Milk, not milk.

Today, we try something new. While not severe, we have minor lactose intolerance issues. It doesn't matter if we drink factory-farmed cow's milk or organic, small farm cow's milk - it's the same response.

I had tried soy milk in the past, and the flavor was..."okay." Okay as in not awesome, and okay as in not terrible. It sort of tasted like the adhesive on the back of older postage stamps. It was that sort of okay. 

I've seen the commercials advertising coconut milk, soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk, etc., and as I happen to really enjoy almond (read that as - baked goods go from vanilla extract to almond extract in their recipes) I decided to try Silk's Almond Milk. It was on sale for $2.99/half gallon at Publix, and I had clipped a $0.75/off one half-gallon coupon a few weeks ago. My total investment would be $2.24 (plus tax) so I figured - why not? It's one of the least expensive "let's try this" moments I've had. 

Let's get the nitty gritty about almond milk out of the way before I talk about my review on it:

* 60 calories per serving, 118 calories per serving for 1% cow's milk

* 50% more calcium than dairy milk, (cow's milk - 35% calcium; almond milk - 45% : daily values)
* Vitamin E source, no vitamin E in cow's milk

* Cholesterol and saturated fat free, 10 mg cholesterol for cow's milk and 2 g saturated fat

* Free of dairy, soy, lactose, gluten, casein, egg, and MSG (cow's milk - you do the math)
* Non-GMO almonds, some cow's milk may be from cows fed GMO grains (we aren't anti GMO nuts, but it's worth mentioning for those who are concerned about GMO)

Other nutrition breakdown:
60 calories
2.5 g total fat

0 cholesterol

160 mg sodium

35 mg potassium

8 g carbohydrates

1 g protein

10% vitamin A

45% calcium

4% riboflavin

0% vitamin C

2% iron

20% vitamin E

4% magnesium

Milk nutrition breakdown (1%) :
118 calories

3 g total fat

10 mg cholesterol

143 mg sodium

0 potassium

14 g carbohydrates

10 g protein

10% vitamin A
35% calcium

5% vitamin C

1% iron

The one thing cow's milk has going for it that almond milk does not is protein. Everything else? Almond milk wins in my book. 

My review:

The commercials boast almond milk as being silky and smooth "just like real milk" and a "good milk substitute." I poured myself a glass (see the photo above?) Immediately you can see that it is creamy and smooth and somewhat resembles dairy milk. If I showed you the above picture without identifying it, you might say it is dairy milk, but it's not. 

I purchased the original flavor (I didn't want to be biased.) It has a mild almond flavor, and it is a creamy consistency, but it's not the heavy creamy consistency that sits on your tongue like dairy milk. It's creamy, and then it's gone. It is okay - I could drink it.

However, when you do more research into commercial almond milk, you'll quickly find that all of the good stuff from almonds gets lost when it becomes commercialized almond milk (like protein.) If I was to continue to drink almond milk, I'd probably look at recipes for making my own. 

Flooding you with blacksmithing posts.

Luckily, my husband has been bitten by the blacksmithing bug. After his introductory February 15th class, we headed to Metal Supermarkets - Marietta (ask for "Heinie") to purchase some of our own square stock steel for Hammer Therapy on Friday nights at the Goat n Hammer. We picked up some 1/4" and 1/2" square stock (1/4" hooks, 1/2" fire poker.)

While we were only supposed to go to Hammer Therapy on the 27th, we decided to go on the 20th as well (who am I to argue, right?) The drive down to Atlanta was fun (not! see "omg! snow flurries! panic! pull over!") and we arrived in time for Hammer Therapy. I decided to just work on J-hooks while Andrew decided to work on all three. After a good two plus hours of hammering some steel, we called it a night. Not much to brag about. We made hooks. It was cold.

Instead, we invited any of our friends to come down on the 27th to the 6-8 Hammer Therapy and dinner afterwards at Six Feet Under. I've been arguing with the weather and crossing my fingers for a clear night, and it appears to have worked (thus far. It is Georgia, after all.)

I don't have any new and interesting pieces to share with you, but if you think blacksmithing might pique your interest, I invite you to Hammer Therapy on Friday nights. It is open to beginners who want to see if they might enjoy swinging a hammer enough to participate in the introductory classes.

I enjoy it so much that I signed up for the blacksmithing curriculum class and start on Monday, March 2nd! (which I just realized is not too far away)

Horseradish: An Unsung Everyday Hero.

When I think of horseradish, the thoughts of my dad, outside, grinding horseradish root in an olive green blender is what comes to mind. My dad used to go to the county barn and dig up horseradish roots, growing wildly, in upstate New York. He would come home with his bag of dirt-covered roots, wash them, and take the blender outside to begin preparation for ground horseradish. I imagine he did the blending outside because the one time he ground horseradish, my mother's eyes probably watered, and the smell lingered, and that was that. My dad and his horseradish roots were banished outside.

An extension cord ran from an outdoor outlet, and the blender would be set on top of a railroad tie wall bordering our driveway. The whir of the blades going round and round, the slight smell of burning small appliance motor, and in a flash, we had freshly-ground "organic" horseradish that was preserved in white vinegar. Yes, I put organic in quotation marks because it wasn't USDA organic or NYS organic. It was just wild horseradish root growing in a field, never sprayed, never doused with any sort of chemical.

Quick facts about horseradish? Don't mind if I do:

* It is in the same family as broccoli and cabbage. The next time you taste horseradish, broccoli, and cabbage, think about how they taste similar.
* Prior to being shredded or ground, horseradish doesn't have any sort of smell. It's just a simple, light beige root.
* The roots and leaves of horseradish has been used in holistic medicine for ages.
* Horseradish contains a wallop of vitamin C.

Horseradish truly is an unsung everyday hero. Normally when someone says horseradish, people think cocktail sauce. So sad that horseradish is pigeon-holed into this simple sauce. I use horseradish on anything I can get my hands on: potatoes, soup, sandwiches, salads, whatever I feel might benefit from a zing. I also started using more horseradish to replace salt in some of my meals.

Here in Georgia, I feel as though more laypeople don't appreciate horseradish. Sure you can find it in most 4-and5-star restaurants as some ingredient (horseradish mashed potatoes, horseradish sauce, etc.) but not everyday meals. I wonder if people knew the health benefits of the feisty plain-looking root if they would give it a second glance?