Last week was our first almost-full week back to school and lemme tell ya....it was a butt kicker. The change over from teaching reading to math is overwhelming and then adding the virtual component just takes it over the edge. A little visit with my co-workers would help to take the edge off, but we're really not allowed so there's really no solace in that.
It doesn't help that this Tuesday my Mom will have been gone for 3 years now. Why do certain dates just loom over us? Every year when the anniversary of her death creeps up I feel an overwhelming sense of dread. I find myself reliving those awful last days, the last phone call she made, the coma, the waiting.
I know she wouldn't want me to relive those last days.So, in an effort to remember the good I am putting together this post. My mom LOVED a good sandwich! I can't tell you how many times I would find her standing by the toaster in the kitchen, toasting up some bread for a sandwich. Most of the time it was turkey or ham, but in the summer she ate nothing but tomato sandwiches.
Mom also loved making breakfast sandwiches on the weekends and then wrapping some up for the work week. She made those sandwiches so much, that my old friends from the neighborhood remember those sandwiches and every once in awhile I'll get a text from them with a picture of their breakfast sandwiches, which they now make for their family, the "Anita Special."
As I was thinking of which sandwich to make this week I just kept thinking of Mom and remembering a sandwich that I made for her back in July 2012, which she declared "one of her favorite things to eat ever." She loved it so much she asked me to make it for her birthday, which was hilarious because her birthday wasn't for another 10 months! But,of course, 10 months later I made it for her birthday and she loved it just as much.
I wish I could make that sandwich for her now, but instead here is a roundup of our all-time favorite sandwiches! As always, if you click on the recipe title, it will take you to the original post with the recipe.
One of Mom's favorite things to eat ever! This sandwich is hands down our all-time favorite sandwich on the blog. Toasted bolillo rolls smeared with garlicky black beans, topped with a panko fried chicken breast, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, sliced jalapeno, a dash of hot sauce and slices of creamy avocado. The flavors and textures will have you in sandwich heaven. This sandwich is a lot of work and dirty dishes, but it is so worth it!
This Crusty Black Bean-Chorizo Sub is my personal favorite because it's much easier than the sandwich above AND I love beans, chorizo, and feta cheese! I look for any excuse to eat feta cheese.
So imagine creamy black beans mixed with flavorful chorizo, topped with a slab of tangy and salty feta cheese, a few slices of avocado and some hot sauce on a toasty roll. IT IS SO GOOD! You could spice up the black bean mixture and leave out the chorizo, making this vegetarian.
If you're hungry for a chicken sandwich, this will surely satisfy! Perfectly golden strips of fried chicken nestled in a hot crispy baguette with lots of shredded lettuce and mayo. Every bite of this sandwich is heavenly, decadent, and comforting. This one is a crowd-pleaser!
Sometimes I have days where I just want to eat a handful of bacon and Jamie's bacon sarnie is the perfect fix. Jamie advises a few different ways to make the bacon sarnie, but basically cook a few pieces of bacon however you like, then dip one slice of the bread in a bit of the bacon fat and close it up to form a sandwich. Simple, satisfying and delicious. You can't go wrong!
You can't have a sandwich roundup without a dessert sandwich and Nigel's Oat Cookie Sandwiches with Lemon Mascarpone Filling are unique and delicious. Lacy oatmeal cookies with a unique filing made of lemon curd and mascarpone cheese. A lot of sandwich cookies are somewhat fussy, but this is an easy recipe and lemon lovers need to give these a try. They are so light, so lemony, and so creamy and satisfying.
I'm in sandwich heaven just reading through all your mom's and your personal favorites. I can smell the fat and the the crusty part of the sandwich that have you going back for more. Delish!
ReplyDeleteI know this is what your mom would want you to remember, and not those final stressful and incredibly sad days. The anniversary of my dad's death is coming up as well and it's never easy. Thinking of you!
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