Category Archives: Miscellaneous

That Food in SoCal, Though…

Miscellaneous

Hey everyone! I’m back from my vacation in California! I was there for one jam-packed fun-filled week that was perfect for a foodie, and I’d love to share some of my experiences and creations with you!

First on the list is a California must-have for all people. No excuses. It’s In-N-Out burger. Simple little burger joint? Anything but! Literally everyone I know who has visited California or lives in California loves In-N-Out. Maybe it’s the burgers, maybe it’s the animal-style fries, maybe it’s the shakes. Whatever it is, they’re doing it right. Their burgers are juicy, the buns are toasted, the toppings are fresh, the fries are crispy and perfectly salted, and the shakes are thick and creamy. PLUS they can wrap your burger in lettuce instead of a bun if you want. This place rocks!

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Then, we went to a little restaurant called Mama Cozza’s. Let’s just say Guy Fieri from the Food Network visited twice for his show Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and loved it both times. Yeah, it’s that good. And I got to meet the original owner! To start you off, they give you little crunchy breadsticks and a veggie platter, and then they bring out your (probably huge) meal. Mine came with soup and a salad, just in case I was feeling peckish after my whole meal and a side of pasta. Then, they finish you off with a shot of anisette, which is a licorice flavored liqueur.

Story time: I’m a wimp when it comes to spicy food, and Guy Fieri is not. And when I saw the menu items he had recommended, I forgot that they’d probably be spicy. So of course I ordered the spiciest thing on the menu- sausage, potatoes, and chicken in a jalapeño sausage gravy. Delicious, but I could only take about 4 bites. And then when I tried to eat the leftovers, the spice had, let’s say, matured. My lips were on FIRE! However, it was worth it. The food is absolutely delicious, and their bread is to die for! Below are pictures of Guy Fieri’s visit, the bread, my dish, and the original owner and his wife with their newborn son (the current owner).

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Now came my time in the kitchen. My aunt, who I was with, is a great cook and loves trying new recipes. This one was a pork chop with a blueberry-peach salsa. For sides, we made wild rice pilaf, grilled pineapple, and roasted asparagus. YUM!

If I remember correctly, the salsa had blueberries, peaches, lime juice, basil, shallots, scallions, and olive oil. It was delicious just by itself! But then put over the tender pork chops, it was incredible.

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Our next dish was grilled rib-eye steak with Montreal seasoning, garlic Parmesan bread, and steamed broccoli. The bread was my personal creation, so I’ll share the recipe with you!

Ingredients:

  • Sourdough wheat bread, sliced (Or just plain sourdough bread)
  • 1 stick softened butter or margarine
  • 3 cloves fresh minced garlic
  • Parmesan cheese to taste
  • 4 Tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley (my aunt had this in her garden, so I used it, but it’s not entirely necessary if you don’t have it)

Mix the butter, garlic, Parmesan, and parsley together in a small mixing bowl. Spread the butter mixture in a thin layer on both sides of every slice of bread. Then, right before dinner, set your oven to broil and put the slices of bread on a cookie sheet. Put the cookie sheet right under the broiler, and just let the bread toast until it’s golden brown and crunchy.

This bread has a terrific savory flavor, and goes great with any dinner. We had it with our lasagna the next night, and it was just as good as with the steak!

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The final stop was at Catalina Island, where I got a good old fashioned corn dog. While this isn’t anything of culinary genius, I just love a good corn dog!

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Our food along this trip obviously wasn’t the main part of our vacation (although it was a fantastic part!). What really mattered was that we all were together and enjoyed each other’s company, and got to do a ton of fun things together! I hope you all get to have as much fun with your families as I did with mine.

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The Red, White, and Blue Goods

Miscellaneous

Hi friends! I’m hoping everyone’s Fourth of July weekend was absolutely enjoyable. I know mine was! I spent mine with friends and family and went to the Boston Pops and Fireworks Spectacular, as well as a Boston Red Sox game! I also did a bit of baking, with a patriotic theme to it.

