We've been home from Kyoto for a year and a half, and I'm still courting matcha like we just began a serious love affair and I can't take my hands off of it. When Alanna showed up with a bag of "extra" organic matcha in hand a few weeks ago I could have kissed her (who knew one could have extra matcha?).
With this white chocolate matcha latte and a peek at our wedding and honeymoon photo books, I'm writing a love letter to our trip to Japan. An incredibly long and gushing love letter - expect two more weeks of matcha sweets coming up next.
Just under two years later, this post concludes our wedding saga - from engagement to ceremony to reception to honeymoon.
I'm nothing if not prompt.
Here's the thing though - when we opted not to order a photo album through our wedding photographer (yay for saving money!), we had no idea it’d be so difficult to find a publisher that would sell us a professional yet affordable photo book that we could design. It turns out that many wedding album publishers will only deal directly with photographers or charge a huge premium on direct-to-consumer wedding albums.
Cue sad violins. And an obscene amount of photobook research. Are you the kind of crazy that has to compare every option before settling on one? I could snap 20 nearly identical photos and still have to compare them one-by-one to ensure I pick the absolute best one - elimination style. If I can't discern the differences between two photos enough to pick a favorite, then we're in trouble.
It paralyzes me. Best to wait for the husband to compare these 17 photos of the same bowl and angle of tomato eggplant stew. Fun fact: Lucas recently admitted that, in this scenario, he just randomly picks one for me, so I might as well flip a coin.
In a much more scientific elimination process, Pinhole Press won our photo book tournament and they generously gave us an ultra-thick paged Kyoto honeymoon album and two wedding albums to send off to both of our parents. We unexpectedly fell in love and ordered another wedding album to keep for ourselves.
With crisp lay-flat pages, their canvas construction, sturdy matte paper, and print-quality far surpasses most DIY consumer photo books out there. Plus they held our hands the whole time, making sure we got the exact books we wanted. Their ultra-thick paged albums make impressive coffee tables books for shorter travel collections, while their standard heavy pages are well suited for larger events like weddings with oh-so-many photos.
If you've come over for dinner, we've likely sucked you into the "Menanix time warp" - as our friends call it - by shoving these photo books in front of you just when you were thinking about getting up to go. It's a trap.
The hardest part about the whole process?
Paring down our 800+ wedding photos into a printable catalog for the book. The best catalog from the entire lot. And so the decision-making tournament cycle began again.
With only four ingredients, this white chocolate matcha latte, fortunately, required very little in the way of decision making to develop: to sweeten with sugar or honey or only white chocolate? White chocolate, guys. The white chocolate adds a buttery sweet swirl throughout the latte, wiping out the need for more sweetener. White chocolate was made for matcha.
Some day I'll be able to draw a cat on the top of my latte. How-to latte art YouTube videos only ended in spilled frothed milk all over my counter.
Snixy Kitchen Wedding Posts:
- Our engagement story and ring
- Engagement photos
- Wedding Part 1 - First look, backyard reception, & vows
- Wedding Part 2 - Backyard BBQ reception details and bride & groom portraits
- How to DJ your Own Wedding
- Honeymoon Part 1 - Food lover's guide to Taipei & Jiufen
- Honeymoon Part 2 - Food lover's guide to Tokyo
- Honeymoon Part 3 - Food lover's guide to Kyoto
White Chocolate Matcha Latte
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups nonfat milk, divided
- 2 ounces white chocolate, chopped
- 2 teaspoons matcha powder
- ¼ cup hot water
Instructions
- Heat 1¾ cups of the milk in a small saucepan over medium high heat, stirring, until nearly boiling.*
- Reduce heat to low and add the chopped white chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted.
- Measure 1 teaspoon of matcha powder into each cup.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of hot water over the matcha powder in each cup. Use a bamboo whisk to stir until smooth and lightly frothy.
- Divide the steamed milk between the two cups, and stir to combine.
- Meanwhile, heat and froth the remaining ½ cup of milk in a milk steamer/frother.
- Spoon the frothed milk over the top of each cup of tea and finish with a dusting of matcha powder.
