Year: 2019

Homemade Dark Chocolate Truffles

On By Rob GIn Close to Home, RecipeLeave a comment

Homemade Dark Chocolate Truffles.

Homemade Dark Chocolate Truffles. I like the sound of those words so much, I had to repeat them.

It’s been a few years since I made some chocolate truffles, but I wanted to make them this weekend, and today was the perfect day for it. The process can take 6-8 hours from start to finish, but there is plenty of time for breaks in between. The recipe that I use is from a book titled “Chocolate: From Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstoppers” by Nick Malgieri. I have a couple of slight differences from his recipe, but I use his as the base for mine.

The type of chocolate that you use matters. You don’t have to use the most expensive chocolate in the world to make these, but you want to make sure that there is a level of quality to the chocolate, since you don’t want to have it break down during the steps that involve melting. When selecting the dishes that will be melting or mixing the chocolate, please make sure that everything is dry. Water can cause the chocolate to seize, which will result in a lumpy, muddy mess of chocolate. It can be fixed or used for other things, but will not be good for the truffles.

The first part of this recipe is the Center of the truffle. 1/2 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon corn syrup and 8 ounces of melted chocolate. The recipe calls for heating the cream, butter and corn syrup in a nonreactive pan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Remove from the heat and wait 5 minutes. Add the cream mixture to the chocolate and whisk smooth.

I use a slight variation. I heat 1/2 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons corn syrup in a pan over medium low to low heat. As soon as the butter is melted, I remove from the heat and continue to stir.

If you have a glass blender/mixer bowl, place the chocolate in there. While the cream mixture is melting, I heat the chocolate in the microwave over medium – low power for 30 seconds at a time. You don’t want the chocolate to be melted. If it is at a slightly soft consistency, it is done. The chocolate disks that I used took about 1 minute 45 seconds, but if you have smaller disks or chips, that should take less time, since there is less surface area. You want to make sure the chocolate doesn’t get too a temperature that is too high, or it might break down, which will result in a more grainy consistency.

The cream mixture should have cooled for a few minutes, so you can add that to the chocolate mixture and start whisking together.

You should have a nice, melty chocolate mixture once it’s all combined. The next thing you have to do is wait. 2-3 hours should be good enough. You want the chocolate mixture to be at room temperature.

After the chocolate is at room temperature, whip the mixture using an electric mixer on medium speed, for about a minute, until it lightens in color. It should be a duller brown color (similar to the picture above). Make sure you use a scraper or spatula along the bottom and the sides to ensure the mixture is completely combined.

The next step in the recipe is to spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch plain tube. Pipe 1/4 inch balls on to the prepared pan. My variation is to use a small scooper/squeezer. It’s similar to an ice cream scoop and can be found in many kitchen stores. I have multiple sizes, which help if I’m making larger truffles, or if I want to make some uniform sized cookies.

I scoop these onto a cookie sheet that has been lined with wax paper. The next step is to chill for at least an hour. I usually put these in a refrigerator for 2 or 3 hours. The next step will involve dipping these and coating them in melted chocolate, so you want to make sure that the centers are chilled enough so they won’t melt as soon as they get into the chocolate to be coated.

Next is coating the truffles. The recipe calls for 12 ounces chocolate and 2 cups cocoa powder. Once the centers are chilled, melt the chocolate by tempering, or allowing it to cool to about 90 degrees. Coat the truffles using your hand, depositing them into a pan of sifted cocoa.

I have a slight variation for this as well. I use a double broiler to melt the 12 ounces of chocolate. You do not want the water on the bottom pot to be touching the top pan. This can lead to burning the chocolate. Once the last bits of chocolate have melted, I add just a little bit of vanilla (less than 1/8 teaspoon). This is just a personal preference. Let this rest for 5 minutes or so, to make sure the chocolate isn’t too hot for coating.

I use one fork and one spoon. I place one or two truffles into the melted chocolate, cover them with the spoon and bring them up with the fork. The chocolate will fall through the prongs of the fork and will be easy to transfer back onto the wax paper. I don’t put them in cocoa powder, but again, it’s just a personal preference.

This picture is taken at the half-way point from one of my trays.

This is one of my trays that has been completed. The chocolate is shiny and still very melty.

You can let these sit at room temperature for a couple of hours.

