My Favorite Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Well, it's not my recipe, exactly. In Portland, OR, there is an awesome little food cart called the Grilled Cheese Grill. And, they have a sandwich there that is called The Jaime. And... this is truly the most sinful, decadent, delicious sandwich I have ever tasted in my life.

Since I can't go to the Grilled Cheese Grill as often as I'd like to, I decided to gather the ingredients of The Jaime and try to build one for myself... and my own version is quite like the original.

Here's the ingredients:

• Cinnamon Bread - I like the Cinnabon bread with raisins... but it can be rather spendy. Really, any cinnamon bread will suffice, I prefer it with raisins... and it's been a while since I've been to the Grilled Cheese Grill so I can't even remember if they use Cinnamon Raisin bread for their sandwich or not. But it's really good with the raisins!
  
• Marscapone Cheese
• Banana
• Nutella Spread

Yeah... just reading the ingredients makes my mouth water!

So, here's how you assemble it. I start by sauteing the banana. I slice it thin and saute it in butter until it's really loose and golden brown. After it's golden brown and delicious, I remove it from the pan and mash it up.

Take two slices of bread and spread marcapone cheese on both sides (you don't want to go too heavy on your spread otherwise it will be rather messy when you grill your sandwich). Then, spread a thin layer of Nutella on one slice and a thin layer of mashed, sauteed banana on the other. Then, I sprinkle one side with cinnamon toast spice, which I buy here.

Close the sandwich. Melt a pat of butter in a hot skillet, place the sandwich in the skillet and grill it the same way you'd grill a grilled cheese. When the sandwich is golden brown and delicious, devour with reckless abandon.

Make yourself a cup of tea, and Enjoy! But be warned... these are extremely addictive.

I've even made these using my regular "go to" bread (which is Dave's Killer Bread, my newest favorite is the Good Seed variety, and you can read my review of this bread here) and it is really good with that bread too... and, I've even made it when I'm out of marscapone cheese... just nutella and banana - and it's really good like that too.

Cheers!

~Anne

Going Out Of Business Sale - part 2!

OK... I've decided to change things up just a little bit on my going out of business sale. I wanted to make it nice and simple, so here goes:

Everything is available currently in tins. I'm nearly out of the refill bags, and I will probably go back to them after the tins are gone, but for now, let's focus on the tins.

All products in my Artfire Tea Shop!

All 4-ounce Tins are just $10.00 - including shipping! (that's right, shipping is FREE)
All 2-ounce Tins are just $ 7.50 - including shipping!


This offer is available only while supplies last. I'm not planning on restocking!

Also... here is the low-down on a few customer favorites:

Earl Grey Creme: as I type this, I have only one 4 ounce tin of Earl Grey Creme, and one 2 ounce tin of Earl Grey Creme.

