London Fog

I posted earlier about making espresso, cappuccino and latte at home using an espresso maker. These fancier drinks are quite costly at the coffee shops so the frugal thing to do if you want to enjoy these drinks on a regular basis is to invest in an espresso maker, coffee-maker/percolator a few specialized cups, a coffee grinder, a tea ball and a tea pot and you are all set to enjoy great hot beverages at a fraction of the cost. Now before you start panicking over the cost of all this extra equipment if you have been reading this blog you will know frugality is the underlying theme.

I have bought in my lifetime one new teapot and that's only because it was a French chef I fell in love with. The rest of my teapots were bought at resale stores and yard sales for seldom more than $1. I have 2 - 4 piece sets of cappuccino cups with one bought at a resale store for 50¢ and the other as part of a porcelain dinner set bought for $2.50 at a liquidation store. My four tall glass latte mugs cost $1 each at the dollar store. The percolator (circa 1950's) cost $2 at a resale store and so far has given us faithful daily service for the past 9 years. Other equipment such as the espresso maker which was a gift are best bought on sale and you don't have to go really expensive here either.

One of kids told me about a beverage they were enjoying called a London Fog. This fancier tea drink has been made popular by Starbucks® but it is ever so easy to make at home as well. It is a latte made with tea flavoured with vanilla rather than coffee. A London Fog is a nice sipping drink while curled up on the chesterfield watching a movie on a cold Autumn night.

London Fog

Don't be tempted to make tea in the heathen fashion of pouring boiling water over a tea bag in a mug. If you are going to make tea you need a warm teapot and a tea ball filled with your loose tea blend. London Fog is made using a strong brew of Earl Grey tea.

Method: Fill tea ball with loose leaf Earl Grey tea. Pour hot water in teapot to warm. Bring 2 c of water to a boil in electric kettle. Empty teapot, add tea ball then fill with boiling water. Allow to steep 5 minutes. Add about ¼ tsp pure vanilla to a warmed tall glass mug. Once the tea has steeped, pour into mug until about three quarters full. Steam 2 oz of skim milk using the steamer on an espresso machine. Pour into the hot tea then spoon milk froth on top.

Pictured is my small 2 cup morning tea pot that sits on top of a matching tea cup. Beside it is my lovely London Fog and doesn't it look gorgeous? Many a morning is enveloped in fog this time of year. This drink comes so close to mimicking a heavy fog! Traditionally London Fog is made using vanilla syrup but I don't like my tea sweetened so I use plain pure vanilla. This is a lovely drink for sipping on before going to bed. It's warm and relaxing without a lot of caffeine and all the benefits of warm milk to help you sleep.