Guesss who’s moving back to LA tomorrow?! That’s right, me. TBV. The Blonde Veggie. Is that name starting to roll off the tongue yet?

You guys don’t even want to know what I’ve gone through these last several weeks trying to come up with a permanent name change for the blog. I changed it from The Blonde Vegan to The Blonde Veggie in a middle-of-the-night insomnia-induced freak out when I was getting death threats from crazies, and it was meant to be a temporary name until I came up with something I loved as much as the original name.

Then I came up with a name I LOVED and bought the domain name but it was taken on Instagram, so I stalked the girl until I got her full name and her Facebook info and eventually her phone number. (Do I sound like a stalker yet?)

I went through everything in my mind. I mean seriously. And you guys know how I obsess. Every variation of “The Balanced Blonde,” “Blonde + Balanced,” “Balanced + Blonde,” “The Organic Blonde,” “Organically Blonde,” “Organically Jordan,” “Naturally Jordan,” “Blonde, Balanced + Free,” “The Healthy Blonde,” “The Blonde Health Nut,” “The Blonde in Yoga Pants,” “The Blonde Yogi,” “That Balanced Blonde,” etc… they have ALL been running (more like sprinting) through my mind maniacally. And I just couldn’t let go of The Balanced Blonde.

And you know why? BALANCE!!! So when the wonderful girl behind @thebalancedblonde on Instagram agreed to let me take over the name in exchange for a “Yoga Junkie” tee, I was eternally grateful. We have LOTS of thrilling things to come with the new name and obvi a new logo in the works, so stay tuned.

And I am keeping the initials TBV for TBV Apparel — I am so freakishly connected to it. It defines a major part of the person who I have come to be, and stands for three words that mean the world to me: truth, balance & virtue.

Anyway, you know what has soothed my soul a little bit while I have freaked the eff out? MATCHA!

Mmmm, matcha matcha-liciousness. I freaking love the smell of matcha, and I love the taste of it too. It’s funny, because the smell of matcha reminds me of middle school afternoons at Jamba Juice with my friends —the total after-school hang out spot back in the early 2000s. (Is it still? I feel like it might be.)

I didn’t even like Jamba smoothies (now that I’m more knowledgeable about ingredients, sugar, and keeping it organic, I know why!) but there is something about the blissful innocence of that time in my life that makes my heart do a little happy dance. Heading over to Loehmann’s Plaza (Sactown, what up!) after school and running into all the other kids in the area before we were all off to sports practices or piano lessons… it was the closest thing we had to “going out” and having the freedom we were so almost ready to experience.

Am I the only one who feels that way?

If you’ve ever smelled matcha, you’ll understand why it brings back such clear memories for me. It’s a potent smell, and the aroma is so calming. It makes me wanna zen the f out, put on some Sam Smith acoustic tunes and do yoga in my living room. Or do yoga on the beach with my baby girl:

The moment I cracked open the top of PANATEA’s matcha powder, those memories came flooding back to me. And, if I wasn’t very clear about this earlier, Jamba Juice has a Matcha Green Tea Blast smoothie that tootttalllly set my olfactory bulbs on fire when I was a tween, apparently.

P.S. There’s 57 grams of sugar in Jamba’s Matcha smoothie… not to mention genetically modified soy milk aannnd high-sugar frozen yogurt. Opt for the healthy train on this one and try some all-natural ceremonial grade matcha.

Plus, besides the deliciousness of matcha, it’s a superfood that enhances antioxidant activity, supports metabolism, and promotes energy and alertness. You know I need a whooole lot of that between my yoga, running, blog life, and the whole running a t-shirt business and cleanse program thang!

If you’re looking for a yummy matcha brand, definitely check out PANATEA. They are NYC local, which I love about them, but they also ship worldwide. And they started their Matcha Masters program recently, so if you end up loving the matcha you can get in on spreading the love by referring them and winning free matcha and prizes. Coolness, huh? (Check out their insta hashtag, #matchamovement on their @panateagreen Instagram.)

Oh, and with TBV Summer Cleanse going on right now, I have a lot of people asking me what they can use to substitute their coffee addiction—matcha is one great alternative. Energy will flow through your veins when you drink this! Especially with the packed fiber and nutrients of the smoothie I’m about to hit ya with.

Matcha Green Smoothie:

1 very ripe banana

1 scoop of PANATEA matcha powder

½ cup almond milk

½ cup water

1 tablespoon almond butter

1 large handful ice

Directions:

Blend thoroughly, and enjoy!

I also want to remind you guys that I only promote products that I absolutely adore. You can always count on me to keep it real– would never mention something that I don’t actually use in my own kitchen and adore.

You can check out PANATEA on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter as well as their website!