Tuesday Tea— London Fog

Hello Lovelies,
I hope you all are well! I thought that I would share with you some London Fog.

No, not Fog in London, although the pictures I found whilst Googling the subject are rather pretty.
I’m talking about London Fog Tea (or an Earl Grey Tea Latte). The drink originated in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada although the creator of the drink remains a mystery. Fun Fact: The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's afternoon show Freestyle recently investigated the drink.
While the drink has been happily served in corner teashops—and Starbucks— since 2004, I just recently discovered the drink whilst flipping through an issue of Town & Country. As I am always up for trying something new—and being a tea addict—I decided to search up the recipe and give it a go.
First, let me give you the recipe. In the black font is the recipe I found via WikiBooks Cookbook. The red font is what I actually did.
Ingredients
16 oz of milk. (2% or whole) ½ Cup of 2% milk
1 shot of vanilla syrup per 16 oz of milk As I don’t keep this on hand, I made my own simple syrup by heating ¼ cup water, 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon of sugar on medium heat until the sugar dissolved
1 bag of Earl Grey tea Twinings Earl Grey is my preference
1/2 cup boiling water or as I call it: Put the kettle on
Instructions:
1. Brew a small amount of Earl Grey tea. Add about ½ cup of boiling water to a mug along with a bag of Earl Grey. The result is an Earl Grey tea concentrate. Let steep for 2-4 minutes to achieve optimum flavor. I like my tea strong, so I fixed the tea first and allowed it to steep whilst completing the entire recipe
2. Heat up milk. Access to a steamer is preferred. Another thing I don’t keep on hand—or have any desire to buy—so I heated my milk in the microwave for 15 seconds using a microwave safe container that had a tightly sealing lid—DO NOT PUT THE LID ON WHILST MICROWAVING—then I removed the container, put the lid on and shook it until foam appeared. I removed the lid, heated the milk for another 15 seconds, then shook it again until the foam doubled. Also, make sure the lid is tightly in place when you shake it or else you will be cleaning up milk from some really odd spots in the kitchen for a weeks
3. Add the vanilla syrup. (adjust according to taste) I added a teaspoon of vanilla syrup while the tea bag was steeping then added the milk and foam

After a week—or two, but really, who’s counting—of failed attempts, I finally succeeded. What did I learn about making this drink?
1. You really don’t need a milk steamer
2. You have to shake, shake, shake, shake your milk container…then shake some more.
3. If you like a strong cup of Earl Grey, add two teabags or use loose tea as the milk cuts down the strength of the tea.
4. I have never been overly fond of using sugar in my tea, so the sugar in the simple syrup was a bit much for me, even with the strength of the tea and the milk so I ended up cutting the amount f sugar way down.
5. Basically, when all is steeped and steamed, London Fog is just Creamy Earl Grey Tea, which you can find at a variety of shops that sell loose teas, with frothy milk.
Apparently, this trend has caught on as there are several other variations of this drink. Here is a list of a few other versions:
Winter Fog - A London Fog in which the amount of vanilla is reduced and clover honey is added to taste
Maui Fog - The same as London Fog, only substituting coconut for vanilla syrup
Cape Town Fog - The same as London Fog, only substituting Earl Gray with Rooibos Tea
Sweet Treat London Fog - a sweet, simple, tea-less version of a cold London Fog, which is best served in a punch bowl, consists of chilled ginger ale and copious amounts of either lime sherbet or orange sherbet. As the sherbet melts, it gives the drink a foggy appearance (In my family, this was just called punch)
Dublin Fog- The same as London Fog, only substituting Earl Grey with Irish Breakfast Tea
Fog on the Tyne - Variation on the London Fog. (Started in a Newcastle office when the Breakfast tea had ran out) a cup of hot milk, heaped spoonful of sugar, drop in an early grey tea bag and let it diffuse directly into the milk for 30-60 seconds.
Oxford Haze - substitute English Breakfast and Hazelnut syrup - first served at Shatterbox Coffee Bar in Victoria, BC in January 2013
Have you tried London Fog?
Best Wishes & Happy Sipping,

Discoveries & A Giveaway

Hello Dearies (yes, I know, I have been watching too much  Once Upon A Time)

I hope this post finds you all well.

Okay, so I haven’t fallen down a rabbit hole nor have I found the door that Amanda Price went through that leads to Longbourn—but I am still looking for it and if you find it, please let me know! I could a break from reality right about now. (If you haven’t watched ITV’s Lost In Austen, I highly recommend giving it a go. Plus, my last comment about the door to Longbourn will make so much more sense and have me sounding less like a rambling loon!)

I have however been enduring a rather lengthy round of home renovations, which is still ongoing—and seemingly unending. While the renovations hindered my posting for a bit, I am finally able to get back into blogging and I must say I am quite excited because I have so many amazing things to blather about—and give away—in the weeks to come.

For this post, I thought I would blather a bit about what I have been doing during my absence from bloglandia. So, why don’t you sit down and enjoy a cuppa tea while I ramble on for a bit and if you are patient, I promise there will be a lovely giveaway at the end!

Here are a few things I discovered:

1. I love cozy mysteries—I suppose this should be called a rediscovery of sorts as I was an avid reader of these in the past—and I have just discovered that there are several cozy Jane Austen mysteries that I haven’t tried yet. So next time I am at Barnes & Noble I will definitely have to buy a few of these.

2. London fog tea and I have finally—after several unsuccessful attempts—mastered the art of making it (a post will be up tomorrow)

3. Ripper Street—another way to feed my Matthew Macfadyen addiction plus the series is amazing.

4. Renovations really do my head in. I am a bit obsessive compulsive when it comes to the organization of my bookshelves, so the fact that all my books are boxed up is driving me mad.

5. While I love reading fiction, I need to read a healthy dose of non-fiction and there are some interesting non-fiction books floating around about Jane Austen and the time in which she lived.

6. Parade’s End—The five-part BBC/HBO/VRT television miniseries with the highly talented Benedict Cumberbatch staring as Christopher Tietjens, although sadly I missed a few episodes but at least I have an excuse to buy the DVD when it comes out.

7. No matter where you go Jane Austen Addicts are everywhere and some interesting conversations can spring up, even the blokes get involved from time-to-time.

8. DIY Jane Austen crafts—not only do they feed my Jane Austen addiction, I find crafting to be relaxing (more to come about my adventures in craft land)

9. The Lizzy Bennet Diaries—it’s not something that I would want to watch all the time but it helps pass the time when you’re waiting in line.

10. More people than you realize name their pets Mr. Darcy—I even discovered a person who named their entire flock of sheep after Jane Austen’s characters. I must say it’s a bit odd to be going down the road and see an advertisement saying “Come Pet Mr. Darcy”.

And now for the giveaway!

What have you recently discovered or rediscovered? Leave a comment and you will be entered to win a complete hardback set of Jane Austen’s novels.

 

Giveaway is open WORLDWIDE

Ends May 20

Best Wishes & Good Luck!