Sunday, November 16, 2014

Tally Ho, It's Time For Tea And Crumpets

Yes, I'm posting ANOTHER Ten Things of Thankful this weekend. Here's why:

This morning, the wonderful, amazing Charlie came to my rescue and put in my new garbage disposal. I am so thankful he came on a Saturday morning, since I had planned to spend the weekend doing a little practice pie making and was desperately in need of my sink for that. Besides, the couple of hours last night that I had to run from the kitchen to the bathroom to pour something liquid down the drain grew really old really fast. So that's #1 on my second list.

(Following is an audio recording of an excerpt from the Bob & Tom Show radio show. It just seemed fitting to include it. When you listen to it, you'll know why.)






So #2 occurred when I opened the door to let Charlie out, because sitting on my doorstep was a box.






It arrived! It arrived! It finally arrived! Several weeks ago, I was in a Facebook conversation with Lizzi (Considerings) and Piper (Talk About Cheesecake) about crumpets. As in, what the hell is a crumpet? Piper said she'd mail me some. SHE DID IT AND THEY ARRIVED! 

When I brought the package inside and opened it, the first thing I saw was a card. I pulled it out and opened it and SHE GLITTER BOMBED ME! That's #3.




Also inside the package? Two, TWO packages of crumpets. (#4) My husband got very excited just by reading the label on the package and seeing how different it was. "Look, it says 'energy' instead of 'calories.' Which is more accurate, really. Of course, they spelled 'fiber' wrong." Funny guy.




I jumped on Facebook and sent Piper a message to tell her the package had arrived. She told me how to fix and eat the crumpets. Lizzi chimed in, too, and they told me I should drink PG Tips tea (and use lots of butter and jam and toast them well, among other things). I figured some good ol' English breakfast tea would have to do, but my daughter and I had to run to the grocery store to pick up a couple of things, and I just happened to walk down the aisle that included tea and coffee. As I passed by, out of the corner of my eye, I saw (#5):





And at the Walmart Neighborhood Market, no less! I've looked at the tea display before and never have I once noticed a brand of tea called PG Tips, but there it was, so, of course, I bought it.

Following Piper's recommendation, I thoroughly toasted the crumpets. (#6).




And I got out my grandma's china and our good silverware, butter and strawberry preserves. (#7)





Miss Picky Pants, here, even poured a little milk into my tea and found out that I quite liked it that way. (I still don't like jam or jelly, but I tried it on my crumpet, just for you Piper!) The crumpets were like English muffins, except they were thicker, and the tops aren't browned. Piper's description of crumpets was that they were wet bread that you toasted and then slathered with butter and jam. In actuality, crumpets are MUCH BETTER than Piper made them sound (because how good does "wet bread" sound to YOU?). (#8)  "Tell Lizzi I feel very Downton Abbey," said my husband.





Fletcher even tried to get into the action when my husband got up to get more water for tea. (He really only wanted the butter.)





Do I look like a proper English woman, enjoying tea and crumpets? BECAUSE THAT'S HOW I FELT! (#9)



And now I've had crumpets and real English tea with sugar (okay, Stevia) and milk. And now I get to send something quintessentially American to Piper (#10).

So, fellow 'Muricans, what IS the quintessentially American food product that I should send to Piper? Shout it out below, and if you haven't done so already, link up YOUR Ten Things of Thankful while you're at it.


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32 comments:

  1. Zoe posted a photo of delicious poppy bread, and you are tempting me with crumpets!! Yummy! Lots to eat this week!

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    1. Wait. Zoe posted poppy bread? And I missed that? I never miss photos of food.

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  2. Glad you enjoyed them but ewwwww crumpets are SO wet bread! I gotta coome back after I think on your question.

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    1. Maybe because of their lengthy travel time, they weren't as wet as usual?

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  3. Ohhhhh THIS MADE ME SMILE IN MY WHOLE SELF :D Piper GLITTERBOMBED YOU!

    YOU GOT TO BE ENGLISH :D You did it so, so very well. It looks absolutely PERFECT. This is one of my favourite TToT lists for a while, Mith Dyanne :D I loveadore it.

    And YES! to feeling 'very Downton Abbey'...WHOOT!

    Oh Piper, you did such a VERY GOOD THING with this. (even though the initial 'sell' on the crumpets wasn't great - "wet bread"? Seriously? NO! They're AMAZING!)