You should be able to notice a change in the appearance of the chocolate as it cools. You can touch the truffles to see if the outer layer has gotten firm. Once it has, they are ready to be eaten.

I used a 75% dark chocolate for the center and a blend of 75% and bittersweet for the outer coating. In the past, I have placed the truffles in the refrigerator once I finished coating them. If you do that, you’ll want to keep them refrigerated. If you take them out to sit, they will get melty and you will have chocolate fingers. There is nothing wrong with that, but I wanted to give you a heads up.

You can always mix things up. If you want to add some unique flavors to the center, add a little more chocolate if you are going to use a liquid. I’ve used peppermint extract, Amaretto, Espresso, etc., to change things up. I’ve also switched peppermint extract for vanilla for the chocolate coating, but it still has to be a very small amount. Too much liquid will affect how the chocolate will settle and solidify. If you want to use an outer coating of chocolate powder go for it. If you want to try something different, you can also change things around. Powdered sugar, cinnamon, chopped nuts, sprinkles, etc.

If you want to try the center and chocolate coating with different chocolates, then go for it. Make it your way. It’ll be delicious. And if you make any mistakes, they will be delicious mistakes!

Capriotti’s – Annapolis

On By Rob GIn Going PlacesLeave a comment

While I was out earlier today, I had lunch at Capriotti’s. Capriotti’s is a Delaware based sandwich shop that has locations in multiple states. They began in 1976, and in 1987 they rolled out some signature sandwiches. Among these was the “Bobbie”. This is their Trademark Holiday Sandwich. It has been listed in several publications over the years as the Best Sandwich in Delaware, as well as “The Greatest Sandwich in America” by AOL in 2009.

I’ve eaten many Capriotti’s sandwiches in my life, and they are very filling. When I went there today, I decided to get the half, which is 5″, but still a good portion for me (the small is 8″). I decided to go with the old reliable, the Bobbie. The sandwich is turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and mayonnaise on a roll. Although you can get it cold, I always order mine hot since it brings something special out of the stuffing.

Their Cole Turkey, Slaw Be Jo and Capastrami are also high on the list of the sandwiches I like from Capriotti’s, but the Bobbie is at the top. The thing that sets Capriotti’s apart from most sandwich or sub shops is how they prepare the meat. Their turkey and beef are slow roasted and then hand pulled. Instead of the standard sliced meats, you get some shreds and some chunks of meat. They also make their own Cole slaw, which is one of the ingredients on the Cole Turkey, Slaw Be Jo and Capastrami. I have ordered a side of Cole slaw to go in the past, because it is just that good. They do have more sandwich offerings, salads, and vegetarian options.

Capriotti’s is more than just an occasional sandwich shop for me. It’s also a tie in to when I was living in California. There were a couple of different Capriotti’s that I used to frequent (several times a month). I loved going there. Sometimes it was for lunch, sometimes I just wanted to stop there on the way home from work and it was the perfect dinner. They are definitely comfort food sandwiches. When I first moved back to Maryland, there weren’t any close by, so I didn’t think about it. But when I realized there was a shop in Annapolis, I knew I had to check it out. The quality is still good, which is why I’ve been going back there a few times a year ever since. If it wasn’t a one to two hour drive, I would go more often.

Unfortunately, the shops that I used to frequent in California have all closed down. Maybe if they expand again, there will be opportunities for other people to get a chance to try the sandwiches that I’ve been enjoying.

Saturday Morning in Annapolis

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Whenever I plan on a trip to Annapolis, it’s usually for just a few places – Annapolis Towne Centre, Annapolis Harbour Center (for the Pennsylvania Dutch Farmers Market), or the Mall, with an occasional visit to Capriotti’s. I planned on going to Capriotti’s this morning, but I also decided to walk around Main Street this time, instead of doing my usual routine. My Terrapins don’t play until 3:30 PM today, which made it easier to plan the time.

I checked the weather report this morning and it was supposed to be in the 40s and low 50s until 12PM. When I woke up, there was frost on the car, so I put on some jeans and a long sleeve shirt, as well as a jacket. I definitely needed them at my house in the morning. There was a thick layer of frost that took about 5 minutes to scrape off. By the time 10:00 AM came around, it was already in the upper 50s, and I was regretting my attire. Not just because I didn’t get a chance to rock my jean shorts, but because it was too hot for me in long pants and a long sleeve shirt. The inside of my house was colder when I got home (62) than it was in Annapolis after 10AM.

