herbal coffee, almond milk, and chia pudding

carmella and don from the sunny raw kitchen introduced us to herbal coffee during their stay. for those who don't already know, herbal coffee is a grounded blend of herbs, grains, nuts and seeds that have been roasted. while it is not raw, it is naturally caffeine-free and non-acidic.

i've been sippin' teeccino hazelnut and organic chai. i find these flavors to be pleasant, and they go very nicely with yummy raw desserts!

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if you'd like, you can read part I, part II, and part III of our animal-friendly raw-venture with carmi and don (hey, it was a very exciting time for me and deserved more than one post! =)  you can also read carmella's recap of the visit at the sunny raw kitchen blog here.

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i like to add a bit of almond milk to my herbal coffee. i also enjoy a glass of almond milk with chocolatey desserts. i've been making three cups at a time and conveniently storing it in a quart-size mason jar.

Almond Milk

1 C. almonds, soaked
3 C. filtered water
nut milk bag

process water and almonds in a high speed blender a minute or so. strain mixture through nut milk bag (or a paint straining bag). store almond pulp in the fridge or freezer for later use. almond milk keeps for about 3-4 days in the fridge.

kelli's notes: i like to leave the almond milk plain, but occasionally add a little maple syrup to sweeten it a bit. i've seen recipes with coconut oil, soy lecithin, agave and vanilla, but i'm all for simple!

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carmella taught me how to make this easy yet delicious chia pudding. (come to think of it, she taught me how to make nut milk, too!=)

Chia Pudding

serves 1-2

2 T chia seeds
1/4 C almond milk
maple syrup
raisins
cinnamon

mix chia seeds and almond milk with a whisk or fork. allow seeds to absorb the liquid a few minutes, then stir again. add raisins, maple syrup, and cinnamon to taste.

  Chia Pudding makes a delicious layer for parfaits with strawberries, Chocolate Sauce, and Sweet Gratitude's Coconut Meringue.

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nikki from yummy raw kitchen posted an amazing-looking Chia Pudding recipe with almond butter! go take a looksie!

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