Sparkling Matcha Lemonade

I am not a coffee person. I drink it on occasion, but I usually end up getting bad headaches from the caffeine. Yeah. Headaches from the caffeine. It's annoying because I find the boost it gives me on my Sunday work-at-home mom adventures really helpful. Like, when I drink coffee, I can power through writing thousands upon thousands of words about obscure medical conditions (because that's the bulk of what I do these days) and still be up for more.

But I also have discovered that whenever I get back from a coffee-writing binge, I have a near-migraine and have to recover for hours. So, I mostly drink tea or smoothies or plain water. Years ago, I was sent some matcha powder to try and found it pretty tasty and interesting. I made Sunflower Matcha Cookies with it as well as Mighty Green Microwave-Muffins. Check out those recipes -- I'll be making them soon as I reconnect with this ingredient.

Anyway, I've read that it has 100+ times the antioxidants than in plain old green tea. I also keep seeing it on Instagram everywhere. I picked some up this weekend. I actually bought a kind with ginger in it. The Republic of Tea's U-Matcha Ginger.

And then I made lemonade with it!

SPARKLING MATCHA LEMONADE

What you'll need . . .

• 1/2 teaspoon matcha powder
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 to 2 tablespoons raw sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 to 1 can sparkling water (I used lime-flavored)
• Ice is optional
• Ball jar with plastic lid

Method . . .

I've made lemonade a bunch of different ways. I tried making this kind by first using hot water to create the simple syrup and then by just vigorously mixing the water and sugar. The second method worked just fine and + saved time. So, pour your water, lemon juice, sugar, and matcha into your Ball jar. Screw on the lid and shake for a minute or two.

You want to shake until all the powder is incorporated and it looks like this:


How much sparkling water you use depends on how diluted you want yours to taste. One day I had mine full strength, and it was great. The next I wanted a more subtle beverage, so I diluted with the full can. (You'll get some frothy head on there. Just sip it away!)

I'm not a huge fan of ice, so you can either put that in or leave it out. Really, this drink is up to you. I doubled the recipe one day to make enough for Stephen to try. He likes it, too!


It's:

Cold
Wet
Sweet
Refreshing
Matcha-y tasting

LOL with the adjectives. Sometimes things we make in the kitchen are just plain good.

Good. 

Enough said!

I'm under the weather and this return to winter isn't helping matters. I should be back tomorrow with something fun. I am also working on a few videos, one of which is a Q&A, so if you have anything you'd like me to answer, leave a note in the comments. I'm foremost working on my capsule wardrobe video, but I've had a major change in that area lately (still under 33 pieces!) -- and I cannot wait to share.

Thursdays are my favorite, so make it a good one!

Related:

Blackberry Lemonade for 2
Red Zinger Lemonade
On Secret Recipes
Green Microwave Muffins
Green Cookies . . . Weird

Read more...

Mighty Leaf Iced Tea Giveaway

Summer. The season when I always -- 24/7 -- have a drink in my hand. I'm trying my best to make healthy choices because wow can I get hooked on high calorie drinks and smoothies. So, when Mighty Leaf Tea was kind enough to send us a sampling of all their summer iced teas to try, I thought -- what a perfect opportunity to clean up my ways!

No deprivation here!

First off, check out the flavors: Organic Black, Ginger Peach, Sunburst Green Tea, and Calypso Mango. All ranging in caffeine level, of which the green tea is my go-to because it's a bit lower on the spectrum. I'm always impressed with Mighty Leaf's flavors and their high-quality tea bags are just neat.

How to make iced tea? It's simple:

1. Add 1 tea pouch to a glass pitcher. This handy carafe, which you'll have a chance to win, makes it really easy to pour + store the tea.
2. Pour 32 ounces of boiling water over pouch and steep for 4-5 minutes.
3. Remove pouch and add ice to remainder of pitcher. Though -- GASP -- I'm not much for actual ice in my iced tea. I know that sounds strange. I usually just fill up the pitcher with additional water.