First off, I made a “red, white, and blue parfait” for a dessert when our friends came for dinner. Here’s how it works:

Ingredients:

  • 1 box instant vanilla pudding (I used the box that makes 6, 1/2 cup servings)
  • 1 quart strawberries, cut up
  • 1 pint blueberries
  • Whipped cream (optional)

Put a layer of chopped strawberries in the bottom of a parfait cup (or in my case, a plastic Chinet tumbler!). Put a dollop of pudding over that, and then a layer of blueberries on the pudding. Put a last layer of pudding over the blueberries, and then add a few chopped strawberries for garnish. Top with whipped cream right before serving.

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My other creation was inspired by the All-American summer food: hamburgers! It’s a super simple sweet take on the best cookout food around.

Ingredients:

  • Reduced-fat Nilla wafers
  • York Peppermint Patties

All you do is take two Nilla wafers, and put a Peppermint Patty between the cookies to make a cookie sandwich. The resemblance to a burger is uncanny.

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Confession: I tried making these little sandwiches with bacon on top, just to see if bacon really goes with anything. Let me tell you, it doesn’t. My adventurous boyfriend and I gave it a try, and while it didn’t really gross us out, you couldn’t even taste the bacon, and it gave the sandwiches a weird flavor.

Here we are trying it with bacon:

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I guess it turns out bacon doesn’t quite go with everything. It just goes with everything but these little burgers!

These sweet treats are so easy and yummy! Definitely give them a try, because they’re so simple that they only take about a minute each to make.

And for your viewing pleasure, here are some pictures of the Boston fireworks:

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I hope you all enjoyed your Fourth as much as I did, and I hope you continue to enjoy your summers! Just remember, it doesn’t need to be a holiday weekend for you to spend time with friends and family. Make it as often as possible!

Game Days and Gardens

Miscellaneous

Well, it seems that Spring has finally arrived! That’s pretty indicative of the fact that football tailgating parties are out of season, but I figure, it’s Game Day somewhere! Today’s post will be a mix of a few yummy tailgating recipes, and then a healthier, fresher twist on one recipe that uses yummy veggies from spring and summer harvests!

The first recipe on the list for Game Day parties is for honey mustard chicken wings.

Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs chicken wings (the little drumettes work well for this recipe)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp butter or margarine
  • 1/4 cup dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup honey (you can also just buy honey Dijon mustard instead of mixing them yourself, and that tastes great! Just use 1/2 cup.)

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top of it (if you’re planning on using a cooling rack for this, make sure the rack is oven-safe first!). Salt and pepper the wings liberally and then line them up on the wire rack. Bake them until they’re golden brown, around 45 minutes. You can also grill the wings.

While they’re baking, melt the butter in a saucepan and whisk in the honey and mustard. When the wings come out of the oven (or off the grill), brush the sauce onto them until they’re evenly coated. Then, put them back in the oven/grill for around 10 minutes, and they’re ready to be enjoyed! If you’re grilling the wings, make sure you still have some sort of pan under the wings, or else the sauce will drip into the coals and could cause flare-ups or spitting.

You can also use boneless chicken strips, if you don’t feel like getting sauce on you from the wings!

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Next up, the recipe is twice-baked potatoes.

Ingredients:

  • Large golden potatoes (or any potato that you’d like to bake); one potato makes two servings, so plan accordingly if your guests will want one or two servings.
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Whatever toppings you’d like; I used broccoli and cheese for our party, but you can also use bacon, sour cream, chives, chicken, etc.

Bake the potatoes either in the oven at 400ºF for around an hour and 15 minutes, or in the microwave on high heat for about 10 minutes. When baking the potatoes, make sure you poke numerous holes in them with a fork first, so that they don’t explode. You can also grill them, wrapped in foil, and take them off the grill when they’re fork tender.

