[Sometimes, you just want a dish that’s quick and easy–nofuss. I’ve decided to offer a mini-post every once in a while, for a dish that comes together incredibly quickly or else is so simple to make that no recipe is required. Here’s today’s “Flash in the Pan.” (For other FitP recipes, see “Categories” at right).]
[Hemp Milk, au naturel. . . can’t help myself when it comes to this beverage!]
Okay, everyone. . . .it’s time to channel your Inner Hippie!
What? No inner hippie? No worries! Just imagine me and you as hippies instead. Imagine the afros, imagine the bell-bottoms, imagine all the psychedelic purple haze (and other colors) and–most importantly–imagine all the music!
You see, while I wasn’t exactly one of the cool kids who wore flowers in my hair back then (I was still a preteen when Joplin OD’d), The Nurse, four years my senior, was a quintessential daydream believer– which meant my concept of “flower child” was based entirely on her and her friends. The Nurse was perennially wearing Lee overalls, loose-flowing (naturally) blonde locks falling to her waist, eyelids dusted with baby blue, lips glossed with shimmery pale pink. During the last summer in the city after high school, she hung out incessantly with one particular chum, a hippie-dippy guy who was born to be wild and who, when I think about it now, eerily resembled Howard Stern. “Howard” was lanky, with a deep guttural laugh, a cigarette forever clasped between thumb and index finger, all of it topped with a mop of curly raven hair. He and The Nurse would zip through the neighborhood on his motorcycle (long hair blowin’ in the wind), return to our house and plunk themselves down in front of the TV, munch on corn chips or popcorn, then fall into wild paroxysms of laughter (I never did understand how the news could be that funny).
I had occasion to recall those long-ago good vibrations the other day, courtesy of Facebook. (It’s amazing where Facebook conversations take us, isn’t it?) It started innocently enough, after I’d whipped up some hemp milk for the first time.
Since hemp seeds are my favorite seed, I could never figure out why I hated the product of hemp seeds–i.e., packaged hemp milks. It was sort of like, hey, if Martin Sheen is my favorite actor, then why don’t I like Charlie Sheen? I kept thinking that if I’d just try a little bit harder, I’d learn to appreciate it; but no matter which brand I tasted, my reaction was, “Bleh! I can’t get no satisfaction when it comes to hemp milk.” So, I decided to make my own. I casually mentioned that I’d (finally) tried some of the homemade stuff:
Before I knew it, the conversation gained momentum like a rolling stone and my hemp milk had morphed into “hippie” milk, thanks to Shirley, Liz, Melissa, Alexa, Maggie, Deanna and Ellen:
Well, how could I resist? Of course, all associations with Woodly Harrelson aside, y’all know that hemp milk is incredibly healthful and good for you, right?
[Mexican Chocolate Hemp Frostie]
And it’s ridiculously easy to make. Unlike alternative milks from other nuts or seeds, there’s no pre-soaking; you just blend, strain (not necessary, but I prefer a smoother milk) and sip. If you want a sweeter milk, add some (unrefined) sugar, sugar, or other sweetener of choice. I may have been skeptical before I tried the homemade kind, but now I’m a believer.
Gorgeous, isn’t it? So creamy white (an even whiter shade of pale) and with such tiny bubbles (and note that far-out new tea towel sitting under it, sent to me by the far too sweet and generous Hannah!) I do hope you’ll try it. It’s rich, it’s creamy, it’s full of healthy Omega 3s, 6s and 9s, and it will no doubt leave you feeling groovy.
Peace, love, and hemp hearts, all! 😉
“Mum, we must be hippies at heart, too, ’cause we just think this grass is great, man!”
I’m sharing this recipe at Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Healthy Vegan Fridays (man).
Homemade Hemp Milk
1/2 cup (120 ml) raw shelled hemp seeds (hemp hearts)
3 cups (720 ml) filtered water
pinch fine sea salt
5-15 drops plain or vanilla stevia liquid, if desired
Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until the liquid becomes white and creamy, and hemp seeds are completely blended in. Strain through a fine sieve, if desired. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Shake before using. Makes 3 cups (720 ml).
For the Mexican Chocolate Hemp Frostie above, blend 2 cups (480 ml) hemp milk with 1 Tbsp (15 ml) raw cacao powder, 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) cinnamon, 1 tsp (5 ml) coconut sugar, 10-20 drops stevia (to taste) and a cup of ice until frothy. Serve immediately.
Suitable for: ACD All Stages, sugar-free, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg free, soy-free, nut free, vegan, low glycemic.
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Last Year at this Time: Coconut Brittle (gluten free; ACD Stage 2 and beyond)
Two Years Ago: Mint Chip Ice Cream (No Ice Cream Maker Required!) (gluten free; ACD Stage 2 and beyond)
Three Years Ago: “Ground” Tempeh in a Creamy Curry Sauce (gluten free; ACD all stages)
Other recipes with hemp seeds you might like:
- Kale Salad, Fully Loaded
- Raw Cream of Zucchini Soup
- Pink Breakfast Bowl
- Happy Hemp Two-Bite Brownies
© Ricki Heller
[Disclaimer: this post may contain affiliate links. If you buy using these links, at no cost to you, I will earn a small commission from the sale.]