Notes
*If you do not have a milk frother that also heats the milk, steam 2 cups of the milk on the first step and use your handheld frother on the remaining ¼ cup of milk. If you have neither a milk steamer/frother nor a handheld frother, you can froth the remaining milk by heating it over medium heat on the stove and whisking vigorously with a wire whisk until it foams.
Inspired by Love and Lemons
Disclosure: I was not compensated to write this post. Pinhole Press generously provided me with the photo books for review. As always, the recipe and opinions expressed here are solely my own.
Tina @ Just Putzing Around the Kitchen -
Love love love everything about this post! Although...why am I not in every one of your wedding photos???
Sarah Menanix -
Because you hid from the camera under the tent and didn't dance. DUH!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely -
This is such great timing, because just Monday I had my first matcha tea latte and I am obsessed! Such great flavors. I love the white chocolate you added. Can't wait to make this. And thanks for the tip about pinhole press! I always feel bad how much I have to charge brides, but those babies are EXPENSIVE! These a great affordable option. I am going to have to share this with my brides! Plus, less work (and pressure) on my. I secretly don't like making the albums...shh!
Beautiful pictures as always Sarah. Loved the snapshots from your honeymoon and wedding. You're just gorgeous : )
Sarah Menanix -
Yesss - you and me both, girl. OBSESSED with matcha lattes! Also - thank you - you're making me blush;)
Lisa / Good on Paper -
Love your wedding photos Sarah! I just love memories printed out into books and I've heard great things about Pinhole Press too. And that matcha latte looks amazing! I'm totally sick right now and that sounds perfect to me.
Sarah Menanix -
Aw man! I hope you're feeling better by now! Thank you so much, Lisa!
Carla (@charliesue) -
It makes more sense that *I* am not in your wedding photos (a la poor, excluded Tina up there), but couldn't you have just photoshopped me in? GOSH.
Also, I want to make this now. Now! I have every ingredient. (I've never had a matcha tea latte.) (I'm sorry I come to your comments section to make all my confessions.)
Sarah Menanix -
Oh, I have a version of the photo book where your face is replaced with Lucas's. I just don't like to let all my weird out all over the internet.
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl -
Such a cool photo book! Pinhole Press is new to me...
And this White Chocolate Matcha Latte - I'd gladly drink it not just because it looks delicious, but because it's so fun to say! ;)
Annie @Maebells -
What beautiful photos!! I have never had matcha before, clearly I am behind!!
Karen @ The Food Charlatan -
BAHAHAHA!! omg, Lucas, I love you. hahaahaha. Eric probably does the same thing when I ask him "which photo." Your albums are gorgeous Sarah! Wish I had hired a professional photographer for my wedding. Then I would totally buy one of these!
Sarah Menanix -
At least he's honest about it, right? Hahaha. Sometimes he'll choose photo A and I'll say "I was leaning toward B..." and he gets so frustrated, "WHY DID YOU ASK ME THEN? GO WITH YOUR GUT" Hahaha. I'm the worst. (Also, whatever Karen says, I do the opposite).
Amy @ Thoroughly Nourished Life -
Firstly, obviously I need to get my hands on some matcha so I can try this indulgent and gorgeous latte!
Secondly, I spend so much time taking about 300 photos of the same thing and then obsessing over finding the difference between them, and which one was the best. Only since I got my fancy camera though. It's like a disease! Perhaps I need to enlist my Mr in helping too :)
Your photo albums look so unique! I love the printed front covers and the different colour bindings. What a gorgeous way to remember your special day and your honeymoon :)
Sarah Menanix -
Totally a disease! I'm finding that by tethering and using a tripod, I'm taking a lot fewer photos, but STILL it's hard to choose!
Traci | Vanilla And Bean -
LOL! :D I adore Lucas' method of choosing a photo for you! What a big help he is. I often get analysis paralysis when choosing photos too. I take 100s and then pick them apart, looking at subtleties no one will ever notice. Why do we put ourselves through this?! I need to have Lucas' around for my editing! HA! This post is so beautiful Sarah. From your reminiscing, to every detail in your photographs, all the way down to your recipe. It's so inspiring. I need Alanna to bring me an extra bag of matcha, because, can you believe, I've never tried it in its raw form. I've only had it in a carefully made petit four, so I'm not sure exactly how it tastes. I think I tasted mostly sugar. Anyway, love this hot drink on a cold eve. Just what I needed. Matcha is on my list! Thank you Sarah!