When the potatoes are baked, cut them in half length-wise (they’re screaming hot, so be careful!). Then, scoop out about 2/3 of the soft insides and put the insides into a bowl. Mash them with whatever toppings you want and a little milk or sour cream, and then pile the mixture back into the potato skin. It won’t fit perfectly because there are more ingredients, so just pile them high! Put them back in the oven for around 10-15 minutes until they’re heated through and all the cheese is melted. If you’re using a grill, just put them on until everything is hot and melty, about 10 minutes. Enjoy!

The final party recipe is for a simple fruit dip. It’s short and sweet, but adds a great touch to any fruit salad or fruit platter!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar, more or less to taste

Mix these all up, and adjust the brown sugar amount or add a dash of vanilla extract in to taste, and you’re good to go! You can pour it over fruit slices or have it in a bowl for dipping. It stores very well in the fridge, too.

Now for the healthier twist on the honey mustard chicken: stir-fry!

My dad is super big on gardening, and has transformed our yard into a mini produce market. We have all sorts of vegetable plants and fruit trees, and love taking advantage of the fresh produce. It’s so good for you, and really makes a difference in the taste!

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Today’s recipe includes honey mustard chicken, sugar snap peas, summer squash, carrots, and zucchini, all from our garden (well, not the chicken). You can either use leftover chicken from the chicken wings and pull it from the bones, or buy boneless strips, grill them, and coat them in sauce. You don’t have to put them back on the grill, because you’ll be sautéing the chicken with veggies and you want the sauce to get on the veggies!

This recipe is really simple: just chop the vegetables and either pull the chicken from the bones or quickly grill it. Then, put a little olive oil into a sauté pan and let it heat. Put the carrots in first and let them soften a bit, then the peas, then the squash and zucchini.

Tip: when cooking vegetables in a pan, always put the hardest ones in first, because if you put them all in together, the softer vegetables will be burned mush by the time the harder ones are done.

When the vegetables are soft, add the chicken and heat it, mixing everything around so that the sauce gets on the other vegetables. When the chicken is hot, turn off the heat and serve the stir-fry!

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A few variations on this stir-fry recipe could be with balsamic vinaigrette and dried cranberries, or a Thai version using the peanut butter from my previous post and scallions. Does that sound yummy, or what?

Game Day parties are a great way to bring people together to enjoy some great community, as well as some rockin’ food. And gardens, well, the benefits are endless! Fresh food, great taste, and a chance for the whole family to get their hands dirty together. I hope these recipes give you some great ideas and tips for your next party or summer dinner!

Peanut Butter, the Natural Way!

Miscellaneous

So how many people like PB&J’s? Actually, I really don’t. But my roommate is a peanut butter fanatic! Recently I went to the Mennonite Relief Sale in Pennsylvania,  where there was a stand selling homemade peanut butter, and I bought some for her to try. It was delicious! I figured I would try my hand at it, and came up with this recipe. It’s seriously the easiest thing ever, and takes a grand total of 5 minutes. It’s also gluten-free, dairy-free, low-sodium, and FULL of omega-6 fatty acids, as well as super inexpensive (like $1.99 for the whole recipe kind of inexpensive).

Ingredients:

  • Peanuts- I’ve left this open-ended, because they can be roasted or raw, flavored or not, salted or unsalted, and it all ends up tasting great. I used a 12 oz. bag of unshelled, roasted, unsalted peanuts.
  • ~1 tsp oil, unflavored or with a complementing flavor. I used vegetable oil, but you can use coconut, peanut, sunflower, etc.
  • ~1 tsp honey, to taste
  • 1/4 cup sugar, more or less to taste
  • 1/3-1/2 tsp salt, to taste

First, if you bought unshelled peanuts, you’ll have to shell them by cracking open the skins and pulling out the peanuts. This part can be slightly tedious, but I turned on Frozen while I was doing it and that made any potential frustration go away!

