The Black Friday Phenomenon - Podcast 100

Image: Powhusku

Black Friday is one of those American retail traditions that really hasn't translated in the UK. In fact, many retailers don't think it helps their business at all. The notorious 'Door Buster' sales have been well documented with customers rushing in to grab the item that's been heavily reduced in price and fighting each other over the last one. When Erica and I attended a Black Friday sale at Walmart, a TV had gone on sale and we witnessed a family of four and each of them had a trolley with a TV in it. People go absolutely mental for things and slowly, they're realizing it's all a bit of a con. The products they're buying at these 'amazing' prices are really only worth that price.

Also, this episode is our 100th episode! We are eternally thankful today that we can bring you the best podcast that has ever been podcasted. When we started the Tea and a Butty podcast, we never dreamed that you all would take to it so much and we are thankful for you guys, our patrons and listeners, who have helped make our podcast what it is today! So THANK YOU and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

What are you thankful for?

Living in America: The REAL Texas

The roads in the Texas Panhandle. Image: Dominic Williams

Texas is a huge state. It actually takes up a whopping 801 miles from north to south and 773 miles from east to west. In short, it's bigger than England, Scotland and Wales put together. Maybe if you added Northern Ireland, the UK would be slightly bigger, but not by much.

Now, many tourists rock up to Texas and just see Houston, Austin or Dallas and think "Yeah, I know all about Texas now!" but they really don't. Only a visit out to Amarillo or a small town in the panhandle or western Texas will give you a taste of what real Texas is like in terms of country and people. I urge everyone who comes to the lone star state to do this, you won't regret it! It's sort of akin to telling people who go to the UK to get out of London and explore more of the British country, get out of the cities and go see the towns!

Anyone taking a road trip up there will see cotton fields, tumbleweeds and yes, the occasional dead Armadillo or skunk. I still have yet to spot a live Armadillo and if I never get to see one in the wild that hasn't been run over I will be very sad!

Have you been to Texas and ventured further afield than Dallas, Austin or Houston? What did you think of it?

-Dominic

American Thanksgiving Explained To A Brit - Podcast 99

Image: Midtownguy2012

Thanksgiving is a traditional American holiday (It's celebrated in Canada too but a month earlier) that involves a lot of eating and a lot of giving thanks (It's mainly about the eating though). In this podcast episode, me, (a Brit) gets the whole thing explained because it's not a holiday in the UK though there is something called the 'Harvest festival' but me and my family never celebrated it, nor did anyone we knew.

Coming to my first Thanksgiving in 2008, I was bemused by the spread because it seemed like a Christmas dinner a month early and with no presents and no crackers. Erica tries to explain Thanksgiving to me but somewhere goes off into a story about an electrocution involving her little brother. That might have happened during the first Thanksgiving but the jury is still out!

How would you explain Thanksgiving to someone who doesn't celebrate it?

Twiglets - A Holiday Party Staple

Image: Amazon

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If you're a Brit, you'll know what these are straight away, for they’re absolutely everywhere this time of year.  And, you probably either love them or hate them.  No, no.  There is no inbetween.  Personally, I love them, as they are a delicious salty snack, which is much needed at this time of year, when there are so many sweets floating around.

For those of you who are curious, but have never had them before, they're a wheat based snack (similar to a pretzel, for our American friends) with a yeast spread coating that's similar to Marmite.  With a knobbly shape similar to a twig as their name suggests, Twiglets are perfect for a party. Unless you're Mr. Bean, who in a 1994 episode famously ran out of them for his guests and substituted them with actual twigs dipped in Marmite.  Deeeeeelicious!  We have these available in our Amazon shop for expats in need and curious anglophiles alike! 

Are you a fan of Marmite, and if so, do you like Twiglets?

Things To Love and Hate About Texas In The Fall - Podcast 98

Image: Pxhere

Texas in the fall. Sounds lovely, doesn't it?  With Dominic, there are things he loves and rather dislikes about Texas in the fall. For instance, the dryness which creates static electricity and then the fact that its not as chilly in the fall. He does love the choices of Halloween Candy though! What else will he moan about? Listen in to find out!

What are your favourite things about where you live at Fall/Autumn?

The Classic British Christmas Pudding

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We were recently catching up on some of the vlogs we like to watch and were surprised when this American who has been living in Britain for a while, didn't know what a Christmas pudding was.  Now, before I continue, I will admit as long as I've been married to my British husband, I've personally never had one, simply because Dominic's not a huge fan.  But, I know they're a longstanding tradition in the UK.

So what is a Christmas pudding?  Well, the tradition dates back to medieval times and for this reason, the pudding is sometimes also called plum pudding, after the pre-Victorian term "plums" meaning raisins.  It's traditionally made with 13 ingredients, symbolizing Jesus and the 12 apostles.  It's basically a fruit cake, held together with egg, and moistened by molasses or treacle, brandy and other other types of alcohol, and seasoned with spices like nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and ginger.   The mixture is then boiled or steamed and aged for (sometimes) months, the alcohol helping to preserve the cake.

Now days most households purchase their Christmas pudding pre-made and simply boil, steam, or even microwave it before serving.   Brandy is then poured over the cake and it is lit on fire when served. It's then eaten with cream, custard, or brandy butter!  We have several on offer in our Amazon Shop, that range in prices, the one pictured in this post being on the lower end of the spectrum, but I am sure they are all fabulous!

