Driving in a Generally Northern Direction

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I took a drive up on September 5, 2019. I drove up the 95, over the Delaware Memorial Bridge and on the New Jersey Turnpike and beyond. I had created a new playlist for my car, so it kept me entertained for the 5+ hours. When I take these drives, I enjoy taking in the scenery. Right now, there is a lot of green with little bits of yellow coming through on some of the trees on the New Jersey Turnpike. I look forward to another month or so when the leaves are in the middle of changing colors and I’ll be able to see some green, yellow, orange, red, etc. on the way.

I stopped at China Palace in Glen Cove, NY to pick up some lunch. I ordered two sides – Wontons in Spicy Sesame Peanut Butter Sauce (without the sauce) and Hot Noodles in Sesame Peanut Butter Sauce (with the sauce). I really enjoy the noodles and have gotten them both hot and cold. I prefer them cold, but getting them hot makes it easier to incorporate the sauce. The wontons are really good. One of my sisters and I went there one day and saw them making the wontons fresh, and we’ve gotten them every time since. It made for a nice meal with the family.

I took a scenic route home after picking up the food and got to see some horses and some swans, so it made for a very productive drive.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf 9.5.19

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I’m catching up on some writings and wanted to start with my visit to The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Pikesville, MD on September 5, 2019. Continuing with my seasonal flavors, I decided to go for the Pumpkin Spice Ice blended. This was a definite favorite of mine. The flavors were on point and the consistency was fantastic.

I have a bit of a bias when it comes to The Coffee Bean, though. When I lived in California, this was one of my favorite coffee places to go to on a regular basis. I would go on a walk or run with one of my sisters on the weekends and this would be one of the places we would stop at, depending on our route. So this has sentimental value, since I associate The Coffee Bean with seeing my sister and her family. And stopping for an ice blended drink after running or walking for 3+ miles felt pretty good, especially in the hotter months.

There are a couple of other reasons I’m a fan of The Coffee Bean. They tend to have specialty drinks more frequently than other places, so there is always a chance for something different or new. I also enjoy the way they make their ice blended drinks. The ice is crushed more finely, so there is less of a chance of getting pieces of ice coming up the straw. This makes it a much more enjoyable experience for me.

There was a store inside a hotel in Baltimore, but it was not a full store and had a limited menu. It was still good, but not the complete experience. I was very happy to learn about the store that opened in Pikesville. I’ve been there quite a few times over the past year or so (maybe once every couple of months). It is nice to go into a store and have the people recognize you, even if you haven’t been there for a couple of months.

This was an overall nice experience. I enjoyed the Ice Blended Pumpkin and would definitely get it again while it’s still out. I’ll look forward to the next batch of specialty flavors, and I’m sure I’ll be writing about that as well.

Labor Day

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Today has been a pretty good Labor Day. I had an early start to the day and decided to head out early for a coffee drink. My plan was to go to Westminster for a very specific coffee place, but I got there more than an hour before it usually opens, and I wasn’t even sure it would be open today. So I had to improvise and go to Wawa’s. I’ve been there a number of times for their coffee drinks and continue to be impressed at how good they are at their job. Since I am still going on the seasonal theme, I decided to go for a Pumpkin Spice Frozen Cappuccino. The dangerous part of this is that Wawa is currently running their Siptopia promotion. This means that a 24 ounce drink is only $3 and a 16 ounce drink is only $2. A lot of temptation and I felt that I should go for the 24 ounce drink. The drink itself was good. Mainly the pumpkin spice flavor, and no issues with too much ice. It’s a larger drink than I usually have, but the consistency lasted and didn’t melt to pure liquid, which is another plus. I also decided to get an apple cider donut. The flavor was good, but the donut was not as moist as I would prefer.

