Raw Homemade Cashew Milk Recipe and a Brief Ethnographic Insight Into the Overconsumption of Food Products

Since finishing undergraduate classes in January I am now finding the time to keep myself busy by getting back into making more of my food from scratch (nut milks and butters, kombucha, sprouting, etc.).  When I used to eat dairy I would make my own yogurt, but with that predominantly out of my diet I have decided to break the surface of experimenting with the wonderously delicious world of nuts.  My recent palate desire in regards to nuts has been focused on cashews.  I don't have a fancy blender and GreenStar currently doesn't have any nut clothes in stock, so in my impatience I decided to experiment simply with what I had at my disposal.  This definitely passed the test in my book, resulting in a creamy, frothy, deliciously healthy and easy to make nut milk; I can't wait to make other nut milks in the future!

Raw Homemade Cashew Milk

Ingredients:
- 3 cups of raw organic cashews
- Water
Some recipes call for a bit of salt and natural sweetener (such as agave), but I personally prefer the unsweetened milk and would rather add that to individual servings later, as desired.

Directions:
1. Soak Cashews in water overnight - I let mine sit for about 16 hours.  Place the cashews in a bowl, cover with water, cover the bowl, and let them sit on the countertop until step 2.
2. Transfer soaked cashews and water into blender (ideally a Vitamix, but all I have is a very low-grade blender).  Blend until cashews are as broken down as possible.  Add water depending on desired thickness/richness.
3. Strain mixture over a bowl.  This involves pressing of the cashews through the strainer to get as much liquid out as possible.  I still got a few small pieces of cashew in my milk, but I think that only adds to the milk!  For ideal smoothness and no strangling pieces use a nut cloth to strain.
4. Store in a jar or other container in the fridge.  And enjoy in your coffee, tea, cereal, smoothies, etc.!
In addition to yielding delicious cashew milk, i was also left with the cashew pieces that were strained out - to use in addition to smoothies, as a nut butter, etc.

*This recipe can be swapped with any other nut, however nuts with skins (such as almonds) would want to either be peeled after soaking or strained with a nut cloth to remove the skin.

I like to rotate the dairy-free/soy-free milks I drink on a regular basis to both keep my palate excited and to make sure my body doesn't develop an adverse reaction by constantly consuming too much of one food.  This is speaking from personal experience from the overconsumption of soy.  Five years ago when I was mainly vegetarian and realized I had to cut out dairy because it was causing (for over 6 years) extreme headaches daily, I increased my soy intake without realizing the potential repercussions.  Almost instantaneous with my switch to soy milks and soy yogurts, in addition to already consuming tofu and edamame, I plummeted into a deep depression that had no traceable emotional root.  Most people in my life recognize me as a very happy person who has a (somewhat strange) love for academia and learning.  However, at this point in my life I had a hard time finding the drive to go to classes and became quite a recluse.  On my worst days I would find myself crying in my closet for no reason.  Luckily a close family friend in Colorado (the same friend who questioned my dairy intake in relation to chronic headaches) asked about my soy consumption.  As soon as my mother relayed this question I researched side effects of soy only to find out that I had many of the symptoms: weight gain (due to thyroid problems caused by phytoestrogens in soy), mood swings, depression, and even had a severe case of conjunctivitis (pink eye).  I immediately cut soy out of my diet completely and haven't experienced that emotional dis ease since.  Although I have never been diagnosed by my health practitioner to have an allergic reaction or intolerance to dairy or soy, I definitely have seen my body's adverse reactions to both of these foods and have chosen not to have to feel that way again.

I'm not too sure if I have always been allergic to soy or if I developed an allergy because of extreme overconsumption.  I have tried to eat it in small amounts (i.e. soy milk in my coffee when I'm not at home and another alternative is unavailable, a couple pieces of tofu here and there, etc.) and I was still feeling stomach pains until I cut it out almost completely; I do consume wheat-free tamari on small occasion (mainly just with sushi and sauces) - this is only because it is fermented and much easier for the body to digest.

This personal experience with food has led me to a better understanding of how what I put in my body truly affects my well-being, both physical and emotional.  That in turn has furthered my interest in studying food and medicine, and sharing this information with others.