Coconut Matcha Latte

Meet the latest addition to my morning routine, an herb spiked coconut matcha latte full of superfood goodness that I developed with my friend Lauren of Wooden Spoon Herbs in honor of the new year. Intentions have been set. The beast that was 2017 has been reviewed, learned from, and let go. And of my intentions for the new year, prioritizing my morning routine is one of the biggest. It’s easy to say “put on your own oxygen mask first”, but then we all go around acting like we can just hold our breath forever. You can’t. I can’t. No one can.

Self-care is the opposite of self-indulgence. It’s self-discipline, and it’s necessary for caring for anything else be it others, your home, your career, or your business. If you’ve read my blog over the years, then you might be aware of the fact that I’m NOT a morning person. I’m also not a routine person. I like to stay up late, sleep in, and do what I want when I feel like doing it no matter what anyone else or even myself wishes I would do. That’s the hand I was dealt. And it’s a BIG part of why I started my business and decided that working for myself was best. I’m not a good employee for anyone other than me (and frankly not even that sometimes).

I lived most of my life as a night owl, and I thoroughly believe that night owl vs. morning bird status is pretty much physiologically hardwired. My husband is a case study in the latter, me in the former. But I’m a mom now. I run a business full time. I’m writing a book. I’m a grown up. And so, I wake up in the morning. My routine makes this much less painful. It actually gives me something to look forward to in the morning, like this coconut matcha latte, key for getting someone like me out of bed.

But more than that, my morning routine was carefully cultivated from reading and studying the habits of highly effective people. There are certain commonalities that can’t be ignored. And so I slowly but surely found versions of those habits that work for me. I credit these morning habits for a lot of my current success, vision, productivity, and peace during the day. I have 8 incredibly simple habits that help calm the chaos. They tune up my brain and body before the day starts, and help me be efficient, focused, and thoughtful instead of scattered and reactionary. When you have a lot going on but are still trying to live slow, focus is key. This coconut matcha latte helps immensely with my focus. Coffee make me feel insane, and this is just the right amount of clean feeling energy. If you bounce through your day reacting to every little thing that comes your way, you’ll stay forever in the busy trap. These morning habits have helped me reclaim my time and live more peacefully as a full time working mom. No easy feat.

If you’d like to know the Slow Morning Routine I developed and the habits that help me win my days, you can get the free guide I made here!

So, about this coconut matcha latte! It features Wooden Spoon Herbs Super Green Protein Powder—a blend of nettle, oatstraw, and moringa. I put the powder in my post-workout smoothie as well—more about my new workout routine in another post! Elixirs, potions, and brews of all sorts have long been part of my morning rituals as they’ve evolved over the years, and this is my current favorite. When I first wake up I drink hot lemon water with ginger and turmeric, and I drink the coconut matcha latte with my breakfast. In Lauren’s words, because I couldn’t say it better myself because “nutrient dense AF” and “restores juiciness” are too good:

“This matcha potion is super high in vitamins, minerals, and protein. Nettle and oatstraw are highly alkalizing, high in calcium and magnesium too. Nettle is nutrient-dense AF, making it energizing and potently nourishing. It’s high in protein as well as vitamins A, K and many B vitamins, too. Oatstraw, when consumed on a daily basis restores the tissues of the nervous system and is acutely calming. It restores juiciness to all of the body’s tissues, is super high in protein, and contains many B vitamins. Moringa is the secret weapon in my protein powder. It has more antioxidants than blueberries, more fiber than a bowl of oatmeal, and is a complete protein as well as a plant-based source of vitamin B12.”

This coconut matcha latte takes a minute to whip up (critical for anything that’s included in my morning routine!), and even if you make your coconut milk from scratch right then and there it would only take 5-10 minutes. You can make this with water, a mix of water and coconut milk, or 100% coconut milk (or any other milk of your choice!) You can also vary the sweetner or omit it entirely (for an admittedly “earthier” taste…) to suit your preferences and dietary requirements. I usually sweeten with a monkfruit sweetener or maple syrup. Sometimes honey, but I find the taste a little distinctive and prefer to taste the matcha and coconut. But if you love honey, it would be great! Can’t wait to share more potions, elixirs, and brews with you guys in 2018! If you aren’t already subscribed, make sure you hop on the mailing list in the sidebar or pop up to make sure you never miss a recipe + you’ll get looped in on my straight talk (i.e. it’s written like I speak, not quite as poetic as the blog can be sometimes!) newsletter all about building a life & creative business you love!