New Page 2

MICHELLE'S SIMPLE ALMOND BUTTER
chetday.com
Courtesy of Michelle Bauer
Mailto:mbauer@rad-inc.com

If you have a food processor, it is very easy to make your own almond butter. You just take a bag of almonds and puree them in the food processor for about 4-5 minutes until it forms a very smooth consistency. I like it better than peanut butter and it is higher in calcium.

SILKY SMOOTH ALMOND BUTTER
chetday.com
Courtesy of veggiexc5@aol.com

Hi! ALmond butter is a spread exactly like peanut butter, except that it is made with almonds. It can be roasted or raw, creamy or crunchy. It is a bit milder in flavor than peanut butter, but is just as rich and yummy!

Try it on apples or in an almond butter and banana sandwich!

Here is a recipe from the Whole Soy Cookbook. It works
best with a heavy duty blender or food processor.

2 cup almonds
1/2 cup soymilk
2 tsp vegetable oil of choice (I'd pick almond oil)

Grind almonds as fine as possible in a nut grinder, blender or food processor. Slowly add the soymilk until consistency becomes smooth. Add oil at the end and blend a minute or two more.

Note: Almond butter may also be made easily with a juicer or blender that is capable of doing this. Such machines are the Champion jucier or the Vitamix blender. Happy cooking!

CHET'S NIRVANA ALMOND BUTTER
Courtesy of Chet Day
Mailto:chet@chetday.com

My nirvana almond butter, if I do say so myself, is just plain great, and I doubt that you'll find its equal in any store this side of the pearly gates.

It's a snap to make, too.

Overnight, soak a cup of organic raisins in distilled or filtered water.

Then process your almonds in your VitaMix, Green Power or Champion juicer, or food processor. Instead of adding oil or water, trickle in a bit of honey until you reach the desired consistency.

Drink or discard the soak water from the organic raisins and add the raisins to your almond butter. You can leave them whole and simply stir them in, or you can process to the consistency that rings your bell.

This stuff is unbelievably good on Fuji or Granny Smith apple slices. And if you like celery, try decking a few stalks out with Nirvana Almond Butter. Just be sure to make enough to share because nobody in the family's going to let you get away with eating it all yourself!

Rice

2 tablespoons oil
3/4 cup green onion -- thinly sliced
1/2 cup red bell pepper -- diced
1 egg -- beaten
3 cups cooked rice -- cold
1/2 cup lean ham -- cooked & diced
1/2 cup almonds, blanched -- slivered
2 tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium

1. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add onions and pepper.
3. Stir-fry for 1 minute.
4. Add egg; cook, stirring gently until firm.
5. Stir in rice and cook until heated through, gently separating grains.
6. Add ham and soy sauce.
7. Just before serving add almonds.

Serving Size : 6
Calories: 277.7 Fat Grams: 12.5 Fiber Grams: 1.8

Almond Ice Cream

1/4 cup blanched almonds
2 cups   milk
2/3 cup heavy cream
3   egg   yolks
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 tsp   kirsch

Pound the almond into paste.Add milk and heavy cream, mix thoroughly together. In a saucepan, heat the almond mixture to a boil. Remove from heat. In a bowl, mix egg yolks, sugar and kirsch for 5 minutes.
Add almond milk and mix well with wooden spoon.
Heat the mixture over low heat for 5 minutes without letting it boil. Stir continuously. Then allow it to cool. Strain through a sieve into ice cream maker and freeze until the ice cream is thoroughly firm.

I think you can probably use instant almond paste or almond extract instead of pounding almond. Be careful that the paste or extract is sweetened or not. Also, you can add chopped fruits or nuts into the mixture. Just use your imagination and creativity.

ALMOND AND DATE CANDY

2 cups pitted dates
1/2 cup raw almond butter
Coconut, freshly ground

Put the dates through a food processor and combine with the almond butter. Shape into balls and roll in finely chopped coconut.
Today's recipe inspired by John Tobe/chetday.com

APPLE-ALMOND PIE

1/3 cup soft dates, Med-Jool, pitted
3 tablespoons water
4 apples, cored, peeled, and shredded
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons almond butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup slivered almonds, for garnish
1 9" Almond-Pecan Pie Crust

In a food processor, blend dates and water until mixture
is a smooth paste. Place in a large mixing bowl.

Add apples, cinnamon, almond butter and vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Spoon filling into pie shell, spread evenly and top with slivered almonds and dates. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve chilled.
Today's recipe courtesy of Shari V./chetday.com

ALMOND-PECAN PIE CRUST

1 cup almonds, soaked 8-12 hours
1/2 cup pecans, soaked 8-12 hours
1/3 cup soft dates, Med-Jool, pitted and chopped
3 tablespoons water

In separate bowls, cover almonds and pecans with water
and let soak for 8 to 12 hours. Drain and rinse.

In a food processor, grind almonds to consistency of moist meal. Place in a medium-size bowl and set aside. (Almonds are harder and less oily than pecans, so they should be ground separately.)

In a food processor, grind pecans to consistency of moist meal and stir into almond meal. Set aside.

In a food processor, blend dates and water until smooth. Stir into nut mixture until thoroughly mixed and dough-like consistency.

Shape nut mixture into a ball and place on a 12" length of waxed paper. Top with another 12" length of waxed paper. Flatten ball with palm of hand. Using rolling pin, roll out dough into a circle 11" in diameter.

(I put the ball in the pie pan and smoosh it with my hands. Works for me!)