I could explain up and down how these teas are absolutely delicious. How they take the edge off a particularly hot day. How I am IN LOVE with the mango and a squeeze of lemon. A drizzle of honey. Maybe even some chia seeds on occasion. On and on.

Why don't you try some for yourself?
Yes. This is a giveaway post.
Thanks, Mighty Leaf!


What you'll win ($60 value) . . .

• Takeya Glass bottle
• Takeya Iced tea pitcher
• Mighty Leaf Iced teas (in all flavors listed above)

TO ENTER: Leave a comment with the word MIGHTY somewhere in the mix.
IN ADDITION: Please leave a comment about your favorite iced tea recipe + choose a Mighty Leaf Iced Tea you'd likely use to make it.
GIVEAWAY CLOSES: Wednesday, July 24th at 9:00PM EST
PRIZE SHIPS: USA only.
ALSO: To win, I need your email address -- so please provide it (or your blog link so I can find it -- just some way of contacting you) or, unfortunately, you cannot win. PS: One entry per email address is allowed. The winners will be selected using a Random Number Generator and announced Monday (7/26) morning.

Good luck! I'm off to yoga with a nice bottle of chilly tea . . .



Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Mighty Leaf Iced Tea Giveaway

I'm a beverage guy. Beer, coffee, smoothies, hot tea -- you name it, I'll drink it. So, when Mighty Leaf Tea was kind enough to send us a sampling of all their summer iced teas to try -- of course it peaked my interest. Unfortunately for her, Ashley's avoiding caffeine, so I'll take over this review for today.

Conveniently, each sachet makes a half gallon (64 ounces) of this cool drink, taking out the guesswork for an admittedly lazy teacher on summer break.

Plus, I have a ton of 64-ounce growlers hanging around the house perfect for re-purposing. What we always like best about Mighty Leaf is the quality of the whole leaf pouch itself. If you've tried their teas, you know what I mean. If you haven't, check out our last giveaway with a detailed photo.


The Organic Black is the variety I chose to try first. Described as a "refreshingly rich and smooth South Indian organic black tea . . . hand-picked on the dewy slopes of the Nilgiri mountains," I was surprised by how smooth it actually is. I've been enjoying it all week in this 90+ degree weather, and I can't wait to break out the flavored varieties: Ginger Peach, Sunburst Green Tea, and Calypso Mango (this one's next).


I like to control the sweetness of my beverages (well, I actually prefer to avoid sweetness -- I always take my coffee with no cream or sugar, for example). And the "extra steps" of making iced tea at home really aren't all that daunting.

1.) Add 1 tea pouch to a glass pitcher
2.) Pour 32 ounces of boiling water over pouch and steep for 4-5 minutes.
3.) Remove pouch and add ice to remainder of pitcher.

Simple, right? Though I haven't done it yet, I'd love to use iced tea as a base to a morning smoothie. I could go on, but what might be better is if you try some of this stuff for yourself. Which is why we have a giveaway for you: Mighty Leaf has offered a generous package to one lucky reader -- their Summer Brewing Package . . .


What you'll win:

• A box of each of the four new iced new teas (Black, Ginger Peach, Sunburst Green Tea, and Calypso Mango). You can read more about each on their website.
• The Bodum Iced Tea Pitcher.

TO ENTER: Leave a comment with the word MIGHTY somewhere in the mix.
IN ADDITION: Tell us about your favorite summer beverage. Iced Tea? Iced Coffee? Lemonade? Beer? We've all got our thing.
GIVEAWAY CLOSES: Friday, July 29th at 9:00PM EST
PRIZE SHIPS: USA only.
ALSO: To win, I need your email address -- so please provide it (or your blog link so I can find it -- just some way of contacting you) or, unfortunately, you cannot win.
PS: One entry per email address is allowed. The winners will be selected using Tara's Random Number Generator and announced Monday (8/1) morning.

And if you just can't wait, we have a discount code for you!

Discount Code – SUMMERTEA15 – 15 percent off all loose leaf tea and tea bags
Twitter - @mightyleaf
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/mightyleaftea

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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