Spicy Boiled Peanuts at the Palace Saloon ~ Fernandina Beach

Centre Street on Fernandina Beach is the very well preserved main corridor of this lovely Victorian seaside Island.
One of our favorite places to visit is the Palace Saloon. The Palace Saloon proudly boasts itself as being Florida's oldest continually operating saloon, serving suds under that name since 1903.
The interior completely fits in with the Victorian exterior feel of Centre Street. The staff and local patrons are very warm and welcoming, making you feel completely at home.
My main goal for the day was to stop and buy some boiled peanuts from a roadside stand on the way home. Jane's trip wasn't going to be complete without trying the Southern staple of boiled peanuts. While I've never been a fan, it had been 20+ years since I had tried them so thought it would be fun to experience them together. On the way up we had passed a few stands, some of which advertised spicy boiled peanuts. As a lover of all foods spicy, I thought this might make a more palatable option. Our wait was over when a man entered the saloon with a basket selling none other than spicy boiled peanuts!

At first bite, Jane wasn't completely convinced. Its mainly getting over the initial sock of the texture, being softer like a bean instead of crunchy like we're used to eating peanuts. After a few bites, we were all hooked. They were amazing*. The heat level was just right: enough to compliment the peanut but not too hot. Between the four of us we happily polished off the bag.
We liked them so much that we flagged the man down that was selling them and bought some more to take home with us. If you are in the Centre Street area of Fernandina Beach, be on the lookout for this man and give his spicy boiled peanuts a try, you'll be glad you did!

* If you like hummus, chances are you will like boiled peanuts. They reminded me a bit of hummus, only in a shell. Saying that, I don't think I would like plain boiled peanuts nearly as much, the flavor of his boiling brine completely made these peanuts a success.

The Happy Tomato Cafe ~ Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island

The first week of November was very exciting for me. My friend Jane (from Cakebook) came over from England to visit us for 10 days. Our friendship formed 10 years ago over our mutual love of food and we've been great friend ever since. While I haven't seen Jane in 4 years, there is rarely a day that passes that I don't speak to her in some way; e-mail, Facebook - it's amazing how you can keep in touch these days. We had been planning what to do for months and seemed to come up with a Southern food theme. We took a trip up to Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island (close to the northern boarder of Florida's east coast) and had great expectations of a lovely Southern lunch.

Noon rolled around and we were in search of somewhere to eat. While on the way to a place on 3rd Street I wanted to try, our noses were treated to the most heavenly, smokey BBQ smell. It was a good thing the place I wanted to go to was closed for the day, as it gave us no choice but to follow our noses back to the Happy Tomato Cafe...
The cafe itself is in a small wooden building with an outside deck...

... and courtyard seating...

We had a quick look at the menu and got in line as the place was quickly filling up. This place seemed to be very popular with the locals, which is always a good sign.

My Dad and James were with us and there was one item on the menu that caught all of our attention: THE WORKS. The Works is a pulled pork sandwich with pimento cheese! Yes, pimento cheese!!! This isn't the sort of thing I would eat on a daily basis, but it did sound good and we were on vacation after all. It's not everyday I get to have lunch with Jane! We were all very happy with our choice. The Works is served with a side of BBQ sauce (I highly recommend the Mustard based sauce) and dill pickles. Jane ordered a side of coleslaw, which was also very good.

Enjoy a close up glimpse...

The sandwich was so filling there is no way I could have eaten anything else. Sitting outside on a sunny day with great company was the icing on the cake. I can't wait to go back!

The Happy Tomato Courtyard Cafe & BBQ

7 S. 3rd St, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

(904) 321-0707

Lovely Award

Gina from Purdy Wallcovering was sweet enough to send me this fab award. Gina has a wallcovering shop in my area and posts such beautiful images on her blog. It makes me wish that I had a budget as large as my imagination so I could redecorate every time she posts something that catches my eye. Thank you Gina, this is my first "award" and I hope to meet you in person some day. Any friend of Kate's is worth knowing :-)"These blog are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight more bloggers who must choose eight more bloggers and include this cleverly written text in the body of their award."

