Cheaper, Better Milk - part 1

Some of you have asked me how you can consumer fewer dairy products. It's good science that says that the calcium in milk products isn't as accessible (because of the type of calcium and protein and the amount of phosphorus), the fat, the cholesterol, the potential disease, hormones, etc. Whatever your reason for wanting to do fewer dairy products, these days there are lots of options. Actually, there always have been, but most of us had no clue.

We built strong, healthy boys around here on very little "dairy." I'm also convinced that after so many pregnancies, I'd be one big momma if it weren't for this same simple fact - we just try to eat and drink other things most of the time. But you need options to do that, right? So I'll try to provide some over time.

Milk costs, what? $4 a gallon? "Silk" (soy milk) is tasty to many, but it costs at least $5 a gallon. There's a product called "Better than Milk" that is a convenient powdered soy milk (great for trips) and lots of other choices at the grocery, but I'm a student on a budget. This translates into I'm broke.

So do I still have options? Yup - you have the ones that have been there since your grandma was in (cloth) diapers!

Here's the first one, which gets an A by my eight-year-old. To me the textures a bit heavy and the flavor a bit plain, but I've never been a rice milk girl. The boys all drank it willingly, and they liked the unstirred goo at the bottom the best. It's reminiscent of some cinnamon drink I had in Puerto Rico once...???

 $0.65 a gallon - not bad!

1 cup cooked brown rice
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
8 cups water
2 teaspoons vanilla, optional - clear color is best

1.Blend, blend, blend.:
2.Chill and shake before serving.

Tell me what you think!
Melanie