Homemade Almond Butter

My kids LOVE peanut butter, but store-bought peanut butter is full of preservatives and sugar. So, I decided to make my own. Then I thought that if I was going to spend the time making it, I should make it super healthy. Peanuts have been getting some "bad press" because of the fungus that is often found on them, which creates a toxin called Aflatoxin. We've been eating peanut butter in our family since my husband and I were married, and fed it to our children. As far as I can tell, we've had no issues with peanuts, but I had just purchased a bag of organic raw almonds...So, I made almond butter instead. Not only is it packed with nutrients, but it's delicious too! Since I was only experimenting, I used inexact measurements and made a small amount. This is what I did, which yielded about a cup of almond butter:

In my MagicBullet, I threw in 3 handfuls of almonds (here is some information on almonds), 2ish tablespoons of coconut oil (Here are some health benefits from coconut oil), and a few dashes of cinnamon (health benefits of cinnamon). After a minute it was completely pureed and perfect! The coconut oil made it a bit runny at first, but once it cooled back to room temperature, it got more solidified. If you wanted to add some sweetness to yours, you could add some honey, agave or stevia. Since I'm trying to avoid sugars, I opted to leave it as is. A drop of pure vanilla extract might be something yummy to add as well!

Our family is also limiting the amount of grain and yeast products we are eating, so we've had to get creative with meals and snacks. Many people typically think of things like sandwiches or soups for lunch because they're quick and easy. Most canned soups that I find have either some form of gluten, MSG or both. And breads, even gluten free breads, have yeast to help them rise. Thinking outside the box, we've decided to try romaine lettuce for sandwiches. My kids love it! They decided to try the new almond butter on their lettuce sandwiches. I couldn't make the sandwiches fast enough for the boys; and the girls, well, they eventually decided it was good enough to eat. To be fair, they were expecting something more like peanut butter. It just wasn't what they were expecting.