After I arrived and parked in a Parking Garage near Main Street and the Bay, I walked over to City Dock Coffee (this was my intended place). I ordered a Mocha Cappuccino Chill, which is their version of a frappe. The frappe had nice flavor to it. It was the proper thickness and there was no iciness to it. This was definitely a good way to start the morning.

I then took some time to go walking around. I had a couple of hours planned, so I was able to get in some good walking. More hills than I was expecting, but I did not mind the exercise. I went to the Visitor Center and asked them about any historical buildings, and the response was that they were all historical. Not far off from the truth on that one. They did mention a couple in particular, so I made sure to walk by those. I did take the time to take a lot of pictures, so I’ll share those now.

This was the early morning down at the docks at the end of Main Street. I liked how the sun was shining and reflected nicely off the water.

Here are a few that reflect how old some of these places are. When I walked by St. John’s College, I was surprised at how long ago it was founded.

It took me awhile to get used to some of the signs. When I have walked around some of the local Historical Districts, they usually have big plaques with the dates and information. There are small little signs on the building in Annapolis that reflect the age. You might miss it if you aren’t looking (that’s what happened to me). This picture is from the Maryland Inn and has 1772 as the first date on there.

Just a few more pictures of some of the historical places.

I also walked over to the Naval Academy and took a few pictures.

The last picture was taken while standing along the water inside the Naval Academy, just outside the Visitor Center.

I decided to a little more walking on Main Street before I headed out. One of the stores I visited was Kilwins, which is a chocolate store. It’s based in Michigan, but has several locations in Maryland. I ordered a dark chocolate buckeye, which was really good, and some double dark chocolate fudge, which was also really good.

I then headed over to Capriotti’s for lunch, which I’ll write about later in a separate blog. So it was a good morning. I was able to do a lot of fun things, eat some good food, see some nice scenery and listen to some good music. Can’t ask for much more than that!

Big Belly Deli – Sykesville, MD

On By Rob GIn Going PlacesLeave a comment

I was not originally planning on putting up a post today, but sometimes good things happen and I want to share them.

Today was expected to be a low-key type of day. I was getting a haircut and running a few errands, but planned on being home early and making myself something for lunch. I went to HeadMasters for my haircut and it went well. My stylist asked me if it was warming up outside since I was wearing shorts (jean shorts, to be exact) and a t-shirt. I said it wasn’t any warmer, but since it was in the 50s, it was still shorts weather to me.

I walked over to French Twist Cafe and ordered a small Pumpkin Mocha Frappe. It was delicious, and I’ll get it again. The Pumpkin Frappe is a vanilla base, but the Mocha base adds a different flavor dynamic, which I enjoyed. I ran a couple more errands and then decided to check and see what Big Belly Deli was serving for lunch. They had a chicken pot pie soup on the menu, so I knew I would not be making something at home for lunch.

I had confirmed beforehand that there were no mushrooms, which was a sigh of relief for me. The base was very thick and creamy. This is something that can be tricky with cream based soups, but they managed to keep the soup at the proper temperature, so there was no break-down of the liquid. The chicken had good flavor, and the variety within the bites made it easy to see that this was fresh chicken that was pulled and then chopped (not basic chicken breasts or thighs that are uniformly sliced). There was corn, carrots, green beans, peas and potatoes in there (might have been other vegetables, but those were the ones I could tell). The flavor of this soup really hit the spot. Even though I enjoy the outside temperatures when they are in the 50s, it’s still nice to have a good, hearty soup.

Before I ordered my soup, I was checking out the sweets. There was a Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie that caught my eye, so I ended up buying that as well. The pie is 5″ across, just for some perspective.

The crust on the bottom and sides is a chocolate crust. It’s very crumbly, but it works well with this type of pie. The peanut butter filling was very thick and very rich. This is why I feel that the crust worked well with this. Chocolate drizzle and peanut butter cups topped it off, and was a nice finishing touch.