The coffee place I was going to visit (and will be visiting in the next month or so) is called Furnace Hills Coffee (www.furnacehillscoffee.com). I’ve had their coffee drinks before and they do a good job. I’ve also gotten coffee beans for family, and they have gotten positive reviews. The thing I like about this place is their mission. It is Special Coffee roasted by Special People. And that will have me continuing to back there as long as I can.

The rest of the day went well. I tried the new Mountain Dew flavor (Voo Dew). It is a mystery flavor, so I won’t even try to guess. My favorites are still Baja Blast, Pitch Black, Livewire and Code Red, but it’s nice to have something a little different for a change. I grilled myself a cheeseburger and had some beans on the side, so I think it is fair for me to say that this has been a successful Labor Day!

Enjoying a Quiet Sunday

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Today got off to quite a good start. I decided to make my way over to Harvest Inn – located in Eldersburg/Sykesville – for some good, old-fashioned diner food. I grabbed a seat at the counter and ordered biscuits and gravy (sausage gravy) with home fries on the side. The picture is below. The biscuits and gravy is a Sunday only treat, so I felt this would be an opportune time to order it. It did not disappoint. It was as good as usual. The gravy has a nice flavor to it. There are some chunky sausage pieces and the gravy is nice and thick. The biscuits are the right size for the amount of gravy. And the home fries help put it all together nicely (especially when combined with a little of the gravy). The staff that works there is great. They have a real connection with each other as well as with the patrons. The back and forth between them and some of the “regulars” enhances the experience even more.

After that meal, I decided to stop by Starbucks to get the pumpkin Frappuccino. I admit I’m not the biggest Starbucks fan, but enjoy trying their seasonal drinks. There was a little more ice than I prefer, but there was a nice pumpkin flavor to the drink with hints of the spices. The pumpkin flavor wasn’t too overbearing, and the shake of cinnamon on top helped round out the flavors. All in all, it was a good drink. Not the best I’ve had, but still worth it for the season.

A little bit later in the morning, I decided to head over to the Sykesville Farmer’s Market. I enjoy Farmer’s Market season, so I still have a couple of months to go out and have some fun. The Sykesville Farmer’s Market had some nice options. There were 15 or so vendors, some local, some a little more spread out. There was a Mexican grill that was doing fresh breakfast and lunch options. There were a couple of baked goods places, a few fruit and vegetable stands and some liquor booths. Even though I was in and out of there in about 10 minutes, it’s still nice just to experience and see the people.

I’m not sure what the rest of the day has planned for me, but when you get a good start to the day, it helps the time go by in a more enjoyable way.

Columbia, Maryland Visit

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Well, I decided to have a nice morning down in Columbia. My main goal was to be back in time to watch my Maryland Terrapins play football, and I met my goal.

I started off by going to Roggenart for some breakfast. I decided to try the Frosted Schnecke this morning, and I was glad that I did. The buttery goodness in the pastry and the moistness of the filling made for a pleasant experience that I will repeat.

I then made my way over to Wegman’s to get a coffee drink. I know what you might be thinking – another coffee drink. Or maybe you’re thinking: Wegman’s? Isn’t that a grocery store? Well, the answer is yes. Wegman’s is a huge grocery store, but they have their own coffee shop. This is not a Starbuck’s license location like a lot of grocery stores around here tend to have. They do their own coffee drinks, and they do them quite well. I went with the pumpkin frappe (big surprise there). Good consistency, nice pumpkin spice flavor as well. There wasn’t a heavy pumpkin flavor, but they did add the pumpkin spice syrup around the inside of the cup, so there were some extra bursts of sweetness and spice. I really enjoy going to Wegman’s for their coffee drinks, especially when they do some special flavors.

After finishing at Wegman’s, I decided to go over to The Mall In Columbia. That tends to be my go-to mall. I was only making a short trip, so I started off by getting a massage at Natural Relaxation. This is one of those chairs you sit in where they focus on your neck and back. They always do a good job and get to the real sore spots, and today was no exception. I then took a quick gander in Box Lunch and the Disney Store without purchasing anything. I finished my trip with a quick stop in Wockenfuss Candies. I got myself a bite size Dark Amaretto truffle, and it was very good. I’ll be making my own truffles once the weather cools down and the humidity lowers. I enjoy Wockenfuss, though. They have some really good stuff, especially around the big holidays.

