Only in America

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Today we drove down Bayshore Avenue, Tampa's fanciest street. On one side there is the beautiful bay, on the other gorgeous mansions. I love Bayshore, especially on a sunny but not too humid day like this one was.

We went to Channelside where we ate at Brennigans which was really terrible. We did however have a window table from where we could see the Cruise ship. Every Sunday the big ships depart and head to the Carribean. It's a spectacular sight to watch these enormous things gracefully take off and head out to sea.

Only in America can one order a deep fried sandwich. The Colonel ordered a club which had chicken, ham and cheese. It was then battered, deep fried and served with a dusting of icing sugar. Raspberry jam was the dipping sauce. What glorious decadence.

I had about 4 bites. The first 3 I thought I was in a very strange happy place. By the fourth I felt as though I were going to keel over and die. The Monte Cristo sandwich went from a festival for the mouth to a greasy nightmare in no time at all.

Care package.

A care package from Australia has arrived. Thank you to my lovely sister Miss Patrice for her beneficent gift.

Included are some of my favourite chocolate bars from Australia, what a scrumptious treat. Peppermint crisp, Yum. Not to mention Cherry Ripe. I particularly like the health food aspect of that last one, I mean cherries are fruit right? ;)

The best part was the gold wrapped, white and gold box from Haigh's Chocolate store. The finest and most delicious chocolates this Countess has ever tried. The box is filled with violet creams, a childhood favourite, and lemon myrtle, an Aussie taste sensation.

The chocolate bars arrived melted, but a few minutes in the fridge fixed all that up. The Haighs confections however were unmelted, lucky. One Lemon myrtle leaked, that was the extent of the damage wrought by the Florida heat on my little precious treats. Amazing.


A packet of Teddy Bear biscuits was also included, long the object of my cravings. I plan to dunk those in cups of coffee, feet first to prolong the agony. Or perhaps not, give the little bears a quick end by dunking them in head first.

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Thank you Miss Patrice for your lovely, lovely gift.

Perusing the Internet, I managed to find this recipe for violet and rose creams.

Rose and Violet Creams.

3tbsp double cream
Pink (rose) or purple (violet) food colouring
3tbsp rose syrup or 2tbsp violet syrup
275g (10oz) icing sugar
200g (7oz) milk (rose) or dark (violet) chocolate, broken into small bits
1tsp groundnut oil
20 crystallised rose or violet petals, to decorate
20 sweet cases (optional)

Place the double cream, 1 drop of pink food colouring and the rose syrup into a bowl - or 1 drop of the purple food colouring and the violet syrup - and mix well. Sift the icing sugar (225g/8oz for the violet creams) over the cream mixture and stir to combine. Tip the mixture out onto a work surface lightly dusted with icing sugar and knead the fondant with your hands until it all comes together in a firm ball. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Using your hands, roll 20 teaspoon-sized lumps of mixture into balls, then flatten them slightly and place on a plate. Heat 5cm (2in) of water in a pan. Pop a heatproof bowl on top, making sure that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Place the milk (rose) or dark (violet) chocolate and the groundnut oil in the bowl and warm until melted. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.

Line a flat 39 x 35cm (15 1/4 x 13 3/4in) baking sheet with baking parchment. Carefully take a fondant ball, one at a time, and, using two forks, dip it in the melted chocolate until coated all over. Be quick about it, as you don't want to melt the fondant. Place the coated fondant ball onto the baking parchment. Top each chocolate with a crystallised rose or violet petal and leave to cool and set in a cool place. Place in sweet cases to serve, if you like.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1217142/Sweet-shop-recipes-Rose-violet-creams.html#ixzz0U1u0tEGc

What contemptible scoundrel stole the cork out of my lunch? (W.C. Fields)

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"Ask not what you can do for your country, ask what's for lunch.”

Orson Welles

Florida maybe hot, but it really is so very pretty. Gaby and I trotted off to a place called Whiskey Joe's for lunch today. The place is situated right on the water with magnificent views. Sitting at my table I was able to watch families playing in the shallow water, and sea birds looking for some tucker. So lovely.

I had some sliders which are baby sized burgers. Do they have sliders in Australia? I think they are a relatively new thing here. Very cute and great for people not so hungry. I had two and called it quits. It's much easier to stop when the portions are small it seems to me.

