I'm in love with green tea!

Oh, Kiss Me Organics, you had me at hello!

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I love tea, especially herbal blends. But sometimes I need a little more kick, and that's when green tea calls me. It has caffeine, but doesn't give me the shakes or upset my stomach like coffee does when I overindulge. As for cooking with green tea, that's new for me. It was, anyway, until Kiss Me Organics asked if I wanted to try their Organic Matcha Green Tea.  Not only did they send the tea, but they included a cookbook and additional recipes.

Why Matcha Green Tea?  It helped me (and others) come out of a coffee addiction without leaving the detox symptoms of quitting cold turkey.  It has antioxidants, boosts metabolism (which helps with the 2 pm slump and calorie burning),

I've enjoyed my Matcha hot, iced, in smoothies, and in green tea soy (and almond milk) lattes.  Kiss Me Organics sent an e-book filled with recipes for drinks, cocktails, dips, baked goodies, and more.  If course, I had to put my own spin on the ones I tried. I made the Refreshing Matcha Cooler (page 16) with raw instead of steamed broccoli, raw beet greens in place of the steamed spinach, raw carrot instead of juice, a lime wedge instead of juice, and almond milk instead of yogurt. Oh man, it was fab!

If I thought my family would go for it, I'd go all out with some of the baked sweets year round.  Come

St.Patrick's Day, a cake or cupcakes with a Matcha non-dairy icing will grace the table.  I know some Chocolate Rum Matcha Truffles (page 35) will hit the table before then.  Striped Pig Distillery's Rum and a coconut cream should work nicely here.

Get your bag from Kiss Me Organics on Amazon for $25.  Kiss Me Organics offers excellent customer service and follows up to share additional recipes and tips. If you don't like it, return it within 30 days for a full, no questions asked refund.

Cheers!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Strategic Shopping

Salvatore Vuono photo.

I am a  huge fan of strategic shopping.  I wasn't always.  Wandering the aisles aimlessly and grabbing whatever looked good was the old plan.  It explains why I have tons of condiments in the fridge and pantry.  Returning to school, buying a house, rising gas prices, and growing kiddos forced me to re-evaluate and put spending in check.

But the budget does not keep me or the family from eating well.  Coupons, store specials, menu planning, and a stocked pantry make all the difference.  When I shop for produce, I check for sales, but make sure I wander around for goodies.  It's the only section I wander aimlessly in anymore.

We hit Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, or Earth Fare for my hippie stuff I can't get in the standard grocer.  Vegan chorizo, coconut milk or almond yogurt, and an assortment of gluten-free baked goods are what I look for.

Big box stores may be the bane of some shoppers, but they are awesome for my budget.  Bulk almond butter, agave nectar (if on the list), and organic produce are ready and waiting at killer prices.  Thank you, Costco!  Ethnic markets are good for the budget, too, but I have to admit I haven't visited one in a while.  I have to see if I can score gluten-free soy and hoisin sauces.  (I cannot believe how much i miss hoisin sauce! Okonomiyaki is just not the same without it.)  

How do you shop?

And on that note, I need to get to making my shopping list.  Off to check Southern Savers for this week's coupon match ups!  Peace, all.

Almost forgot - another reason to turn on the oven

This mac & cheez from VegNews. I've been playing with different variations of vegan mac & cheez and think I'll give this one a shot. So far my fav has been from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen with a lightened version of The New Farm's recipe running a close second. Especially when either diced tomatoes or broccoli are tossed in - yummy!

And what did I see when I went to FFVK to grab the link? Blueberry Oat Bars! OMG, I've got to make these! I have everything for them on hand. See, this wahm has been seriously craving sugar - so much that the kids' Nutri-Grain bars are looking good. I've always thought they should have more filling (and a name that truly reflects what they are, bigger fig newtons with non-fig fillings). The blueberry oat bars might just do the trick.

Dang! Hubster has jury duty tomorrow. Pooh!