Have you tried Starbucks’ green tea latte? I have and I must say I am completely addicted to them. They’re so yummy and full of green tea goodness. It makes my taste buds happy but it’s hell on my pocketbook. I can’t say I care for spending $5 on a drink…I mean, it’s tea for crying out loud! So I decided to just get off my lazy butt and make my own…and share the recipe with all my other green tea latte obsessed friends out there. It’s way cheaper and tastes exactly the same. Get ready to make your mouth happy!
What You’ll Need:
* Matcha Green Tea Powder(Try not to balk at the price. It runs around $20 for a 5 oz. can, but it makes around 30 servings. You’d spend $20 on just 4 drinks from Starbucks. Way more bang for your buck rockin’ it diy style.)
* Milk(Soy, Rice, Skin, Whole…whatever floats your boat)
* Water
How To Make It:
For a large:
* mix 4 tablespoons matcha green tea powder with 4 shots(squirts, if you will) of syrup.
* fill the glass with a 50/50 mix of milk and water(approximately 4-6 oz of each). If you prefer your lattes hot then add hot water and steamed milk.
* stir it up & drink it down.
* you can add more syrup to taste if 4 isn’t enough sweetness for your sugar-lovin’ self.
For smaller sizes:
* adjust quantities accordingly – medium uses 3 tablespoons & three squirts with less milk and water. small uses 2 tablespoons…you get the idea.
That’s it. Crazy easy and insanely delicious. And you know what? I’m going to go make one right now. Enjoy your yummy (and healthy-ish) green tea latte, my dears!
If you have a variation on this recipe (different syrup flavors maybe?) then please feel free to share your mad drink makin’ skills with the rest of us. Inquiring minds want to know!
Kisses & Chaos,
Alli Woods Frederick
image credits: green tea latte via foodspotting.com | all other images belong to the individual manufacturers.
“There are people who reshape the world by force or argument, but the cat just lies there, dozing, and the world quietly reshapes itself to suit his comfort and convenience.”
Yeah. You heard me. You can start to feel good now. It’s true. I know a lot of us trudge through our day feeling achy, tired and moody. We work too much, play too little and sleep…what’s sleep? Life goes so fast these days that most of us can hardly keep up.
If it all seems hopeless I assure you, it’s not.
There are a few insanely simple things you can do that will help you feel good right now. I will warn you that some of these things will make you feel silly and if your co-workers see you doing them they’ll think you’ve gone round the bend, but a little silliness never killed anyone. So let’s wrangle that stress, boost that energy and feel more balanced.
1) Sublingual B Vitamins
When I’m low on energy and stress is getting to me I take B vitamins*. B vitamins are fantastic at boosting energy levels. This water soluble vitamin has some serious kick. Next time you’re at the gas station, pick up one of those energy shots and read the label. Oh! What do you know! It has huge doses of B vitamins! For the price of two bottles of that junk you can buy a full month’s supply of B-vitamins at the pharmacy. I use sublingual B vitamins. I just drop the liquid under my tongue and hold it for a few seconds. Why not take a pill? Many pills don’t fully digest. Poor quality vitamins are mostly filler that is hard for the body to break down. They usually just sit in your stomach like a rock and pass through your system with minimal benefit. Some of them even cause heartburn or nausea. Sublingual vitamins avoid those pitfalls and get into the system quickly and easily to help boost energy.
2) Write a Gratitude List
I know I’ve said this about a million times but when you’re feeling glum and in a funk one of the quickest and easiest pick-me-ups is to write a gratitude list. It can be easy to focus on the negative and lose site of all the wonderful things we have in our lives. We take all our wonderful little blessing for granted. So when you’re feeling down and out grab a pen and paper (or you can say them out loud…it’s your call) and jot down 10 things you’re grateful for and why you’re grateful for them. For example:
1) I am so grateful for my mom because she gives the best hugs which always cheer me up and make me feel loved.
2) I am so grateful for Mischa because he’s an awesome snuggle-kitty who loves me unconditionally and always makes me smile.
Got it? It’s super easy and it will help perk you up. It’s hard to be grumpy or sad when you see all the wonderful things you have in your life. Yes, some days it can be more challenging to find things to be grateful for, but it’s fine if you’re thankful for the rain because you love it and find it relaxing…or puppies, or sunshine, or flowers, or your car. You get the idea. It doesn’t matter what you find to be grateful for, as long as you’re grateful.
3) Shake Your Booty
Feeling tired? Feeling sad? Feeling tired and sad? Put on a song that is upbeat that you love then get up and shake your booty. Shake your booty like no one’s watching…or like everyone’s watching…whichever floats your boat. Afraid you’ll feel like an idiot? That’s ok. The point is to have fun and be silly, not to audition for the Joffrey Ballet. If you are unable to dance then sing along. Singing is just as good as dancing…and if you can do both all the better! My favorite song to get goofy to? Mr. Blue Skies by ELO. I can’t sit still when it comes on. It makes me tap my toes, sing along and puts a big ol’ smile on my face. Don’t believe me? Check this out:
4) Do Something Nice for a Stranger
Another easy way to feel great: spread some love and kindness. Commit a random act of kindness. Going through the drive thru at Starbucks with a line of cars behind you? When you get to the window pay for the person behind you. Hold the door open for someone. Pay a stranger a compliment. Do something nice for someone else without expecting anything in return. It will not only make your day but it will make theirs too.
5) Smile
Smile. Even if you don’t feel like it, just smile! Here’s an odd but true fact: your brain doesn’t know the difference between a fake smile and a real one. If you keep smiling your brain begins to release those wonderful feel-good hormones called endorphins! Hooray endorphins! Yes, you probably don’t feel like smiling and you’ll probably feel ridiculous doing it, but just smile and keep smiling.
Do you have any tips and tricks for feeling great (aside from shoe shopping, because, come on, that’s a given)? Feel free to share your tips in the comments here or on my facebook page. I’d love to hear what you do to pull yourself out of a funk.
* I am not a medical professional & do not provide medical advice or guidance. Always consult with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any supplements. If you’re having a medical problem please contact a medical professional.
Those of you who follow me on twitter or facebook have more than likely heard me express my opinion of Oprah Winfrey and the fact that I think she has completely lost touch with the average person in America. In her magazine she once listed a cashmere throw worth some obscene amount of money as something “everyone should have.” Sorry but if I have 10 g’s burning a hole in my pocket I can think of other things I’d rather do with it than buy a cashmere throw.
But That’s Not My Point
I was flipping through the channels yesterday and, for a reason I can only describe as a cross between a stroke and divine intervention, I stopped on her channel and watched her show Master Class. She was talking about her life, her beliefs and the universe and she said something that made my stomach flutter and my heart swell…something that I had to share with you.
It’s something most of us know yet rarely do because it is profoundly simple AND profoundly difficult.
“When you’ve worked as hard and done as much and strived and tried and given and pled and bargained and hoped…surrender. When you have done all that you can do and there’s nothing left for you to do, give it up…and let it then become part of the flow.”
– Oprah Winfrey
Surrender.
Let the universe, the powers that be, or whatever you want to call it/him/her/them handle it. Surrender. We do not have all the answers. Relinquish control and expectations. Surrender.
