Hau'oli Makahiki Hou (Happy New Year)!! How'd everyone end the year / start the new year? We spent the last day of 2016 noshing on sushi, caviar, and drinking champs with friends, then kicked off 2017 with homemade soba noodles! We also decided to skip the big resolutions like "I'm going to go to the gym every day this year" or "I'm never eating french fries ever again" and instead focus simply being more mindful of what we're eating, not eating, doing, not doing, etc. Moses and I are kicking this all off with 10 days at "home" in Hawaii, where we'll be hanging with family and friends, hiking, beaching, eating, and definitely relaxing. And don't worry, Vienna will be hanging with her "woof pack" back in LA, getting in her daily walks, sunbathing sessions, and chilling with her pals. :)

Before we headed out of town, I gave this new Vitamix Ascent 3300 a whirl, making one of my all-time favorite things, almond macadamia nut milk! Pretty sure you already know this about me, but I'm a coffee or don't talk to me in the morning kind of gal, and I'm very partial to my almond macadamia nut milk lattes. I'm all about macadamia nuts and when blended up with almonds and water, they make the best nut milk imho (in my honest opinion). After whipping up my first batch of vanilla almond macadamia nut milk for my lattes, I got really excited about the new timer function on my Vitamix Ascent 3330. Yes, there's timer function now, which means multi-tasking and blending's actually a possibility, so I blended up a few more flavors for the fun of it! I turned my vanilla into strawberry, matcha, golden aka turmeric, and even chocolate milk! Pssst -- be sure to check out the video for some almond milk making action! 

VANILLA ALMOND MACADAMIA NUT MILK

Makes 4 cups

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 c. blanched almonds, soaked overnight

• 1/4 c. raw macadamia nuts, soaked for 2 hours

• 3 c. filtered water

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 3 Tbsp. maple syrup

• Pinch Himalayan sea salt

TOOLS

• Vitamix Ascent 3300 Blender or another high speed blender

• Cheesecloth or nut milk bag

FIX

1. Rinse the soaked almonds and macadamia nuts clean before adding to the blender container with all ingredients. 

2. Set timer to 1:45 minutes and blend, starting from the lowest speed and raising to the highest speed. 

3. Strain through cheesecloth or nut milk bag and chill until ready to serve and enjoy!

4. Last up to 3 days in the fridge.

VARIATIONS

STRAWBERRY

• Blend 4 cups vanilla almond macadamia nut milk with 20 frozen strawberries for 30-45 seconds or until smooth.

CHOCOLATE

• Blend 4 cups vanilla almond macadamia nut milk with 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder for 30-45 seconds or until smooth.

MATCHA

• Blend 4 cups vanilla almond macadamia nut milk with 4 teaspoons matcha powder for 30-45 seconds or until smooth.

GOLDEN AKA TURMERIC

• Blend 4 cups vanilla almond macadamia nut milk with 4 teaspoons turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, a few cracks of freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom for 30-45 seconds or until smooth.

This post was sponsored by Vitamix, but as always all opinions are all my own. I'm obsessed with the clear lid and timer functions of this new blender and cannot wait to blend up all the things!