Soak, Blend, Breathe (or: Cashew Milk for When Everything's a Lot)

 🎓 5th Year PhD • 📘 History • 😵 Burned out 

I had two burnouts during my PhD. The first was by far the worst, mostly because I had no idea what the hell was happening to my mind or body. The second I recognised more quickly for what it was and could be (minutely) more proactive in trying to stop it in its tracks—though it was still an utterly crap time.

During that second burnout, around 6–12 months before I finally handed in my thesis, my days mostly involved feeling intense anxiety, procrastinating, and ruminating over both the anxiety and the thesis—usually until I brought on an anxiety attack. At that point, I tried to find quaint little food projects that would help me avoid the PhD, make me feel productive, and offer a quiet space to stem the onset of said attacks. My now-husband was known to give me the occasional ‘day-pass’ to focus entirely on these projects as a form of mental health care. Yes: I usually needed to be told to take a break.

During one of those weeks, I returned to a beloved recipe book of mine: Porridge by Anni Kravi*. I re-read her section on nut milks, and made this one (see p. 31). I enjoyed the simple ritual of buying what I needed and testing out different sweeteners (see below: they all work). It didn’t save me from Burnout 2.0, but it gave me a momentary focus—and some calm—that reminded me how soothing the simpler things can be. And for what it’s worth, Kravi’s book is a fantastic little number if you’re looking for food-centred mindfulness.

Full disclosure: this isn’t the cheapest of recipes. While cashews aren’t the most expensive nut (macadamias: this is why we’ll always be a short-lived fling, not a lifelong romance), they’re still not exactly budget. You’ll also need a large glass bottle (swing-tops or milk bottles look lovely but can be pricey), plus a nut milk bag or muslin/cheesecloth and sieve. All of these are on Amazon from about £6. And yes—you’ll need a proper blender, not a stick one.

That said, it’s ridiculously quick (10 minutes of hands-on time), and once you’ve got the gear, the cost evens out with most decent nut milks—except this one has no additives or unpronounceable ingredients. It’s richer, with a lot more body, and a fantastic companion to cereal or smoothies (though maybe not tea; think lattes instead). So yes, I think it’s worth it—if you’re in the right mood. If you’re trying to cram this into an already packed routine and/or manically trying to be health conscious, maybe wait. I never enjoy it when I’ve squeezed making it into a busy schedule or to abate yet another avenue for guilt.

*Kravi, Anni, Porridge: Oats + Seeds + Grains + Rice (London: Quadrille Publishing Ltd, 2017).

Servings: approx. 750ml            🥖 GF    🥛 LF    🥕 V    🌱 VE

Time:
👐 Hands-on: 10 minutes
⏳ Hands-off: at least 4 (and up to 24) hours

Ingredients

• 110g cashews
• 1–2 teaspoons honey, agave or maple syrup (or 2 prunes/dates instead)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• A pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Place cashews in a bowl or jug, cover with cold water and leave to soak for at least 4 hours (I usually leave them overnight).
2. Once soaked, strain and rinse the cashews, then place them in a blender with 750ml fresh water, the cinnamon, salt and sweetener of choice (I opted for prunes this time because I had a packet that needed using up—plus, they’re cheap and fibrous).
3. Blend for a few minutes until smooth. Strain through a nut milk bag or muslin/cheesecloth into a jug and then pour into a  glass bottle or flask with a lid (milk bottles and swing-tops look nicest, but anything sealable works). You can save the remaining cashew milk pulp to add to smoothies and porridges (I froze mine for later use).

Storage

Keeps for up to 5 days in the fridge. Give it a good shake before using, as the milk will naturally separate.