British Afternoon Tea Moments

Lately, everything seems to be quite British for me. Last night I dreamed I was living in England and I've been enjoying an on-line ballet class series taught by British ballet teacher Susan. This afternoon I bought some British made biscuits & tea and created my own afternoon tea. I'm currently writing a story that takes place on the Isle of Mann, and I just finished watching a brilliant British film. 

Perhaps it's time for a visit to ENGLAND and the UNITED KINGDOM but with travel restrictions upon most of the world, traveling seems more and more like the distant past. In the meantime I'm having plenty of English moments at home and wishing good cheer and good health to everyone in beautiful ENGLAND.

"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hou  dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea." Henry James

Afternoon Tea is a meal composed of delicately cut sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and sweet pastries and cakes. Afternoon tea is a ritual, introduced to England in the early 1840's. It's purpose was and is to stem the hunger and anticipation of an evening meal that takes place around 7:00 pm.

The Italian Market

PIZZA RECIPE

Dough:

1 package active dry yeast

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 cup warm water (110F or 45C)

2 1/2 cups bread flour

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 450 F. In a medium bowl dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

Stir in flour, salt, and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest 5 minutes.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightlygreased pizza pan. Allow crust to bake 5 minutes. Than remove the pizza crust from oven, spread the crust with your favorite sauce and desired toppings. Bake pizza for ten to fifteen minutes. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.

___________________________________________________________

This afternoon, I took an alternative bus route home which gave me a 15 minute stopover at the bus station. I couldn't venture far because if I missed this bus, I'd have over an hour wait for another bus.Hungry and wanting something quick to make for dinner, I knew where to go, to an Italian market named Folgarellis, which is right around the corner from the bus station.

Biscotti, handmade truffles, sun ripe olives, pasta, salads, Italian subs, imported cheese, a wine section....so many amazing things under one roof at the Italian market. With less than ten minutes to figure out what to have for dinner, I got inspired when I found some frozen pizza dough in the freezer. "I'll make pizza," I thought to myself. I got some cheese at the deli counter and nothing more. After all I had sauce and veggies at home. 

How quick and easy it was to made a homestyle pizza with just four ingredients; pizza dough, sauce, cheese, and some fresh spinach. The result? A very tasty and satisfying pizza, created by quality ingredients from a local Italian market. A big GRAZIE to Folgarellis, an incredible Italian market that feels like ITALY.

Think Italy when it comes to moments of "good eating" especially when it's PIZZA! 

If you have an Italian market in your city or town, don't delay, head over there and enjoy a taste of ITALY!

                                      FOLGARELLIS in beautiful Traverse City!

                  Even on snowy days, an Italian market radiates with sunshine. Think Italy!

Being Grounded and Being Still!

YOGA has taught me to be grounded, and in todays high paced and stressful world, a few minutes of being grounded in one place can be beneficial. Rather than multi -tasking and overwhelming myself today, I decided to just do a few gentle things on my day off. This afternoon I spent time with my friend at a state park. We walked on a frozen lake, took lots of fun pictures, and enjoyed the serenity of NATURE. Afterwards I went to my Mother's condo to watch some episodes of a comedy show called "THAT GIRL" and the two of us enjoyed a cup of tea while enjoying this entertaining show. Sometimes the best things in life are the most simplest where we can just be still, and enjoy precious moments!

                                                Taking in Nature on a frozen lake!

    

                                                     Enjoying an entertaining show!

The Chocolate Basket

Since early December I've been filling my basket with chocolates that I've been given as a gift, or chocolates I've bought during the Christmas season. I can never seem to get enough chocolate. Everyday I tell myself I'll resist eating a piece of chocolate but it's not an easy thing to do, especially when I have stressful moments like I did yesterday. The first thing I did when I came home was grab my basket of chocolates and pick a few to unwrap and eat. Such comfort food but tomorrow I have to visit the dentist, and my dentist is not a big advocate of eating sugary treats. So maybe, just maybe, I'll challenge myself to go without chocolate for a week or two.

Why does CHOCOLATE make us happy?😀 Certain components in chocolate improve the mood and alter brain patterns. Tryptophan, which is an amino acid found in chocolate helps the brain make serotonin, a neurotransmitter that makes us feel happy. Phenylethylalanine is also found in chocolate and this component is a natural acting antidepressent and produces the same feeling one may experience when falling in love. So don't feel guilty if you find yourself with a basket or box of chocolates. LOVE is in the air!

💗💘💖💕💔💝💜💛💚💙💝💕💖💘💗💔💝💔💖💝

If you're craving chocolate go for it and enjoy moments of chocolate bliss! However, everything in moderation, especially if you have a dentist appointment coming up. Wishing you plenty of chocolate filled days!