Right before I left, there were some people who were staring at the menu. They asked me if I had any recommendations. Just like something that happened to me previously at French Twist Cafe, I was very happy to share with them about all of the goodness on that menu. I let them know that I never had a bad experience, gave them some 5 or 6 sandwich options as well. The regular Friday special includes a chicken curry sandwich, and I made sure they had a heads up on that one. Really good flavor, really big portions. Two of them planned on splitting, which is definitely a good idea. Big portions for a good price is nice, but when you add in the quality flavor, it makes it even better. I also let them know to check out all the sweets as well. I’m sure they enjoyed their meal, no matter what they ended up ordering.

A light, easy day turned out to have some moments that compelled me to write a little today. I’m planning on a fun-filled weekend, so hopefully I will have some more Positive moments to share.

Wednesday Morning in Westminster, MD for a Good Cause

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When I have time on Sundays, I try to buy a couple of the Sunday newspapers. I was fortunate to get the local newspaper this past Sunday. There was an insert for Boscov’s and it mentioned a special event they were going to be doing today, starting at 8:00 AM. It is Boscov’s 23rd Annual Friends Helping Friends event. If a customer wants to donate $5 to one of the participating non-profits of their choice, they will receive a coupon for 25% off. Since that sounded like a good idea to me (even if I didn’t end up buying anything), I decided to plan my morning. We were scheduled to get some heavy rain starting anywhere between 10AM and 12PM, so I knew I would need an early start.

The two places I wanted to visit before Boscov’s were JeannieBird Baking Company and Birdie’s Cafe. They are about 3/4 of a mile apart. I decided to park close to Birdie’s Cafe and then walk down to JeannieBird, and then come back up. Sometimes a walk can do you good.

When I arrived at JeannieBird’s, there was not a long line (this was around 8:30 AM on a weekday morning, so it’s not surprising). I looked through the different sweet options since I had ordered a savory breakfast sandwich the last time I was here. The thing that caught my eye was Pumpkin Rolls. Think Cinnamon Rolls, only with pumpkin. I asked if there were raisins in it, and thankfully the answer was no. I had three options, though: regular frosting, cream cheese frosting, or crumb topping. I decided to go with a crumb topping, and I’m glad that I did. They warmed it up for me, which was even better.

The three main components to this are the dough, the filling, and the topping. The dough had good flavor. Not a heavy yeast flavor, not too sweet. And cooked to the right consistency. The filling was also very good. The spices and the pumpkin blended well together, so the pumpkin wasn’t overbearing, but it was definitely there. The crumb topping was great. There was a texture that I wasn’t used to in crumb topping, and it worked really well. I thought that it might be oats, so I asked the team, and they confirmed with the chef that they indeed use oats in the crumb topping. This was definitely a good choice by me, and something that I would order again.

While making the walk from JeannieBird’s to Birdie’s Cafe, I saw a couple of neat signs. The first was in front of the Post Office building and the second was on the building itself. I don’t remember when or if I’ve seen a Fallout Shelter sign before, so I thought this was pretty cool.

Snowbird from Birdie’s Cafe

Birdie’s frozen coffee drinks are called Snowbirds, which is a pretty fun take on their name. They have plenty of options as well. Since we are still in the season, I decided to go with the Pumpkin Snowbird. There was a nice pumpkin flavor, which was not too heavy, and a very subtle spice flavor. This was not icy at all. The straw was very thin, and there were no issues drinking this, which means there were no chunks of ice to clog things up or get stuck on the bottom. Very good drink and one I’ll get again. I’ve been to Birdie’s Cafe several times, but haven’t had a chance to write about it until today.

I took a couple of tree pictures, but this was the best of them. Quite a few colors, which made for some nice scenery. I was walking when I took this one. There were some other tree ranges which looked really nice, but I saw them while I was driving. There are signs that indicate no stopping unless for emergencies, so I couldn’t stop to take pictures.

I did finally make my way over to Boscov’s. I paid $5 for a non-profit of my choosing, and got a coupon. I only bought a couple of clothes that were already on sale, so my 25% got me less than $5 off, but I was perfectly fine with that. I wasn’t sure if I was going to buy anything. I had to assess my needs versus my wants, with a little grey area for in between. My wants included an all in one turntable/CD player/Radio/Cassette, but that was not something that I really need right now or have the room for in my house right now. There were some cooking appliances that fell into that same category. It didn’t matter to me, since I was just there for the $5 to a non-profit anyway.

