A polish kind of day.

We trekked with the parents to Hamtramck and Srodek's deli for the annual pierogi trip. (Yes, I learned how to make them this year, but we need our back-ups.) We got an armload, too, of cherry; strawberry; plum; mushroom; and cheese and potato.

Afterward, we popped by Markowycz's European Homestyle Sausage in Detroit (founded in 1954) for some Krakowska lunch meat, Polish candy, and three types of Laroshell German-imported liquered chocolates (Grand Marnier, Brandy and Brandy with cherries). Mom and Dad are going back to Markowycz's on Tuesday to get kielbasa (it has to be fresh), but they had to get the chocolates now. Markowycz's ran out last year, my dad said. The lady behind us bought 8 boxes at $8 a pop and had driven all the way from Ann Arbor. The chocolates are better than Godiva, she said.

We then stopped at Supreme Bakery, also in Detroit, for some fresh pumpernickel and Italian bread for the lunch meat. We also had to get some doughnuts because Supreme makes the best cinnamon rolls. My parents used to get them practically every weekend when I was a kid because the bakery is just a few blocks from where my grandma's house sat.

The best part of the afternoon was coming back and sitting down with a Krakowska sandwich on pumpernickel with a little mayonnaise and horseradish. Krakowska, according to Wikipedia, gets its name "from Poland’s previous capital of Kraków. (Often served as a cold cut), it is made from cuts of lean pork, seasoned with pepper, allspice, coriander, and garlic, packed into large casings, and smoked." Mmmmm. Patrick bought a six-pack of Hamtramck beer that was bottled at the Michigan Brewing Co. He's saving it for Christmas, but if I was a drinkin' woman at the moment, I surely would have had a bottle with my sandwich.

Yes, it was a Polish kind of day.