Sarah Menanix -
Haha - I should offer him out to food bloggers for hire, "Husband will choose your best photos for you. Randomly." ;) Thank you so much, Traci! Come visit us in CA and we'll make you matcha everything - matcha lattes, matcha cookies, matcha ice cream, matcha cake.
Sheri -
Love this posting! Next time I visit you will need to make this for me!
Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits -
You know how I've been obsessed with matcha lately. What a fun idea to make it into a latte!
The photos from Kyoto and your wedding are just beautiful! I think the album looks better than what you probably would have gotten from your photographer! Man, I need to visit Japan one day. Maybe after I brush up on my Japanese. It's been too long.
Sarah Menanix -
Aw - that's so sweet of you to say! Also - "Brush up on my Japanese"?! I'm so jealous - Next time I go to Japan, can I bring you with me as a foodie friend...AND a translator? ;)
Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits -
It's going to take me a little while to get back into the groove. For whatever reason (possibly to annoy my mom), I decided to take Japanese in high school, so I did that for 4 years and a bit in college. It's soooo rusty thought. But yes, if you ever want to make a trip to Japan, count me in!
suki -
Such beautiful photobooks. And I love that you went to Japan for your honeymoon. It's a personal favorite, having spent a year studying there.
I have some leftover matcha that I could definitely use for something like this. YUM! :)
Sarah Menanix -
I'm so jealous of your year in Japan - We've had lots of conversations about how we could manage to change our lives such that we can move to Japan for a year (with the cats too;). Still dreaming about it.
Katie @ Produce On Parade -
This is the most beautiful cup of matcha I have ever seen! And your book is incredible! I wish we had splurged for a more professional one, that is so lovely!
Sarah Menanix -
Thank you so much, Katie! This latte is also awesome with almond milk - highly recommended! (There's still time! Your wedding photos are AMAZING and would look so pretty in a book:)
Lynn | The Road to Honey -
I've got to try this white chocolate matcha latte stat. It looks divine and an indulgent replacement to my usual cup of tea. BTW. ..loved peeking at the photos from your wedding. It looked like it was a really beautiful event.
Tessa | Salted Plains -
Ahh, love this white chocolate matcha latte and the photo books!! Beautiful on both accounts. So funny, we did the very same thing to save money and didn't get a wedding photo book. 5 years later it's still on my list of to-do's because I haven't found a photo book option I liked! Checking out Pinhole Press immediately.
Sarah Menanix -
I hear you - It's so hard to make the choice! It took us SO long to make the decision and finally we just made the plunge. So happy with the results too!
Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog -
Your honeymoon and wedding photos are stunning! I still haven't done anything with my wedding photos, other than print out a few for the house that have since been replaced with pictures of our kids. And I got married 5 1/2 years ago. ha!
Sarah Menanix -
Aw - thank you! I'm totally with you - I had to FORCE myself to do something with them - it was QUITE the project. If you do decide to put them in an album, I think Pinhole Press is such a great quick option!
Veronica -
Oooh! this cup of latte is what I want! You and Lucas must visit real soon! I need to enlist Lucas to help me choose from the 100's of photos I am scanning for the family! Warning this is 50+ years of life! I will say Lucas's baby photos are so cute!Love Mama V
Amanda Paa -
the gifs, the latte, the story about lucas just randomly picking a photo for your blog. i have a feeling brian does the same thing. and good to know about trying to pick somewhere to have an album made, these are gorgeous. worth the wait i'd say :) i can't wait to look through it when i visit!
Sarah Menanix -
Yay! You just made me so excited for you to visit! We'll look at photos and drink all the matcha lattes. And pet all of the cats.
Annie @ The Garlic Diaries -
This looks so yummy! Especially when winter is just wrapping up and it's still chilly outside :). White chocolate lattes have always been one of my favorite drinks.
