On Pumpkin Pie

I’m not sure when Thanksgiving became my favorite holiday, but bits and pieces from my childhood point to its being favored above all other holidays, even Christmas.  I’ve always been a girl who’s loved to eat, so a holiday centered around so much food is right up my alley.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the focus on gratitude and colored leaves and the big movie releases, too.  Basically, I love everything about Thanksgiving (though I could do without the football and the Black Friday shopping), but the food is probably the best part.  Namely, the pumpkin pie.  I don’t know how I ended up loving pumpkin pie so much, but I just can’t get enough of it.  You know those half pies that Publix sells?  Well, I have eaten the whole half pie in one sitting (more than once).  Truth be told, I could probably polish off an entire pie, but I’ve never tried.

 

About a month ago, we were chatting with C & M before church began one Sunday.  It came out that Clark Kent was heading to the States for two weeks and would be home over Thanksgiving.  ”No, I’m not going.  It’s too expensive.”  I guess they felt a little sorry for me because by the time the kids were released to go to their activities and the grown-ups turned to greet their neighbors, C & M invited me to their home for Thanksgiving (except not on Thursday since that’s choir practice).  It was sweet and they were earnest, so how could I not graciously accept their invitation?  They seemed genuinely excited, too, as they had never had Thanksgiving (why would they?).

 

After church, C scooted over to discus the traditional fare and I volunteered to take care of the sweet potatoes (after my green bean casserole was nixed – how can an entire family not like green beans but love brussel sprouts?) and the dessert.  The American, after all, should be in charge of a pumpkiny Thanksgiving dessert (because these guys over here just don’t do pumpkin – such a shame).

 

So, for much of October I fretted over Thanksgiving dessert.  Linda had been indulging in a piece of Cheesecake Factory pumpkin cheesecake over the past few weeks (available seasonally at Barnes and Noble) and so cheesecake was on my mind.  I had grand visions of wowing my hosts and their two kids with a beautiful pumpkin cheesecake.  But I had two problems: I didn’t have a spring form pan as mine sits tightly packed in Uncle Bob’s nor have I ever made a proper cheesecake before.  The spring form pan was easy enough to borrow, but boy, oh boy, was it hard to settle on the recipe I would use.  Many hours (many hours) later, I finally decided to trust Martha Stewart and made the test pumpkin cheesecake just in time for Clark Kent’s and my fake Thanksgiving two weekends ago.

 

That Friday afternoon when I made the cheesecake reminded me of when I went ice skating for the first time in my entire life with Dana back in junior high.  The Cutting Edge had just come out and I was 90% sure that when I stepped onto the ice, I was going to be the next bit thing, a natural born ice sktaer.  Like, I was probably going to skate just about as good as Kristi Yamaguchi.  I was 13 and in the 8th grade and I just knew that I was going to discover some natural ice skating talent.  I don’t think anyone will be surprised to know that I could barely get around the rink once.  Anyway, I thought (with all my heart) that I would be the one who could make cheesecakes perfectly upon her first try (like, Martha Stewart perfect).  I followed each step super carefully and camped out in front of the oven and just knew that the surface of my first cheesecake would remained uncracked.  But, I was wrong and this cavernous guy reared its ugly head upon cooling:

With some homemade whipped cream (that was really divine), the cheesecake was pretty good.  It wasn’t heavenly like the Cheesecake Factory’s cheesecake, but it certainly was nice having a piece of autumn each night for a week:

But this wasn’t the recipe that would wow my hosts for of fake Thanksgiving.  I felt super pressured to present perfection – I’m the American and it’s MY holiday, so I better deliver awesomeness.  I decided that I just couldn’t try another cheesecake (mostly because cheesecake was really stressing me out and also because 5 blocks of cream cheese really add up).  Thankfully, my friend Kate sent me this Martha Stewart recipe for an EASY pumpkin pie in a shortbread press-in crust (because who really wants to mess with making pie crust?  Not this girl!).

 

Last weekend was my test run.  I wanted to be sure to make it before CK took off for the States.  It was a solid hit, cracks and all:

This was my first pumpkin pie (last year I made pumpkin cheesecake bars that were completely awesome!) and I just couldn’t have been happier with how it turned out (though when I make it for fake Thanksgiving next week, I will up the spices).

