What do you think of when you think of London? I think of drizzly mornings, quaint bookshops, foggy days, busy sidewalks, grey skies, and afternoon teas. London Fog is a hot tea latte traditionally made with Earl Grey tea. Grab a book, make a cup (or a pot), and be transported to London. This comforting tea embodies all of the above mentioned characteristics of London. Try it and see!

I’m a bit of a pluviophile (one who loves rain or rainy days). Maybe it’s the hygge feelings rainy days evoke. Hygge is a Scandinavian, or Danish, word meaning “cozy.” Or, at least that’s about the closest English definition. Trust me, though, a good London Fog is definitely hyggelit!

Okay, let’s make it! Here’s a step by step pictorial recipe:

Fill your favorite tea kettle with cool, filtered water, and bring to just boiling. Since we all know that a watched pot never boils, prepare your tea cups and/or teapot while you’re waiting.

For this recipe, I am making a two cup pot of tea. This is an already flavored London Fog blend by Harney and Sons. Many thanks to my dear friend, Evangeline, for gifting me this lovely tea! Usually, you can start with your favorite Earl Grey blend and add 1/2 teaspoon of dried lavender buds. Since this blend already includes lavender, I’m omitting that step. You want to have a strong tea base, so you’ll double the strength you’d normally make your tea. Put 2 teaspoons tea (or 2 tea bags) per cup. For my two teacup pot, I’m putting in 4 teaspoons. Do you like my Ukrainian teaspoon? I love it! It’s a treasure. If your water isn’t boiling yet, go ahead and put your choice of sweetener to taste in each cup. I’d usually use raw honey, but since we’re out, I’m using organic sugar.

By now, your tea kettle should be whistling! Fill your teapot until the loose tea is covered. Cover with lid and steep. While the tea is steeping, steam milk. You can use whole milk or any nut milk. Heat about 1 cup of milk until just before it boils. You should notice a foam layer on top. Stir the milk to keep from scorching.

When the milk is done, you can use a milk frother or tea whisk to froth your milk. Pictured here is a tea whisk, but I prefer no froth, so I’m skipping this step. You may also add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla to the milk.

Pour the steeped tea in your pretty teacups until they are 1/2-3/4 filled. Add the steamed milk until teacups are full.

Let the London Fog cool slightly, then prepare to be delighted! Enjoy!

Comment below or send me a teacup emoji if you enjoyed London Fog. XOXO, Lalia

Motherhood. What images and feelings does the word evoke in you? How would you describe mothering? My guess is you’re imaging home cooked meals, a gentle hand on your fevered brow, stories, many tender kisses on incessant scrapes and bruises, fresh laundry, and loving embraces when your heart ached. Mothering to me fully embraces femininity the way God designed. As women, we were made in God’s image to reflect and exemplify His feminine characteristics such as nurturing. And as mothers, we are definitely nurturers.

These days, though, motherhood seems to be devalued or even viewed as an atrocity. How tragic. Recent news is breaking my heart and sending shockwaves throughout the world. Ironically, feminists are large supporters of legalized abortion and forsaking motherhood to pursue careers. In her book Redeeming the Feminine Soul, Julie Roys states, “True feminism would embrace the essential God-designed differences between the sexes and uphold the natural family. And it would seek to restore motherhood in the eyes of the culture and the church, promoting it as an essential component of a flourishing society, as well as a high spiritual calling….It would stop treating motherhood as a hobby or part-time job and would elevate it to a place of prominence and respect.”