Breakfast in Bed: as I type this, I have only three 4 ounce tins of Breakfast in Bed, and one 4 ounce tin of Breakfast in Bed.

~~~
Thank you to everyone for your support!

~Anne

Going Out Of Business Sale!

Yep... it's official!

Well, it was official a few months ago when I first announced it...

But now it's really official, complete with a "Going Out Of Business" sale!

All of my remaining teas have been priced to move! Be sure to check out my Artfire Tea Shop and see what I mean!

Also, for a limited time only (I don't actually have a time limit on this, but it is limited to stock on hand as I won't be restocking!) - if you purchase a 4 oz. tin of Potpourri Green Tea, you'll receive a 2 oz. tin filled with the tea of your choice - absolutely FREE! Just use coupon code FREETIN in the coupon code at checkout. (it doesn't have to be in all caps, but, it should be typed out as one word with no spaces)

Potpourri Green Tea

You should also either email me (or convo me via artfire), or leave me a seller's note either at the Artfire checkout or the Paypal checkout to let me know which free tea you want!

My Potpourri Green Tea is fantastic! It is a blend of Chinese Green Teas, jasmine, rose, laurel and lemon myrtle. The result is in a tea that is sweet, floral and so luxurious! I enjoy this tea hot or iced!

Sweet Caramel O'Mine - and other news!

Greetings!

I just got finished blending about 2 pounds of my Sweet Caramel O'Mine tea, it will be ready and available for sale beginning May 4. I'll be sure to make an announcement here, or possibly on twitter (are you following me on twitter? Please click on the link here on my blog)

a little visual temptation - mmmm... Caramel!

My Chocolate Rose Romance is now sold out. I think I probably will end up blending this again in the Fall, as I can't imagine myself going through the winter months without my favorite chocolate tea. Not making any promises... we shall see!

I also recently sold the last of my Almond Mocha Mate.

Earl Grey Creme ~ I did blend a 2 pound batch of Earl Grey Creme and there is some available in my shop. I have already sold over a pound of it - so if you want some - get it while it's here!

My Earl Grey Creme

I still also have my Meadow Nocturne, Allergi-TEA and Potpourri teas available, but these are also going fast!

~Anne

Chocolate Rose Romance - It's Almost Gone!

Greetings!

Just a quick post to let everyone know that I have only 2 (yes, that's TWO) refill packages (approximately 4 ounces each) of Chocolate Rose Romance left. After it's gone, I won't be blending it any more... so if you want some of this amazing tea - you should get it while the getting is good!
This tea is rich, decadent and delicious - it is just perfect to soothe that inner beast that's just craving some yummy chocolate!

Stop by my Artfire Tea Shop to see what else is available!

~Anne

Dave's Killer Bread

Never did I ever imagine that I'd get this wildly excited about store-bought, sliced BREAD. I mean, sure, I'll do the happy dance for a slice of fresh, still-warm-from-the-oven, homemade bread any day, but, a loaf of bread that I bought in a grocery store? Until I tried this bread, I never thought it would happen.

What makes this bread so different that it would inspire me to sit down and compose a blog post? Well, first and foremost, it has changed my whole idea of what bread really is. Most store-bought bread that I've eaten until now has been bland and lacking in texture and substance. Even the fancier, seeds-and-whole-grains-baked-right-into-it breads are not much to write about.

But what Dave Dahl (the creative genius behind Dave's Killer Bread) has done is brought together only the finest quality, organic ingredients in their purest state, and created breads that are full of flavor. You can feel the whole grains as you bite into them.

This isn't your mother's fluffy white bread!


In fact, it isn't fluffy at all. It is dense in whole grains and seeds. The texture is incredible. The flavor is unbelievable. You feel like you've eaten a meal rather than just a slice of bread when you eat it.

This is easily the best not-homemade bread I've ever eaten. (Sorry, Dave, but you just can't compete with my gramma's oven-fresh goodness) This is the kind of bread that you buy and HIDE so that the kids don't grab it by mistake and make themselves a peanut-butter and jelly. I mean, yeah, if you think your kids will appreciate what goes into this bread, then by all means, but, I know that my kids would think this bread is just too weird.

And maybe it is. Maybe that's why I like it so much.

My favorite way to eat (read: devour) this bread is lightly toasted, with my yummy spiced apple butter.

I think that this bread is available only in the Portland area right now... but, if you shop at Costco, check out their bread aisle and see if it's there... also, if you have a Winco nearby, check them out - that's where I get mine!

But I must warn you - you'll never want to go back to ordinary bread again. Yep... it's that good.

~Anne

It's Been A Great Ride!

Greetings!

Well, it has been a great ride - but, all good things come to an end, and I really feel it is time for me to close shop with LiberTEAS.

Please know that this decision did not come lightly. It is something that I've been thinking about for quite some time now... many months, in fact. I have thought long and hard, weighed the pros and cons, and I just realize that it would be best for me to let it go.

There are many reasons behind it. But the main reason is that I feel it's what is best for me and my family.

Over the course of the coming weeks, I will be blending what teas I have left, and posting my remaining stock in my Artfire store. I will not be reopening my 1000Markets shop (which I closed right around the holidays after my supply of tins depleted), and I will be closing my Etsy store some time in the coming week.

