First is the worst, second is the BEST!

Well, first may not be the worst, but it's definitely in second place!  This week I headed back to work, which meant time for a new weekly sandwich.  The first sandwich wasn't bad, it just wasn't memorable.  This week's sandwich is delicious, and I look forward to making it each night before work!  Apologies in advance for the plethora of pictures, but I truly loved every bit of making this sandwich!  It will definitely become part of my rotation.

Sandwich of the week: Roast beef, Gouda and apple, courtesy of Real Simple

I made a sad little sandwich on Monday during my running around for the MLK holiday - the roads were clear in Georgia and I was well enough to be in public - but not well enough to visit my friend Abby and her precious new little Baby Luke.  I had to occupy my time - which consisted of a very concisely planned day of stopping by Kiehl's, Bobbi Brown, the Container Store, home for a quick bite, the spa, and then off to visit some friends to watch the Bachelor (trash) and eat pizza (eat trash and watch trash!).  My sad little sandwich squeezed in was good - ham, a little mayo, and bread.  Great, typical, not exciting in the least.  This, however, is something to be excited about.  I'm not going to hate on my Nature's Own Honey Wheat, but much like the Vivienne Westwood dress in the first Sex and the City movie, this challah bread "kicked my sweet little suit's ass."

 

Check out how gorgeous this bread is! It's incredible what beautiful bread will do to you! I don't know if I can ever go back to "plain" bread - that ol' sliced stuff. Whoever came up with "that's the best thing since sliced bread!" obviously never had this amazing carbfest!

In addition to incredible bread, everything that goes on the sandwich needs to be top notch.  I have never liked yellow mustard, but give me whole grain dijon and I will gladly eat it.  It's so nice to see food how it is supposed to look, instead of over-processed junk.  This mustard... is beautiful.

    

I think my love for whole grain mustard might stem back to the parable from the Bible about the mustard seed.  My mom always told me the story, and in college she gave me a necklace with a mustard seed in it and the verse inscribed on the back.  Matthew 17:20 if you are interested.

Next came the layer of the roast beef, some Gouda cheese, then 1/4 of an apple... which was harder to slice than I'd like to admit...

   

The last step AND the last ingredient I could find in the grocery store was the addition of watercress.  I don't know about you, but I had no clue what this stuff looked like.  I initially looked in the canned veggies section, but realize those were in fact water chestnuts and not water cress.  I headed to the produce aisle not having a clue where water cress might be, and started searching - well, scouring the varied things I have never purchased.

After several minutes of standing, feeling stupid, perusing the sale circular to pass time, a failed phone call and a few texts to my mom, I started to get antsy.  Mom's advice: it might be near the parsley (people buy that???) and it's green.  Let me tell you - LOTS of things are green.  Lots of leafy things near parsley are green.

Up in the very top of the greens section, I see something sad and squished and slightly resembling cilantro - with NO LABEL.  Thanks Kroger.  I love your deals, but your labeling skills sorta stink.  Why label red onions and blueberries but not water cress?  Is this an every day staple in the American home that I have never been made aware of?  For those of you like me, THIS is water cress:

   

According to my mom (knower of all things, or at least a fabulous researcher.  Hey Mom - you could totally work at Foy!) water cress doesn't last very long - 1 or 2 days.  It has hollow stems and loves water, and sometimes comes in a bag or is stored in water.  In order to help preserve my water cress to last the week, I soaked a paper towel, wrapped the water cress in it, and am currently storing it all in gladware.  So far, so good!

And to be random... for those of you that don't know about Foy, get the number in your phone!  I learned to remember the number this way (3-3-foy, 8-foy-foy, foy-2-foy-foy - OR 334-844-4244)

Enough of that tangent and back to this magnificent sandwich!  Behold!

My coworker came in and saw me eating this Tuesday.  She said "Oh wow, that looks great!  Where did you get it?"  My gleeful response: "I made it!"

And here's everything that went into it.  You MUST make this.  MUST.

 

Do you have a fabulous sandwich to recommend?  Please share!  Made this?  What was your reaction?