Tea and Cognac

 I like this nice little evening drink that is very warm and soothing, and good for calming the mind before bed: some sleepy-time tea (with chamomile and valerian) with a splash of cognac.
I'm a little frightened of cognac because I like it a bit too much, but I made this drink for my hubs the other evening and he loved it.
I am not opposed to a little self-medicating with soothing drinks, don't get me wrong.  Last night I had two giant glasses of wine, one before dinner and one after... it was anaesthetic really and it did the trick.  I had absolutely ruined my shoulders doing a crazy yoga class on Tuesday that was basically an hour of planks, downward dogs and side planks.  Yesterday I couldn't move my arms above my shoulders, so I lost a day of doing housework and prepping for my block party on Saturday.  So frustrating!  Must remember I'm not 30 anymore, I have to treat my poor bones, joints and muscles with respect.

I did figure something out in my kitchen yesterday that's been nagging at me.

 I make almond milk in my Vitamix  and it is so delicious (here's the recipe).  It is the perfect thing to have in your morning coffee if you're on a plant-based diet.  It's a completely different product from the stuff you can buy in the cartons, it's full of fat and creamy.

 The process requires a bit of patience: the soaking of the almonds, the whirring up, then the mixture goes into a muslin bag to be slowly squeezed out.

The problem is there is so much almond pulp leftover and it seems a real waste to throw it away!  I end up making almond milk about every third day so there is a lot of almond pulp remaining.
Yesterday I baked some muffins using the pulp (along with flax, whole wheat flour, a little baking powder, water, apples, dates and cinnamon).  They were delicious, not fancy but good for a snack or elevenses.
I found an article detailing many uses for almond pulp (including baking muffins) here.

I have a list as long as one of my sore arms to get through so I'd better get cracking.  Lots of errands and housework today, there's nothing better than getting ready for a party.
Have a super day,
xoxDani