So for those of you who want tea - please shop at my Artfire Tea Shop, because, this time... once my current stock is gone, it's really gone, I won't be restocking.

I will still be around in the tea community though. I post regularly to the Tea Review Blog and will continue to review teas for them. I love tea, and that passion has not diminished. I just feel that the passion can still be experienced as a tea reviewer, and not as a tea purveyor. It is simpler that way for me.

And, every now and then, if I happen to get a wild idea for a tea flavor, I might pull together the ingredients and give it a try... if I like the blend, I'll sell it as a limited edition flavor. And... every now and then, if YOU happen to get a wild idea for a tea flavor, don't hesitate to contact me... I'll see what I can do about creating the blend for you.

I want to thank everyone who has supported me over the years... I truly appreciate each and every one of you. I hope you can understand my need to do this for myself.

Sincerely,
Anne aka LiberTEAS

Cupcake Jones

Greetings everyone!

Yesterday (Tuesday, February 9) my husband and I went for a drive into Portland. Not a big deal in itself, because Portland is only about five minutes away. But, what was a big deal - at least for this cupcake enthusiast - was where my husband took me. We went to Cupcake Jones!

Located in the Pearl District of Portland, Cupcake Jones is a cute (albeit tiny) little shop. They feature six cupcake flavors every day, three daily flavors (that is, cupcakes that they sell every day), and three special flavors. Each of the six flavors comes in two different sizes: "jumbo" and "mini." The jumbo cupcakes appear to be standard size cupcakes to me, but they are jumbo on taste - and what really differentiates the two sizes, other than the size, is the fact that the jumbo cupcakes are filled with a luscious creamy filling.

The Velvet Painting

Now, for the hard part. Deciding! Which flavor do I choose? I decided to go with a dozen of the mini cupcakes, 2 of each flavor, for $16.50. This way, I could try one of each of the flavors without feeling too guilty.

The cupcake is moist and flavorful, and the frosting is creamy, and well... YUM. It's FROSTING! (And for those who love frosting, they also offer "frosting shots" which is a little cup of just the frosting.)

Here's the rundown on the three daily flavors:

The Pearl - a vanilla explosion! White cake topped with vanilla bean buttercream. One of the best buttercreams I've ever tasted from a bakery. Each cupcake is topped with a sprinkling of clear, sparkling sugar sprinkles and a tiny white chocolate pearl.

Downtown Cupcake Brown - The chocolate cupcake is rich and sinful, just the way a chocolate cupcake should be. The jumbo cupcakes are filled with a chocolate ganache which looked incredible... and it took a great deal of strength to resist! The frosting is very smooth, chocolate-y and topped with a sprinkling of shaved dark chocolate.

Velvet Painting - Classic red velvet cake topped with an INCREDIBLE cream cheese frosting and a candied rose petal. The rose petal added such a delightful touch of elegance to this cupcake, and this (along with the Pearl) would be my two choices to serve at a tea party. So petite and pretty!

On Tuesdays, the three specially featured flavors are: coconut lemon (my favorite of the batch), caramel latte, and black forest. Here's my thoughts on these three delights:

Black Forest - deliciously moist devils food cake with a little shot of cherry sauce which adds extra moisture to the cake (and that little shot is even added to the mini cupcakes, so be sure to grab an extra napkin if you choose this flavor). Instead of frosting, they are topped with whipped cream, grated dark chocolate and a cherry. A truly outstanding interpretation of the classic black forest cake.

Caramel Latte - I actually "cheated" and got a large caramel latte cupcake (in addition to my minis), which is why I'm posting this review of Cupcake Jones today instead of yesterday... I indulged in my jumbo caramel latte cupcake yesterday instead of the mini cupcakes, and saved them for today. I just had to try the caramel pastry cream filling. And it was worth it! Incredible! The cupcake is a coffee flavored cake (I know, I know... coffee?!?!?!?), but it is quite yummy even though I suspect it would be even better if perhaps it were a chai tea flavored cupcake! (haha!) The frosting is a caramel buttercream frosting (delicious - may I say right now, this is the best. frosting. ever.), and topped with a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce and chopped coffee beans. Even though I am not a coffee fanatic (duh!) ... I must say that the chopped coffee bean topping added a very delightful texture to the cupcake, and I actually quite enjoyed it.

Coconut Lemon - My favorite cupcake of the six from Tuesday's lineup. Lemon cake (the jumbo cupcakes are filled with lemon curd coconut pastry cream - which sounds unbelievably good!) and topped with a swirl of lemon buttercream, toasted coconut shreds and a "lemon chip" which looked a lot to me like a little tiny sliver of candied lemon. What makes this particular cupcake my favorite? The lemon! It has a bright, light taste, and in my opinion, would bring a ray of sunshine into even the grayest of Pacific Northwest days. The coconut adds the right amount of interest and sweetness to the cupcake. It's just perfect!

I've tried a couple of specialty cupcake bakeries in the Portland area now, and I must say that Cupcake Jones is (by far!) the best. The cupcakes are flavorful, moist, and the frosting is delicious - and doesn't taste overwhelmingly sweet the way some bakery frosting can - it tastes like homemade buttercream! YUM!

One Delicious Blog!

Hey everyone! Check it out! I've received a blog award! Woot! I realize that for some of you, that's no big deal, but it's my first blog award, so I'm thrilled! Thank you to Shake Your Bon Bons for the recognition!