Four for Friday!

Today’s Four for Friday are four purchases I’ve made during quarantine which have proven worthwhile. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that they all in some way shape or form have to do with food.

1. Tea

I’m a coffee person normally, but have found that I enjoy a cup of tea when I’m looking for a drink to warm me up. Typically, this means I drink tea in the afternoons from the month of December into March but this year on my days with Jon we started “Tea Time” in the afternoon. We make tea and nibble on a little treat while listening to a book on tape.

When this began, I ordered this tea assortment to broaden our choices. Recently, I purchased this set. With some of the selections, I have taken a sip or two and decided they weren’t for me, but most have been a worthwhile exploration in flavor.

2. LiLLiPiES Cookbook

I learned of this cookbook from my friend and fellow baking enthusiast, Kristine. People who love to bake are always the sort of friends I want to have. We have exchanged the delicious outcomes of several recipes with, I can only imagine, more tasty ventures to come.

I knew I wanted the book after she texted me their brownie recipe and her results. It was then I realized this bakery was one of many I have enjoyed close by and was in need of scheduling a return visit. LiLLiPiES is located in Princeton serving treats ranging from mini pies, to baked donuts, to brioche cinnamon rolls. The brioche cinnamon rolls have been, by far, the most life changing recipe this book has to offer.

3. Katz Deli Birthday Box

You can have an authentic New York deli experience delivered to your front door*. For Hubby’s birthday, I ordered their Birthday Box which included:

• 1 lb hand-carved juicy pastrami
• 1 lb hand-carved corned beef
• 1/2 loaf deli rye bread
• 1 lb Swiss cheese
• 1 quart Katz’s full sour pickles
• 1 quart Katz’s half sour (new) pickles
• 8 oz deli mustard
• 8 oz Russian dressing
• 8 oz sauerkraut
• 1 package mini black & white cookies

*Not an advertisement. Katz knows nothing about me but where to deliver the food I order and pay for from them.

The best part, to me, was that I could make my sandwich ‘normal’ sized.

I know. It’s deli tradition to serve foot high sandwiches, the kind only Dagwood Bumstead could appreciate. But in reality, such a sandwich is physically impossible to eat unless you can somehow dislocate your jaw and still make chewing a pleasant experience. With the birthday box, you have the comfort of making several, regular sized sandwiches, in the comfort of your own home.

4. Throw Away Food Containers

I have been using these containers for a while now, usually during my Thanksgiving breakfast as a take away container for all the goodies I make. They are especially useful when I bake and inevitably end up with more than Lance and I alone can eat.

These containers have recently come in as handy when I have a little bit of sauce leftover that I don’t want to throw away. The are the perfect freezer friendly vessel. I recently purchased larger ones to store double batched meals to freeze.

What have been some beneficial purchases you have made recently? Shout it from the mountaintops! Or just leave me a message in the comments.