I think that I just may have found my recipe (as in my tried and true, go-to recipe) for Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.  Though I’m sad I won’t be bringing green bean casserole to C & M’s, I’m totally thrilled that I’ll be taking this pie.  It wowed me, and even if it doesn’t wow them, I’m going to be happy.

 

Eating our way through Paris – Day 3

What could be more quintessentially French than baguettes and brie and escargot?!  Well, maybe creme brule, but three out of four isn’t too bad and that’s exactly what we enjoyed on our third day of eating our way through Paris.

 

On our last full day in France, we went on an absolutely lovely and amazing excursion to Giverny where we explored Monet’s home and gardens and the sweetest little town we’ve ever seen.  It also was where we had a delicious lunch and where one of Matt’s desires was met.  Before heading to France, I asked Matt what he hoped to do and see.  He was pretty simple and said, “I’d like to go to the Louvre, see the Eiffel Tower, eat in a typical French bistro, and try some good French wine.  Oh, and have a true French baguette with some delicious cheese.”  Well, day one accomplished the Louvre and Eiffel Tower.  Day two, with Kate’s help, accomplished the French bistro and French wine.  And, little did we know when we set out for Giverny, but day three was going to take care of the baguette and cheese.

This little outdoor cafe with seating for only about twelve is just up the hill from Monet’s home and gardens.  Giverny, small as it is, is teeming with tourists practically all year – and so is this cafe!  We were so lucky to arrive just in time to grab the last cafe table tucked away in the corner with a great view of the street.  I read over the menu and my heart did a little dance because I knew Matt was going to get what he so wanted: a half baguette FILLED with camembert cheese.  I decided on the three cheese panini, which was good (especially when I got to the brie part), but was no where near as delicious as Matt’s camembert baguette.  This lunch taught me a very important lesson: Never be afraid to order the same thing.  I think in my heart of hearts I wanted the baguette with camembert, too, but I thought I was being clever by ordering the second best thing on the menu in order to sample two things.  Again, while my panini was tasty, it just didn’t compare to the baguette!  How about those cute little bags they were served in?  Though we loved our Giverny lunch, we had no idea what delicacies were awaiting us when arrived back in Paris.

 

That’s right, a Laduree tea party was in order!  When we arrived back in Paris from our Giverny excursion, we had a short two hour window of time to fill before heading on our evening excursion to Montmarte.  In case you’re wondering what to do if you have two hours to kill in Paris, go to the Laduree on the Champs!

When we arrived, there was a very long line that was even out the door.  I was getting very nervous about the time.  Matt would joke later that the theme of our trip was me being nervous (I get very nervous when it comes to departure times).  We soon realized that the line we were standing in was just for the bakery case (no doubt for macarons specifically) and there was no one waiting to be seated.

We were first taken to a table for two by a window in the downstairs area.  This simply would not do.  I excused myself to the upstairs bathroom in order to check out the upstairs seating.  I was happy to find two open tables upstairs so I returned to the hostess and asked her if we could move upstairs.  She didn’t mind at all and led us to a lovely table right in front of a fireplace in the library room.  The atmosphere does make all the difference in the world!  In the downstairs area, there were countless tables.  In our library room?  Only four!

Matt had his heart set on a glass of champagne and chose the Laduree Rose rather quickly.  I spent a few minutes trying to choose between the rose, violet, or Laduree blend of tea before choosing the house blend.  And then came the pastry picking!  The mini macarons were a given and we chose four to share: rose (my favorite), vanilla (Matt’s favorite), orange blossom (a close second for us both), and caramel with salt (which was good, but we would definitely choose coconut next time).  Our individual pastries were a bit more difficult to decide upon.  I ended up selecting a rose cream and raspberry puff pastry (very similar to the St. Honore that I always get at the location in Harrod’s) and Matt picked a passionfruit and raspberry tart (that was amazing!).

 

We paid our bill, used the extremely swanky bathrooms, and then left Laduree just in time for a light drizzle.  It was lovely to walk huddled underneath one umbrella, Matt’s arm around my waist, strolling down the Champs.  We made it back to our bus promptly at 5:30 and then were whisked away to the Montmarte district of Paris.

 

Montmarte is a famous part of Paris, set on a hill with a lovely view of the city below.  I know it because it’s where Amelie worked, in a little cafe frequented by a bunch of eccentrics.  The guide book we took with us from the library AND our amazing tour guide, Mansel, both warned us about the many restaurants in the village square that loved nothing more than to rip tourists off.  So, we set off on the task of finding somewhere decent to eat, and oh, were we lucky?

