Save a Cow, Milk an Oat

Whipping up homemade “mylk” is one of my favorite weekly kitchen rituals.
I put on a pot of Italian coffee, gather ingredients, blend it all up, and strain. By the time I’ve poured the ivory nectar into designated milk jars my coffee is ready for a splash of fresh, frothy, creamy plant mylk.
This is why I love & recommend it:

• it is SO quick & easy, anyone with a blender & 5 minutes can do it
• you can creatively mix in whatever ingredients you prefer or have on hand, which is great for people with food sensitivities/allergies
• it doesn’t have all sorts of unpronounceable additives (though the benefit of such things are less separation & longer shelf-life)
• using all bulk ingredients makes this a no-waste product!
• homemade plant mylk is better for most bodies (AND our planet) than cow, soy, or even almond alternatives
• ingredients are protein rich, heart-healthy, blood sugar balancing, gluten-free, and full of beneficial fats

“Moon Mylk” Recipe

This oil-free blend has a smooth, relatively thick body and a significant amount of protein & other essential nutrients like phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, & iron. Some separation is completely natural & almost unavoidable. Just shake before use.

Ingredients:
– 1 heaping cup total of any mixture of the following organic bulk ingredients: oats, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, or soaked nuts
– 4 cups filtered water
– opt. natural sweeteners – dates, shredded coconut, maple syrup

Directions:
Gather ingredients & add to blender (usually I will add seeds/nuts/sweets first & blend those up a little before adding oats). Blend on high for only about 45 seconds. *It’s important not to over-blend the oats because they get this gluey texture that’s kinda weird.*

Place your nut milk bag into a bowl or large glass measuring cup & secure the top of bag around the rim. Then pour in blended mixture. Bring the top of bag together, lift out of liquid & gently squeeze pulp until all mylk has drained. That’s seriously it!

“Full Moon Mylk”

Turn your basic mylk into an easily digested nutritive concoction by adding in superfood/adaptogenic/immunity boosting powders like maca, medicinal mushrooms, Ashwagandha, shatavari, gotu kola & cacao. And herbs/spices like cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, peppermint oil, chamomile, vanilla, lavender, rose & rose hip dust.

Wild Altar Moon Mylk tonics:
maca + shatavari + cacao mushroom powder + cardamom
ashwagandha + peppermint oil + maple syrup (perfect for coffee)
rose + rose hip + cacao + schisandra rose tonic + honey (served hot)

~ Special Notes ~

~ My go-to blend is 3/4 cup oats + 1/4 cup hemp seeds. I’ll add in a little shredded coconut & toasted pumpkin seeds to thicken it up & give a depth of flavor.

~ It’s truly worth it to invest in a nut milk bag. I have used everything from old t-shirts to a double layer of fine mesh strainers. These do the job well enough. But nothing is as simple & effective as a nut milk bag. You can find these at most local kitchen stores.

~ Don’t just throw away the pulp! This stuff works great in baked goods, smoothies, or dehydrated into crackers! I simply save mine in the freezer until ready to use. See this post for a healthy Adaptogen Pulp Muffin recipe!

~ Because this is a fresh product with no additives/preservatives, the shelf-life is about 7 days. It’s best to make in smaller batches. You’ll know if it’s gone bad because it actually sours kinda like cows’ milk does.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“The land of milk & honey‘ refers to a mystical & enchanting place where dreams come true & all things are lovely. It’s a wonderful image – both in literature & in the kitchen.”

— Holly Bellebuono
“The Healing Kitchen”