Summer is officially here...and so is the heat!  Hopefully you're cooling off at the beach, or staying inside with the air-con on full blast!  Did you know there are designated cooling centers around the Los Angeles area?

This year we've made a conscious effort to cut down on any waste we produce.  We avoid buying produce that's packaged and try to make things from scratch when we can. Our boxed milk alternatives have been one of the last things to go, although for years I've complained about the additives in these milks.  Even if you buy the more "natural" ones, they still have some sort of binder and tend to be very pricey.  I wish I hadn't waited so long!  Homemade nut milk, of any kind, is easy to make and tastes fresh and delicious.  And just one cup of almonds can yield over three cups of milk!  We calculated the cost of making our own, and it's under a dollar (about 78 cents).

This is my new go-to "parmesan" recipe.  The brazil nuts have a moist, fatty texture that closely resembles real, grated parmesan cheese.

There are so many different ways to make pesto, using arugula, kale, walnuts, parsley, etc.  It's truly a sauce you can play with, and it usually turns out delicious and flavorful.

This recipe is an excellent substitute for sour cream or try adding to salad dressings, even pasta sauce.