 

After wandering by a strolling accordionist playing “La Vie en Rose,” we arrived in the village square, the artists’ hub.  There were so many restaurants, so many choices, and only two hours – so, the pressure was on to make up our minds quickly.  One thing I love about Paris is how 99% of cafes and restaurants post their menus outside so that you can look at the menu before you decide to ask for a table.  This would work more to our advantage if we spoke French as some of the menus are only in French, but since we don’t speak French, the posted menus serve as a good weeding tool.  If a menu is only in French, we pass.  We finally came upon La Cremaillere and all its English description glory!  Another thing about Parisian restaurants is their prix fixe menu: a set price which often includes a starter, main, and dessert.  My eye was immediately drawn to La Cremaillere’s Degas menu (aptly named for an artist since Montmarte is known for its artists, too) at €26.  I was pleased to see escargot as a starter option and while I was disappointed that creme brule was not listed as a dessert option, I did spy a delicious salmon main.  After little discussion, we decided to ask for a table.

 

We had such a friendly waiter.  Matt kept an eye on him and felt like our waiter was friendliest to us!  The two phrases of French I know must’ve charmed him.  Since the escargot was one of the deciding factors in our restaurant choice, my starter was a no-brainer.   Never having tried escargot before, Matt was a bit hesitant to order it as well and opted for the Italian salad instead.  I loved the little dish the escargot was served in.  Matt and I each had three and to his delight, he loved them!  His Italian salad was equally delicious and he very generously shared his fresh parmesan and mozzarella with me.

 

Oh, yeah!  I almost forgot to mention our drinks!  Since it was our farewell to Paris dinner, we thought it fitting to celebrate with a bit of wine for him and a practically-all-fruit-juice drink for me.  (I really don’t like the smell or taste of anything alcoholic, so in order for me to be able to drink more than a sip, the drink mustn’t resemble alcohol at all.  The Tropical fit the bill: coconut rum with lots of banana and orange juice!)  We also got a bottomless basket of French baguette pieces which was a big hit with Matt!

 

Our main dishes were absolutely delicious and in fact, perfect (even though I had misread the menu and expected salmon and scallops instead of the salmon and scalloped potatoes).  When our meals were served, the couple next to us kept looking at my dish.  A few minutes later, the man sitting next to Matt motioned for their waiter, mumbled something, and pointed at my plate.  When their food was served, guess what the woman sitting next to me had?  That’s right, the same thing as me!  Matt’s lamb was super tender and he (and me, too) loved it.  The mashed potatoes weren’t anywhere near as good as the previous night’s, but they were still pretty amazing.

 

Now, the food and drink weren’t the only amazing things La Cremaillere had to offer.  It had atmosphere and location as well!  The restaurant had three parts to it: the spacious inside seating complete with bar and live music, an outside garden terrace that they tried to sell us on by describing it as very romantic, and the outside cafe right in the middle of the square with a great view of all the action and that’s where we asked to sit.  Artists and their easels were set up all around the square and we could actually see a few artists sketching the portraits of fellow tourists.  It takes about 20 minutes to sit for a portrait and if Matt and I ever find ourselves back in Paris and in Montmarte, we will have our portrait drawn.  We’ll probably also choose to dine at La Cremaillere.

 

I haven’t mentioned the dessert yet!  Our third and final course was just as spectacular as the first two.  I didn’t know what I was in for when I picked the Chocolate and Pear Charlotte but it seemed the best of the options.  Oh, wasn’t I in for a treat?!  It was so refreshing and delicious.  It was a chocolate-mousse-and-pears with sponge-cake-and-cream-and-chocolate-sauce thing.  By the time dessert was served, I was already so full, but I was not going to let a bite go to waste!  Matt was very full, too, and decided it was a good thing he went with the lightest dessert among the selections: fresh pineapple slices with a scoop of raspberry sorbet and some raspberry sauce.  

 

It was a fabulous farewell to France full of good eats!  And now I leave you with a little video of our tea party in Laduree and our dinner in Montmarte.

