Budget-Minded Seafood Sam

As the summer months wane and I prepare for a busy Fall ahead, my mind drifts back many years to family vacations in Maine where lobster roll sandwiches offered tourists a delicious and unique culinary treat.

Searching for a budget-friendly option that captured some of the same flavors and memories, I came up with the below sandwich that consists of imitation crab (leg or flake style both work well), pickles, a hot dog bun, and one of two sauce options listed below:

Maritime Horseradish Sauce
1 tsp mayo
1 tsp ketchup
1 tsp horseradish
Combine together and place on bun with other ingredients

Chesapeake Bay Spicy Mayo
1.5 tsp mayo
.5 tsp. Chesapeake Bay-style seasoning mix
Combine together and place on bun with other ingredients

If asked whether this sandwich rivals a true lobster or crab roll sandwich, the answer would be a definite no.

If asked whether this sandwich is tasty, cheap, and environmentally friendly to marine ecosystems, the answer would be a resounding YES!  Enjoy

Starbucks, where have the good butter croissants gone?

I remember a time not long ago when one could casually stroll into a Starbucks and order with a butter croissant to accompany one's morning tea that sent the eater to momentary Heaven.

A flaky crust that was raised with nothing more than the heat of an oven and layers of butter and pastry shattered upon bite, and flavor danced on the tongue.

Not so with the croissant I bought this morning.  Damp and spongy, today's croissant seemed to more closely resemble something that might be concocted by Little Debbie (no offense, Ms. Debbie, for in the realm of frosted snack cakes, you truly reign Queen).

I'll enjoy my tea this morning, but my croissant will be eaten only with great protest.

The Dark and Stormy Float

Click below for my recipe for a tasty summer treat using Gosling's Ginger Beer and Gosling's Rum.

The Dark and Stormy Float

Tasty Summer Sandwiches

It's been exciting to explore a range of interesting products at our local farmers market.  Recently, I've tried JNA Bread's Russian Black Bread.  It has a wonderful, toasty flavor and makes tasty open-faced sandwiches.

Consider exploring some different types of bread this summer to pair with a range of toppings for a light, tasty lunch.

For a vegetarian option, use either hummus and olive spread (green and black olives pulsed several times in a food processor and mixed with olive oil) or hummus and fresh feta cheese

Meat lovers will love a BTB (bacon, tomato, and banana peppers).

For those interested in learning more about JNA Breads, visit https://www.jnabreadbakery.com/

Baby's Chopsticks

It's important for babies to be exposed to a range of different foods, as well as eating methods, from an early age.  I've been enjoying introducing Finley to small morsels of food (pepperoni, bits of vegetables and noodles, and feta cheese with hummus) using one of my favorite pairs of chopsticks.  My hope is that this unique tactile experience will get Finley familiar with eating in a variety of ways from an early age.

I still recall my the Autumn during my early teenage years when my father traveled to China for business and brought my mother, sister and I lovely Chinese chopsticks home complete with a lesson.  I've been using them about once a week to keep my skills sharp ever since!  :)
 
If you're interested in learning more about using chopsticks and aren't already familiar, the below link will get you started:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSXwc9LwMuQ

2018 Best Breakfast Deal in Columbus

Fig. 1  IKEA's $2 Swedish American Breakfast

It isn't often that I feel the need to blog about one of the best meal deals in my area, but IKEA's $2 breakfast is definitely worth mention.  For a mere $2 plus tax, visitors to the Polaris IKEA in the greater Columbus, Ohio area can feast on scrambled eggs, turkey sausage links, home fries, and Swedish pancakes with lingonberry jam.  For those with an IKEA Family membership, unlimited cups of coffee are free with breakfast.

See the below breakdown of the dining experience:
atmosphere- casual, cafeteria-style dining located on the second floor of the IKEA showroom.  I LOVE the fact that visitors eat from real plates with metal silverware and ceramic cups to reduce waste.  Windows bring in plenty of natural light and overlook the showroom's parking lot.

eggs-  definitely powdered eggs, but tasty with salt and pepper or a bit of ketchup

home fries-  outstanding balance of crispiness on the outside and creaminess in the interior

sausage-  like all turkey sausage, can be a bit on the dry side, but still very tasty

Swedish pancakes-  excellent flavor and tasty with the included jam

coffee-  outstanding flavor and balance.  I prefer the latte, but the machines in the cafeteria produce a range of beverages.  Decaf coffee is always on hand for those who need less octane with their morning breakfast.

service-  fast and friendly

cost-  unbeatable

See below for a complete list of IKEA's restaurant options:
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/food/#restaurant

Fig. 2  Finley and I make our way to our seat for my breakfast and Finley's bottle

Favorite Breakfast Beverages

Finley and I are enjoying our favorite breakfast beverages together this morning.  For Finley, 7 ounces of Similac formula hit the spot.  For me, 7 ounces of black tea from Yunnan, China.