Have you ever eaten Christmas pudding?  What do you think about it?

Erica's British Pet Peeves - Podcast 97

Erica has some thoughts about the British and their weird ways. She wants to know WHY they insist on buying a round at the pub and expecting her to buy them all one back. Also, why they think they are the only ones that queue up for things and the only ones who are polite and say sorry! Tune in to find out what else gripes her about the British!

What are your pet peeves about the British?

Christmas Crackers - A Time-Honored British Tradition

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We get asked about British foods and traditions, etc. all the time, so we decided to start a series here on the website, where we talk about some of our favorite British foods, snacks, and traditions.  Please note that everything we mention in this series is available for purchase in our Amazon Shop, though that is not the reason for the post.  We make a small commission on sales, but items included in this series, have bee included because we either truly believe in the product, or feel it's an important item about which to inform our readers.  First up, Christmas crackers.

Christmas crackers were invented by Tom Smith of London in 1847, and are an important part of Christmas festivities throughout the United Kingdom.

Now, the word “cracker” is immediately going to make our American friends think of the sort of savory crispy biscuit or flatbread you might eat with cheese, a spinach dip, or even peanut butter, but that’s not the type of cracker we’re talking about here.   In this case, we’re speaking of a segmented cardboard tube that has been wrapped in festive paper, and which contains a small gift, a joke, and makes a popping sort of noise when pulled open.

They are usually laid at each place setting of the Christmas table.  One person grabs either end of the cracker and the two people pull until it breaks apart and one person wins the prize inside.  They’re typically pulled at Christmas dinner or festive parties.  Typically, crackers contain a brightly colored paper or foil “hat” or “crown” and, yes, brits DO wear them as they eat their dinner, regardless of the person’s age or station in life.  The tradition of the hat is thought to date back to Roman times when Saturnalia was celebrated, which also involved wearing decorative headgear.

Christmas crackers also usually have things like: a small toy, a plastic model, a little trinket or piece of jewelry, a small musical instrument like a tiny harmonica, and a joke, riddle or bit of trivia on a small piece of paper.  We have the Christmas crackers pictured above (and others) for sale in our Amazon shop.


Are Christmas crackers a tradition in your family?  If not, would you ever consider including them as part of your holiday celebrations?

The Texas Slang Quiz - Podcast 96

Image: Devin Cook

Well dadgummit howdy y'all! Shurnuff it's a mighty fine day today! We're quizzing Dominic on Texas slang to see how well he does! We think he should do pretty well considering he's been here ten years! If you're a Texas native, you should probably get all of these right!

What are some slang words from your neck of the woods?

Indian Food in the UK and the USA - Podcast 95

Chicken Tikka Masala, Rice, Naan, Poppadoms. Image: Erica Williams

Indian Food. It's one of Britain's favourite cuisines. In fact, it's probably neck and neck with Fish and Chips as the British favourite. Perhaps the true national dish of Britain is Chicken Tikka Masala and NOT Fish and Chips. Britons have been eating curry for over a century but it really exploded as a cuisine in the 1970s. In America, however, it seems it's only slowly getting more popular year after year. Could it ever surpass Mexican food in popularity in the states? Have a listen to our latest podcast and then let us know if you like Indian food and if so, what's your favourite dish?

Gibraltar - Podcast 94

A Barbary Macaque on Gibraltar. Image: Dominic Williams

Gibraltar. You may never have heard of this tiny British Overseas Territory on the very southern tip of Spain but it's quite famous. Mostly because the cheeky little chaps above who live on the top of the rock and the tourists all love them, even when they steal your food or your glasses. The monkeys are the top draw for tourists to Gibraltar and many cruise ships dock there as one of the stops on a tour around the Mediterranean. Have you ever been to Gibraltar? If not, would you like to go?

Living In America: A Visit To The British Emporium In Grapevine, Texas!

      


We visited the British Emporium in historic Grapevine, Texas and it was well worth the trip! The British Emporium has been supplying expats and anglophiles with the essentials from old Blighty since 1992 and we took a trip up there to check out what was on offer. We even made a video and I narrated so click play above to have a look for yourself!

Of course, I almost bought them out on Cadbury chocolate!

Dominic

Bonfire / Guy Fawkes Night - Podcast 93

The Lewes Bonfire Night Celebrations in East Sussex are legendary. Image: BBC

Remember, Remember...
The fifth of November...
Gunpowder, Treason and Plot!

Now, there are more than a few Americans out there who probably have no idea what Bonfire night or who Guy Fawkes is. It's not celebrated over here so why would they? Unless they were hardcore anglophiles who knew everything about the UK and it's culture and customs. To give a brief summary, Bonfire/Guy Fawkes night celebrates the failed assassination attempt of King James I on the 5th November 1605. More commonly known as the 'Gunpowder Plot' a group of disgruntled Catholics plotted to kill the king more than a century before the United States existed and were caught and the plot foiled. Listen to the episode to find out more! If you're British, do you celebrate Bonfire Night? And if so, how do you celebrate?

Also listen to find out who won our British Snacks Giveaway! Yes! WE HAVE A WINNER!!