 

Eating our way through Paris – Day 2

Our second full day in France began with a morning to mid-afternoon excursion to the town and palace of Versailles.  In our hour walk around the town before claiming our tickets to enter the palace and its grounds, we stumbled upon the greatest farmers market we have ever seen!  If only every town had a regular farmers market like this one, it would make eating like Michael Pollan suggests in In Defense of Food not only easy, but super enjoyable!  The video doesn’t do the market justice, but you might get an idea of the scope of the thing.  My favorite parts?  The whole pigs and giant sunflowers for sale.

Versailles was huge and too much and while worth the trip, I wouldn’t go back (unless it was for the farmers market).  Our lunch was great.   The palace grounds have several take away food shops and a few restaurants.  It was a bit of a gamble deciding on one, but we finally settled on a little cafe-restaurant with a lovely view of a pond and we weren’t disappointed.  The swarm of wasps that seemed to like the outdoor seating area was a little disconcerting, but the service was friendly and good.  The food was good, too!

Here are we enjoying each other's company waiting for our French fries.

So, what did we order at this sweet little Versailles cafe?  I couldn’t resist the FOUR CHEESE pizza!  I am a sucker for cheese and I was not disappointed with this pizza: goats’ cheese, mozarella, parmesan, and gorgonzola. 

Matt ordered a very French lunch, a Croque Madame with French fries.  I had never heard of a Croque Madame.  I have had my share of Croque Monsieurs on my previous trips to Paris as they’re generally a pretty cheap cafe meal (basically a hot ham and cheese sandwich) and so I advised Matt to give the Croque Madame a whirl.  The Croque Madame is a Croque Monsieur topped with a fried egg!  What could be better?  Especially when you throw in some French fries!

So, we enjoyed our cafe lunch and we shared each other’s picks.  The weather was lovely – a bit overcast and a wonderful reprieve from the previous day’s scorching hot (very Florida like) weather.  Oh, and the wasps!  There really were lots of them.  A waiter would occasionally pass by a table and drop off a fly swatter to help fend off the wasps.  An over enthusiastic patron at a table nearby, swung at a wasp, missed, and broke their table’s carafe of water instead!  It was funny!  All in all, it was a great lunch, great food, great weather, and it felt great to sit down and rest our feet!

 

But the eating didn’t end in Versailles for all day on Friday we had dinner to look forward to with Kate and Jon!  I was very excited to see Kate and Jon again (as it had been five whole years), I was very excited for Matt to meet Kate (you see, I have so few friends that when I finally get to introduce one to my husband, it’s pretty special), and I was very excited to eat dinner (as I trusted completely in Kate’s judgment to find us a great French bistro).

 

Kate (who recapped our dinner here and who I wrote this post about years ago) and I were reunited at the Eiffel Tower (which is so incredibly fitting since the first day we met was spent getting to know one another by reminiscing over our respective trips to Paris).  I had told her that Matt really wanted to eat dinner somewhere really French-y – the bistro setting, the red wine, etc.  Kate was up to the task of finding a suitable place and ended up leading us to a great place just five minutes from the Eiffel Tower.

 

Cafe Constant was a typical French bistro that didn’t take reservations.  It was fortunate we were in the neighborhood right in time for its 7 pm opening.  Though we found not being able to speak French never really hindered us (I guess I’ve just always been lucky and have never encountered the stereotypical rudeness associated with the French), it was great having someone among us who was fluent in French (that would be Kate).  She navigated the menu for us, chose the table’s wine, and insisted that we try an appetizer of foie gras with toast (that would be duck liver!).  As I don’t really drink, Matt doesn’t really indulge in wine all too often but one of his desires for our Paris trip was to have a really good glass of wine.  I was so happy that Kate could steer him in the direction of a good wine – he loved the dinner wine!  

 

Kate and I both ordered the chicken.  I forget what it’s called, but Jon (who is in Paris for culinary school and is currently working an internship at the Ritz) certainly sold me on it with his description.  Apparently these kinds of chickens have better lives than some humans (his words).  The pasta with basil sounded appetizing, too.  And besides, it’s not every day I get to have dinner with a culinary master who’s interning at the Ritz, so I took his recommendation seriously.  Matt, a lover of a good steak, jumped at the opportunity to order the beef dinner.  Not only was his beef delicious, he raved about the mashed potatoes.  I sampled both; they were both truly delicious.  

 

There wasn’t time for dessert and sadly there wasn’t time for sufficient catching up.  Since Kate is a hop, skip, and jump from the UK, perhaps another visit is in our future!  And so, our second full day in Paris/France ended at a quaint bistro over a glass of French wine and with good company.  What could be a more perfect ending to a most perfect day?

