Hi friend,
A quick note before we sip: I grouped each set of chapters together into separate acts, just so we could sip along together, one stretch of the story at a time. This first drink is for my Act 1 grouping — Chapters 1 through 5 — which I think of as Starting Over.
If you have read those chapters, you know starting over there is not the tidy, movie-montage kind. It is the real kind, where you are figuring out who you are again, one ordinary morning at a time.
That is why the first drink in this little series is a London Fog.
A London Fog, for starting over
A London Fog is soft and warm and a little bit fancy without trying too hard. Earl Grey, vanilla, and steamed oat milk, all together in a mug you can wrap your hands around. It tastes like a slow morning, like giving yourself permission to begin again.
It also fits Act 1 perfectly in my head. Think gray sweater weather, a quartz island, a white marble desk, and soft morning light. Nothing loud. Nothing rushed. Just a warm drink and a fresh page.
The recipe
You will need:
- 1 Earl Grey tea bag
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1/2 cup steamed oat milk
- 1 tsp vanilla syrup
- Honey, optional, to taste
To make it:
Steep the tea bag in the hot water for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove the bag. Stir in the vanilla syrup, and honey if you like it a little sweeter. Pour in the steamed oat milk, and serve hot.
That is it. No fancy equipment, no long list of steps. Just a cozy drink for a new beginning.
Sip along with Chapters 1 through 5
If you are reading along, pour yourself one of these for Chapters 1 through 5, and settle in somewhere soft. Starting over does not have to feel big and dramatic. Sometimes it just feels like a warm mug, a quiet morning, and deciding to keep going.
I will share the next drink soon, for Act 2, and we can sip our way through the whole book together, one act at a time.
With all my thanks,
Gabriella
