Not too long ago, I talked about using almond milk to make potato soup, so my cow’s-milk-allergic son could eat it. Of course, he refused to even try it, but John and I liked it. I’d never used almond milk before and didn’t really know anything about it.

Turns out Roseanne Cheeseman, the Erie Times-News publisher, saw the post and recommended that I make my own almond milk, saying it was easy and tastes better than the store-bought kind.

Well, I have all the stuff now and I’m looking forward to going home and giving it a shot. She said all I need are a cup of raw/unroasted almonds, some water and a strainer. She said the soak the almonds in the water 4-5 hours or overnight, blend with 4 cups of chilled water for a minute and strain out the almond pulp.

She said to use the almond pulp in baking or cereal, and to sweeten the milk, blend it with a few soaked dates, but she doesn’t need to.

I was in Wegmans last night and they had all kinds of nuts in bulk in the produce section, including hazelnuts which I needed for something else. I scooped some up and cracked them open last night. While that’s my idea of a good time, I suggest you just buy them already out of the shells. I’m going to soak the nuts tonight. I’ll let you know how it goes.

By the way, I’m looking for a few good cookie recipes for a story we’re running Dec. 12. Send me some and give us a little story to go with them and I’ll be forever grateful. If you send a recipe and give me your home address, I’ll send you a free etn&Friends cookbook.