Almond and Date Milk

The past week or so my stomach has been feeling a little tender, so much so that I have not wanted to aggravate it further by drinking espresso, coffee or acidic juice in the morning.  I was ready to go out an get myself some fruit to make a smoothie, but whilst I was over my parents home for mothering Sunday, my mother reminded me of a almond drink she used to make for us when we were children known popularly as: Badam -Khajoor ka Dooj, an almond drink flavoured with fresh dates. 

This almond drink is not quite a lassi - the original smoothie, but thereabouts.  Well I was prompted to make some.  It has been a good, filling, naturally creamy and nourishing alternative drink and very calming on the tummy.

This is not really a recipe, as you make it to taste.  But this is what my mother told me to do in order to make one very large glass. 
Badam and Khajoor Dooj (Almond and Date Milk)
Ingredients and Method
Soak 10 raw almonds in some water overnight
Following day, rinse and remove the almond skin, it should slip off easily.  If not, soak in some hot water, rinse and try again.  When the almond skin has been removed.  Place in a blender with a large glass of water* and a couple of dates and blitz until very smooth.   Pour into a large glass.  I like my almond drink to have a bit of bitty texture from the almonds and dates, but if you don't like the idea of crunchy sweet bits sticking to your teeth, then just use a tea strainer to remove. 
Enjoy immediately, or chill and consume on the day as the liquid will separates from the almonds and dates. 

This drink is completely vegan*, but you can half and half it with dairy milk, coconut milk or soya milk.  For the sweetener, you can use honey, maple syrup, golden syrup, even sugar... I guess in you can also replace the almonds with cashew nuts, but I have never done so, so cannot vouch for the flavour.  I am sharing this recipe with Frugal Follies who is hosting Frugal Thurday and  Ricki at Diet, Dessert, Dogs for her Wellness Weekend: 22nd - 26th March.
 
Oh so your know, I have been making this drink on and off all week. I have also decided to freeze some of the excess in my umbrella lollipop moulds. It will not be a traditional almond kulfi's, but I know upon licking one, it will remind me of them and for a fraction of the price too. 

Yogurty Blackcurrant lollipops

I did not want to make another rich berry cake and I did not have enough to make a preserve or jam, so I settled on the idea of making some lollipops with the blackcurrants that I had harvested earlier in the week.
Look at the colour of that! Vibrant!

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstalls recipe for blackcurrant lollipop is definitely one for the adults. I may be wrong, but I think because of the in depth flavour of the natural yogurt, some children will not like this sourness.

Should I find myself with an abundance of blackcurrants next year, I would definitely substitute the natural yogurt for Greek yogurt. Although this was quite nice, it was too sour even for me.