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    1. Isn't this the BEST?! Piper TOTALLY came through! And I can't believe I walked past a shelf in Walmart, of all places, and found the tea! It was so fun to have our little afternoon tea together, with Ruby trying to pop onto the table occasionally (couldn't stand seeing us doing something that didn't involve HER).

      Crumpets are SO MUCH BETTER than wet bread!

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    2. It's WONDERFUL! Piper did brilliantly. I'm so happy she did this, and that you LIKED them. That's awesome :D

      (a billion times better than wet bread...)

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  4. I bet those crumpets are delicious and the tea ..... mmm good!

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    1. It was all delicious! Well, except for the jam, because I don't like jam. But I tried it! Dripping with butter is the way to go.

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    2. Did you try it with honey instead of jam? That's another classic combo.

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  5. Tea out of a china cup is the only way to sip it. When I try to think of something quintessentially American I think coffee, muffins, burgers and fries. Cornbread, fried chicken and apple pie. Or what we really eat salad, but I don't think that would travel well. Let me know what you decide to send. Interesting question.

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    1. Usually I drink tea from a big ol' mug. This was so dainty! And we used my grandma's china, so that made it even more special.
      Everything I think about that is quintessential American food isn't very mailable.

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  6. Send Piper a corndog. I don't know why. Just so very "junk food at the fair". I'd say funnel cake but that wouldn't travel well. The corn dog might not either come to think of it. Let me get back to you on that.....

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    1. Corn dogs, funnel cakes and pineapple whip! Customs would LOVE that!

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  7. Yay - I am so glad they arrived and were still edible! Delicious crumpets - crispy on the outside and dripping with butter in the middle! Yum.
    I'm glad you like tea with milk too - just a splash. My nan used to have a tea making ritual, and always had to use the best china - it heats up better apparently! Makes it taste 'just so'.
    Glad you liked them! :)

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    1. A million thanks, Piper! They were delicious!
      I was skeptical about the milk, but it cut some of the sharpness that good, strong tea has sometimes. Tannin? Is that tannin?
      You have to let me know what you would like to try that's American!

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  8. They kind of look like wet English Muffins. Interesting.

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    1. A little thicker than an English muffin, and with crust only on one side. Quite yummy!

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  9. what a great list and i do love a good cup of steeped tea - in a tea cup too- the crumpet looked tasty - oh I have no idea what you can send Ms. Piper - off the top of my head - an Entemanns cake- Ring Ding - Corn Dog sounds like a good idea - maybe a bagel - I guess it would have to be something that can travel well . Good luck and looking forward to hear what you sent her! :)

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    1. I love hot tea in the fall and winter, especially, but being a 'Murican, I love my sweet iced tea, too!
      Someone suggested Twinkies. They would travel well - the things are indestructible!

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  10. Ooooooohhh Now I will have to try some crumpets. I have seen them here. And PINKIES OUT while drinking tea! I went to a british tea house and that was the first thing they told me. PINKIES OUT!

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    1. I was trying not to drop my tea cup while I took a selfie, so pinkies were tucked IN for the picture :)

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  11. my god!! what model Toaster Oven do you own!?!? The 1.21 gigawatts version of the Hamilton Beach 'fires of hell' model?!?! (Fires of Hell Toaster Oven motto: "I am become death, the destroyer of worlds"

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    1. Are you making fun of my toaster oven? I consider them disposable, since periodically, I catch something on fire in there and have to throw the whole thing away and get a new one. Gotta watch it when toasting a tortilla in there!

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  12. If only you could package up an entire Thanksgiving dinner!

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    1. I know! I was thinking about canned pumpkin and a pumpkin pie recipe. I'm thinking there's not much canned pumpkin in the UK.

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  13. Tea belongs in a lovely cup always. Even if not good china, it must be lovely.
    I am happy to report that my market also carries that brand of tea. I'm going to try it.

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  14. My husband is a crumpet lover too. But you look much more sophisticated when you eat them.

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  15. The International Students' Office in Germany where my son is studying this fall hosted a dinner. Everyone was supposed to bring an iconic food dish that represents their country. He and another American made up a platter of PB&J sandwiches. Will said they practically flew off the platter.

    I had always wondered what a crumpet was. Always, the educator!
    ~May @ Achieving Clarity

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