One shelling technique that I’ve read is from Food Network Chef Alton Brown: get out a salad spinner and rub the peanuts between your hands over the spinner until the shells come loose and break. Once all the shells and peanuts are separated, close the spinner and just spin it until all the shell fragments are on the outside and the peanuts are still on the inside!

When you’re shelling the peanuts, it’s ok if the little red skins stay on the peanuts, but I took most of them off. If you bought raw peanuts and want to roast them, you can roast them in the shell at 350ºF for 30 minutes, and then shell them.

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Then, after the peanuts are shelled and ready to go, put them in a food processor or blender (preferably food processor, though) and grind them up. At first they’ll turn into peanut dust, and then get clumpy (this is after about 2 minutes of processing). At this point, you can add the oil to loosen it up a bit, as well as any other flavorings such as honey, cayenne, cinnamon, black pepper, etc.

Keep grinding the peanuts for a couple minutes, until they become loose and look like peanut butter. Add in the sugar and salt and give it one final spin for just a few seconds to combine everything.

Now you’re ready to eat it or store it! Just a heads-up: the peanut butter will be warm, so don’t be surprised by that! It can be a bit disconcerting if you’re used to room temperature peanut butter. It’s also a little looser than store-bought peanut butter, but you can make it thicker by not processing it as much and leaving it chunkier. Also, if you still like whole peanut fragments in your peanut butter, you can reserve some peanuts for the very end and stir them in by hand.

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Maybe this is the peanut butter that will make me enjoy PB&J’s! This peanut butter can be used in any recipe, from peanut butter cookies to a Thai peanut sauce. You can also jazz it up however you want by adding different spices and oils. And finally, you can make it using other nuts or adding cocoa powder to it (can you say homemade Nutella?!). The sky is the limit here, so be creative and enjoy!

Homage to the Kingochowdah

Miscellaneous

I’m back again! Today’s post is a tribute to my friend’s late husband. He was a fabulous cook, and the self-proclaimed “Kingochowdah”. He used to cook for numerous church events, and his food always was superb. I decided, in his honor, to make his award-winning “Potato, Corn, Sausage and Cheese Chowder”. It’s absolutely delicious, and I was actually able to make it have slightly (but seriously, only slightly) fewer calories. Here’s his recipe:

Potato, Corn, Sausage and Cheese Chowder

  • 2-3 cups unpeeled and diced potatoes (red or white)
  • ~1 cup sliced carrots
  • ~1 cup sliced celery
  • 2 medium finely diced onions (I used scallions because of an onion intolerance, and it still tasted great!)
  • ~4 cloves minced garlic
  • ~1 tsp olive oil (his recipe says “a little” but this is about how much I used)
  • 1 cup diced red bell pepper (optional)
  • 1 cup diced green pepper (optional)
  • ~1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
  • 1-2 cups corn (if frozen, thaw first)
  • 15 oz. creamed corn (I omitted this to save on sodium and calories)
  • 2 cans chicken broth (I used low-sodium)
  • 1 lb cooked sliced sausage
  • 1 tbsp fresh chopped basil
  • 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
  • 1 tbsp salt (I didn’t use that much salt, maybe more like 2 tsp)
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2-3 cups grated cheddar cheese
  • 12 oz. evaporated milk

Sautee the carrots, celery, scallions, and garlic together in the olive oil until they are wilted but not browned. To do this, you’ll need to cook the carrots and celery for a few minutes before adding the garlic and onions, because they’re much harder veggies. Then, cook the sausage if needed. Add all the ingredients except the cheese and evaporated milk into a large crock pot.

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Cook it on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Then, add the cheese and evaporated milk and cook further until the cheese is melted.

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Then, ladle and enjoy!

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The way I made this chowder, it’s lower sodium and has fewer calories. It’s also less thick than the original recipe because I didn’t add the creamed corn. That didn’t make it any less delicious, though! I promise you’ll love it.

