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!! :)

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!

November is the season for pumpkin! A day's worth of pumpkin recipes to try~

My favorite thing about NOVEMBER is all of the food, family, and warm thoughts associated with the Thanksgiving season. However, one of the first things that comes to mind when I think November is without-a-doubt pumpkin! 

So below is a list of five pumpkin recipes that I can't wait to try! And hey, I just bought five cans of PUMPKIN PUREE. Yay!

1. BREAKFAST: Protein Pumpkin Oatmeal with Egg Whites

EGG WHITES? I know that sounds kind of odd in oatmeal, but doesn't Brittany from Eating Bird Food's recipe look absolutely delicious? Furthermore, the egg whites give you an extra boost of protein in the morning--perfect as a POST-WORKOUT MEAL... that is, if you can wake up that early!

2. MEAL: Black Bean and Pumpkin Veggie Burgers

Although I typically think of desserts when it comes to pumpkin, Anne from Fannetastic Food manages to combine black beans and pumpkin into a totally HEALTHY and DELICIOUS-LOOKING veggie burger! I can't wait to try it out~ 

3. SNACK: Pumpkin Cheesecake Crepes 

PUMPKIN and CHEESECAKE! What could be better than this? When I first saw Ashton from Something Swanky's recipe, the first thought that came to mind was, "I can't wait for my afternoon snack."

4. DESSERT: Healthy Pumpkin Pie

PUMPKIN PIE is a must-have staple during the Thanksgiving season, and I'm sure thankful for Chocolate-Covered Katie's recipe. Not only is it DIET-FRIENDLY, the pie looks absolutely mouth-watering!

5. DRINK: Healthier Pumpkin Spice Latte

The word HEALTHY always catches my eye! After all, who wouldn't want to "INDULGE" in a healthy treat? Megan from the Detoxinista has the perfect recipe for pumpkin spice latte~

Hope you guys enjoyed this post! 

Let me know what your favorite part about November is!

Bitter Melon Juice?!

Hey everyone! Hope you all have been doing well! I can't believe it's already almost August! Time really does fly doesn't it?

Remember my post on how I got sick after camp and my mom made me drink the radish juice? I'm not sure why, but up until recently I still had a minor cough... I think it could have been because I haven't been getting enough sleep lately.

But my mom decided I needed to try another one of her concoctions! This time it's bitter melon

When I first heard her say this, I was like

WHAT?

Bitter melon?!

This is going to be even worse than the radish juice one you told me to drink!

I usually like radish (cooked at least), but bitter melon is bitter even when cooked! Wouldn't it be worse if I ate it raw??

But like the good girl I am, I listened to my mom and juiced the melon. However, to make it taste better, I juiced two pears along with the melon.

Btw, eating pears is another home remedy my mom swears by, but this one I don't mind~

I've never actually prepared bitter melon by myself before, so I was surprised to find out that it has red seeds O__O

Haha, the other half of the bitter melon is missing because my sister was de-seeding it while I was taking the picture <3

Then I just put everything through the blender, and voila! Done :)

Doesn't the juice look beautiful?? It's even frothy!!

So now I'm sure you're all wondering how this "delightful" concoction tastes right?

Well....

It actually tasted really good to my surprise!! The first sip tasted somewhat pear-y with a pretty bitter aftertaste. However, for every sip after, I surprisingly couldn't taste the bitterness. :/ Strange hmm? Maybe my taste buds got used to the bitterness?

I'm not sure if this juice really helped my sickness or not, but I felt a lot better the next day. (I think it was due to getting more sleep though.)

However, I would actually encourage you guys to try this recipe! It was a surprising success :)

What do you think about bitter melon? Do you like it? How do you eat it?

----------------

A couple cool facts I just found out about bitter melon from WebMD (***although some studies have suggested the following uses for bitter melon, concrete evidence is still insufficient):

• Bitter melon contains a chemical that acts like insulin to help reduce blood sugar levels
• Bitter melon is good for some stomach and intestinal disorders including but not limited to ulcers, constipation, intestinal worms
• Bitter melon is beneficial for those who have diabetes, HIV/AIDS, kidney stones, and OH WAIT! fever!!

Smoothies: Who Doesn't Love Them?

Wow, can you believe it? It's already been almost a month since summer has officially started!

From my visit to the University of Washington! Wow, great weather even in the rainy Northwest!

And what does that mean? SMOOTHIES EVERYDAY, FOR EVERY MEAL! Or so I wish, haha. With so many berries and other fruits being in season, this is the best for making smoothies!

If you haven't seen my previous post on blueberries and all their wonderful nutritional benefits, there are so many! So if you haven't gotten yourself some, or gone U-picking, go get some!

A sneak peak of these wonderful babies! <3 Click, Click, Click!

Alright, back to our topic of smoothies! Today, I have a simple recipe for you all! My Raspberry Chocolate Smoothie! Super delicious: creamy, refreshing, fruity, chocolatey.... you know, everything that makes you love smoothies! Just try it out :)

Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie Makes enough for two (sharing makes the world go 'round!)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups frozen raspberry
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup Chobani Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 scoop Nature’s Bounty Complete Protein and Vitamin Chocolate Shake Mix
• Agave/honey (optional)

Directions:
Haha, only one: blend and serve <3

And of course, you can change up the ingredients however you would like. If you like a more chocolatey drink, add more cocoa; more sweet, add some agave or some honey! What ever fits your taste.

Now it’s time for me to sit in the sun, grab a book, and enjoy~

Black Sesame Banana Drink Recipe and why Black Sesame Seeds are so AWESOME!

This black sesame banana drink is, let me just say, AWESOME! Not only is the drink refreshing and not too thick, which is perfect for the upcoming hot weather, it is also super healthy! This recipe is very low in saturated fat, high in fiber, manganese and vitamin B6. You can’t go wrong with this, so give it a try!

Black sesame seeds has long been a favorite among the Chinese. Let’s take a look at why it’s so great!

• Source of many minerals and vitamins - with calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, molybdenum, selenium, and dietary fiber being only some of the few
• Source of sesamin and sesamolin - both belong to a group of beneficial fibers called lignans - help lower serum cholesterol and high blood pressure
• Highest phytosterol content out of all nuts and seeds! - a plant compound that has a similar chemical structure to cholesterol - helps lower blood cholesterol levels, enhance immune response, and decrease the risk of certain types of cancers!

Alright! Now for what you've all been waiting for! The recipe :) Check it out yo!

Black Sesame Banana Drink Ingredients:

• 2 TBSP ground black sesame seeds
• 1 banana
• 1 cup water (or what ever liquid you want—soy milk, whole milk, etc.)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Honey to taste

Directions:
Add all ingredients to blender and blend away!Enjoy~

* Black sesame seeds can be found in most (if not all) Asian grocery stores. If you can’t find the ground type, you can just grind them in your coffee grinder or even blender~