Happy Monday, my dears!

Today, I'm going to share with you guys a little drink that I've been making for myself every morning for the past several months. Iced matcha lattes have become all the rage lately, replacing the usual morning coffee for many people, but mine has a little extra twist to it to amp up the health factor: collagen.

But before I dive into that, I want to introduce you guys to my new favorite matcha, Matchaeologist. My dear IG friend Sara of @shisodelicious had been raving about this London-based company for months on her Insta, and I had to finally give it a go.

This matcha is by far the smoothest blending and tasting matcha I've had. Before when I'd make matcha lattes, particularly cold/iced ones, I'd have some trouble with other brands with the matcha powder clumping a bit and never fully blending properly. Matchaeologist's blends effortlessly within seconds. I really enjoy the taste of the Meiko flavor, but that is the only one I've tried thus far. I know that Sara loves the Matsu. 

I've also learned through Sara that the water temperature for making matcha is really important. The general rule of thumb is that the higher quality of the matcha, the lower temperature to "brew" it, as to not burn the delicate leaves and gives it that bitter aftertaste. You only need 60ºC/140ºF water to blend this Matchaeologist beautifully. 

Now, onto the collagen!

This has also become a bit of a trendy topic recently, as collagen-heavy food items like bone broth and collagen powders have risen in popularity for their health benefits.

I first heard the concept of adding collagen powder to your morning coffee or green tea through Julie of Peanut Butter Fingers, who adds it to her morning coffee. Initially, I wrinkled my nose a bit at the thought of putting beef collagen in my coffee- it didn't really seem appetizing, and I don't blame you if you're thinking the same thing right now! And even though she said it had no taste or flavor, I tend to notice this stuff much more than other people- for instance, I am super picky about protein powder because it's all I can taste in a smoothie if it's a bad one.

But then my autoimmune issues have been continually and inexplicably been flaring up here and there, and I honestly am willing to try anything and everything I can to help my symptoms when this happens. The idea of collagen popped into my head, as it is a great source of protein, because it contains amino acids that help support your connective tissue, particularly with your skin, hair, and nails. My joints and my skin had been feeling very inflamed, so I started to put a scoop of this in my iced matcha latte every morning.

Seriously, no taste or change in consistency, thanks to it being cold-soluble. Sometimes it can get a little viscous if sitting for too long, so just give it a stir and it'll be perfect. And hello, 6 grams of protein in one tiny tablespoon! I usually will put 1.5-2 tbsp in my iced matcha latte. 

I use Great Lakes Gelatin Collagen Hydrolysate Beef, upon Julie's recommendation and I love it. For some reason on the container it doesn't advertise that it comes from grass-fed cows, but it does according to their website! Grass-fed is definitely the optimal choice for optimal nutrition. 

This little morning drink has replaced my morning coffee (although I tend to have one later, since  I just love coffee!)- it's got all the health benefits of matcha and collagen, and a nice kick of protein that you just don't get with your morning cup of joe. 

Now I'm going to share the way I make mine with you guys, but the recipe is truly flexible. I tend to stick with only 6 oz of milk, but you can use 8 oz. for a creamier drink and less matcha-y, 

Iced Matcha Latte with Collagen

Recipe makes 1 serving

Ingredients

1 tbsp hot water (~60-65ºC/140-150ºF)
1 scoop (1 gram) of Matchaeologist Matcha (I used the Meiko blend)
6-8oz of Milk (sub almond, coconut, or cashew milk if you wish)
1-2 tbsp Great Lakes Collagen
Ice

Recipe

1. In a small bowl or cup, add scoop of matcha to hot water, and use bamboo whisk (or regular if you don't have one!) to throroughly mix until there are no bits of matcha powder left. Add scoop of collagen and mix with a spoon until thoroughly dissolved. 

2. Pour milk in a mason jar (that you have a lid for). Add in the matcha mixture and ice, then close the mason jar. Shake vigorously until a bit bubbly. Pour and serve!