Salem MA Restaurant Review

Last week we were able to spend the day on Boston's Northshore. This area runs along the coastline and includes Salem, Gloucester, Rockport, etc. I think we tried to cram too much into one day. Nonetheless, it was beautiful and we'd love to go back (maybe for an entire weekend next time)!

So we started in Salem....

Beautiful place and not overly crowded on a Sunday morning. Before we went I did my research on vegan restaurants. I found one that is not entirely vegan, but it was some of the best food I've ever had!

LIFE ALIVE!

The inside was so colorful! We went on the early side, so there weren't too many people in there yet. I ordered the Goddess demi-bowl (after I ate it, I wished I'd gotten the larger bowl):

I got the sprouted legumes instead of tofu. Awesome ginger sauce covering carrots, beets, broccoli, kale, and brown rice. It was the most amazing food ever!! I could eat that dish everyday. Now I must try to replicate it. Hmmm.....

S ordered the Warrior Salad, also delicious:

...topped with hummus and tofu!

I also ordered the Jive Alive juice, which was very ginger-heavy. Good, but it was burning my throat a bit.

The place is maybe 95% vegan. They have a few items that are not....not sure why. Doesn't matter to me....I WILL BE BACK!

If you're interested, they also have beer on tap and kombucha.

After Salem, we continued on to Halibut Point:

Then to Rockport (which was outrageously packed with tourists):

And lastly, Gloucester!

I had the urge to see the ocean......and so we did!

Have you been to the Northshore? What's your favorite part?

Eat smart,
T.

Matcha Green Tea Latte

In yesterday's post, I said I wanted to try a green tea latte. So.....here it is!

I used the Kiss Me Organics matcha powder for this.

Matcha Green Tea Latte:

Boil about 1/4 cup water. 

Add 1 tsp matcha powder to cup.

Add the boiling water to the cup and whisk until green tea is dissolved.

Add about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup frothed non-dairy milk.

Sweetener to taste (optional)

Here, you can see the tea powder with the water before I added the soymilk:

I think, technically, you're supposed to use a bamboo whisk, but I didn't have one.

When I first tasted it, it was a bit grainy. You should wait a minute for things to settle at the bottom of the cup before drinking. After the 1st minute, no more graininess! I didn't add sweetener, but I might try it next time for a dessert-like drink.

See yesterday's post if you want to enter to win this matcha powder!

Eat smart,

T.

Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder Giveaway[GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED}

I haven't had a giveaway in a while.....I also haven't been posting as much since we've moved to the North East. I DO update my facebook page though, if you'd like to keep up with me there. I will try to do more posting on the blog. You can help by reminding me on my facebook page!!

(photo from KissMeOrganics)

Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder

Why is it good for you?

It is very high in antioxidants (EGCG).

It contains L-Theanine which induces relaxation without drowsiness.

It increases energy levels, lasting up to 6 hours, but without the nervousness or jitters of other kinds of caffeine.

And it tastes great!

I recently got a bag of matcha powder, so I decided to try it in a few recipes. 

(photo from KissMeOrganics)

I was a bit freaked out at first when I saw this on the bag:

.....so I smelled.....slowly.....but it smelled great! Very grassy and refreshing. Phew. 

A nice color.....not ultra bright, but not nearly as dull as it looks in this picture either. (ok, I need to start taking pictures with my real camera again)

So first I made these Matcha Green Tea Chocolate Chip Brownies:

(don't you love the green color??)

They were absolutely delicious....a really nice, strong green tea flavor. Unfortunately, they were pretty gooey and had to be refrigerated for quite a while before I could get squares out of them. If you love green tea, I highly recommend making these with the matcha powder!

I wanted to make a green tea latte, but I'd already had enough coffee today. So I will maybe make some tomorrow and let you know how it turns out!

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Today I made this Matcha Morning Loaf:

You can see the "mashed banana" in it. That's ok, it tastes delicious. The green tea flavor isn't as strong in these, but still there. And it's quite tasty. Nice with a cup of coffee. (you can get double the caffeine!) It took a while to bake (about 35 minutes), but very worth it. I'll make this again, perhaps with a little extra matcha powder added and pureeing the banana first. 

I love this matcha powder! It is CULINARY grade, which is how it is labeled right on the package, so it's great in baking. I will test it out with a latte and let you know how that tastes! 

I've never had or used matcha powder before, so this was a first for me. I've always liked green tea. It's great to know that it (matcha) won't give you the caffeine jitters, like coffee!

Now for the GIVEAWAY!!

Enter to win a 4 oz bag of Kiss Me Organics Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only.

The winner will receive a coupon code to cover the purchase on Amazon, and will be refunded the shipping cost (if there is any). 

GOOD LUCK!

Share this giveaway on Facebook via this link (links to the product on Amazon).

PS-this is my first time trying Rafflecopter for the giveaway...I apologize in advance if something goes wrong. 

Feel free to follow my blog! The more followers I have, the more chances I'll have to do giveaways and reviews! (I lost several followers when I switched URL's, unfortunately)

Eat smart,

T.

(disclosure: I was given a 4 oz bag of this matcha powder by Kiss Me Organics for a review. However, I asked them to do a giveaway as well, so one of my readers could try it too)