The rain started to pick up a little after 10:30AM, so it was while I was finished shopping at Boscov’s, but still running errands close to home (grocery shopping). I took a video of the sounds of the rain from my enclosed patio. Feel free to check it out on my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Tumblr account if you would like.

There are days when I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. Today was one of those days. I can’t help but feel positive after a morning like this.

Quick and Easy White Chocolate Pumpkin Pudding Pie Recipe

On By Rob GIn Close to Home, RecipeLeave a comment

I am sharing a twist to a recipe that some of you might be familiar with. You might have seen the traditional pudding pie recipe on places such as the back of the label of a graham cracker crust, the side of a pudding box, or somewhere else. White chocolate and pumpkin occasionally go together in recipes, which is the reason I wanted to try this twist today.

The total prep time for this was less than 20 minutes. Once it’s put together, it should still be refrigerated for at least an hour or so, but at least the prep work can go by fairly quickly. The ingredients I used for this are as follows:

4 cups of milk split into two equal portions (I used 2% milk)

1 small package instant pudding – Pumpkin Spice

1 small package instant pudding – White Chocolate

1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust

1/2 – 3/4 of an 8 ounce container of whipped topping

The first step is to make the instant pudding packages as directed (usually 2 cups of milk and the pudding mix mixed together for about 2 minutes). If you happen to have a 32 ounce Blender Bottle around, this works really well for mixing each of the puddings. Once the puddings are in their bowls, they should take about 5 minutes to set.

I put the puddings into the Graham Cracker Pie shell side by side.

I then used a fork to swirl them together. I didn’t want to have them completely mixed together, but wanted there to be a distinction between the white chocolate pudding and the pumpkin spice pudding.

The final step was to put the whipped cream topping on top. If you want to use the entire container, then go for it. I only used slightly more than half the container, since I didn’t think it would need a heavy amount of the topping, and it would be harder to use the lid to seal the pie if there was too much.

It is now ready to dig in. I hadn’t tried this before, but I like how the flavor turned out. The white chocolate pudding is a very smooth, mild flavor. The pumpkin spice pudding gives it a little kick that it needs. The graham cracker crust adds another layer of flavor as well as some much needed texture. The whipped topping adds some creamy sweetness to round it all out.

I have tried different variations before, but usually with chocolate pudding – layering with ganache, combining the pudding and whipped topping together, etc. It was nice to try something I hadn’t done before and have it turn out to taste good, too.

Modified Shepherd’s Pie

On By Rob GIn Close to HomeLeave a comment

I had planned on making some Shepherd’s Pie tonight, but since I got home early from my morning errands, I made it a bit earlier.

Shepherd’s Pie is traditionally lamb that is cooked in gravy or sauce with vegetables, and topped with mashed potatoes. Cottage pie is similar, but with beef as the main source of meat. There are variations of the meats and vegetables, but this is a nice hearty meal that is perfect for the Fall season.

My version has slight modifications, but the overall spirit of the meal still exists.

One ingredient that I use, but can be hard to find, is Ballymaloe Original Sauce.

I first discovered this sauce about 7 or 8 years ago. It works well on hamburgers, but is great with Shepherd’s Pies. This is a tomato relish and includes sultanas. I’m not usually a fan of raisins, but these work really well in this sauce/relish.

Start by preheating the oven to 400.

My first cooking step includes a big cheat. I used one pouch of instant mashed potatoes. Once those were hot and ready, it was on to the next.

I cooked up one pound of ground lamb. As soon as the meat is no longer pink, drain the fat. Reduce heat to medium. Add in one can of peas and carrots (14.5-15 ounces) with the liquid drained. I then added one 7.5 ounce jar of Ballymaloe to the mix. I put 1/2 cup of water into the jar and swirled it around to make sure I got all of the good bits of the relish, and then added them to the mixture.

Continue mixing for another 2 minutes, making sure the ingredients are mixed in. Grease an 8 inch round casserole dish and add the meat mixture.

Add the mashed potatoes (should be 2 cups) and gently press down to make an even layer.

Place in the 400 degree oven and bake for 25 minutes.

Let cool for about 5 minutes and enjoy!

This was just one of my modifications. If you want to have more crisp to the mashed potatoes, you can put it under a broiler for about 5 minutes. You can add cheese on top of the mashed potatoes before cooking. You can add in other vegetables. Create your own unique version if you would like.