Kelly - A Side of Sweet -
Awww, those books turned out SO well! Love the GIFs. I have had matcha on my cooking to do list for so long! It's such an 'exotic' ingredient for a girl from the country of Wisconsin!
Shelby @ Go Eat and Repeat -
This latte looks so tasty! With as cold as it's been here this would be great!
Amy @ Amy's Healthy Baking -
Honestly? I'd GLADLY sit down to pour over the photo books with you. I'm obsessed with photos (I guess it kind of comes with the job description -- same with the 20-of-the-same-shot-and-how-will-I-choose scenarios), so going through both the wedding and honeymoon would be SO fun. Can we pick a date next month to make it happen? Pretty please? :) P.S. Pinned!
Sarah Menanix -
YES! Let's please do it! I'll chat you;) And we'll bake all of the cakes and eat all of the cookies in the world.
Joy | The Joyful Foodie -
So...I have extra matcha. *hides* We had several friends and family members visit Japan recently and almost all came back with matcha (and kitkats!) for me since they knew I love it. I'm super grateful, but now I'm in the rare camp of having an over-abundance of matcha. Who knew it was possible, huh? I'm about to fix myself up one of these lattes, though, because matcha and white chocolate sounds like heaven.
PS. Love how your albums turned out! I've been eyeing Pinhole Press for some of our vacation photos. Glad you like them.
Sarah Menanix -
I'm coming to steal all of your extra matcha! I'm almost out of the matcha Alanna gave me and I have so many more matcha recipes coming up!
mira -
Matcha latte- what a great idea! Love wedding photos! So glad you shared some of yours Sarah!
kristie {birch and wild} -
Your photos are just so incredible! I can't wait to go to Japan one day, and I can't wait to make this matcha latte!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter -
Aaw I absolutely adore your wedding and honeymoon photos! The books are just stunning! This latte is such a great idea! I love the white chocolate and match combo and can't to try this out!
ellie | fit for the soul -
Haha I can be pretty indecisive naturally, but not meticulous enough to compare and mull over every single detail! :P And the matcha, the photos, the book! I love it all and you seriously looked like a vintage angel, Sarah...If there's such a thing~~~ ;) <3
Sarah Menanix -
You're so sweet! <3 <3 That's the nicest compliment ever:)
Susannah // Feast + West -
This looks like such a beautiful latte! I have never had matcha, somehow, but now I know I need to bring it into my life immediately. Sarah, I am so glad we connected, albeit briefly, at FBF! Your blog is super gorgeous and I think we should collab on something soon! :)
Sarah Menanix -
I'm so glad we connected too! Thank you so much for your sweet note - I would love to collaborate sometime soon:)
Maryanne @ the little epicurean -
I have good news for you, fellow matcha lover. I have two (maybe three) matcha recipes coming up :)
Gorgeous photo books! I'll gladly sit and go through whatever books/movies/tv shows you want me to see as long as you keep those white chocolate matcha lattes coming.
Sarah Menanix -
I LOVE that you and I are on the same matcha wavelength right now. If only you MOVED UP HERE;)
Chris @ Shared Appetite -
LOVE those mugs! They are stunning... as it this latte! And the books are beautiful! Asheley will periodically look through our album and it's like she's reliving the day all over again. Hope it brings you lots of joy and happiness every time you take a peek at it!
Sarah Menanix -
Aw thank you! They are actually bowls that Lucas bought at the 99 Ranch Asian supermarket for me one Sunday, but I think they make the perfect latte mug:)
[email protected] -
OMG that matcha latte looks so damn good. Still have some matcha left, have to make some. Thanks for the recipe. :)
Trisha -
Hello, I like your blog, great recipes, thank you. I bookmarked the honey green cookies. I have lived in Kyoto, I love matcha. Yesterday I thought am gonna bake matcha brownies, I added the recipe on my blog. I will check again your new recipes, really well done. Thanks. Have a lovely Wednesday.
Sarah Menanix -
Thank you so much! Mmmm - matcha brownies sound DELICIOUS!