Healing Spiced Almond Milk

It is a universal truth that moms have magical, healing powers. They just know how to instantly make you feel better, especially when you're sick. My mom has a forever and a half list of antidotes for any and every ailment. The one I'm most familiar with, and use in my own life is this healing spiced almond milk.

If you grew up in an Indian household like I did, you've had some variation of this milk at some point in your life. Each family seems to have their own recipe that they pass down the line. For strength, nourishment, and to keep warm during the dead of winter. It was always something I watched my mom make effortlessly, crushing the almonds, toasting them in ghee until they filled the house with their nutty perfume, expertly adding in semolina and cooking out the raw taste, then adding in the milk and simmering. And as she handed the cup over to me, she would stir in a couple of generously filled spoons of sugar.

Every time I gave birth and came home, overwhelmed and unsure of how I would recover and be able to take care of one more kid, my mom was there, almond milk in hand, with its healing properties, to take care of my family. And it worked, every single time. I don't know if it was her love or the packed protein in the almond milk, but I went back to a sort of new normal each time. I love turning to this drink, especially in the cold winters when I just need a hot drink but I also need that extra something to keep me going.

My version is paleo friendly. I omitted the semolina and replaced it with a finer blend of almond flour. I find the almond flour, because its blended so much more than crushed almonds, to be more evenly distributed. I replaced the sugar with honey, which has a deeper, richer taste and the goodness of all things honey, which is hands down my fave sweetener. Finally, the addition of a small pinch of turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, and sea salt makes this drink next level good. And of course, I use almond milk, but you can use any milk or milk alternative.

Lately, as I've been paying closer attention to food, and my relationship with food, I've tried to find foods with purpose. Sometimes with indulgence and sometimes with nourishment. Sometimes with both. Like this paleo-friendly turmeric spiced almond milk. For me, it's a little bit indulgent but a lot of nourishment. Because it's as satisfying as a cup of dark hot chocolate but offers more. The protein in the almonds, the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric that is so widely used in Indian cooking, and the slightly warm fragrance of the cardamom and cinnamon. And no matter how chaotic my life may be, running from kid to kid; prepping breakfasts, lunches and dinners; doing (and redoing) blog photoshoots; endless loads of laundry, I step back to breathe and to listen to myself. I need to step back and allow myself the time to regather my energy, nourish, myself and get back up again.

It's rich, it has texture from the almond flour, and if you choose to add crushed almonds, you have more chew in your drink. I like mine to be on the thinner side and treat it like a drink but you can easily leave it thicker and treat it like a smoothie bowl. I actually had to stop mid post and make myself a up while watching the snow fall. Can you imagine a more perfect way spend a cold, February snowy day?

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