Strawberry Almond Steamer – Happy Valentines Day

With the lead up to the big romantic day I  thought I’d share a pretty pink, creamy steamer you can thoroughly enjoy because it’s a highly nourishing treat that is super easy to make!   It’s as dreamy and delicious as it looks if I do say so myself.  It’s reminiscent of the strawberry milk from my childhood that was an occasional treat for us.  Thank goodness it wasn’t every day cuz lord knows the pink colour wasn’t from real strawberries, I’m sure of it. But if you’re my vintage you’ll remember it. Who knows, maybe they still sell it, I haven’t checked lately.  Nonetheless, we don’t need to be looking for any such thing since this creamy steamer fits the bill perfectly.  Your kids will love it and so will your sweetheart.  I luv making strawberry almond steamers for all my sweethearts:)

I also love celebrating Valentines with a red supper at our house with lots of friends and family and many recipes involving healthy red foods!  We’ve created our own tradition that you can see pictures of and read about here.  If you are keen to make a quick but yummy low sugar sweet treat for the big day check out these white chocolate macaroons. Looking for a stunner of a dessert?  Search no more –the most popular and the prettiest dessert on this blog is right here.

As much as Valentines day is considered by many to be ‘just a retailers day’ I do my best to make it about spending a special day together with those I love.  I find such joy in spoiling them even though we’ve barely just taken our Christmas decorations down.  How many times a year do I get to do this? and how long will it be until my precious family is off pampering their own little ones?  Time is fleeting and a mother must do what she can while time is on her side for enjoying the fun days at hand.

But of course I’ll spoil them in the healthiest way possible and make them a treat or two.  I’ll probably fix up some homemade chocolates with wholesome ingredients like raw pecans with raw cacao butter and maybe a yummy dessert too!  This lovely Valentine Rawlos recipe that my friend Sarah posted is a fine example of a simple treat with simple ingredients, as she says “No schwaggy unpronounceables. No weird waxes or emulsifiers or artificial flavours and colours.” Maybe I’ll have to give them a whirl.   We naturally maintain a healthy lifestyle all year and do our best even on these special days because it is a way of life.  Living a playful alkaline life certainly includes some of the treats (in moderation of course) that bring a smile to ones face, particularly when you are free from symptoms of disease. We just make sure we balance it all out, enough alkaline versus acidic.

And just so you know….this very pretty steamer is a moderately alkalizing beverage, Yay!  The almonds are alkaline, rich in protein and healthy fats, while the raw coconut manna is chalk full of lauric acid for tackling yeast imbalances, and is high in good saturated fats that are heart healthy. The mildly acidic strawberries still offer a nice dose of vitamin C and are low in sugar.  If you only sweeten with stevia the sugar content of this beverage is very low.  Adding a drizzle of low glycemic coconut nectar is a treat for Valentines day but avoid it if you are being diligent with your alkaline journey right now as the steamer will still taste lovely.

Strawberry Almond Steamer
Yield: 2 mugs or approx. 18 oz
2 cups organic almond milk, homemade if you have
10 fresh or frozen organic strawberries
3 tbsp raw coconut manna
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract, alcohol free if possible
1/8 tsp pure almond extract
10-12 drops liquid stevia, alcohol free if possible
1 tsp coconut nectar, optional

Method
In a small sauce pan gently warm almond milk till just hot to the touch to avoid over heating and spoiling the nutrients.  If you have a food thermometer don’t heat milk past 118F.
Pour almond milk into your blender and add remaining ingredients and blend until creamy and smooth.  Pour into pretty mugs and enjoy with your special someone.

Whether you celebrate Valentines Day or not I hope you take some time to pamper your loved ones and yourself with this nourishing recipe and enjoy each others company.  Be present and focused: set all those electronic devices aside for while and take in the love and the beauty that surrounds you.  You’ll be sure to feel warm and fuzzy all over and improve your alkalinity with this feeling alone.  Life is precious and it deserves our full attention as it’s skipping along all to quickly.

Wishing you and your loved ones a special heart filled day.

Julie

ps. the mugs are from Pip Studio when I was in the UK a few years back but are now available in some retail stores in North America.  Just do a google search:)