Making this was one thing, but it all comes down to the taste. I was really happy with how this turned out, in terms of flavor. The lamb wasn’t gamey. The sweetness of the tomato relish came out well and the mashed potatoes really brought everything together. It would have been interesting to have a different texture, so crisping the mashed potatoes a bit under the broiler might have done the trick, but it wasn’t necessary. I enjoyed making this today and was happy to share.

Eat Well!

Pit Beef – The Canopy – Ellicotty City, MD

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My morning started out successfully. My goal was to get a pit beef sandwich from The Canopy for lunch and get home in time to watch the game, which I was able to do.

The Canopy is a small restaurant right off of Route 40 in Ellicott City, MD. When I lived in Ellicott City, I would go there every month or so. Now that I’m a bit farther away, I don’t get there as often, so I was happy to plan my day to include this place. This place has been open since 1983, and it’s easy to see why it’s still around and still bringing in the customers.

One of the nice things about the Pit Beef restaurants that I’ve visited is the meat is right behind the counter. You order your meat and your desired doneness (if beef), and they take it off the pit and start slicing right there. The meat is fresh. The sandwich is made right there while you’re saying what you want on it.

When it was my turn to order, I opted for a pit beef sandwich with the meat cooked rare. I then asked for tiger sauce and BBQ sauce. And requested potato salad on the side. Their version of tiger sauce is mayonnaise and horseradish. A perfect blend that goes well with beef. The barbecue sauce gives it that extra little touch. The potato salad uses red skin potatoes and onions. There was a nice proportion of mayonnaise on this, and the onions added a nice little crunch. The Canopy has Birch Beer as a fountain drink, so that also puts me in a happy place.

The sandwich itself is fantastic. The meat was cooked to perfection. I like it very rare, so it was good to have those bites that had the perfect flavor of the extra rare meat. Since the meat is thin-sliced, you can have some variety in terms of texture. This sandwich takes some work to bite through, but not too much. The meat had a tender bite through, which made it easier to eat. The kaiser roll held up well. Not soggy, not falling apart. The tiger sauce had a nice kick to it. It wasn’t overbearing, it was just enough to let you know it was there without making your sinuses go crazy.

When I first started ordering, I was thinking about getting Cole slaw as a side dish. But, I tend to think of Cole slaw as accompanying pork, so I decided against it. Potatoes seem to pair well with beef, which is why I went for the potato salad. I don’t remember having ordered the potato salad before, but I’m glad that I did. It was nicely seasoned and had really good flavor. The coolness of the potato salad worked well with the sandwich. And having Birch Beer on tap made it even more special. You can usually find Root Beer, but Birch Beer is tougher to find. So having a good meal at a familiar place helps make for a better day, and makes it easy to stay positive.

A Nice Saturday Morning in Columbia, MD

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It’s nice when a plan works out as intended. I had an idea for how I wanted my morning to go, and it ended up going pretty well. I would have preferred my football team won, but that was beyond my control (even though I was wearing my lucky shirt).

Today was a great weather day. Low 50s when I left, low 60s when I was out and about, and low 70s when I got back home. I started the day off by heading down to Wegman’s. I got myself a breakfast sandwich and a pumpkin frappe, so I was off to a good start. I then ran a couple of errands, which included heading over to Big Lots. When I was leaving Big Lots, there were some Canada Geese in the parking lot.

Not surprisingly, they do not walk in a “V” formation. 🙂 It’s not unusual to see them walking around in Columbia, but it was just one of those things that made my morning even better. I ran a few more errands and then made my way over to The Mall in Columbia. There was one main reason for to go there, and that was to try the new Pumpkin Spice Chocolixir at Godiva. I walked through a few stores along the way, and showed some good restraint by not making any purchases.

When the drink was being made, I was asked if I wanted some of the cinnamon mix blended into my drink, and I answered in the affirmative. I am glad that I did. The drink was put together nicely, with the added touches of the drizzle on the side and on top of the whipped cream. The consistency was very much like a thick milkshake, so they were successful there. With my first couple of sips, it tasted just like a pumpkin pie. There was a very strong pumpkin flavor in those first few tastes. As I drank more, the cinnamon mixture that was in the drink and swirled on the sides and on top started to become more integrated into the drink. This added a nice layer of sweetness to the drink, which brought a nice balance to the pumpkin flavor. When I finished up the drink, the consistency was still there, so I was happy with the overall experience. This was the first time I ordered this drink, and I will get it again if they bring it back next year.

