Flax Milk and The Raw Milk Controversy

  So I just discovered flax milk in the grocery store.  This is a big deal for me, since the only milk I can tolerate is raw milk, which is illegal in Iowa.  Go ahead and try to get some raw milk here, I dare you.  What a fucking joke.  Some people have gotten around the law by buying the cow, then the farmer just houses and feeds it for you.  But even this has become too dangerous for the poor farmer.  Fines and punishments can be quite severe, and just about any reason could be brought up to screw the farmer, so it is no wonder that anyone you ask to do this all but kicks you off their land, or out of their famers market stall.  Some people have been rallying around their farmers and helping out with legal costs etc. ( The Weston A. Price foundation is a great resource for stuff like this.)

  I understand that people can become sick from raw milk.  People can also become sick from sushi and rare steak and lots of other stuff that is legal.  Even more disconcerting with raw milk is how damned healthy it is.  You take the risks with the benefits, and it's not just about fresh taste.  Personally, if I drink raw milk, I feel much much better.  If I drink pasteurized, homogenized milk I actually sneeze and my sinuses get clogged--a bonafide allergy that probably means I should avoid all regular dairy altogether.  I have not been able to get any other food that can replace milk for me and still provide the obvious nutrient, protein and fat content.

  So I settle for other types of milk.  I guess the process for the plant-based milks you get at the store are often laden with chemicals that can end up in the finished product, not to mention the thickeners like carageenen and xantham gum are both implicated in stomach lining inflammation--not something you want to mess with if you have stomach issues.

  I've tried making different types of milk over the years, but I've not really come up with anything that seems very cost or time efficient, or that produces a taste that I can tolerate.

  The Flax milk from the store was decent, but uses xantham gum.  Then I wondered if anyone else had been making this stuff at home--of course they have! 

 Time to give it a try:

http://www.healthfulpursuit.com/2012/04/homemade-flax-milk/

1/4 th C. flax seeds

6 cups water

5 pitted dates

 See the blog above for directions.

To be fair, if raw milk were produced in confined dairy operations, the way normal milk is, it would probably be making lots of people sick.  Maybe that means we should re-think how we are treating our animals and phase-out the horrible practices that produces the sick milk in the first place.  The price of milk would go up, at least until more farmers could adopt a more humanitarian and safe approach.  I guess that's kind of where we stand with all our food stuff!  

  In any case, I'll let you know how it goes!

Okay, it's August and I  can say I've been making cashew milk and flax milk for awhile now. I wish I could say the flax was a smashing success with the little ones...but alas, they won't drink it. Flax is perfect as far as the price goes too.  Golden flax is apparently the way to go as it has a less "fishy" taste to it, I don't really mind it so I make it for myself, but my son will only drink cashew milk, and only right after it's made.  I think it's the "bits" he doesn't like, so if I really strain out the cashew bits (or I had the vitamix *drool*) I think that would work fine...If you have a regular blender, you most definitely have to soak the cashews ahead and strain.