Matcha Latte

I discovered a passion for tea while I was living in China. I visited so many teahouses, trying one green tea after the other, and the taste was never the same.

But it's only when I came back in France that I tried my first cup of matcha. And it's been love a first sip. The following recipe is very easy, and it's a favourite of mine, perfect for long Sunday afternoons.

For one serving:

• 1/4 cup of boiling of water
• 3/4 cup of soy milk (almond milk works very well too)
• 1 teaspoon of matcha powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar.

Boil the water, at the same time sift the powder gentling in a cup. Add the boiling water very slowly, wisking the paste. Add sugar. Bring the milk to a boil, whipping the top to make foam. Gently pour the milk over the green tea, the the foam. And voilà!

Lately, flowers, lovely mail, tea & bath

I've been so grateful lately. Especially for the lovely mail that I received from my friend Liesl. Her packaging is the most precious one. I've been grateful for the beautiful tulips that I bought at the market and stayed in my kitchen for a week. I've been grateful for short quotes that I had everyday on my yogi tea bags. I've been grateful for the delicious natural soaps that I bought yesterday: honey and tea tree leaves.

Not pictured: My second batch of ginger beer. I had to wait for five minutes before being able to open the bottle. The bubbles were so crazy inside! But it was worth it. That was the best sparkling beverage that I have ever drank. My kombucha is doing very fine. I gave my friend Kristin the first baby that I had, so she could make her own drinks. I've been re watching the Edible garden. This show is so inspiring. And I've been grateful for the friendships that I made in here. I'm always so excited before seeing my latvian/german girlfriends on Thursday evening.

I'm so grateful for the little pleasures that I can find in simple things. They make me so happy.

Tea ceremony

The two years that I spent in China have changed me in so many different ways. My attitude towards life has totally changed. I have learned to slow down and enjoy simple pleasures from my everyday life. These moments are so important to me, and I try to treasure them my best.

This new philosophy came to me when I was first initiated to tea "ceremony". Before China, I was such a stranger to this art de vivre. I had no idea that tea could be so versatile, and its flavors could be so different from one another, I didn't know that each sip was different from the previous one and most of all, I didn't know that tea was carrying such a fascinating history.

Two years have past, and I'm still addicted to this beverage. Even though it's pretty hard to find really good tea, that could  quench my thirst of flavors, I have still managed to get my hands on a few good ones!

For natural tea I would brew some Oolong from Dammann Frères. For something more fancy/festive I'll take a cup of Thé des moines from Le palais des thés. Before going to bed I love to drink Bedtime from Yogi Tea. And when I'm on the rush I just infuse a tea bag from Clipper.

What's your attitude towards tea? What tea do you like to drink the most? More tea or coffee?