Mindy
here, fresh off a wonderfully relaxing weekend. Saturday, hubby and I decided
to combine pleasure and business when we visited the home of Bluebell Ice
Cream, Brenham, Texas. If you’ve never had Blue Bell Ice Cream, all I can say
is that you’re missing out.
But
Brenham isn’t all about ice cream. After our trip to Home Depot for floor tile,
we took time to visit downtown Brenham for some lunch.
Must
be Heaven came highly recommended by my friend, Becky Yauger, who used to live
in Brenham. This long-time diner is well-known for their sandwiches and pies. I
had the Texas Grill Monte Cristo but, alas, I forgot to take a picture.
Probably because I was distracted by the pies.
Ever
heard of Sawdust Pie?
In case you can't read it, the sign says, "Start with mixing equal parts of shredded coconut, graham cracker crumbs, sugar and chopped pecans to create that unique 'dry' sawdust look. Add egg whites and vanilla extract to make it look like 'wet' sawdust. Bake in a pie shell layers with sliced bananas and topped with a non-dairy whipped topping and sprinkled with finely chopped pecan pieces."
And would
you take a look at these beautiful cheesecake slices.
If I hadn’t been so full of sandwich, I might have ordered one. Guess I’ll have to wait for our next trip.
After
lunch, we stumbled onto a cute little corner bookstore.
Well,
actually I came to a screeching halt when I saw this display in front of it.
Do you recognize anything familiar?
And
would you believe that the Christian fiction section was front and center when
you walked into the store? Whoo-hoo!
On
Sunday, I had the pleasure of meeting my sister-in-law and a couple of her
friends for afternoon tea. Oh, you all know how much I love drinking tea, but
afternoon tea is always a special treat. A time to sit and take a breather, enjoy some tasty treats and the company of others.
It’s
always fun to drink from pretty tea cups and eat off of china.
Even the tea
trivets are special.
We
had our savories.
Scones,
one savory, one sweet.
And
then the desserts.
Be
still my heart. The coconut lime cake was to-die-for, as was the strawberry
shortcake trifle. I loved, loved, LOVED the little mason jars they served them
in.
Okay,
update on the big house reno.
Sheetrock
starts going up today! Yay! However, we received word last week that our three
new French-style back doors are going to be delayed because the manufacturer
messed up and put door-knob and lock holes (also referred to as double-bored)
in all seven panels as opposed to only three like they were supposed to. Boo!
In
the meantime, we’re trying to knockout what we can, which generally involves
more shopping. Which will, likely, mean another trip to Brenham.
Oh,
boy! Cheesecake, here I come!
Now
it’s your turn. Have you ever been to an afternoon tea? What was/would be your
favorite part?
Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com
The pie cases...
ReplyDeleteI want the pie cases.
Here.
In my kitchen.
Filled with pie.
Every day.
I will be happy forever.
What a great little town! I love it, Mindy!!!!
Okay, so add pie cases to Ruthy's Christmas list. And why shouldn't you have pie cases, my upstate friend? You are the pie maker. That reminds me. What sorts of goodies will you be selling at the farm stand this year? You might need some cases.
DeleteOoooohhhhh!!! I am incredibly jealous of your corner bookstore, Mindy! And one that features Christian Fiction let alone front and centre? Must be only in Texas. Almost worth facing snakes for. :-)
ReplyDeleteThose pies....I'm on a sugar high just looking at those pictures. And I adore afternoon tea. Scones with strawberry preserves and clotted cream. Blissful sigh. It's been too long. And the little cakes -- sponge I think with jam in the middle and this delicious icing poured over and decorated like little presents -- what are they called? Petite fors? Those are the things afternoon tea is made of.
Yes, petite fors! You know, they've never had those at any of the teas I've gone to, Kav. Of course, there were plenty of other delectable desserts to fill the gap. Oh, and I do love scones and clotted cream.
DeleteIf only Christian fiction were front and center at all the bookstores in Texas. But, alas, this is a rarity. A very pleasant surprise, indeed.
By the way, the dessert tea they served was some of the best I've ever tasted. Almond Cookies Green Tea tasted like angel food cake. I ,it's get my hands on some of that.
You got me at the Monte Cristo Sandwich...absolutely my favorite sandwich of all time, and definitely filling! I only have one about once a year, and then I take half of it home for another meal!
ReplyDeleteBut you said it was a "Texas Grilled" sandwich - I've only had them deep fried. I could do grilled at home... Hmm....
And I'm with Ruthy - what a great little town. I hope it isn't too far from the ranch so you can visit often!
And I'm going to have to try that sawdust pie. That looks intriguing!
DeleteWasn't that an interesting pie, Jan? I might have to try it next time just so I can say I've had Sawdust Pie. And the Texas part of their Monte Cristo sandwich was red pepper jelly. Good and sweet with just a bit of heat.
DeleteNo, Brenham isn't very far at all, so I know I'll be going again. Frequently.
I love Monte Cristo sandwiches, too! But it's really hard to find a good one. Most restaurants don't do them justice. My very favorite was from a restaurant in Athens, GA, that closed. :(
DeleteGrrr. For some reason Blogger would not let me comment earlier. The profile box was blank.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, what I wanted to say was, isn't it funny how we all reacted to different parts of your post. Me, well you had me with all of the above, but the Sawdust Pie really intrigued me. That sounds SO good.
And those key lime thingies? They remind me of cupcakes we had at one of the RWA receptions. I'm thinking Atlanta, but maybe San Antonio. I literally had to restrain myself from gorging on them.
Coconut lime mini-cupcakes.... They were SO good, Mary Cate. Hmm... You know, I know the owner of the tea room. Perhaps I could get her to share the recipe. If so, I will let you know.
DeleteYum!! I want those scones!! I've never had a savory one before. Cheesy sounds good to me!
ReplyDeleteYes, I've been to high tea at the Ritz many, many years ago. It was amazing!