I’ve been reading this book because of all the guilt and confusion I’ve personally felt for deciding to put aside my nursing career to be a stay at home mother. Being the lady God created me to be is fundamental, and I want to learn to be that lady. Maybe your soul longs to embrace your femininity as well? Let me pause here to say that you don’t have to be a mother to be the lady God dreamed you’d become. I’m just sharing my story and truths I’ve learned because mothering has been on my mind lately. Motherhood hasn’t been all tea parties and cupcakes for me, though those times are delightful and important. I loved my chosen career–nursing. And, I was able to use my God-given nurturing nature in the clinical environment. I miss nursing so badly that I’ve felt a physical ache at times. But then, I watch my little girl’s face light up as I teach her something new or she discovers a new phrase, and I feel so soul-satisfied and fulfilled. There have been intense moments of guilt and shame as I’ve heard the whispers about my wasting my education, talents, and the money I spent to become a nurse. Perhaps today’s society has shaped that perspective; I don’t know. What I do know with my whole broken heart is this:

“Once a woman becomes a mother, she has no greater kingdom purpose than molding the life of her child. That child, for whom Christ gave His life, is dependent on her for his or her well-being. And there is no one else on the face of the earth who can play the role that a mother plays in the life of her child” (Roys, 2017).

There are unique circumstances where mothers must work outside the home. I get that–if it’s an absolute necessity and not just a selfish ambition. If insufficient income is the issue, are there budget cuts that could be made? I’m not here to guilt-trip anyone, but I am also not going to be shamed because I choose to stay home and nurture and train my child. Unfortunately, “when mothers are regularly absent, their children suffer profoundly” (Roys, 2017). Roys goes on to say “experts in child development now recognize that a young child’s need for her mother is as strong as the need for food, so separating from her for extended periods of time can be traumatic.” That research was eye-opening for me. I realize I have a tremendous responsibility to my daughter. While I miss nursing, and always planned to be a “career girl,” being a stay at home mother has helped me embrace my feminine role in ways I never imagined. I love it!

I feel that as mothers, our primary responsibility is to our children. As noted above, their well-being physically and emotionally is is dependent on us being readily available to them. Sure, it hasn’t always been easy and has been one sacrifice after another, but the privilege to be with my daughter always is worth it. My child is worth more than having the latest gadgets, experiencing all the entertainments, and keeping up with the Jones’s. Motherhood hasn’t robbed me of my identity, it has shaped my identity. Yes, we regularly have tea and occasionally bake cupcakes, but we also work together, play together, pray together, and learn together. No, no one else can replace my role as her mother, and I don’t want her to; God chose me to mother my child.

Roys, Julie. Redeeming the Feminine Soul. Nelson Books, 2017.

Sometimes when my tall-Prince of a husband and I fight, it is dirty. Well, the dishes are anyway. We have been known to fight over who washes the dishes–for very different reasons. He desires to show love and appreciation to me by helping me. I enjoy the warm, soapy water on cool evenings and those rare moments of quiet reflection. Ordinary tasks, such as washing dishes, can be abundantly extraordinary. Really? YES! Let me share some of my dish-doing musings.

A couple years ago, my silver-curled mother-in-law gifted me a tiny, silver teaspoon. On the slender handle tip is a wee silver teapot. This little spoon has been a treasure. So much so that one night I dreamed our house caught fire, and I ran to save the silver teaspoon. Does a simple object have that much value that it is what I risk my time to retrieve? No. But isn’t that how we often treat life? We’re a part of the race to obtain more and better and even most and best. What if we instead journeyed through life being content with what we have, who we are, and where we are? What if we spent more time focused on what we can give? What if we really practiced and lived gratitude? Just imagine.

Gratitude is another reason I enjoy dish washing. Each item cleansed is an opportunity to be grateful. I have abundant healthy food to prepare for and feed my family. God has blessed us with nice kitchenware. I have a home, running water, hot water, a comfortable place to live life. What I’m trying to say is that I have so much. For a long time I struggled with guilt for being able to have what others could not. In her book Behind the Beautiful Forevers, Katherine Boo describes the world of a community living among a trash dump in Mumbai, India. Her writing is both convicting and haunting. Heartbreaking. Unforgettable. Why don’t I have to suffer as these people must? After wrestling similar thoughts for a long time, Jesus showed me that I have so that I may give. As Jesus Himself said, it really is “more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35 NIV).