It was a beautiful day. It was too cold, but it was beautiful. After a week of rain and snow and gray and snow white skies, it was nice to see the blue sky, even if it was too cold.
The Mister and I were alone and we had breakfast out, and went to the bookshop, and he got some new kicks, and he asked me if there was anywhere else I wanted to go, and I said, “Yes, actually. Just across Allisonville Road is Penzey’s Spices,” and he did drive me there. I ASKED him to.
Over breakfast, we had talked about how I have an aversion to thyme. I always forget this, because I don’t cook with it and it’s not something I encounter often. You know how I’m always like, “I’m a foodie, I eat all the foods?” Well, I don’t like thyme. I don’t mean l won’t consume a dash in a soup or a sauce, I mean anything with thyme in it would taste better without it. My mother made thyme chicken once, at least 25 years ago, and I have not forgotten. It was awful. I don’t wanna smell it, I don’t wanna taste it, I don’t want to think about it. Writing this makes me think about it and I kinda wanna hork. I can actually envision my mother that day. Happy to see me home, me walkin in all
“Oh God, what the hell happened? What is that smell?”
“Thyme chicken.”
“Gnarly.”
It did NOT taste good. No likey thyme. No no no.
Ick. Thyme. And I had thought, “Where could we go that my husband could smell the thyme and I would not have to?” The spice place.
Also, Marian is always goin on about Penzey’s and her instapot and I drive by the Penzey’s all the time. I had lovely ideas about sniffing lavender… maybe buy some groovy Marian kinda spice blend, kick my fish up a notch, fancy peppercorn. Dreams.
I am dumb. I walked in, acted like I don’t have the nose of a bloodhound, started sniffin and sniffin and about three jars in, I got into somethin with a lot of curry. ALAWT. I mean CURRRRREH. My sinuses aflame, my throat all choked. And then the sneezing. Guess what else was in the thing with all the curry? Pepper. So I pretty much sneezed my way to the ladies and blew and blew and blew. And thus, the sniffing ended. Too picy for Joeys.
I have a good nose. *SIGH*
But hey, I detect gas leaks, so it’s not for nothin.
Anyway, much like candle shops and perfumeries, I should be brief and shop with intent.
The Mister smelled thyme and he said, “That’s fuckin gross.” I love him so much.
Have you smelled Mexican vanilla?!? Do that.
Okay, so doors.
Oh wait, those are windows. Lookee blue skies!
#ThursdayDoors is part of an inspired post series run by Norm Frampton. To see other doors of interest, or to share your own, click the link and find the frog.
joeyfullystated 
I LOVE Penzey’s Spices. I love their stores, I love their variety, I love all the spices + herbs + extracts. Almost as much as I love Zen-Den. Fun day, huh?
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It was a fun day. I really like the place, but I probably do not need to smell ALL the fings. I will be looking online to see what sounds good and go in with a list. But hey, chives, vanilla, lavender, sage… It’s a great place!
Do you have a blend you use a lot?
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May you smell only pleasant things today, Joey. Chocolates? Roses? (No pressure on The Mister intended.) Happy Feb. 14.
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Hah, we don’t do that. We don’t do the Valentining. BUT I will be smelling Mexican takeout momentarily 😛 Happy 14th to you!
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Cool beans, Joey! And thanks. 🤓
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We don’t have Penney’s, so I’m feeling left out. But I admit to liking thyme, chicken pot pie wouldn’t be the same without it. That being said, tarragon needs to be eradicated from the planet. Blech! Blech! Blech!
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Stupid auto correct didn’t like Penzey’s, changed it 3 times.
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And see, I like tarragon and my pot pies taste juuuuust fiiiine! 😀
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Cilantro is right up there with my list of hated things. Makes eating Mexican quite a challenge.
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OH! I love cilantro, or as Moo calls it, “the leafy fings” — does it taste like soap to you? I’ve heard to a lot of people, it tastes like soap.
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It just tastes like crap, no soap required!
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LOL!
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Penzeys has a website, which is how I get my spice fix. 🙂
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I’ll check it out. Thanks!
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We all have something it seems. Glad it was a pretty day for you.
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It really was a pretty day 😀
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Nice reflections on the glass doors!
What a nice day with breakfast and book shop and shopping!
