentle cow's back and laughed while Nanoo streamed milk from the cow directly into the open mouth of the cat who was following my sister.

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Now I may not be able, nor do I wish to, milk my own cow; but I can make some really creamy coconut almond milk.

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 1/2 cup flaked, unsweetened coconut
• 3 Medjool dates (pitted)
• 4 cups filtered water (additional water for soaking)
• 1 teaspoon homemade vanilla extract

Directions

Soak 1 cup raw almonds in 2 cups filtered water for 8 hours  

Pit dates (I use my kitchen shears for this)

Soak pitted dates and coconut in one cup of filtered water for two hours

Place three cups of filtered water  in blender (use a high speed blender like a Blendtec for smoothest consistency).  Add drained and rinsed almonds and the soaked coconut and dates (with liquid) to blender. 

If using a Blendtec, blend on the whole juice setting; with other blenders, you judge when the milk looks creamy.

If you don't mind the texture, add the vanilla and pour into a glass storage container.

I like to strain the milk using a nut milk bag and then add the vanilla.

Makes a creamy delicious milk to use in cooking or as a drink.