Now as I don't "know" 8 to pass on to, here are six lovely blogs that I really enjoy. Whether it is delectable food, beautiful words and images, or witty prose, these ladies keep my coming back to read more:

All About Us

Heart & Thistle

Chocolate and Marmalade Tea

K&G Bookclub

Marmite Forever!

Thoughts and Biro Sketches

I've Been Tagged By Kate

I've been tagged by Kate from K&G Bookclub! Kate lives in Charleston, SC and we "met" several months back through our blogs - only to recently discover that we know each other from Sarasota! It truly is a small world after all!

During the meal, conversation had been somewhat inhibited by the amount of food which required to be consumed, but now it picked up again.

Here are the rules:
1) Grab the nearest book to you.
2) Open it to page 56.
3) Find the 5th sentence.
4) Post the text of the next 2-5 sentences and these rules.
5) Pick the closest book (not your favorite, cool, or intellectual).
6) Now Tag 5 other bloggers!

I'm tagging:

Jane ~ All About Us

Gina ~ Purdy Wallcovering

Emily ~ Veganize This!

Lisa ~ Heart & Thistle

Rosie ~ Rosie Bakes a 'Peace' of Cake

Jane's Blackberry and Apple Jam

I absolutely adore homemade gifts, especially when they're edible. I had a lovely surprise this Christmas when my fabulous friend Jane, from England, sent a jar of her homemade Blackberry and Apple Jam.It is absolutely sublime. The berries really retained their shape and it takes me back to summer time in England, picking wild blackberries when out for a walk.

I was so impressed that she made jam for the first time, and was so happy that I was able to have some - even if it was from 4,000 miles away.

Jane: Which Austen Heroine Are You?

Take the Quiz here!

Food Memory: A Day in the Cotswolds

Three years ago, while in England, J and I spent a food filled day with my favorite English friend, Jane.

We first had lunch at one of my favorite pubs in England, the Howard Arms in Ilmington. Their menu changes weekly, due to their use of local, seasonal foods. We have had many memorable meals there. Two of my favorites were a chicken and white wine tarragon sauce, and Gloucester Old Spot Pork with a mustard/cream sauce. One this occasion, I opted for the Steak and Ale Pie. If memory serves correct, it had a suet crust. They have a fantastic selection of cask ales and keg beers, along with smaller independent ciders. I had a lovely cider that day, but can't for the life of me remember what it was called.

After lunch, we headed through Broadway, a picturesque village in the Cotswolds to Snowshill Manor. Jane was car sick by the time we got there, so sat out, but J and I had a walk through the house. I've been there many times before, but it's a place I could never grow tired of. In the care of the National Trust, it is a traditional Cotswold house, built of golden yellow local stone and set on a hillside above the Vale of Evesham. The gardens and views are stunning, and the house holds the most fascinating collections I've ever laid eyes on. Some of the collections include old fashion toys, bikes, doll houses, and 26 suits of Samurai armour.

Afterwards, we went to have cream tea at the Snowshill Lavender Farm in the Cotswolds. It is located at the top of Snowshill Village, just up the slope from the Manor. Sadly, I didn't take any photos of the cream tea. I think we were so blissed out by the smell of lavender that wafts you as you come up the hill, that it didn't even occur to any of us. The tea consider of tea, lavender scones, jam, and clotted cream. They scones were divine, but a little dense in texture. After tea, J went to the car to listen to Five Live and Jane and I went to have a roam around the garden. It was heaven on earth. The lavender was breathtaking and the scent was so strong. There was a house close by that had a laundry line on the edge of their property, boarding on the garden. This would by my absolute dream place to live! Sadly, after recently viewing their website, I don't think the tea room is open anymore. The farm and shop are still there, but at the time we weren't overly impressed with what the shop had to offer.
If ever in the area, I'd still go up to the farm for the blissed out experience. They have a National Trust tea room at Snowshill Manor, so would have to have tea there.
For more info on the Howard Arms Pub: http://www.howardarms.com/index.html
For more info on Snowshill Manor: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-snowshillmanor.htm
For more info on Snowshill Lavender Farm: http://www.snowshill-lavender.co.uk/cm/