Alternative Milk Alternatives.

Alternative Milk Alternatives is the topic of the day.  Upon first glance, you probably think I am using the word alternative to describe non-dairy milks. Nope, I'm not talking about soy milk (or as some write it, soy mylk, or as Tony says it, soy juice), almond milk, hemp milk, etc.  I already discussed those milk alternatives in this post.  Today, I'm talking about even weirder alternatives to non moo-cow milk. 

You are about to pour yourself a big bowl of cereal, when suddenly you realize, you're out of milk (moo-cow or otherwise*)!  Oh, no. The milk-less horror!  But never fear, because I've got some ideas for milk alternatives, right here:

- Blend up a fruit smoothie and use that as a base for cereal.  Works especially well with granola-based and/or fruity cereals.  More on smoothies-in-bowls here.
- Make nut/seed milk. Blend up some nuts or seeds (2-4 tablespoons (depending on creaminess desired) of cashews, almonds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, with 1 cup of water, a pinch of salt, and a dash of vanilla). Makes a slightly nutty, but definitely creamy milk.  Pour through cheesecloth, a fine strainer, or some sort of filter (even those used to steep loose tea work well) if you want the milk very smooth. If you don't mind just a bit of grit, then drink as is! 
- Blend up a nut butter.  Same idea as using the whole nuts (mentioned above), only easier to blend. If you don't have a blender, you can use a milk frother or a whisk (along with some strength, of course). Just whisk some almond, peanut, or cashew butter with water, salt, and vanilla, and you'll get instant (frothy) milk.
- Make banana milk. Blend 1 banana with 1 cup of water.  Makes a slightly sweet, 'milky' beverage. Note: for banana-lovers only.
- Blend (or whisk) 1 serving of protein powder with 1 cup of water. This works especially well if you have whey powder, but rice powders work too.  Vanilla-flavored protein powder = vanilla milk!  Chocolate powder = chocolate milk!
- Open a can of coconut milk.  Depending on the creaminess you desire, you can use the full-fat coconut milk straight from the can, or you can dilute it one-to-one with water for a lighter and thinner milk.

So don't cry over spilled (or newly depleted) milk.  Just refer to these page of alternative milk alternatives and you'll be good to go :)


*However, to avoid running out of non-dairy milk, stock-up! Thankfully the tetrapaks of soy, almond, hemp, etc. milks, last at least a year on the shelf before going bad.