Carefully remove top sheet of paper. Invert pie crust into an oiled 9" pie plate, pressing gently. (Patch crust if it tears.) Trim excess crust and press gently to even edges of dough.

Place crust in a food dehydrator set at 125 degrees F for 2 hours. (Or preheat conventional oven to 250 degrees F. Place crust in oven and immediately turn off heat. Let crust sit in oven with door closed until
it is dry and set, about 30 minutes.(I let it sit for a long-time, sometimes overnight.)

GARDEN ALMOND GAZPACHO

3 cups fresh vegetable juice or no-salt-added vegetable juice cocktail
1 cucumber, chunked
1 green bell pepper, chunked
1 tomato, chunked
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill weed
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt

Combine all ingredients, except yogurt, in food processor or blender; process until soup is mixed, but vegetables are chunky. Chill thoroughly. Ladle soup into bowls and dollop with yogurt to serve.

Almond Ginger Peach Puree

2 cups dried peach halves
1 cup dried apple slices
3 cups white grape juice
3 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsp minced crystallized ginger
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp almond extract

Combine the peaches, apples, grape juice, sugar, ginger and cinnamon in your crockpot. Cover and cook on low until the peaches are very tender, 6-8 hours or on high for 3 1/2 to 5 hours. Discard the cinnamon and stir in
the almond extract.

A Simple Almond Milk
chetday.com

Since the stuff from cows causes a lot of problems for a lot of people and since soy has been getting a lot of bad press lately, most people are pretty much at a loss as to what to put on the cereal they eat.

Here at CasaDay, I use apple juice or grape juice, but I have to admit no one else in my family can work up any enthusiasm for that option.

They do, however, like fresh almond milk, so today Ithought I'd share a quick recipe for it that I found in the most recent issue of "Natural Health":

"In a coffee grinder, finely grind 1/4 cup almonds. Place ground almonds in a blender with one cup water and puree for two minutes. Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth-lined sieve. Use the almond milk in desserts and on cereal."

ALMOND-BANANA-BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE

Soak almonds and dates for awhile (at least 20 minutes) in good water (For one serving I do 1/4 cup of almonds and two dates). Blend until desired consistency, add more liquid (water, fresh juice or organic milks of different kinds) blend a little more. Then add frozen blueberries (or
other desired frozen fruit) and blend. Then add frozen bananas (I cut up into pieces to help the blender) and blend until desired consistency. If you'd like the smoothie to have texture like a shake than add more
liquid and blend longer.

ALMOND-BANANA MILK BREAKFAST
chetday.com

Make almond milk by blanching almonds and popping off the skin. Put some dried nuts in the blender and pulse it a few times until powdery. Add water and run for a couple of minutes. Add some more water. Blend. Run
through a fine strainer and cheese cloth if you like. Add a date and blend again. Yummy almond milk.

Add banana and other things like strawberries or raspberries. The bananas are good frozen in chunks first. Good for a daily breakfast. Yum!

ALMOND-CASHEW STIR-FRY

1 tsp sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and shaved
1/4 cup apple juice concentrate
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs cooking wine or vegetable broth
3 carrots
1-1/2 pounds bok choy
4 cups broccoli florets
1/4 cup toasted, slivered almonds
1/4 cup roasted cashew halves

Peel and slice carrots like match sticks. Coarsely chop leaves of bok choy. Cut stalks into thin slices. Heat sesame oil in a large wok or electric skillet. Briefly saute garlic. Stir in ginger, apple juice, soy sauce, and
wine. Cook for several seconds. Add carrots, bok choy, and broccoli. Cover and "steam" for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally to cover vegetables with cooking liquid.

Toss in nuts and serve immediately over brown rice or whole grain Kashi. (Note: Sauce will be somewhat runny; thicken with 1/2 tsp cornstarch during the last few minutes of cooking, if desired.) Makes 4 servings.

ALLIE'S ALMOND BUTTER
by chetday.com
Courtesy of Allie
Mailto:sillyprplostrich@mediaone.net

YUMMY! That is almond butter in a nutshell. It is very healthful, especially compared to peanut butter. It is high in fat (so don't eat lots if you have cancer, etc) but it is the good fat. So although you
shouldn't eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it is a great way to splurge on a sweet treat that is also good for you!

You can make it yourself by running almonds through your Green Power or Champion juicer witn a little oil to thin it out.

If you don't have a juicer, try a food processor. I've heard that when you buy the "raw" almond butter at the health food stores, it actually is raw. They supposedly have new lids that vacuum seal on without heat, so you
still get some extra nutrients from these, but of course it's healthier to make it yourself. I hope this helped!
Email me if you have any more questions!

KAREN'S ALMOND BUTTER
chetday.com
Courtesy of Karen K.
Mailto:kumari@yournet.com

Almond butter is easy to make. Use raw almonds in a blender or small grinder. Grind till you have a thick paste. Add a little olive or other mild-tasting oil in a thin stream till it reaches spreadable consistency.
It doesn't take much oil or time. Refrigerate almond butter to keep it fresh.

A friend who did not want to use the oil tried a little hot water instead and said it worked fine. I never tried water myself, but it must be okay.

ELLIE'S ALMOND BUTTER
chetday.com
Courtesy of Ellie Blake
Mailto:eblake@email.unc.edu

Almond butter is yummy! You can buy it at any natural foods store or easily make your own.

A coffee or nut grinder works best to get a creamy paste, but I just soak raw almonds overnight and then grind them in a food processor with a bit of flax oil and honey.