matcha latte + lavender almond milk

I am a creature of habit. I am sure you are too. Aren't most humans?

Coffee in the morning is one of my favorite rituals, but it's also one of my only rituals that causes some slight guilt. Coffee is good for you one day, and bad for you the next. I really don't believe that a cup a day is bad for you, especially when I am drinking it with homemade almond milk, however, for some reason I just feel like downing a cup of coffee after I had a super healthy green smoothie and a workout, is helping much. Maybe it's not bad, maybe someday someone will come out with some research that the combo of a green smoothie and a coffee is super good for you. It's doesn't matter to me, the combo of the two just feels kinda wrong.

Towards the end of this summer, I was trying to switch up my coffee habit with something a little different, and maybe slightly healthier. I still wanted to enjoy the ritual of something warm in the morning, and I also wanted to keep my ritual of making something with homemade almond milk, and  matcha seemed like a good antioxidant kick to start the day. I made it once, and I was hooked. It was the perfect warm beverage, and even better accompaniment to the creamy almond milk.  

Fast forward to about a week into my new matcha latte ritual. I was making a batch of almond milk, and there is a  jar of dried lavender was sits on my windowsill that was begging to be added to the almond milk. It was a good move. It turns out that lavender + almond milk is a really delicious combo. Also, for some reason, the subtle floral taste of the lavender seems to lessen the bitterness from the matcha (and coffee too, if you're curious). Coffee was no longer in the back of my mind. I craved these matcha lattes with homemade lavender almond milk for my morning ritual. (oh, and I also think there's probably a million other uses for lavender almond milk which we both should experiment with!)

Ironically, I am writing this post from a three week trip I am on across Europe, where there has been no rituals, and no almond milk in sight. I am missing my rituals (and my almond milk) but I also find it is so refreshing to break free of them once in a while for the sake of exploring. Every since I was a little girl, I loved exploring ....... even if it was just in the woods in my backyard, and the desire has only gotten stronger over the years. I hope you're following along on instagram, and in the meantime, go and make this matcha latte with homemade lavender almond milk, for me, since I cannot have one ;))  It will be one of the first things I make when I return. 

matcha latte + lavender almond milk

MAKES
enough almond milk for about 3 days, but this recipe is for 1 matcha latte 

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
a nut milk bag
a high-powered blender (vitamix)
a mason jar with lid
a matcha wisk (optional)

INGREDEINTS

for the lavender almond milk:
1 cup of almonds **soaked overnight
4 cups of filtered water
a pinch (or two) of dried lavender
a pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1 tablespoon of coconut oil  (optional)

for the matcha latte:
1 teaspoon of matcha

METHOD

**The night before, soak the almonds. It is best to soak the almonds for a minimum of 3 hours, but overnight is best. It makes them more digestible and creamier. 

Optional step, after soaking the almonds, peel them:

• I only recently started peeling my almonds. It's time consuming, and I am not convinced there is much benefit (since you are straining the almond milk after you blend it), however, both Michael and I notice a difference in taste and creaminess when the almonds have been peeled. So, maybe try and see what you think. The skins pop off very easily once the almonds have been soaking. 

Blend the almond milk:

• Place the almonds, peeled or unpeeled, into a high-powered blender with the filtered water and the lavender. Blend on high for about 2 minutes. There should be no chunks of almond left behind. 
• Strain the milk through a nut milk bag into a medium sized bowl. Squeeze the milk through the bag, to make sure you get all of the almond milk through. 
• Pour the strained milk back into the blender (save the pulp for other uses, such as cookies or bread). Add in the remaining ingredients: salt, vanilla, and coconut oil. Blend quickly to combine everything. Transfer the milk to a storage container with a tight-fitting lid. 

Make the latte:

• Heat some water in a tea kettle. Place the matcha into a mug. Fill the mug up about 2/3 with the hot water, 1/3 milk, it depends on the size of your mug. Wisk until the matcha is dissolved. If you don't have a whisk, you can pour the matcha and the hot water and the milk into a mason jar, cover very tightly with the lid, and shake shake shake until it's combined / dissolved. This method also help make it frothy. Be careful because the jar will be hot, so you'll need to shake it with a towel or something similar. Enjoy immediately. 
• The almond milk can be kept in an air-tight container in the fridge, and usually lasts about 3 days.