Explore Coverage

Living Maxwell

Better Choices

My Latest Concoction – Organic Black Sesame Seed Milk

Earlier this year, I wrote a post talking about the tremendous health benefits of black sesame seeds.

I love putting them on quinoa, millet, and on my salads, and they add a whole new dimension to whatever food that I am eating.

Since Brazil nut milk and cashew milk are two drinks that I make quite often, I started asking myself “What if I made a milk out of organic black sesame seeds?”

My immediate thought was that the taste would be too harsh or too strong, and that I would need to use a lot of honey or organic palm sugar to even it out.

Over the past week or so, I have been experimenting with black sesame seed milk and much to my surprise, I have been thrilled with the results.

A few things:

– The taste is not as bad as I thought it would be.

– The texture is lighter than a Brazil nut or a cashew milk.

– I use a different ratio of water to seeds than water to nuts. With nuts, it is generally 5:1 (5 servings of water to one serving of nuts). With the black sesame seeds, I use a ratio of probably 10:1.

You vary the ratio depending upon how thick or thin you want your milk to be. But for the black sesame seed milk, I felt that for some inexplicable reason the ratio needed to be expanded.

If you have no idea what I am talking about here, please watch the video at the bottom of this post and that should explain everything.

– The sesame seed milk was not as black as I thought it would be. This is probably because 5-10% of the seeds were not actually black but white.

– When I made a smoothie (picture in the right) using organic black sesame seed milk as the base, I used two bananas, one tablespoon of raw cacao powder, one teaspoon of organic palm sugar, and one scoop of protein powder.

And how did it taste?

Definitely good enough to earn a spot in the rotation with Brazil nut milk and cashew milk.

– Not sure how to make nut milk? Take a look at the video above.

If you want to make organic black sesame seed milk, it is the exact same process except that you alter the ratio of water/seeds.

If you’re looking for organic black sesame seeds, they can be purchased online.

The mesh strainer that I use in the video above, can be purchased by clicking here.

Good luck!

A message from E3Live

"My Everyday, Must-Have Green Organic Aquabotanical"

The best testimonial that I can give is that I drink this every single day, as it impacts my mood in an incredibly positive way.

E3Live + BrainON is certified organic, fresh-frozen AFA (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae) with a concentrated, aqueous, organic extract of Phenylethylamine and Phycocyanin.

Learn more.

Go deeper

Living Maxwell

Better Choices

Another Reason to Support Organic — Organic “Hotspots” Significantly Boost Local Economies

While there are many reasons why we should support organic food, we now have yet another one: organic boosts local economies.

In a new study by the Organic Trade Association called U.S Organic Hotspots and their Benefit to Local Economies, it has been found that organic food and crop production – and the business activities accompanying organic agriculture – creates real and long-lasting regional economic opportunities.

Go deeper Arrow

Living Maxwell

Better Choices

How Do Your Favorite ‘Organic’ and ‘Made with Organic’ Snack Bars Rate? Take a Look at Cornucopia’s Scorecard

When you are in the checkout line at the supermarket and looking for a nutritious snack to satiate your hunger, take caution when selecting an energy bar.

The energy or snack bar market is big business — a $9 billion industry — and many people are easily fooled by the slick marketing that food companies employ to get you to purchase their products.

The absolute first thing to look for is a certified organic snack bar — one that has the green and white USDA organic seal on it.

Go deeper Arrow

Living Maxwell

Better Choices

5 Essential Ways to Avoid Genetically-Modified Food (GMOs)

Recently, I got an e-mail from a reader asking how she would know if she is eating genetically-modified soy or not.

Figuring that many other people may have that same question, I wanted to explain how to avoid eating genetically-modified food (GMOs) and the things that you need to look out for.

#1 – Buy USDA Certified Organic Products  GMOs are prohibited in organic food. Therefore, look for products that contain the USDA certified organic seal.

Even though GMOs are prohibited in organic, organic crops can be contaminated by GMOs through cross-pollination and drift. (That is why the proliferation of GMOs is a real threat to organic farming. The co-existence of GM-crops and organic crops is simply not possible, despite what our government would like us to believe.)

USDA rules require that organic certifiers test samples from at least 5% of the operations they certify on an annual basis.

Go deeper Arrow
livingmaxwell: a guide to organic food & drink