The Kingochowdah was dedicated to community and making sure everyone was well-fed. He is well-deserving of his culinary accolades, and certainly left a delicious legacy behind! For more of his recipes, feel free to visit www.kingochowdah.com and order his cookbook. You won’t be disappointed! Happy eating!

 

Feed Those Kids!

Miscellaneous

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”- James 1:27

Hello, all! Today’s post discusses something I’m incredibly passionate about. Yes, it’s still about food, but from a very different perspective. Let’s talk about world hunger.

Friends, we have so much food in America, yet 20 thousand children die daily, many from starvation. I’m sitting here choosing between dinner options in my dining hall, and kids all around the world are wondering when and if their next meal will ever come. This really bothers me, and it also bothers the people of VisionTrust International, a fantastic international nonprofit organization.

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But what can we do about world hunger, you might ask? Well, VisionTrust has formed a daughter organization called Latte Losers. It’s a national collegiate organization that raises money to feed children in danger of starvation, other health risks, and sex trafficking. The idea of this is “Lose a latte, save a life.” For only $5 a month (the approximate cost of a latte or some other small luxury), you can feed a child for the entire month. The entire month. This money feeds the children, and also helps them get an education. For these children, food and education means that they don’t have to sell themselves as prostitutes, become involved in the drug trade, or steal food. This is big. And even bigger is the fact that these children hear the Gospel while they are being fed. Could this get any better?

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At my school, my co-leader and I formed a chapter of Latte Losers, and held an event today to raise support and awareness for Latte Losers, and particularly for the children of Liberia, where this semester’s funds are being sent. We were hugely blessed by many people from my church, as well as by Panera Bread and Aroma Joe’s (a local coffee shop). I had so many donations that I actually couldn’t fit more than one passenger in my car. Now that’s what I call a blessing.

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So much food!!
So much food!!

All told, we raised $282.98 in just cash donations today. That’s amazing! We also got many one-time donations online, which is super. What our most exciting news is, though, is that we got 5 new monthly sponsors who signed up to give $5 each month to feed a starving child. This is absolutely incredible!

So what can we do to end world hunger? It’s simple: go to www.lattelosers.com and sign up to give $5 a month. Give up your coffee, or snacks,  or whatever it is, just for one day a month and give a child a better life.

My co-leader and I have been donating $5 a month for almost a year, and I can personally say that my checking account information is secure on their website, and I get monthly receipts in my checking account, as well as an email confirmation at the time of signing up. It’s so easy; you sign up once, and then they take the $5 out of your checking account regularly, and you don’t have to remember to donate. All you need is a debit or credit card at the time of signing up. You can also do a one-time donation online at www.visiontrust.org, and specify that you want the money to go towards Latte Losers.

Thanks for listening, everyone. As you can tell, this is near and dear to me. If we have enough food to feed everyone, why not give it? This blog is all about inspiring community; why not strive for a global community? Go for it! For more information, check out www.lattelosers.com and www.visiontrust.org.

Liberia projects

On behalf of my coworker and I, we say thank you for your support!
On behalf of my coworker and I, we say thank you for your support!

O-o-o-oklahoma!

Miscellaneous

Occasionally, my wanderings take me to Oklahoma to visit my boyfriend at college. This past winter break, I went out to visit him and came back with quite a few new food experiences (and some old favorites, too!). Although I must admit I did no baking on this trip, I wanted to share some of the foods I tried and loved.

First, let me preface this by saying my boyfriend’s aunt is a foodie like me, and deserves credit because she was the one who showed me all sorts of new foods this winter. What would I do without her?

To start the list, let’s talk about The Hideaway. This in itself is a good enough reason to buy a ticket to Oklahoma. Their pizza is so good. Normally I’m not a fan of anything but cheese pizza, but when you go to Hideaway, it’s meat lovers, hands down. The crust was perfectly crisp and chewy at the same time, the cheese isn’t overpowering, and they put a lot of the meats under the cheese, so they’re not falling off when you’re eating! Here’s a picture of the “Big Country”, aka the meat lovers pizza. Seriously, their pizza is to die for.

