20.03.2010 Giveaway Winner and Milking It

Drum roll please: the winner of the giveaway is Sara of Flore et Faune. Congratulations!

Monday is my husband’s birthday and I’m still unsure what to whip up. If I ask him, it will probably have to involve a pizza pie topped with pepperoni. Deliciously predictable.
Scratch that! I know what part of the meal will be: an apple pie similar to this one, topped with Cake Batter ice cream, his favorite. (I’ll post the ice cream recipe, depending on how it turns out.)

In the meantime, how about some Sunflower-Hemp Milk to end the giveaway on a tasty note? I stirred some CPB Syrup into it, because I just can’t help myself.

Have a great weekend!

Sunflower-Hemp Milk:
Recipe by Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis, from Becoming Raw

Melina and Davis make note of something I had been wondering about: “This milk can be made with seeds that are not pre-soaked, but soaking starts the germination process, which reduces phytates, thereby increasing mineral availability.”

3 to 4 cups (750 ml to 1 L) water
1/2 cup (125 ml) sunflower seeds, soaked in 1 cup (250 ml) water for 4 to 12 hours, drained, and rinsed
1/4 cup (60 ml) hemp seeds
1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) vanilla extract (optional)
Pinch salt (optional)
1 ripe banana

Put 1 cup (250 ml) of the water and all of the sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, extract, and optional salt in a blender. Process on high speed until thick and creamy. Add the remaining 2 to 3 cups of water and the banana. Process until smooth. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Serve cold. Sunflower-Hemp Milk does not keep well, so it is best to make just what you can use within 24 hours.

Variation: For longer storage, replace the banana with 3 pitted dates or 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of maple syrup or other sweetener, and use 3 cups (750 ml) of water. Process as directed. Store in a glass jar in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Yield: 4 to 5 cups (1 to 1.25 L)