"Tea for Two and Two for Tea"

Yesterday I made tea sandwiches for lunch. I used thin sliced sandwich bread from the grocery store, white and whole wheat, with the crusts cut off.

Cucumber Sandwiches
I used an English cucumber, sliced as thin as possible. I lightly salted the cucumber slices. I mixed butter, cream cheese, and a sprinkle of dried mint to make the spread. Grade: A+! Light and crisp.

Smoked Salmon Sandwiches
I made these with smoked salmon, cream cheese, and a combination of freshly squeezed lemon juice and a little garlic juice. Grade: A! The lemon-garlic gave these sandwiches a certain je ne sais quoi. They missed getting an "A+" just because they were missing a certain I don't know what.

Ham and Brie Sandwiches
I made these with black forest ham, spreadable brie, and little honey Dijon mustard. Grade: B. A little boring compared to the others.

Lemon Cake
A few days before, per my friend [Nickname Needed]'s* suggestion, I made a lemon glaze cake. My friend gave me a recipe from her mom's repertoire. I modified the cake recipe to accommodate the ingredients I had on hand and switched from a lemon glaze to a lemon icing when half of my cake stayed stuck in the bunt pan. The results were delicious! Thank you [Nickname Needed]!


* Nickname ideas: Notre Dame Gal, the Muppet, Dr. Teeth, Liz Lemon -- any other suggestions welcome. Online nickname generators are no good.

(Image reproduced WITH PERMISSION from The Boyfriend, food photographer extraordinaire).