Veggie & Fruit Table for Parties....

This is such a get idea! Instead of having a sweets table set up are your party, have a veggie/fruit table instead! You can cut up veggies and fruit and put them in different size cups and plates. Also, put veggie/fruit dip in smaller cups/bowls to add to the design. They also used veggies are flowers in this table design. Enjoy!

 
Image from Pinterest

Green Tea Monday.....

hmmmmm...Green Tea Latte! Love them!

I love getting the Starbucks Green Tea Lattes, but I wanted to make them at home. So I've been looking everywhere online for a really good recipe. Finally, I've found two really good recipes for Green Tea Latte.  They're not fully like Starbucks, but "really" close, which is fine with me.

Also, I was using the Double Matcha Tea Bags since I could find a good Matcha powder. But, I was able to get this Ippuku Matcha Latte Powder from the Tensuke Market in Columbus, OH when I was home for the holidays. It has the recipes for Matcha - Latte, Frappe, Shake, and Iced Latte. This is the best Matcha powder I have found. Enjoy!

Green Tea Latte (All Recipes.com)
Ingredients:

• 1 cup soy milk (regular milk is fine too)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon green tea powder (Matcha) OR (2 or 3 Double Green Matcha tea bags)
• 2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions:
In a small saucepan, combine the soy milk, water, green tea powder (or tea bags) and sugar.
Warm over medium heat while whisking until hot and foamy.
Pour into mugs and enjoy.


Another recipe. This was my favorite recipe!

Green Tea Latte (Three Tree Tea)
Ingredients:

• 8 oz. cup milk
• 2 tablespoon green tea powder (Matcha)

Directions:
Use milk wand, small saucepan, or microwave to heat up milk.
Once milk is heated, add the Matcha powder to the milk.
Stir and enjoy.

Images Me Recipes from All Recipes.com and Three Tree Tea. Match powder: Ippuku Matcha Latte Powder; The Republic of Tea - Double Green Matcha Tea;  Japanese Match Powder

Lemons and Tea....

So, it's been a really hard day. But I'm going to do my best to plug through it all, and look to tomorrow to work harder the next day. With the new snow melting outside and the smell of the snow to come by mid day tomorrow, I feel like a small lemon that needs the feel of warm tea around them. Take care everyone and have a hot cup of tea. Enjoy!

Honey Lemon Tea

Ingredients:
1 cup water
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste

Directions:
Pour water into a mug. Add honey and heat in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Stir in lemon juice, mixing until honey is dissolved, then stir in the sugar.

Images from fotobank, medimanage.com, livestrong.com, Lisa at Home

It's time for a New Year...

Happy New Year, everyone! (I know. It's a few days late. Sorry, my bad!!)

What a crazy year 2010 has been though! I don't know about you guys, but I can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2011. I'm also hoping it will be a better year for everyone. So on that note...I am making some New Year's resolutions. Like most people, we all seem to have about the same "main" ones - save more money, stop spend so much money, exercise more, eat healthier. You know what I mean.

But, what I want to do this year is find a passion. Find a better passion for what I want to do in my home, my job, my life... Sometimes I'm not sure if others think about the same thing or not. Do you ever think about finding your passion? What would it look like? How will it change you? I guess it's just something to think about. Life is so short, and I want to be happier this year. I want to say... YES, I love this year! So I'll be doing some soul searching this year. I think it will feel like following a long tunnel ahead of me till I find my way to the end. Wish me luck!

Good luck to all of you with your New Year's resolutions! Don't lose hope and enjoy!

 Torii Tunnel at Fushimi-Inari Taisha Shrine in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
 

Image from Fushimi-inari Taisha

Recipes from a Citrus...

Spring is starting to show in the air. So I found these helpful recipes to brighten the mood. Yummm...

Warm Grapefruit Tea Recipe

Lime Souffle Recipe

Strawberry, Fennel, and Orange Salad Recipe

Lemon Cream with Blackberries Recipe

 

Endive, Arugula, and Tangerine Salad Recipe

Scallops With Red Grapefruit Recipe

Images from Whole Living

Fitness Crush: Amber Elizabeth

As I was browsing through my old Oxygen Magazines, I came across the fitness model: Amber Elizabeth. Great abs, legs, hair. etc. Need I say more!

I need my abs to look this good one day. (One day!!) Still working on it. But it's good to have a picture of your goal look.

Do you have a fitness crush?

Images from Figure Athlete, Amber Elizabeth website, FabulMag.com

No Plastic For My Monday Lunch

It's another Monday work day. So it made me think of an article, that I found, yesterday while I was cleaning out magazines. The article is call 'Ditch Your Plastics!' by Anna Lee Boschetto and Kasia Kurek from the December 2009 Oxygen Magazine.
I've been coming very health minded in the last few years, especially with the editing out of BPA products in our home. This article bring to light some of the alternatives we have to using plastic containers for holding our food.

Here some alternative choices:

ECO lunchbox Stainless-Steel Lunch Box = $22

LunchBots Pico Stainless Steel Lunch Container = $12.99

GlassLock 10-pc. Storage Set = $49.98

Stainless Steel Lunch Bundle = $26.99

Zojirushi Mr. Bento Stainless Steel Lunch Jar = $45.18

Personalized Bridesmaids Lunch Tote = $14.99

27oz Klean Kanteen® Classic = $17.95

REMEMBER: The number '7' indicates presence of BPA. Toss it. (The number 2, 4, or 5 are BPA free.)


Images from REI.com, Amazon.com, Target.com, Your Guide to Green, American Bride, Klean Kanteen
Article from Oxygen Magazine