I was able to take a nice, scenic drive to get back home and was fortunate to see a couple of horses hanging out close to the road (enclosed areas). And getting back in time for some football has made this a nice start to the weekend.

Annapolis Morning Fun Part II

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A short distance away from the Annapolis Town Centre is the Annapolis Harbour Centre. I’ve been here quite a few times and will continue to go.

I started off by visiting The Fresh Market. I didn’t buy anything there today, but there is always next time. They have some nice baked goods and some nice specialty items. I always have fun when I have the opportunity to walk through a grocery store.

After that short visit, I decided to walk over to Pennsylvania Dutch Farmer’s Market. This is an Amish Market that is only open with limited hours Thursdays through Saturdays. This is an experience that I truly enjoy and would recommend for people who enjoy something out of the norm.

They have a nice selection of herbs and spices, baking products, candies, deli style foods, chocolates, bakery items, meats, fruits and vegetables, and more. On more than one occasion, I’ve gone there just to watch them work. There is an area where you can watch them making pretzels or pretzel rolls, and it is really fun to see how smooth the operation is. They have tasks and are really good at it. There is another station by the bakery where you can see them making all sorts of goodies. On a number of occasions, I’ve stood and watched as they’ve made cinnamon rolls. This isn’t a standard square dough that gets filled and rolled and cut. This is a 20 foot long roll of dough that gets worked on and built into cinnamon rolls (or caramel pecan).

The last time I visited, they were making something called Peanut Butter Temptations, but they were only in the process of making them and there weren’t any on display. Fortunately, they had some today. They also had some mint chocolate brownies, which I’ve had in the past. So those two things were purchased. The Peanut Butter Temptations are sort of like mini oat bites with a chocolate peanut butter cup in the center. Absolutely delicious. The flavor of the mint frosting goes perfectly with the brownies and those are always top notch. I also decided to buy myself a glazed apple cider donut. Again, it is that time of season. The donut was really good. It was very moist and the flavor was not overbearing, but the spices went really well with the donut. The glaze added another layer of sweetness which accompanied the apple cider and spice flavor very well.

Overall, this was a very productive day. And with only a few hours taken out of my morning, it still gives me plenty of time to sit back and reflect on the nice moments that I had to begin my day.

Annapolis Morning Fun Part I

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I decided to take a few hours this morning to head over to Annapolis. A 40 mile drive that took a couple of hours due to some heavy traffic. Fortunately for me, I was able to listen to my Mike Patton mix while enjoying the scenery along the 97. Traffic may have been dragging, but I had some tunes and some views to keep my mind in a happy place.

I started the morning off in Annapolis Town Centre. I visited Baltimore Coffee and Tea for a coffee drink and then did a little walking around Whole Foods. I’ve been to Baltimore Coffee and Tea quite a few times and have enjoyed their nice variety of drinks. I decided to continue with the seasonal drinks and ordered a Frozen Pumpkin Spice coffee drink. The texture of this was very good. Not icy at all, which is a plus. It had nice flavor, but it was heavier on the pumpkin spice and lighter on the pumpkin flavor. I would get it again, for sure.

One of the things I enjoy about trying all these different frappes is that the same drink name can have so many different tastes. My preference is for a nice balance between the pumpkin flavor and the spice flavor, but sometimes they are heavier on one or the other. The coffee that is used also has an effect on the flavor, as well as the powder or base (depends on the company).

The same can be true of most things. Chocolate chip cookies can taste very different, depending on where you get them. Even when making them, the batches can always be slightly different. Sometimes it’s the chocolate chips, sometimes the cookies are flatter, sometimes the cookies are a bit softer, etc. But if the flavor is still good, the slight variations make for an overall enjoyable experience. It’s always something new, even if it seems like it’s the same.

