Saturday, January 31, 2015

Beaten Coffee--Sore Arms, but Totally Worth It!

It seems like I've been writing a lot about drinks recently, like the green tea latte and the... or never mind. Maybe not. I've posted recipes for a few other drinks--but more than half a year ago! By the way, check them out! Black sesame banana drink and chocolate raspberry smoothie.

However, today, my focus is on beaten coffee! Have you heard of it before? Me neither, until earlier this week! Apparently it's also called Indian Cappuccino, and it's super creamy, affordable, and--oh my gosh--DELICIOUS! You know how I said I've been enjoying green tea lattes before my workouts? Well, I've been enjoying this even more, which is not necessarily good because sometimes I just can't help myself to another cup!
What's even better about this recipe is that there's so few ingredients. You really need only four ingredients, and you'll likely have all of them in your cupboard already!
Ingredients:
  • 2 tbsp Instant Coffee Granules 
  • 1 tbsp Granulated Sugar (or to your liking--I prefer less sweet)
  • 1 tsp Water
  • 1 cup milk of choice
Instructions:
  1. Combine instant coffee, sugar, and water, and mix ingredients together until the mixture thickens and lightens. The texture should be almost that of marshmallow fluff! For me, this takes about 10-12 minutes. 
  2. Heat up milk, and add the mixture to the hot milk.
  3. Stir and enjoy!
Super simple! Look at how dark the mixture was in the beginning! Almost black :)
However, as you continue mixture with your spoon, the color gradually lightens and the mixture begins to thicken.
I've tried using a whisk to make this before, but for some reason, it didn't seem to work as well as with a spoon.... Not sure why, maybe just magic? Haha, just kidding! 
As for the sugar, you can adjust it to what ever suits your taste. You can even choose not to add any! And I know because I accidentally left it out once. Oops! But it still tasted great, albeit a little on the bitter side~
Look! So thick :) Beaten coffee is somewhat tiring to make, but don't give up! It's worth it. Totally.
Go try it! And if you do, tell me how it goes!! :)

Saturday, January 17, 2015

WishTrend - Korea-Based Skincare and Cosmetics

Disclaimer - This is not a sponsored post.

Hey guys! I just wanted to let you know about a website to find quality skincare products and cosmetics from Asia--WishTrend.com. While they are based in Korea, they ship globally, and their website is completely in English, which really helps people like me who loves Korean products but don't know a bit of Korean!

What makes WishTrend really stand out among other online skincare/cosmetics stores is their YouTube channel WISHTrendTV and their blog Wishtrend Glam. These videos and articles gives you a bunch of tutorials, product suggestions, trends, and more! Furthermore, these resources are super easy to understand, informative, and have really good image/video quality.

WISHTrendTV

Wishtrend Glam

Here are some articles and videos that I've really enjoyed:

Meanwhile, product-wise, WishTrend has a huge variety, from makeup and skincare to hair products and even men's products! They also have a section of products with free shipping, which is great if you want to save on shipping costs. Furthermore, almost all product pages includes:

  • A brief description of the product
  • The product's features
  • Recommended uses
  • Detailed closeups of the product
  • Instructions
  • Product information
  • Ingredients
  • Reviews
I recently just ordered the Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil (free shipping!!), which I'm really excited for. I'll keep you all updated on how it goes when I receive it~


If you are interested in purchasing any products, you can use the code "WISHJAN2015" for 10% off any purchases $55 and over. 

Furthermore, if you sign up through this link, you can receive $5 to use on your first purchase! Enjoy~

Where do you purchase most of your skincare/beauty products?

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Starting off the day right: Matcha Latte Recipe

Hey guys! I just had my first day of classes yesterday, and let's just say I'm pretty pumped for this semester~ I'm taking mostly classes for my entrepreneurship minor this semester, so I'm really excited to be able to work on some venture ideas these next few months! If anything happens from this semester, I'll definitely keep you all updated!