 

(I guess I’ll just call him Matt from now on.)

 

Eating our way through Paris – Day 1

I think both Clark Kent and I agree that our favorite part of our wonderful Parisian vacation was the food!   We spent €1.50 on some post cards and another €2 for a water color-esque print of the Eiffel Tower and the rest of our budgeted money was most happily spent on food (Oh, and the audio guides at the Louvre.  If you ever find yourselves in the Louvre, spring for the €6 audio guide!).  There were several people on our coach who were clearly in Paris to shop – a mother with her two daughters came back to the bus each evening with handfuls of shopping bags and two elderly women were hoping to catch another handbag sale at Galeries Lafayette – but we were in Paris to eat!

 

In fact, as soon as the coach dropped us off at the Place de la Concorde, a very central location as well as the guillotine’s home during the Revolution, after a two hour sightseeing bus tour, CK and I practically ran down Rue de Rivoli to Angelina, home of the best hot chocolate in the entire world.  Sure, I’m prone to hyperbole every now and then, but I do not exaggerate.  If you’ve never been to Angelina, you will have to take my word for it.

 

Angelina has an absolutely beautiful interior.  The restaurant is nestled in between a swanky hotel and upscale clothing stores, a fancy bookstore – and a few tacky-ish souvenir stores.  As we walked in around 11:30 am on our first full day, the reality of being in Paris with my sweet Clark Kent began to sink in.  We were really here!  I was getting to show him something that I love about this city, Angelina hot chocolate.  (As silly as it sounds, this hot chocolate is important to me.  Not only is it super delicious, it also just represents something that I experienced before CK and something that I wanted him to experience with me.)

 

And so, we were seated in the practically empty downstairs – right in the middle.  To my left was a huge and beautiful painting and to my right was a huge and beautiful mirror (that we ended up taking our pictures in).  As I struggled to get situated around the very tiny marble-topped table, I giggled and giggled – just bubbling over with excitement!  I just knew that even with my best descriptions of the hot chocolate, it was still going to blow CK away!  Also, I couldn’t wait to drink some myself!  

 

We decided pretty quickly on our desserts.  I went with something called Olympe and was pleasantly surprised when it came to the table looking so pretty!  The fact that there was violet cream and a macaron involved sold me and the generous amount of raspberries were a definite bonus.  CK consulted my opinion and I advised him to go with the lime cheesecake.  Never did we imagine it would arrive at our table looking like a magnificent white chocolate encased bomb!  I had a few (very tiny) bites of his lime cheesecake and it was out of this world!  But, then there’s the chocolate!

 

At nearly €15 for hot chocolate for two, it’s definitely the most expensive hot chocolate either one of us have ever enjoyed; with every sip, we were reminded over and over that the experience and taste was worth every penny (whether you’re talking about dollars, pounds, or euros!).  Their hot chocolate is so thick a spoon can nearly stand upright in it!  It is so velvety creamy and coats your mouth!  It was so fun to enjoy hot chocolate in the breathtaking Angelina with my sweet husband and I savored every minute of the hour we spent sipping and nibbling on the pure decadence of it all.  Before we arrived, we were both so hungry – like, lunch-hungry not little-pastries-hungry.  After our hot chocolate and pastries, though, we were pleasantly full and ready to tackle a three hour, fast paced tour of the Louvre (another post).  

 

Before CK, I had been been to Paris three tines with Linda (in fact, when I got back from my last Christmas in Paris, I raced to hang out with CK for the New Year…never would I have imagined that the next time I would go to Paris, I would go with him, my husband!!).  Anyway, there were three main things Linda and I would gush and gush about: Laduree and their macarons, Angelina and their hot chocolate, and the Latin Quarter and their gyros.  Now, I was able to introduce CK to Laduree and their macarons at Christmas time thanks to Harrod’s and the London location of Laduree.  Our first hour alone in Paris I was able to introduce him to Angelina and the heavenly hot chocolate.  So, that left only one thing: the Latin Quarter!  I was thrilled that our first day in Paris included some time in the Latin Quarter to explore (we ended up going to Notre Dame and Shakespeare and Company, a bookstore) AND enjoy dinner (which meant, glorious gyros!).

