February 13 | England

It’s Valentine’s Day Eve! What better way to celebrate love this weekend than with Around the World in Quarantine? When thinking about countries of love, France instantly came to mind for us. Since we’ve “been” there before, we decided to go in a different direction.

Color Scheme: Pink and White

Tablescape

• Duplin Three Tier Server| I found this beauty at Raleigh Rescue Mission. It was originally $14, and I purchased it on a 50% off day for $7. I was curious as to how much this would retail and found it on Amazon for almost $65. I’m still in awe that I was able to get this server for such a great price!
• Lace Place Mats | I knew I needed to add something to the setting, and I found these lace place mats at Thrift2Gift for $.50 each. They were just the subtle “fancy” I needed.
• Light Pink Napkins | I was on my way out of North Raleigh Thrift Shoppe last week and came across these napkins. They were $.25 each and the perfect accent of pink.
• Tea Pot | How could I have an afternoon tea with no teapot? I couldn’t thrift one for the life of me, so I turned to Target. This one was $13 and holds 1.5 liters of tea.

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Menu

Bottom Tier (l-r): Parmesan Tuna Sandwiches, Smoked Salmon and Avocado Sandwiches, Cucumber Sandwiches and BLT.

Every single sandwich was amazing! My favorite was the parmesan tuna sandwiches and Donnell’s favorite was the BLT.

I am a tuna lover, so I’m not surprised I enjoyed the parmesan tuna sandwiches as much as I did. The dijon mustard and parmesan in this recipe was a great addition.

I almost wasn’t able to make the smoked salmon and avocado because my avocados weren’t in the best condition. Luckily, I was able to salvage one. While the linked recipe calls for French bread, I used some bite sized crostini I had from a previous recipe. They were just the right size.

Cucumber Sandwiches are traditional afternoon tea sandwiches and for good reason. They were very light and refreshing. I would definitely make these again.

I can’t believe we both got excited for a BLT, but we did. For this BLT, I used Morningstar bacon. I cooked it in my airfryer, and it had just the right amount of crunch. I wouldn’t be surprised if Donnell eats these for lunch for the next few weeks.

Middle Tier: English Scones with Clotted Cream and Raspberry Jam

While doing my research, I realized what we traditionally refer to as scones are not what the English refer to as scones. Their scones are similar to a mildly sweet, slightly dense biscuit, and they were so so good! And from what I’ve read, you can’t have scones without clotted cream. While it was a long process (12 hours to cook) to make clotted cream, it was worth it. I added raspberry jam to balance the cream.

Top Tier (l-r): Shortbread Cookies, Chocolate Truffles, Macarons and Petit Fours

Though it might seem like a small amount of food, by the time we made it to the top tier, we were full! As a cook, I like to taste everything before it hits the table. The only sweet I hadn’t tried was the petit four, and it did not disappoint. Out of all of the sweets, the macarons were my favorite. Though they take a lot of work to make, they are worth it every single time. The shortbread cookies were delicious as well. They reminded me of the cookies in the blue royal dansk tin. The truffles were tasty, but I think they would’ve been better with milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet chocolate.

Beverages: Sloe Royale and Hot Tea

I have thoroughly enjoyed trying new liquors and liqueurs through Around the World in Quarantine. It’s always an adventure when I got to the ABC store to inquire about a new product, and this trip was no different. When trying to find Sloe Gin, the gentleman insisted I need to go to the Gin aisle. After insisting it was a liqueur not a liquor and the assistance of another associate, I was finally able to find it! Sloe berries make me think of a cross between a blueberry and a blackberry. When mixed with sparkling wine, it adds the perfect amount of sweetness to a mid-day beverage. A great alternative to a mimosa.

Again, you can’t have an afternoon tea without TEA! I decided to use a Hibiscus Herbal Tea Blend from Kindred Seedlings Farm, a vendor at the Black Farmer’s Market. Delicious!

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