baby it's cold outside!

...let's go get maccha lattes...

boy, was i sorry to see the temperatures plummet from the 70's last week, to a frigid, teeth-chattering, 18 degrees. talk about a reality check! but it was inevitable�too much of a good thing�as it'd been unusually mild since new year's day. now i can only hope for a snow day sometime in my near future. perhaps tomorrow? *{crossing fingers}*. for now, i just may have discovered the perfect solution to ward off the chills. hey, has anyone else here ever experienced the warm goodness of a maccha latte*? mmm. hmm.

it's no secret that i love tea, and some of its fancy variations, like chai. maccha lattes are basically green tea lattes, made of green tea (maccha), milk or soymilk (like any other latte), and sweetened with honey (i think). you can have them hot or iced. i think their 1st u.s. debut was probably in california, as with other similar trends like chai or bubble tea. it's only now making its way east. anyway, yesterday after getting my hair done, i tried my 1st maccha, and after one sip, i was in heaven. seriously! what's nice is that this beverage tastes "just right". it's flavorful but not cloyingly sweet. and the green tea powder (maccha) doesn't give it the bitterness that characterizes the tea you get as a japanese tea garden ceremony tourist . so far, i've managed to find just one maccha latte recipe here . go try one for yourself soon.

[PS: my long weekend was good. thank you for asking. in fact, i'll share some highlights later. but first, on tap for this evening is some beer, grilled cheese sandwiches, and tomato soup. if that doesn't warm you up, then what will?]

*[i've also seen "maccha" spelled matcha, and macha].