I took a little impromptu road trip to the French Pressed Home Bakery in Union Springs, Alabama yesterday. The hour drive was totally worth it. We enjoyed a fabulous lunch and many decadent desserts. I couldn’t wait to get home and blog all about it but alas, the inevitable food coma/sugar crash took over.😴

I’m feeling much better today. Do you have those little places in mind that you keep hearing about but seem just a little too far away to visit? Well, I urge you to just GO! Get out of your comfort zone and explore new jaunts. You never know what you may discover!

The FPH had been on my to do list for a while. I looked it up online and read articles about it. However, corona virus crept into our lives and delayed our trip for a while. Then fate called..☎️  Technically, my mother in law’s friends did but same difference…🤷‍♀️ They invited her to meet up for lunch and she asked me to tag along. I brought my lil mini foodie as well. Girls trip!👒🚘🧁

We drove through some small country towns on the way that I’ve never been to before. I really enjoy the surprise element of road trips. For instance, we once discovered a gas station in the middle of nowhere in Georgia with all kinds of jams, pickled things, pecan pies, sweet treats, and a surplus of cookbooks. Now we have to stop by Merritt Pecan Company every time we pass through.💕

We arrived to our destination on time and I immediately start snapping pictures. I could tell this was going to be a unique experience. We walk through the doors and the first word that comes to mind is charm. It was tastefully decorated with books, fresh flowers, and chandeliers amidst rustic, farm style furniture.📚💐

We sit down and order tea while we wait for the rest our party. This gave us the perfect opportunity to peruse the desserts and wow, just wow!🧁😍🍪 I knew this was a bakery but……WOW!🤤All of a sudden I pictured myself as Marie Antoinette and wanted ALL the things on our table to sample at my leisure. There were cakes, pies, cookies, bread pudding, cupcakes, tarts, scones, oh my!!!😋 

We realized that my MIL’s friends were running behind and elected to try a key lime cupcake and pecan brownie while we waited. We dug in with gusto and were not disappointed. My little commandeered the cupcake but I managed to get a little bite and it was perfection.👌You could really discern the citrus flavor amidst the sweet icing that was just enough. My brownie was just gooey heaven. The chocolate was dark and rich while the nuts gave it texture. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The others arrived and we quickly became acquainted while studying the lunch menu. The special of the day was shrimp n grits but I strategically chose a sandwich with chips and fruit to share with my girl and to leave more room for dessert!🎂 The group chatted across the table while we waited, learned about each other’s travels, and discussed food of course! It was certainly apropos to our worldly environment centered in a one horse town.

The next course arrived and more pictures were taken before any food was touched!📸 Everything looked delightful and was served on adorable China. They even brought my daughter a girly plate with colorful flowers to enjoy her half of the meal. Most of the table ordered shrimp n grits while one Lone Ranger picked the chicken salad that looked divine. I went with the grilled pimento cheese to experience the French press element and it found it full of melty, tangy goodness! The fruit was also fresh and balanced well with the salty kettle chips. Even the pickles were superior!🥒 I am becoming one happy customer.🤗

Everyone was thoroughly enjoying their meal while simultaneously planning desserts to take home. This is definitely a thing as we saw dozens of people come in for their sugar fixes to-go while we dined. I got my little a snickerdoodle as big as her head and a slice of strawberry cake for my hubby so he too could get a taste of the French Pressed Home Bakery. My MIL’s friend shared some of her bread pudding with the table that was warm, full of sweet spices, and hands down the best I’ve ever had in my life!🙌

As we prepared to leave, I thanked the proprietor and shared my intentions to post a story about her wonderful establishment. The group grabbed their respective to-go delights and we said our goodbyes. I was thoroughly charmed from the entrance back to the parking lot. (There was even a chandelier in the restroom.)😊 I will definitely be back to the FPB very, very soon! The food was beautiful, delicious and artfully made with high quality ingredients. It was also lovely to see my MIL catch up with friends over a nice meal. The pandemic has definitely reminded me of the value of human connection and doing your best to maintain relationships with your people.🙏

Thanks for reading. Does anyone else have any favorite jaunts or special dives they want to give a shout-out to? I would love to hear all about it. ✌️💜🍴

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Mood Ring Kitchen

I’m a self teaching home cook and aspiring foodie entrepreneur. I enjoy coming up with creative ways to prepare flavorful food such as snacks, desserts and everything in between. Cooking is a way for me to challenge myself and satisfy curiosities about different ingredients.

The hope is to produce something thoughtful, memorable or every once in a while maybe even wonderful. I enjoy following my “gut” and exploring new recipes that can be comforting, exciting and nourishing. Above all else, I enjoy exploring the emotions surrounding food and writing about those experiences. 😝👩‍🍳👩‍💻