I still had a few more errands to run before I picked up lunch. While driving, I noticed some really nice scenery. When I was walking out of Barnes & Noble and heading over to my car, some nicely colored trees in the distance caught my eye. I drove over to the parking lot and decided to take some pictures of the trees and leaves. All pictures were taken with my iPhone 6.

I like how this picture turned out. I think the cloud formations in the background add a nice element to this one. There is a nice combination of colors in this tree.

I wanted to get a little closer, just so you can see the different colors that are coming through in this tree.

Even closer still. The colors were more vibrant in person, but the camera doesn’t do them justice.

This was another tree that I saw and enjoyed visually.

I tried to get a close up, but I don’t think it came through very well. There are some leaves that have changed colors, but there are also some leaves in there that had already changed color and were starting to shrivel up.

This leaf was laying on the ground. I like how you can see the red and orange, as well as some yellow in the veins.

This was another leaf that caught my eye because there was still some green in the veins.

This last picture of a leaf was on the parking lot, not too far from the others (they are all from the same tree). The red in this leaf was much more prominent than the others.

When I have mornings like this, I can’t help but be in a good mood (even with only 4 hours of sleep). I had a rough outlined of my morning planned out for more than a week. I added a couple of errands yesterday, but was really happy to have the extra bits of nature highlight my day. I look forward to what tomorrow brings, even if it doesn’t go exactly as I might hope. I’ll just stay positive and keep on smiling!

New Experiences with Fond Food Memories

On By Rob GIn Going PlacesLeave a comment

Hello, old friend. I’ve missed you.

I read an article over the weekend about the McRib coming back to McDonald’s in a limited time run. The last time it was out, I could not find it in my area, so I was happy to see it was at my local McDonald’s. Some people really like the McRib. Some people have a strong dislike for the McRib. I happen to really like it. I don’t remember when I first ate one, but I always like them. Now that they are out on a limited run (both in time and location), I will take advantage of having them available near me.

When I opened the sandwich, it had a familiar look to me. It is still a big sandwich, and they definitely put in a good amount of barbecue sauce.

Just wanted to give a side view here. There are multiple components to this sandwich. The bun, the pork, the barbecue sauce, the onions, and the pickles. I am not usually a fan of pickles (unless they are in a Cuban sandwich), so I had mine without. But if you like pickles, then go for it. The bun works really well for this sandwich. It doesn’t get soggy, disintegrate, or fall apart while eating. The flavor provides a nice balance for the barbecue sauce. The texture of the pork works – similar to biting through a boneless rib. There is a nice pork flavor to the meat, and the barbecue sauce complements it well. The onions are a bit underrated. These are thicker sliced onions, so you get more of the bite of the onion flavor when you eat this. It wouldn’t have the same effect if they used diced onions. All combined, this brought back some fond memories of the McRib. And since it will be around for a limited time, I will be going back again (and again) before they are gone.

If the Shamrock Shake were around at McDonald’s, I would have gotten that to drink. Instead, I decided to try a milkshake at Wawa. I ordered the chocolate mint cookies and cream milkshake. It was a thick shake and had good texture. The mint flavor was a little less than I would prefer. It was a good shake, but I like their coffee drinks better.

I also made a stop at TJ Maxx. There is one that is not too far from where I live, but I never visited it. I’m glad that I went there yesterday. I purchased two things from there.

The Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Mint squares are really good. They are not the same as York Peppermint Patties, which I also enjoy. The mint filling is gooey, so this is pretty much a one bite square for me. Fortunately, I have a big enough mouth for that. But if you require multiple bites, the filling might spill out, so be careful.

I’ve had Tortuga Rum Cakes before. They are good as a once or twice a year indulgence. I have never seen bite size cakes before, though. And these truly are bite sized cakes. The cake is moist and light. There is a distinct rum flavor, which is the trademark. So this really does hit the mark in terms of capturing the essence of flavor of the big Rum Cake into a small bite-sized portion. I was very happy with these purchases!

I am happy that the old favorites were still good and the new twist on old favorites were also good. Positive experiences definitely helped make yesterday a good day!