Homemade Vegan Milks and Granola!

We all love a good cup of coffee with some milk, a bowl of cereal, some granola on our yoghurt, milk and cookies? Well, buying packaged milk and granola at the supermarket can generate a large amount of waste that can't always be reused or recycled. Making it at home can generate less of this waste.

Homemade vegan milks and granola are also great because, you can tailor it to your taste, it's healthier, and so easy to make!! Tips when buying are to try to bulk buy the ingredients and buy as local as possible. If you don't live near a bulk store, you can make the decision if buying some packaged ingredients will make you more of these items than a pack of it alone.

Remember, you can't be perfect at everything, so try things out and see how it feels, by consciously making the effort to change, you're already doing something for the environment.

Oat milk

Ingredients:

• 1 cup / 90 grams gluten free rolled oats

• 1/4 cup / 55 grams of cashews

• Pinch of salt

• 2 dates / or any sweetener of your choice such as vanilla extract, maple syrup, etc (optional)

• 4 cups / 950 ml of water

Instructions:

1. Add all the ingredient to a blender and blend for around 30 seconds.

2. Take a cheesecloth or if you don't have one; a fine wire sieve, cotton fabric, biodegradable coffee filter, etc, and place over a bowl.

3. Pour the milk over the cloth into the bowl.

4. Gently lift the cloth and twist the bottom residue into a ball like shape. Then squeeze out any remaining milk.

5. Then place the milk in a container and store in fridge!

* You do not need to soak the oats overnight, but if you want, you can try it both ways and see what you prefer!

Almond milk

Ingredients:

• 1 cup / 140 grams almonds

• Pinch of salt

• 2 dates / or any sweetener of your choice such as vanilla extract, maple syrup, etc (optional)

• 4 cups / 950 ml of water

Instructions:

1. Soak the almonds overnight

2. Drain the water and rinse

3. Add all the ingredient to a blender and blend until smooth.

4. Take a cheesecloth or if you don't have one; a fine wire sieve, cotton fabric, biodegradable coffee filter, etc, and place over a bowl.

5. Pour the milk over the cloth into the bowl.

6. Gently lift the cloth and twist the bottom residue into a ball like shape. Then squeeze out any remaining milk.

7. Then place the milk in a container and store in fridge!

* These milks do not last as long as packaged milk (3-4 days), so you can make as much as you need; the ratio is 4 cups water to 1 cup nuts.

* If you can, compost any remaining scraps!

Crunchy Peanut Butter Granola

Ingredients:

• 2 cups / 180 gram gluten free rolled oats

• 1/3 cup / 117 grams maple syrup

• 1/3 cup / 117 grams of smooth nut butter (you can use peanut, almond, tahini or sunflower and maple butter for nut allergies)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional for extra sweetness)

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp chia seeds

• 1/2 cup / 100 grams cashews

• 1/2 cup / 100 grams almonds

• 1/2 cup / 100 grams pumpkin seeds

• 1/2 cup / 100 grams of coconut flakes

• 1/3 cup / 50 grams dried apricots

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 165 degrees

2. Pour the maple syrup, nut butter, vanilla extract, turmeric and cinnamon into a bowl

3. Mix together

4. Cut the cashews, almonds and pumpkin seeds into smaller pieces

5. Mix in the oats, nuts, chia seeds and 1/2 of the coconut flakes into the wet ingredients

6. Mix together properly

7. Add the mixture onto a baking tray that has been lined with oil/butter or use a silicon mat

8. If you want bigger chunks at the end, press the mixture down

9. Place the baking tray into the oven for 20 minutes

10. In the meantime, cut the apricots into small pieces

11. After 20 minutes, remove and stir around (be careful to leave big chunks if you want)

12. Place back in oven for 10 minutes

13. Remove from oven and as it is hot, add the apricots and rest of the coconut flakes

14. Store in a jar

* you can chose what type of nuts and the amount you want, as-well as the nut butter.

If you want any other types such as more fruity or chocolate granola, or any other recipe, please let me know!! Also, If you want me to veganize any dishes you love, I would be happy to try!

Thanks as always for reading! Please like, share and join the mailing list!

Martina xx