Is there any way to use roasted, salted almonds instead of raw almonds? I thought about rinsing them in water before putting them to soak. Kind of like how you shower before you go in the hot tub. Also, I really wanted to reserve the water for vegetable stock. I'm willing to take the squirrel's risk. But, outside of earlier arguments, would there be any additional reason for not using almonds that have been heavily processed like the ones I'm planning on using? And I was hoping to use my slow cooker instead of the oven (less electricity). The only advice I've found on curing or drying in a slow cooker has come from cannabis-related sites. I guess it's reliable, though. I'm asking all of this because of this asinine scheme I've been literally cooking up all week. If you want to read about it, feel free. But also feel free not to. I just typed it to get it out of my system.Okay. I'm hoping this doesn't sound stupid. I've challenged myself to make a week's menu plan using a soy-free, gluten-free version of eco-Atkins. I want to spend less than $100 and feed my family of four with three daily meals and an additional snack. (Eco-Atkins is a high protein diet that relies on plant protein instead of animal protein. It differs from Atkins in that you are allowed up to 130 net carbs per day-- closer to the "Maintenance" or final phase of Atkins, whereas the initial phase of Atkins keeps net carbs at 20 or less.) I eat seitan, but just wanted to create a bigger challenge for myself. I normally keep soy-free because I developed soy sensitivities most likely from overconsumption. My fault. I ate soy in every over processed form at every meal. If I'd done the same with Stevia, I'd probably have gotten cancer, too. (Somewhat kidding. Just referencing earlier comments about supposedly cancer-causing Stevia. But only somewhat kidding because who knows how much Stevia I could inhale if left to my own devices. Any gluttonous consumption can lead to consequences. And my soya love was gluttonous.) Anyhow, eco-Atkins has gotton a lot of criticism from vegans just for reminding them of the Atkins diet (where you can eat an all-you-care-to-eat buffet's worth of bacon, but need to refrain from the forbidden fruits of carb-ridden apples). Atkins' loyalists have given the plan criticism because it's not Atkins-y enough (too many carbs), people might think it implies that this version is healthier than their version, and it relies too much on soy and gluten. And, of course, the usual criticisms about any plan that cuts out an entire food group like dairy, how veganism is too restrictive for people to follow, and any implementation would be too costly. This is so long because I'm just so excited! It was really just a study conducted by David Jenkins, who helped develop the Glycaemic Index. He was just exploring if vegans could follow the Atkins diet. He also wanted to see if there were any benefits to relying on plant-based protein as opposed to animal-based protein. I'm just doing this to prove something to myself. I have no idea why. But I'm having fun, and that's all that matters. And my six-year old daughter acted like the spaghetti squash was magic when we de-seeded and de-pulped "the plant that grows noodles inside of it." I avoided calling it a squash, but did say it was in the pumpkin family. She said "that pumpkin's cousin is really creative."