Oat What????  Let’s see, where do I begin?  I was looking at a recipe the other day for crock pot yogurt.  I thought that this might be an even more simplified way to make it.  Turns out, my method is probably about as simple as I can get.  However, as I was reading the comments below on the blog, I noticed one that said they made their yogurt out of oat milk.  Huh???!!  What on earth is oat milk?  Ok, so it was then time to get something done, besides read recipes, so I got busy doing dishes, and laundry, but I was haunted by oat milk….I kept thinking, how could I have not heard of this before???!!!!  And you can make it at home????!!!!  And it’s good for you????!!!!  And you can make thick, delicious, lovely yogurt from it???!!!  And it would be non-processed dairy????!!!  You get the idea.  Not pretty.  The hamster in my brain was running full speed ahead with this one, with no finish line in sight. That little wheel was just a spinnnin’!  So I decided to google it.  Enough with the self-torture, time to do some research.  Sure enough, the rest of the world apparently knows about oat milk, except me.  I could not believe my eyeballs.  Oat milk is made simply, quickly, and beautifully, with minimal fuss.  Right up my alley 🙂  It seemed too good to be true.  I had to give it a try.  In spite of having a birthday party for a squirrelly eight year old, and two friends, I decided to make oat milk that evening.  There is no time to waste.  I should probably explain that our happy little homestead is not in milk right now, and my four milk consuming boys are drinking us out of house and home.  Our beautiful Lamancha goat, Betsy, has been on holiday rondevous with Karl, her big, burly, muscular, hairy, beloved Nubian beau.  So we will have milk again, but I currently do not have access to raw milk, so we are begrudgingly buying processed, ugh 😦  So we are not getting the nutrients that we need, my tummy does not like processed milk, the kiddos are used to raw milk, and drinking as much as their bodies are calling for.  Which, by the way is a lot. If you have not experienced two teenage athletes, an active tween, and an eight year old milk addicts’ intake, you have not yet lived.  Did I mention they were boys?????!!!!  Anyway, Mama has been looking for a healthy alternative, or supplement to our milk supply lately.  I forgot to mention affordable.  Let me put that in caps…AFFORDABLE, thank you, I feel better now.  The processed milk prices in our rural community are over $4.19/gallon.  This is not for whole milk.  I have had to switch to 2%.  Ugh 😦  So you can imagine my delight, and ultimate thrill over stumbling upon an economical, healthy alternative/supplement for our milk situation!  I have run the numbers and oat milk is coming out at about $.35 cents/litre.  Wow!  I do buy my oats in bulk, from a local mill.  I am nearly out of my mind excited!!!!!  Please excuse all the exclamation points, but I really want you to feel my hysteria over oat milk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Happy Dance in the kitchen….think Madagascar 3, Afro Circus…..Yes, I need help, send it now….LOL!!!!

ANYWAY…..back to the making of oat milk….

I read several blogs & recipes, and they all contained the same basic idea.  Choose what type of oats you have on hand, soak them overnight with a pinch of salt, decide if you want your oat milk cooked, or raw, blend, strain, and enjoy the thick creamy, lovely, non-dairy, good for you, love in a glass.  REALLY???  There must be something someone’s not telling me???  And why hasn’t someone told me about this before????  Once, I got over my disbelief, I finished preparing the pizza dough for the birthday party, and putting away laundry.  I ran out the door, picked up the wild-eyed eight year olds from school, took them bowling, and came home to continue the party, and make oat milk.  Yes, like I said, I am out of my mind. Luckily for me, they decided to crank up the tunes UPSTAIRS, and have a dance party, while I prepped the make-your-own-good-for-you-mini-pizza station.  Little did they know, he, he, he, evil villan laugh….   I also made oat milk.  It is that simple.  You can do it while you host a birthday party for break-dancin’ UFC lovin’ eight year old boys.  Wow, that says a lot.

Simple Oat Milk

1 c. Rolled Oats (mine were thick-rolled, but I don’t think it matters, less processed the better)

1.5 Litre of Cold Water

Pinch of Redmond Salt

Add all ingredients to a large bowl and soak overnight covered with a cloth.

Use a blender to whip the milk out of the oats….remember that a food processor is not water-tight, but neither is my antique blender, so use whatcha got 🙂  Smile, and wipe the counter as needed.

Strain the milk through a fine sieve, or cheesecloth, into a bowl.

Store in a beautiful, clean glass jar in the fridge.

Will keep for several days.

Make oatmeal with the leftover pulp, or throw it in your bread dough.  Mine’s goin into my Simple Lovin’ Bread dough.

Here we go….

Step 1: 

Gather your oats, and bowl.

Ooops!….I forgot the salt in the picture.  Don’t forget your salt 😉

Step 2:

Place oats, and salt in bowl.  Pour water over the top.  Cover and let stand overnight.  Smile, and make pizzas with your wild eight year old, and his friends.  Breathe deeply 🙂

How adorably sweet are these????!!!!!  I just had to share them with you 🙂

Who would’ve guessed….made by those wild-eyed boys without any direction from me, except to;  flatten dough, spread sauce, and apply toppings 🙂   Just goes to show even though they are tough, wild, and crazy, on the outside, their little hearts are sweet, happy, and content….little boys are amazing creatures, lol!

Step 3: In the morning you will retrieve your antique blending tool…oh wait, that’s just me!  Just kidding 🙂  Go get your blender.  Pour your soaked oat/water mixture in the blender.  I had to do mine in two batches, it wouldn’t all fit in one.  Adjust as you need to.  Blend it up really well.  At least 1 min., maybe 2.  Don’t be afraid…this is no time for timidity……go for it!!!  Turn up radio while you wait….dance around the kitchen…..take a moment to appreciate the daytime kitchen crew’s feedback…..

“Ok, so she’s finally lost it”

“Yep, it’s official…she’s definitely lost it!”

  “Do you hear circus music???!!??”

“Oh, My Good Heavens….It’s sooo embarrassing when you act like this!!! I can’t bear to watch….”

Ok, the blender should be done now 🙂  Get a grip, give the kitchen crew some love for putting up with you, and continue on 🙂

Back to the oat milk!

Step 4: Pour the contents of the blender through the strainer.  As you can see, I did not use cheesecloth.  I will next time.  I have learned, and now I know.  Aren’t you glad I tried that out for you?!  You’re welcome.  So very glad I could help. 🙂  If you don’t have a cheesecloth, use a coffee filter, but you definitely want something to catch the bits that will pass through the screen.  It will prevent sludge from settling at the bottom of your milk 🙂  This is always a good thing!   Enjoy the frothy goodness that is fresh oat milk.

Step 5:  Beautiful, Simple, Wholesome, Nourishing.

Pour the freshly blended oat milk into a beautiful jar, and store in the fridge.

* I have a confession to make.  I am not proud.  I forgot my soaking oats out on the counter for an extra day.  No, I am not perfect.  Perfection is highly overrated.  At least this is what I tell myself so I can sleep at night 🙂  I live in a zoo.  Oh, wait, I think it may be a circus.  Regardless, the soaked oats seemed fine, maybe a bit fermented.  I am ok with this.  I ferment things around here all of the time, sometimes even on purpose, lol!  I am using this batch of oatmilk for bread baking.  I have whole wheat oatmeal rolls in the oven as we speak. They are turning out beautifully.  Mmmmmm……yummy 🙂 

Do you hear that???!!!???  I think I hear circus music!!!!?

Dun, Dun, Da, Da, Dun…

Dun, Dun, Da, Da, Dun….

Afro Circus!

Smile & Enjoy your day 🙂