The sun has been appearing off-and-on, with dark blue fog in-between, all day long. I know that the fog-days are going to be fewer now and I wanted to make the most of it before it is over, so I have snapped another fog picture and made more fog tea. I have been busy with other things, as well, and have not had time to address some of the requested subjects for this blog, but am still hopeful that I can do that in the future.
Today I'm serving an extra white foggy tea called "White Cucumber" made by an American company called Tazo, I like this cucumber flavor, which has a hint of lime and mint. The new Tea Time Magazine for Jan/Feb has a write-up about white teas, with a "gentle reminder" on page 12 that these white teas should not be steeped in boiling water, so I just bring the water almost to the boiling point, or else, let it stop boiling for a minute before filling the teapot.
With this foggy-morning tea I've prepared a cucumber/Monterey Jack cheese sandwich, buttered on both sides, on slices of those little loaves of bread I made for one of the other fog-teas.
I use a quick bread, nut-bread or muffin recipe minus the sugar and the nuts. It is a much quicker way to make bread, and you do not have to worry about it rising perfectly.
The sandwich was given a great review from the children who came to tea, and the one that was left was called "blog food," which was easily given away.
Using a small loaf pan makes the bread easier to cut into tiny tea sandwiches, and you do not have to cut off the crusts; they are soft and delicious.
A special foggy pudding crowned the whole event: heavy whipping cream swirled into lemon pudding (or lemon curd) and served in tiny dishes. There should be no danger of anyone gaining weight with these small servings.
Just a few sips and bites makes this foggy day so exciting. Now, I've grown interested in foggy photographs and foggy art work, as well as foggy fashion shows. So, you don't know what you will see on this blog as long as the fog holds out. I'm almost disappointed to see the sunny days come.
12 comments:
But the sun is beginning to peek through....I haven't tried Cucumber tea, and am not sure without your reccomendation I would have even been tempted. The reminder about white tea is atimely...I just opened some to try later today for afternoon tea. Lovely photos.
Ruth
That just looks so lovely. Wish I had somebody, some other lady, to share stuff like this with.
Love this series, Lady Lydia. Fun for us to see what you've planned for each day of your "Fog Teas".
Thanks for all the work you put into making your place a pleasant place to come & visit. :o)
Brenda
Hello Brenda,
I am hoping to host a few more fog teas along with sewing. So far, I have not left home in order to chase the fog, but I can see there will be a time when I will have to drive up into the hills to get thicker fog.It is getting less foggy here. Before it disappears completely I hope to get pictures of things shrouded in fog, and of course, make my fog wardrobe(smile).
I am interested in how you make the bread. You wrote, "I use a quick bread, nut-bread or muffin recipe minus the sugar and the nuts." Does this end up being a bland bread? Perhaps you could give an example. I have been looking for a simple quick bread or brunch cake recipe that does not use very much sugar and I am stymied. Everything seems to call for a lot of sugar or a commercially prepared ingredient. I have even tried German recipes as I know Germans use much less sugar in their desserts. But I have had no luck.
If you add enough salt, the bread is not bland without sugar. If you do not like the taste of it, add a tablespoon of honey to the liquids before mixing. Commercial breads ARE very bland. Toast, sandwiches and other things are made more tasty by the ingredients we use with them, such as butter, cheese, jam, and such. Bread is supposed to be somewhat bland, and not sweet. Salt will help, and if you like you can add some kind of sweetner, but in nut breads and muffin recipes that you are planning to use for breads, it is not necessary to have a cup and a half of sugar.
Dear Lydia,
When you have time in your sewing posts, I wish you would address how to modestly dress little crawling/toddling girls. Things bought at the store are either very much too short, get tangled around her legs, or both, especially going up stairs. After four boys I'm afraid I find a little girl a bit perplexing.
BoysMom
To Anonymous 18:10pm:
If you shorten the toddler's dress to about her mid-calf, she will not have a hard time walking or climbing stairs. It will be short enough for her to maneuver so she doesn't step on it or get it tangled in her legs, but long enough to be feminine.
This can be done by sewing a wide tuck all away around the dress inside the dress. It can be let out when she grows.
In the 1800's little girls always had shorter dresses then older girls and women.
Mrs. J.
Make a pair of elastic waist pants to wear under the dress. There are a lot of these outfits in stores these days, and some have the pants attached to the dress.
What pretty tea sets you have been sharing, Lydia. It is definitely a wonderful way to allow the winter months to pass by quickly!
Many blessings...
I wish that your fog would last a little while longer....it is a very relaxing and gentle atmosphere.
LM
Lydia,
Beautiful tea selections. I'm a fool for lemon curd!! Your salad choice in a later post also sounds delicious. Thank you for your selection of refreshing tea suggestions and recipes; it would appear that we have similar tastes.
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