 

We happened up on THE street, home of Linda’s and my favorite gyro dealer, quite by accident.  I giggled and bubbled with excitement once again and made CK pose for a picture!  (How funny that we come to Paris to have dinner in the Latin Quarter at a Greek restaurant run by Indians/Pakistanis – and, the section is called the Latin Quarter because it is where the Sorbonne was founded and everyone used to speak Latin there.)  I think that the meat in these famous gyros tends to be shaved lamb and beef, but maybe it’s pork?  I’m not sure, but it’s absolutely delicious and it’s hanging in the window!  I love it!  I think CK loved it just as much!  

 

I ordered two “Pitta Extra” and two Cokes very enthusiastically and I think we were shown to the best table in the colorful joint!  So, for €4.50, a gyro is a pita filled with generous helpings of: the shaved mystery meat, lettuce and tomatoes, salt (they actually dump it in there :: I love it!), and…French fries.  I relished every bite and was definitely sad when I had finished it.  

The restaurant had its other charms, too.  The food wasn’t the only thing that was amazing!  First of all, the floor was covered in salt.  Maybe you don’t know this about me, I happen to love salt.  In fact, the salt shaker lives on the shelf next to where I sit on the couch and I have been known to sprinkle salt in my hand and lick it.  Yes, like a deer would do with a salt lick.  I don’t care who knows – I love salt.  So, I love a restaurant that not only dumps salt in the food, but has the actual canister of salt (not a measly shaker) on each table.  Second of all, I love the decor.  I didn’t take any photos of the crazy, border line garish (I love how Merriam-Webster defines garish as “excessively or disturbingly vivid, offensively or distressingly bright, and tastelessly showy”) interior (though I did take a video of it and it does, in a small way, come across).  The walls dripped with color and pictures of Greece.  Next, the public bathroom is great.  You have to get to it by walking down a twisting staircase that leads to their downstairs seating, which is very cool.  

 

See how cool the downstairs is?

 

 

I just love it.  And the men who work there are so friendly!  After dinner, we wandered through the bustling streets of the Latin Quarter.  We looked in the tacky souvenir shops (which is where we bought our 12 postcards for €1.50) and politely declined the offers to dine at one of the many restaurants that had a hostess/host type person beckoning to passers-by.  But when we came upon an ice cream stand, I couldn’t refuse.  I enjoyed every bit of my violet ice cream cone!

 

It was a fabulous first day of eating our way through Paris.  And now, I leave you with a little video of the interior of the Maison de Gyros.  If you ever find yourselves in the Latin Quarter wondering where to eat, go have yourself a gyro!

 

 

There were lots of good things to eat!

Oh, how I love food!  Linda’s visit was most certainly accompanied by some good eating!

 

Through her extensive internet research, Linda found the famous Sweeney & Todd meat pie shop in our very own Reading.  The shop and restaurant, having opened in the late seventies, are run by mother and son.  The two do most of the cooking and the mother is the one who visits every table, rattles off the day’s pies, takes the order, and delivers the pies.  Clark Kent and I checked the restaurant out about a month ago and we were itching to go back!  So, on Clark Kent’s last day (before flying home to Florida), we went to Sweeney’s.  

 

Careful to select a pie without onions, Linda selected the Yorkshire ham and stilton pie.  And, careful to select a pie that wouldn’t be too spicy to share, Clark Kent chose the Cajun Chicken.  Both shared a bit of their meal with and we all agreed that the ham and stilton one was excellent!  In fact, on Linda’s last day, we passed by to buy a ham and stilton pie to go (a fraction of the price of actually eating in the restaurant) which we heated at home and shared for dinner.

 

Her visit also saw two trips to Nando’s, a Portuguese chicken restaurant that is hip and fun and tasty (guys wear shirts that say “Grillers in the Mist” and the girls wear shirts that say “Chicks rule”).  We found Nando’s quite by mistake on Linda’s last visit and all three of us loved it.  So, we went for our Palm Sunday lunch and then on Linda’s last day, she and I visited for a lunch break in a day of charity shop hopping and used bookstore browsing. 

 

Other meals depicted in the photo mosaic are of three lunches from three fun days: a salmon and cheese melt from our lunch at the Henley Tea Rooms (after the wonderful Wind in the Willows exhibit), a picnic in the middle of a 4 mile country walk (during which we saw bunnies hopping in the field to our right!), and refreshments shared at Cassandra’s Cup (right after our magical walk through of Jane Austen’s house).