I thought we had some thyme, but I went to look and we didn’t. Now I want to find some to smell. I’m thinking I have liked it in the past, though. Can’t think of any spice I don’t like. 🙂
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It’s odd, isn’t it? I say you need to get some thyme and give it a good sniff! And according to another comment, use it in your chicken pot pie 🙂
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I will get some thyme to smell. haha chicken pot pie…or as that menu I had – chicken pot pit! haha! 🙂
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LOL With or without thyme, no pot pit for me 😉
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No time for thyme, eh? 🙂
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NOPE!
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Joey–I love your posts. Happy Valentine’s Day to you and the Mister. ❤
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Thanks! Thanks so much! You too! ❤
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It was beautiful yesterday. I can tolerate the cold better as long as there is sun. Such a shame about your aversion to thyme. Not that thyme is so great just that a hatred of any herb or spice is a shame. Have a happy and thyme less Valentine day.
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It really is. It’s just sad. But it is what it is. I am what I am, la la la.
The blue skies are so much more splendid in the winter!
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This reminded me of the holiday season when you open the door, like at JoAnn’s Fabrics, and they’ve drenched pinecones in cinnamon oil right inside the doorway and you can barely breathe. In, pick up stuff, get the heck out.
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You’re right! Imagine me, allergic to eucalyptus! LOL Christmas shopping can be sooo sneezy and itchy!
It’s not like that at Penzey’s. All the smells are in jars. It actually smells good there, but not heavily scented, not like anything particular, just pleasant.
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I need to add a spice store to my list of things. I used to travel often to Hunt Valley, MD for work. We’d drive past the McCormick spice plant and try to guess what they were making that day. The odors/aromas filled the air in all directions. Ironically, the next thing we passed was an old landfill which certainly changed the air.
Interesting glass reflections. Happy Valentine’s Day, y’all.
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I would think you’d enjoy a spice shop. It could be inspirational, and might lead to good eats.
Happy Valentine’s to you too 🙂
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“Gnarly.”
❤
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twas.
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Lookee blue skies indeed. Love the smell of vanilla. Happy Vday kiddos!
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Now I have an urge to go somewhere and smell thyme – I wonder if The Editor has any?
I like the doors, and that has to be the romantic line of all time (uttered by the Mister).
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Editor may well have some, it’s traditional and most cooks have some dried thyme. I had a quiche a few years ago, couldn’t stand the crust. All the other people loved the crust. Crust was loaded with thyme.
The Mister is ever so dreamy 😛
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I don’t think I like thyme either, but I do love curry! Not necessarily the smell, but the taste – yum, yum, yum! I’ve actually been craving it lately, which makes me wonder why… Those were some gorgeous blue skies. 🙂 Happy Valentine’s Day, Joey! I love you! ❤
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Aw, thanks Jewels! Love you too! ❤ I hope you get lots of loves today! And get you some curry soon!
I love curry. I make it a couple of times a year. I do not love hot hot curry all up my nose! LOL It is much better with naan in my mouth 😛
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Mmm naan! 😄
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Right? You come visit, Moo will make the naan, I will make the curry, and you’ll be expected to make beauty from our lawn debris 😉
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Haha it’s a deal! 🙂
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No. 1 door handle and No 1 post. I am in stitches. I have two bushes of thyme that I never use for cooking. I love this plant especially in spring when they are flowering. It just happened tonight the recipe calls for thyme. Not to worry, you’re not invited for dinner.
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Thyme is VERY pretty. I like it quite well in that way, small, bushy, unassuming. I just don’t want it in my mouth. I hope you enjoyed dinner!
I think you are the only No. 1 who noticed No. 1!
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Yes, I did. Burp. I think your readers were focused in the blue sky.
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See, I am in love with Penzey’s and their fresh spices. BTW, I have never heard you say it’s too cold before.
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I think it was single digits but the wind was terrible bitey as well.
Is there a blend you use a lot? I was looking for Tzar dust and fresh basil and although I got other things, I didn’t find those. I like the place, but I can’t smell that many things in a day.
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Pie spice!!! And the ground pepper. So many yet to try but monies ….
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Oh yeah, peppercorns in all varieties! 😛
I’ll check out the pie spice at pie time — September.
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I use it for everything, not just pies.
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:O Like what???
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Like topping for rice pudding, spice to throw into fresh blueberry dump cake, that kind of stuff.
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Ooh!