They were quite dry and not all that appetising really. Whiskey Joe's has a lovely view, but I wouldn't go there again. The menu didn't appeal much at all. Everything seemed to be fried. I'd give it 2 stars, just because of the view.

Tim Tams in Tampa.

I learnt today that Tim Tams are available at selected Target Stores in the USA, what a pleasant surprise.

Target ran a promotion for 3 months starting last year where they sold the chocolatey Aussie delights. Thinking it had finished, I did not go near Target since that promotion ended, no need really, well until my discovery today that is.

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The Tim Tams are packaged as Pepperidge Farm, but I believe they are imported from Arnott's in Australia and just put in the Pepperidge Farm wrappings, perhaps because Americans are familiar with that brand and not Arnotts? Not sure why and don't really care what is written on the front. Inside they are 100% Aussie Tim Tams.
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Today I was there looking for Peeps to send to Australia and then they caught my eye - Tim Tams were sitting on the shelf calling my name, like chocolate sirens.

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Perhaps Australia's favourite biscuit (cookie in the US), has sold well enough to become a permanent fixture in the grocery isles at Target. Let's hope so. Whenever I feel homesick I have a Tim Tam and everything is well again.

The store was also full of Halloween decorations. It is such a huge thing here. From pumpkin shaped plastic buckets to carry candy in, to Jack 0' Lantern salt and pepper shakers and ghosts galore.

Spooky Table decorations. What do people do with this for the rest of the year? It must take up a lot of storage space. Looks like a whole lot of extra clutter to me, but I really admire those who can make the effort.

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Pumpkins, They are everywhere in the stores right now.

Something to put all that candy in.

Creepy cookie jars.

Costumes for kids, costumes for dogs, costumes for everyone. They even had little hats for cats. I was tempted to buy the Jester hat for Runty and the Rooster for Romeo, but I pictured them clawing my face off in a nasty domestic pet gone wild incident so thought better of it.

Perhaps this canine is doing time for viciously mauling an owner who forced it to wear a costume?

Saucy! It's so wrong but it's adorable.

Seeing the Christmas decorations out was such a shock, how the year has hurtled by.

Like a magpie I do love seeing a bit of sparkle. These glass baubles were enormous. I guess everything is bigger and better in the USA. Perhaps I could fashion these into a lovely pair of earrings? Perhaps not.

What a surprising adventure to visit Target and see so much colour and the myriad of decorations of a seasonal sort. As much as I love all the bright, shiny things, I am way too lazy and hate clutter far too much to produce anything more than a tree at Christmas time.

Thank you Target. Now if you could begin stocking Mint Slice biscuits I would love you forever and might even open one of those Target credit cards just to keep me in a never ending supply of the delectable comestibles. ;)









Mind the gap.

Halloween Treats.

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Today I bought some Halloween candy to send to my peeps in Australia.

Ghost and Jack O' Lantern shaped peeps and some corn candy will be making the trip Downunder.

I hear this Halloween caper is catching on in Australia.

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Balmy Florida Nights

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Last night we went driving to St.Petersburg in the vintage Volvo. It was so balmy and lovely, what a beautiful drive.

Sven

On the Gandy Bridge

We drove down to Indian Shores where we will be moving temporarily once we close on our house here in Tampa. It's so different down there, very beachy, a kind of Surfer's Paradise feel, but much nicer.

We stopped and had lamb gyro's for dinner. I love Greek food. I would have taken some pictures of our Grecian feast but I was too busy stuffing my face. Sorry.

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The Unbearable Lightness of Runty.

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I adore my cat Runty so much. What a cosseted kitty he is. The Runt man is very spoiled but I can't help it, when he looks at me with those big dinner plate eyes he always gets what he wants, extra food and belly rubs!

I sit on a leather chair in the study to use the computer, but it's more aptly called Runty's throne. If I am on it when he demands the chair I usually acquiese the throne. We call the study "The Principality of Runty Carlo' and let him preside in there from his Royal residence.

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Our other cat Romeo is very neurotic, the vet wanted to put him on kitty prozac but we didn't like the idea of a drugged up cat. It would be so strange to have a mentally defective cat on medication. They give Special K to cats when they have surgery don't they?

Romeo loves Runty and follows him around all the time. He even cuddles up to Runty when sleeping. Kitty BFF's, how sweet. They roam the yard together, earning the moniker, The Insane Cat Posse.

We love Romeo, even though he is a neurotic Ginger.