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Next on the list is a huge hit in Stillwater, Oklahoma: Eskimo Joe’s. This place has everything you can think of for a fun place to eat. It has great food, great waitstaff, TV’s everywhere for the big games, and fantastic merchandise. They have their own store attached to the restaurant! But before I get into that, I’ll talk about one thing in particular: sweet pepper bacon. I’ll say that again… sweet. pepper. bacon.

They put that heavenly stuff on top of just about anything, including cheese fries, cheeseburgers, and BLT’s. I personally had the BLT, and loved every bite. The bacon is so unexpected to my taste buds, because where I come from, bacon is smoky and salty and that’s it. This bacon is sugary and molasses-y, a little spicy from the pepper, and gave me a completely new perspective on the world of bacon. Who knew?

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And you can’t forget about the Joe’s merchandise! With every drink you buy, you get a Joe’s cup to take home with you (a perfect opportunity to order sweet tea, which I tried and now love!). This isn’t an ordinary to-go cup. These cups come in all different colors, some change colors, some are sparkly, and I actually have one that glows in the dark. Joe’s isn’t just a restaurant, it’s an attraction. And it rocks.

Next stop, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. This could be considered an ordinary chocolate shop if it weren’t for the fact that you can sit there and watch them make the chocolate fresh behind the counter for you! They even have chocolate covered wine bottles for weddings. I’m telling you, this place is awesome. I’ve been there a couple of times now, and tried a lot of chocolates, and my favorite is still the M&M bark. Their homemade peanut butter cups are a close second, though. Or their Mint Oreo bark. Or their Chocolate Caramel Pretzel bark. Or really any chocolate.

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And finally, a little something that we made on our own! My boyfriend’s aunt took me to Whole Foods (where I tried the salad bar and ate tons of veggies I had never heard of), and a more local grocery store called Sprouts. During our explorations, we came across bison burger patties. We definitely don’t have those in our grocery stores up where I’m from, so we got some and grilled them. They were so incredibly tender and juicy and flavorful! After I had one, though, I was so full I could hardly move!

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It’s always so much fun to go to Oklahoma and visit everyone. They’re welcoming and warm, and feel like family. And of course, when your boyfriend’s aunt loves food too, there’s always a few food adventures  together! I can’t wait for my next trip out there, and to see what my next Joe’s cup is!

Chocolate PB Rice Krispie Treats

Miscellaneous
“All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.”- Leo Tolstoy

Happy Valentine’s Day, one day late! I had to wait to post about these treats until my boyfriend received them in the mail, because otherwise he’d know what his present was! After two weeks of waiting, he finally got the package, and I can finally spill the beans on this yummy dessert. It’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Cocoa Krispie Treats!

This recipe is super simple, and is gluten free (if you make sure the peanut butter is gluten free). It can also be dairy free, if you exclude the Reese’s cups. It’s also a very light dessert, so you can enjoy it completely guilt-free! And it’s OH so good.

Here are the ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp margarine
  • 6 cups Cocoa Krispies cereal
  • 4 cups marshmallows (or 10 oz., which is usually a whole bag)
  • 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • Reese’s miniature cups to taste

Here’s how you make them!

First, unwrap as many Reese’s cups as you want to include in the treats. This is definitely the most tedious part of the recipe- it feels like you unwrapped about 4,000 candies. It’s totally worth it! Then, using a butter knife, cut the Reese’s into small bits on a cutting board.

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Now get all your other ingredients prepped, because this recipe goes pretty fast. Grease a 9×13″ pan to put the treats in. Have your marshmallow bag already cut open, and have your 6 cups of Cocoa Krispies all set. Mix the Reese’s cups with the Cocoa Krispies, so that you can stir it all in together. Also, have your peanut butter out and a wooden spoon or spatula ready.

