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You guys, I did something dramatic. Not quite as dramatic as the grey hair I *tried* to rock a few months ago, or that one time I put blue cheese in a chocolate cake, but like nonetheless pretty dramatic. I quit coffee. Well, Matt forced me to quit coffee. But I did it! I had this really bad habit of waking up and pounding like two entire cups of coffee within the first twenty minutes of being conscious which, oh my god, is a really really bad thing. And then by 2 p.m. I'd be like *sticks arms out and walks like a (fabulous) zombie*. No bueno. So it's been roughly 120 hours, 42 minutes, and 38 seconds since my last cup, but really who's counting?

I am. I'm counting. I'm not kidding when I say coffee has been my favorite addiction for over a decade now (I'm 23 so I can probably blame coffee for stunting my growth at 5'7"). My first experience with coffee was basically just a mug of Coffee Mate with like a splash of hot coffee & chicory (yes I'm aware that sounds disgusting). Coffee & chicory is a traditional New Orleans way of enjoying coffee that blends coffee beans and chicory root to produce this thick, dark, and bitter coffee with an amazing aroma. My dad drank it all the time and I developed an affinity for it at a super young age. Eventually I ditched the Coffee Mate, but never really gave up my love for coffee, hot in a mug or cold-brewed over ice, it's been by me forever. It got me through high school, when I would enjoy a cup before running off to school at the heinous hour of 7 a.m. It was by my side throughout all of the last minute cramming I did in undergrad, because I'm a procrastinator and refused to study until the night before, for everything. It's been by my side in the short year since I've finished undergrad, as I've held jobs as a freelance writer, a gallery manager, and now, a blogger and whatever the hell else I do to afford groceries. Until now. Now it's gone. Thanks, Matt, dear.

To be real though, I'm feeling pretty good about kicking the coffee addiction. I no longer have the urge to crawl into bed and hibernate at 2 p.m. during a caffeine crash, and I'm not having that morning time coffee-fueled anxiety, so that's chill! I'm also making all kinds of new tea friends like yerba mate, which has been getting me through the morning with it's oddly delicious grassy flavor. Other than mate, I've been sticking strong to my matcha game, and holy shit I just realized this is the THIRTEENTH matcha thing I've made for the blog, that's one a month since we first launched it, god damn. Well, ok so I obviously love the stuff. And these iced lattes made with almond milk and matcha are an awesome coffee-free way to start a morning or power through an afternoon. Get you some below, girl <3

Shaken Iced Almond Milk Matcha Latte

prep time 5 minutes // makes 2

2 cups unsweetened almond milk
2 teaspoons matcha
1 tablespoon honey

In a microwave-safe measuring cup, heat the almond milk in the microwave on high for two minutes. Whisk in the matcha and honey before straining it all into a shaking tin. Add a few ice cubes and secure the top on the shaking tin, and shake until the outside of the tin is cold to the touch.* Alternatively you can just add ice cubes to the strained liquid and pour it back and forth between two cups until it is cool and frothy, though this can be a little messier. Serve over ice and enjoy!

Notes

You may want to wrap a towel around the shaking tin before you begin shaking it, as it will go from pretty hot to ice cold in twenty seconds, which is kind of a jarring sensation on the hands.