A few weeks ago, I received my BBM assignment. I was paired with of Arden at Uit de keuken van Arden (In the kitchen of Arden), a wonderful food blogger from the Netherlands and sent her a few of my favourite things in the form of "Boston in a Box". Now, it is my turn to receive a fellow food blogger's box of favourite things and let me tell you something, I have a twin sister I didn't even know about! She lives in the UK and I'm not sure how she knew this but I absolutely adore tiny cups, chocolate covered biscuits, Earl Gray tea, and crackers! My new twin sister is J of one of the smartest and funniest food blogs in the UK, Have Fork Will Travel!!!
I got back to my office late last week after a heated meeting on a hot and steamy day about a nasty project I've somehow been saddled with to find a box sitting on my desk.
After making sure the box wasn't ticking or full of more blueprints, I noticed it came all the way from Middlesex, England and had the most adorable sign pinned to the front, showing which way up the box needed to travel across The Pond.
I had grand visions of postal workers all over the world gingerly handling my package "This Way Up".
I opened up the box (J and I share a love for packing tape apparently. No package either of us pack is coming open enroute!) to find a lovely red envelope right on top.
And in the envelope, a fun card with this sinful looking cupcake (Oh, yum...it was all I could do not to eat the card).
J had written me a detailed letter about the contents of my package; each item notated with just the most adorable little cupcake to match the cupcake on my card!
Aren't they too cute!!
Right under the card were two of the most fabulous picnic plates I have ever seen in my entire life.
Now how did my twin sister, J know that I've had my eye on this picnic hamper covered in pink flowers at the store next to my office but hated the plates that came with it? Won't these plates be just perfect!!
Next was something all about the microwave cooking I've been doing the past few months in the form of "Zip n Steam" cooking bags for the mircowave!
I can't wait to try these with the leek recipe J included in the card as soon as fall comes. And right under the microwave cooking bags were a wonderful re-usable bag from Waitrose to go shopping at the Farmer's Market in Westport with this past weekend! I got many compliments about how lovely it was.
This box was like being on an archeological dig but instead of digging up old bones I was digging up incredible food finds! Each layer of the packing revealed more wondrous things...
Like all these English food goodies!!
I have such a weakness for Marks and Spencer dark chocolate ginger biscuits and so does J (told you...twins!!) that I could taste them as soon as I saw the box (and even hoped when I saw the little dark green corner of the box that was what they were!) The whole package smelled of the Earl Gray tea and I immediately brewed a "cuppa" to enjoy whilst unwrapping the rest of the package (milk and dash of suger, J since you asked). I also had to tear into the Maltesers, which happen to be my favourite chocolate, while reading rest of the card. I can't wait to try the Savoury Twists with some cheese and fruit while sitting on my deck looking at Long Island Sound. And speaking of cheese, take a look at the cheese knife and Stilton scoop in the picture below!! Those are going to be put to good use very soon at a little gathering of friends I'm throwing in a few weeks. I also think these may have to make a trip at the end of October to Rochester, NY for a super special foodie event I can't tell you about yet...
And the Magic Whisk, I've always wanted one but just haven't bought it (J!! Have you been reading my Kitchen Arts wish list?) And I can't wait to put the lovely Nigella fridge magnets on my new fridge!! I've already named my pie bird, Tux and he is just waiting for the late summer berry and peach crop to make a luscious pie. OH OH OH... aren't the ice cream and demi-tasse spoons just too adorable? They are some of J's favourite spoons and have a lovely heart shaped bowl which I'll bet that shape will be perfect to cut through hard ice cream that will come out of my new ice cream maker. The Alessi espresso cups are going to be perfect for my new coffee maker that will soon be living on my counter in my new apartment in Norwalk, CT; where I can look out my kitchen window and watch sail boats go out into Long Island Sound while I make an espresso.
J, I can't thank you enough for an absolutely jolly good BBM "A Few of My Favourite Things" package. It is comforting to know that when I stand on my deck looking out across the Sound and into the North Atlantic and munch on a cheese nibble some where right there is a lost twin sister. This box was full of a few of both of our favourite things!! And Stephanie, thank you so much for organizing this super event!
