Hazelnut Rice Milk

I'm a bit addicted to using hazelnut soy creamer in my coffee, so I thought perhaps I would try making a homemade version. This was adapated from a recipe in The Complete Vegan Kitchen.

3/4 cup rice (raw white, jasmine, basmati are all OK; brown rice will take longer to cook)
1/4 cup hazelnuts (cashews or almonds could be substituted)
12? cups water
1/4 cup evaporated cane juice sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Rinse the rice and then place in a large pot along with the hazelnuts. Add 6 cups water; mix well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 2 to 4 hours (depends on what kind of rice you use; brown rice will take longer, for example). Check the pot periodically to add more water to keep the same level of water in the pot (my version took 3-4 hours and I added water twice during cooking and more during blending, to achieve the desired consistency). The rice should be falling apart and the liquid should be quite milky. Remove from heat, cover the pot and let cool. Add sugar, vanilla and salt. Blend with an immersion blender or in a blender/food processor. Keep refrigerated. Makes about 2 quarts.

Sangria

A co-worker shared this recipe with me. I haven't made it for a while, but today's summer weather reminded me of how good it would be today. But plan ahead: this recipe takes at least five days to prepare. Tip: This recipe is easily doubled for a party. (The photo is from REZipes.com where you'll find other variations.)

2 oranges, peeled
2 pears
2 apples
4 cinnamon sticks
two to three 1.5 liter bottles of red wine
ice
1 two-liter bottle of lemon/lime soda (optional)

Five days ahead: Chop up fruit into bite-sized pieces and place with cinnamon sticks in a large gallon-size container with lid. Pour in one bottle of wine and mix. Cover and let sit in refrigerator overnight. The next day, add the other bottle of wine and let sit overnight. The third day, top off with a third bottle of wine, if there's room. Mix well, cover and return to refrigerator overnight. On fourth day, stir contents again; cover and replace. The sangria will be ready to serve on the fifth day, but could be held for probably up to another week (depending on the wine). Serve over ice or, optionally, pour into punch bowl with ice and lemon/lime soda.