Place almonds or cashews in a glass bowl and add enough water to cover them by at least an inch. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and refrigerate overnight.

Drain and rinse nuts well, discarding soaking liquid.

Place nuts in a high-speed blender along with the 3 cups fresh water. For a slight natural sweetness, add two large pitted Medjool dates to the blender. Add vanilla extract or cocoa powder if using as well. Slowly work up to the highest speed then blend for two minutes.

For almond milk: Pour mixture into a strainer lined with cheesecloth and allow the liquid to drain through the solids. Gently squeeze the cheesecloth to extract more liquid.

For cashew milk: Simply pour straight from the pitcher into a container then chill until ready to drink.

Keep both milks refrigerated and drink within 2-3 days.

Variations: Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or 2 tablespoons cocoa powder to blender to make flavored nut milk.