8.28.19 Seasonality

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Although we aren’t hitting Autumn for another month and we definitely aren’t feeling the joy of cool weather quite yet, it is pumpkin flavor time at the main coffee places. I enjoy getting the drinks during this season. Some flavors are better than others. I don’t mind that it’s still August and I’m getting pumpkin drinks, in the same way that I won’t mind getting peppermint drinks in months other than December.

I went to French Twist Cafe this morning and got myself their Pumpkin frappe. I go to French Twist Cafe quite often. It’s local to me and it is very good. I’ve had a couple of their crepes and some of their pastries as well. I didn’t get either of those today, but the next time I order any of them, I will be writing about them.

The frappe was made perfectly. I am not saying that out of duty. I’m saying it because it’s true. There are some places that have frappes that are a bit icy or a bit liquidy or a bit too thick. That was not the case today. The pumpkin flavor was solid and steady from start to finish. The texture and consistency of the drink remained from start to finish as well. These are qualities that aren’t just because of where it was purchased, but they are due to the good job done by the person making the drink.

Having good conversation and a good coffee drink are great ways to start the day. Today was no exception. I look forward to the many more times I’ll be heading back.

8.27.19. WFVFD Food Truck Fun

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The nice thing about living in a small town is exploring and finding the different things that are not quite local, but not quite too far. It’s not like living in a big city where you can find something on almost every corner (especially in downtown areas).

I decided to make the trek over to the West Friendship Volunteer Fire Department Food Truck Tuesday event. There were plenty of Food Trucks to choose from, and today I decided that I wanted to try a new Food Truck and went with Bebo’s Mac Shack (https://bebosmacshack.com/). They have some barbecue and some grill options which all sounded good, but they have Mac in their name, so I had to go with the Mac and cheese.

I decided on the Bebos Mac Sampler, which allows you to choose three from their Mac and cheese menu. I went with the Mac Shack Original, Bebos Top Seller and Brisket Mac.

The Original was pretty good. It was a basic Mac and cheese without too much extra added in. Very mild flavor and it is better as a complimentary than a stand alone.

The Brisket Mac had some nice flavor to it. The flavor of the Brisket was solid and the Pico de Gallo had some nice flavors, so it was definitely my second favorite.

That leaves Bebos Top Seller. This was the standout. The pulled pork and bacon went well with the Mac and cheese, and the secret sauce rounded things out nicely.

If I had more room to eat, I would have tried some of the other trucks, but that will be saved for another day. The key question I like to ask myself is whether or not I would try this Food Truck again. The answer is a definite yes. I would try other Food Trucks if they are at the same event first, but it is a place I would want to visit again in the future.

The Littlest Things

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Just a few (or many) words about myself and this space. I live in a small town. I’ve lived in suburbs most of my life and worked in small cities and big cities. I’ve seen the advantages of having everything within walking distance, but I’ve also seen the advantages of being away from the fast pace.

For some people, being in the hustle and bustle of a big city is the dream. They live it, they love it, they can never see themselves anywhere else. I like to have some time in crowds, but mostly enjoy being away from all the stress and pressure that come with the city life. I get enjoyment out of driving past some deer on the side of the road, or seeing some horses or cows or sheep on someone’s farm as I drive by.

I am a lover of food. I like to create sometimes, but right now I mainly like to go out and try different things. It may be a place that is within a mile of me that I’ll go to at least once a week. It may be a fast food place that has new menu items to enjoy. It may be some hole in the wall place or some established place that is a good 30-45 minute (or more) drive away. If I have a chance to go out for a scenic drive and get something good to eat or drink along the way, then it’s been a successful day.

I’m writing this blog because I do enjoy these little things and want to share them with others who might want to find those little nuggets of goodness along the way.