The Jealous Crumpet

A sweet little blog


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The Charities of Florence Restaurant Week

Top-5-Charities-542x1024

When you eat at the participating restaurants of Florence Restaurant Week make sure you ask for a ballot and vote for your favorite charity.  The winner will receive $5000 from McDaniel Window and Door Co.  Go Vote Today!

You can check out the charities with the links below.

Room In The Shoals

One Place of the Shoals

The Healing Place

P.A.W.S (Pets Are Worth Saving)

Shoals Sav-A-Life


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Florence Restaurant Week #FRW2015

Florence Main Street

I was invited to participate in Florence’s Restaurant Week 2015.  Wonderful local food (for free), great people, and the chance to spend the weekend in one of my favorite cities. Yes please!

Florence is near and dear to my heart as it is home to my alma mater, UNA. I both studied and taught journalism and photography at the university. I have many wonderful memories of the city, which has great restaurants, fun festivals, and supports an impressive music and arts community.

This year, 14 restaurants are participating in the Florence Main Street sponsored charity event.  Each restaurant will offer specials for participants. As part of the event, patrons that eat at one of the restaurants will have the opportunity to vote for one of their five favorite charities.  At the end of restaurant week, the charity that has received the most votes will receive $5000, generously donated by McDaniel Window & Door.

On Wednesday, I attended the kickoff for restaurant week at Singin’ River Brewery and got to sample food from all of the restaurants.  Everything was delicious and it made me super excited about this weekend.  I also got to meet my fellow bloggers: Eve and Roger from Friday Date Night and my blogger BBF Christi Britten Williams (we were photojournalism friends at UNA) from Dirt Plate.  Make sure you check out their posts this week as well.  1Y2B6654

Below are the participating restaurants of the event.  Make sure you check my blog next week for lots of photos from the 5 restaurants I’m covering this weekend.  I’m seriously regretting making an appointment with a personal trainer on Monday.  😦

Singin’ River Brewing CompanyUntitled-14

City Hardware and Ricatoni’s Italian GrillUntitled-10

Rivertown Coffee Co.Untitled-11

OdetteUntitled-2

Imagine That BakeryUntitled-6

Sperry’s RestaurantUntitled-13

Wildwood TavernUntitled-9

FloBama DowntownUntitled-3

Bookmarks Coffee ShopUntitled-8

Trowbridge’sUntitled-7

LegendsUntitled-12

The Pie FactoryUntitled-4

On The RocksUntitled-5


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Tea Brewing 101: Piper and Leaf

Tea Brewing 101 at Piper and Leaf Tea.

Tea Brewing 101 at Piper and Leaf Tea.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending a tea brewing class with a local tea house, Piper & Leaf Artisan Tea Bar.  We learned the art and subtleties of tea brewing in a causal setting with other passionate tea drinkers.Piper and LeafWhile sweet, cold tea is guzzled throughout Alabama as a slight reprieve to our hot, sticky summers, coffee and, the less healthy option, Coke Cola rein supreme when it comes to a daily pick-me-up.  But recently tea houses have started popping up around Huntsville and we are discovering what the rest of the world knew centuries ago: the magic of tea.  Piper & Leaf has done an exceptional job to bring delicious tea to our community and has all of us flocking to buy their brew.  When I learned about their tea brewing class I signed up right away, which was good, because it filled up quickly. Tea Brewing 101While I won’t give away any of the classes secrets (you’ll have to sign up for the next session) I will say that we learned 5 different brewing techniques.  I especially enjoyed brewing concentrated tea in the french press, and though I own a french press, it never occurred to me to brew tea in it.  So obvious!

Brewing Tea in a French Press

Brewing Tea in a French Press

There were lots of people in the class and it was nice to be able to chat with people about their love to tea.  People were excited to be there learning new things, which is always nice.  Piper and Leaf Brewing ClassI took the class with a friend, Kami, who as a true southerner with deep dixie roots was skilled in the art of reading tea leaves, a skill she learned from her grandmother.  Kami instructed me to drink most of my tea, leaving a tiny bit of liquid in the bottom.  She then had me place my cup upside down on a plate, turn the cup clockwise three times and then lift up my mug for inspection.

As Kami looked into the cup, a roadmap to my future, she raised her eyebrows.

“Don’t say a baby!” I said, reading a look on her face.

Kami said nothing.

“Dangit Kami!” I fussed.

Every time I get my tea leaves read the reader sees a freakin baby.  I can barely handle my houseplants let alone a baby!

After a long pause Kami said, “I don’t see a baby, but I do see a toy dinosaur.  That could mean lots of things.” But I am not convinced.  I think it means a kid in the house playing with toy dinosaurs.

Kami showed the woman across our table my cup for a second opinion and she also sees a toy dinosaur.

Then Kami says, “Oh there it is, I see a baby right here.”  The woman also sees a baby, but I just see a bunch of flakes in a random pattern.  You can be the judge.  Here is a photo of the ‘baby’ Kami and the other lady saw in my tea leaves.

On the right photograph in the back lower part of the cup is where Kami says my future baby is appearing in my tea leaves.

On the right photograph in the back lower part of the cup is where Kami says my future baby is appearing in my tea leaves.

It was a good thing I was in a tea house because after the shocking news that I may be having a future spawn I needed a calming cup of tea to relax.  Piper & Leaf has numerous flavors, with lots of ingredients produced by local farmers. Piper and Leaf Tea

After the class Piper & Leaf sent us home with their delicious Peaches and Cream tea, so we could go home and practice what we had learned.  Though the class was supposed to end at 9:00 we all stood around chatting and I didn’t head to my car until almost 10:00 (on a work night, how irresponsible!).Piper and LeafPlease check out Piper & Leaf.  Happy Brewing!

Brewing Tea