Anyhow, I think I've been doing pretty well on my New Years resolutions! I went to the gym before class both yesterday and today, so I'm feeling pretty good. Sleeping earlier, however, is something I could work on a bit more, especially since I haven't really gotten a lot of assignments yet. I don't know why, but even though I'm tired, I sometimes just don't want to go to sleep yet... I guess I prefer watching TV more... eeks! Do you guys have this problem as well?

Since I don't like eating a lot or not eating anything before I work out, I've been making myself a matcha green tea latte before going to the gym! The recipe uses the same Kiss Me Organics Culinary Grade Organic Matcha I mentioned in my last post (check out the post for another matcha recipe!).


The recipe is super simple and fast to make, which makes it a great option for the morning! That way,  I can drink something really quick, change, and then go the gym. Furthermore, the matcha latte gives me quick energy (in the form of caffeine from the matcha and calories from the soy milk) as well as lots of nutrients (check out my last post to learn some of the awesome benefits of matcha)!


Alright, here's the recipe! 
Matcha Latte Recipe

Ingredients
  • 1-1.5 tsp matcha powder
  • 2 tsp hot water 1 cup soy milk (or almond milk)
  • 1 TBSP honey
Directions
  1. Add hot water to matcha powder and mix until all of the clumps are dissolved
  2. Add honey to matcha mixture and stir until completely dissolved
  3. Microwave milk for 90 seconds (or until hot, depends on the microwave)
  4. Pour hot milk into mixture, and enjoy!
What are some of your favorite pre-workout meals/snacks? I love love to try them!

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Happy New Years and Green Tea Frozen Treat!!

Hello everyone!! Happy New Years! 

I can't believe it's already been a week into 2015. So much is happening for me this year. I'm finishing my undergraduate degree, going to grad school, moving to Texas, and biggest change of all, separating from my twin sister who I've lived with for the entirety of my 22 years (including undergrad). Thus, there's going to be a lot of changes, but I guess that keeps life exciting, right?

On another note, for this new year, my resolutions are to be healthier and for me, that means to...
  1. Sleep more,
  2. Eat better, and...
  3. Exercise more
Remember my Bikram yoga post? Well... I haven't gone for maybe two weeks? Eeks! But I do have a reason for that (family vacation, and then I had no car afterwards). HOWEVER... I did go yesterday and today, hehe.

So... in my efforts to start the year off healthy (and to use my mom's new Vitamix before I go back to school), I decided to make a nice frozen treat for myself, using my organic matcha from Kiss Me Organics.


The ingredients list was super short and simple. All I used for 2 servings worth was...
1 cup ice
1.5 cup fresh pineapple
1 TBSP honey
2 tsp matcha
Bam! That was it; simple as that. Delicious and healthy, although a little cold for the winter--lol, I had to warm myself up with some hot chocolate afterwards, haha.

So the main item I want to focus on in this post is the incredible Kiss Me Organics: Culinary Grade Organic Matcha. I love it! It tastes so good and gives me a boost of energy and metabolism!!


Now what's so great about matcha? Well, below are just a few of the many benefits of matcha! Read on~
  • 1 tsp of matcha powder has the equivalent in nutritional and antioxidant benefits to 10 cups of green tea
  • Increases metabolism and assists in weight loss
  • Contains 20x more antioxidants than pomegranates or blueberries
  • Contains the amino acid L-theanine, which promotes relaxation as well as alertness and energy without jitteriness that coffee can cause in some people
  • Contains the catechin EGCg, which has potent cancer-fighting properties

I don't know about you, but all of these benefits definitely make me want to make green tea somethings every day for the rest of life, haha. Anyhow, if I find any other matcha recipes I really like, I'll let you all know! Love you all and wish you all the best 2015!

By the way, you can find order this matcha powder form the following sites:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Matcha-Green-Tea-Powder-Antioxidant/dp/B00DDT116M
http://www.amazon.com/Matcha-Green-Tea-Powder-Antioxidant/dp/B00DDT116M
http://www.amazon.ca/Matcha-Green-Tea-Powder-Antioxidant/dp/B00DDT116M
What are your favorite matcha treats? I would love to try them!


sponsored post. personal review.