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I’m laughing to myself imagining you having a gigantic curry sneeze right in the middle of all those spices that then go flying through the air in all directions. Yes, I know it didn’t happen that way, but in my mind it did. 🙂 Too many spices in combination, even good spices, are too much like the assault to the senses that takes places in a Bath and Body Works or the perfume department of Macy’s, much too much for my poor nozzle (as the girls used to call it for fun.) Happy Thursday, Joey, and may you smell only good smells.
janet
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It coulda been like that! At one point I sneezed into my scarf for fear he’d shove another jar under my nose as it came! LOL
You and I must have similar noses. I can’t handle much, I smell too well 😉
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😳😝
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It’s so interesting how one person can love a smell/spice and another is repulsed by it. Fresh thyme and basil both make me feel slightly euphoric. I’m glad for you that the Mister doesn’t like thyme. I’ve never heard of tsar dust before. Hmmm.
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It’s Tsar something dust. It’s one of their blends. Marian seems to use it quite a bit.
Basil is one of my faves. I grow gobs of it every year.
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Tsardust Memories. It has pepper and cinnamon in it, among other things. Belicious!
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Blue skies make such a difference 🙂
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Cool doors!
Scents give me headaches. Elevators ladies perfumes. Ugh! Pain!
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Yeah, I’m sensitive too
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Thanks for the link-up, Joey! I’ll have to remember never to send you my recipe for what we call “that bean thing” that has loads of thyme in it. It would be pure pizen to you. One of my favorite Penzeys blends is Herbes de Provence, which has lavender in it. Oh, no, wait–I just checked, and it also has thyme in. Just get some culinary lavender and pop a little of that in stuff. It’s nice!
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My pleasure! I loooove lavender. Lemon lavender cake, especially. I can handle a bit of thyme, but not much, like herbed chicken vest vs thyme chicken dish. I want the Tsar one. I forget what the hell you put it on, but I was all, “ohhhh yeeaaahhhh” when I read about it. I didn’t see it. I was sad. I must look online!
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I put some in the tamale meat, put some in bean soup, rubbed it on spareribs. Mmmmm.
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Yeah, I wanna try this stuff. Sounds complex, like it would give good depth.
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I love thyme. I put it in almost everything that has chicken, and my Thanksgiving Dressing.
I also love Mexican Vanilla, so much so I have been known to dab it behind me ears whilst cookin or baking. I have been wearing vanilla scented perfumes for years. Love it!
That blue sky is pretty. The little lights inside the shoppe look like clouds.
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😀 I like the idea of vanilla scented you!
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Duly noted: no thyme for Joey 😉
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love the reflections….
and the door – and the thyme talk…
and never smelled Mexican vanilla – so curiious now
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Ya gotta sniff you some! 🙂
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I look forward to it
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My nose is twitching in sympathy. Spice aisles, perfumes, and scents of all kinds trigger the sniffer into action. The sneezes are NOT gentle and lady-like 😳
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Yeah. Same. I have those sneezes that rock the room.
Italians, eh?
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hahaha! Is that it?! 😆
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Maybe. My father was the same 😉
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Well, if you didn’t know he was your soulmate already, now ya know. I do like thyme, shocker. I make some chicken and rice soup that has thyme in it, and it really took it up a notch for us. Mmm.
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That’s nice. For you.
🙂
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That sounds like an amazing shop!! Except for gross smelling things. I don’t know if I like thyme. I don’t think the smell makes me ill though. I only know that if I say that a recipe calls for it, my husband breaks out with “rosemary, sage, parsley, and thyme…” I don’t love the smell of cumin. It’s interesting that somebody mentioned they hate cilantro. That is probably tops in my favorite herbs. On Ancestry, though it was a question they were beta testing in their ethnicity stuff. I guessed it must be one of those things like brussel sprouts. You love it or hate it. Miss Sunshine can barely do candle shops or detergent aisles. Mmmm…mexican vanilla. 🙂
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I love brussel sprouts. LOVE.
Interesting. Nice song 🙂
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OMG I would LOVE to visit a Pennzey’s. I now remember I need to place an order, and sorry, I need thyme.
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It’s okay. I will stay sage 😉
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There’s a reason I’m a back row Baptist, and that is to make a quick exit should the perfumey ladies sit too close. Torture to look like you’re crying in church when it’s just the nose reacting! They think I’ve been filled by the spirit I suppose lol
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Spirit of sniffles 😛
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