In a medium saucepan, melt the margarine. Then, add the marshmallows and stir until the marshmallows are fully melted. Add the peanut butter and mix until it’s all fully incorporated. You can add more or less peanut butter depending on how much you like it. I just went for a good healthy dollop.

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After the marshmallow peanut butter mixture is done, turn off the heat. Quickly add all of the Cocoa Krispies and Reese’s and fold the cereal and marshmallow mixture together. It’ll be pretty stiff and sticky, so make sure that you really scoop the mixture from bottom to top, or else all the marshmallow goo will stay at the bottom of the saucepan (never a good thing).

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Scrape all the yummy gooey goodness into your greased pan, and press it down with wax paper to create a flat, even layer of Cocoa Krispie treats.

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When the treats are set, cut them using a dull knife in short, sawing motions. Then, if you’re like me, wrap them in a plastic bag and a cardboard box and ship them off to your loved ones! Or, you can eat them all and be one happy camper.

I know Valentine’s Day isn’t everyone’s favorite holiday (it’s not even my favorite holiday!), but there are ways to make any holiday, no matter how you celebrate it, special. Even from across the country, I’m happy that I was able to help my boyfriend have a great day. These treats are a great way to show a loved one that you’re thinking about them on any day, not just Valentine’s Day. Enjoy!

 

Out for Tea… Coffee?

Miscellaneous

My mom, sister and I have an annual tradition: we and the women from another family go out for tea (and this year, we invited our sisters-in-law to come). It’s a great opportunity to catch up, relax, and giggle uncontrollably.  Without fail, “You can dress them up, but you can’t take them out” is said about my friend Kristin and I. There was the time Kristin and I tasted rose petals that were meant for a garnish, the time Kristin ate carnations, and the regular occurrence of Kristin and I adding about ten sugar cubes to our tea for the sake of watching them dissolve. Obviously, Kristin and I aren’t quite ready for a prim and proper tea.

We’ve tried a few tea places, but the one that we most recently visited was called the Wenham Tea House. It’s a quaint restaurant and shop, where they sell things like these decorated sugar cubes!

Annual Tea
Annual Tea

We each got our own different flavor of tea, which we were allowed to smell and choose before we were seated. Actually, I’ve never liked tea, so I got coffee. I enjoyed it a lot more than the other times when I’ve had to chug tea, so it worked for me!

Tea, schmea.

 

After we got our pots of tea/coffee, we were served sandwiches, scones, and desserts on a little tiered plate.

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Before…

 

We also got our own teeny jelly jars! The jelly was super yummy, and we even had a jar of orange marmalade left over, so I got to bring it to work and give it to one of the residents at the nursing home (as a side note, he loved the marmalade and now uses the jar to hold his cribbage pins!) I thought that was pretty awesome!

Now I’ve had the “normal” tea sandwiches before, like cucumber & cream cheese, chicken salad, and tuna & dill. At this place, I had a sandwich that surprised me and delighted me at the same time. It was… peanut butter and bacon! Of all the combinations I had never thought of, that was a definite contender for strangest concept. But it worked. It was smoky, sweet, salty, savory, crunchy, smooth… everything rolled into one little bite. And the thin wheat bread it was served on added just enough chew and doughiness to balance out the strong peanut flavor and fattiness of the bacon. It was great!

Naturally, I didn’t stop eating after that sandwich. It’s a known fact that when faced with sweets and pastries, I can’t help myself. After my sister, my friend Kristin, and I shared our three tiers, this was the result:

After!
After!

And after several cups of coffee, I thought I was going to explode. That’s why it’s also a tradition that on tea day, we don’t eat supper! Instead, we all just hang out together and continue giggling.

We love going out for tea together! Cheers to family, friends, and trading being prim and proper for just being ourselves.

All the friends together!
All the friends together!