happy november! what?! where did october go? anywho, let’s talk milk!

i’m not going to lie. i don’t make nut milk as often as i should. and i only say that because it’s quite possibly one of the easiest things to do, and one of the most satisfying (at least to me). i use nut milk twice a day, sometimes more. i was dismayed by the amount of plastic bottles i saw piling up every week in our recycle bin, so i got on a pretty steady homemade nut milk kick over the summer. then amesy started preschool twice a week, and as the summer ended my work schedule picked up, and everything kinda got thrown out the window.

fast forward almost 2 months later, and we’ve got a bit more of a fluid routine down. and not that i have the time (or any extra energy) every few days to make my own nut milk, but i try to add it to the (very) mild food prep i sometimes get around to on the weekend. truth be told, i think the difficulty for me lies with the soaking of the nuts. i rarely remember to. but i also feel like soaking nuts and seeds comes with its pros and cons. follow along with me on this journey:

pros:

soaking activates enzymes in nuts and seeds, making nutrients more readily available
soaking softens nuts and seeds, giving you a smoother milk (this is especially handy if you don’t have a high speed blender)
flavor! i personally prefer the flavor of soaked vs. non-soaked nuts and seeds, as the non-soaked have a very distinct, bitter taste to me.

cons:

soaked nut/seed milks have a shorter shelf life. soaked nut/seed milks last up to 2 days in the fridge. non-soaked nut-seed milks can last up to twice as long
REMEMBERING TO SOAK AHEAD OF TIME - i kid. kind of. but in all seriousness, soaking requires some sort of plan of action. i personally set an alert on my phone to soak before i go to bed, reminding me to do so.

shortcuts:

if you’re not concerned about activating enzymes, soak your nuts/seeds in boiling water for 30 minutes prior to blending. this makes them softer, giving you more milk and less pulp
additionally (and i only advise this for those of you who have a high speed blender like a vitamix), blend the nuts/seeds without any soaking if you’re in a pinch.
lastly, i always keep hemp seeds on hand for a rainy day when i look in the fridge and don’t have enough milk. they require zero soaking - ever.

a little bit about pumpkin seed milk. it’s surprisingly creamy, has a great flavor,

and has the most subtle pistachio color to it. i added vanilla bean because i love unsweetened vanilla almond milk and i honestly just wanted to try out a version at home with pumpkin seeds. you can add sweetener to your liking, but i nudge you to try it with just the vanilla bean first :) . pumpkin seed milk can really go in whatever hot beverage you prefer - coffee, matcha, rooibos, early grey, herbal coffee, etc.!

xo’s!!

vanilla pumpkin seed milk latte | v

PRINT THE RECIPE!

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, soaked for at least 3 hours or overnight
3 cups filtered water
1-2 vanilla beans, scraped
maple syrup, to taste (optional)

latte

1 teaspoon ceremonial grade matcha powder
1 cup boiling filtered water
1/2 cup pumpkin seed milk, warmed

method

rinse and drain the seeds. then add them to a high speed blender with the water, and vanilla bean (add the sweetener if using). blend on high for 1 minute, until very frothy and smooth.
strain the milk through a nut milk bag over a large bowl, squeeze until there is no more liquid. discard the nut pulp, or dry it out and use it as flour. pour the milk into lidded milk containers or jars and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
for the latte. carefully blend the matcha powder with the boiling water for 30-40 seconds, until completely combined. pour into a mug. rinse out your blender container or use a milk frother to froth the warm pumpkin seed milk. pour over top of your latte.