After publishing what would be included in my last meal (if I were so lucky as to get to make such choices), I thought it might be fun to try and prepare a similar feast for Mrs. Sip. My muse had no input prior to when I asked for her involvement, where she will mark my work in each section. Let the fun begin:

Mains (3):

Quesabirria Tacos – Mrs. Sip and I first had quesabirria at a craft brewery in Boston and it blew our minds. It has since become a favourite dish of Mrs. Sip, typically consumed at amusement parks and drinking events.

Lobster… completely deshelled by anyone else! – Mrs. Sip is a lobster connoisseur, so long as she doesn’t have to do the dirty work. Perhaps she can use the meat to compile another preferred meal of hers, a lobster roll.

Eggs Benny with bacon instead of ham – Mrs. Sip is such a fan of brunch, I believe it’s her favourite meal of the day. While she doesn’t typically stray too far from the traditional serving of the dish, she always subs bacon for ham where possible.

It was fairly easy to put together Mrs. Sip’s main courses. While other contenders were considered, such as a plain cheeseburger from McDonald’s, the only fast food Mrs. Sip likes; pepperoni pizza, with stuffed crust and light on the sauce; and an Indian dish like butter chicken or palak paneer, complete with garlic naan; the three items I chose are above and beyond preferences of hers.

Mrs. Sip’s Mark: 4.75 – Very well done! I would only add melted butter and a glass of dry white are lobster meal necessities. Aaannnnd Ma Sip’s cornflake breaded chicken and cheesy hash browns would be a serious contender (you should definitely learn to make it!). I had to deduct 0.25 for not mentioning how the Quesabirria Tacos should be fried in crispy cheese for maximum delciousness!

Sides (4):

Charcuterie Platter with LOTS OF CHEESE!!! – Cheese and crackers… you’re basically describing Mrs. Sip’s teenage diet. Add some other nibblies, such as some cured meats, as well as dark chocolate and nuts to mix things up, and she has everything she needs to pair with one of her preferred beverage choices below.

Seven-Layer Dip with Chips – Mrs. Sip loves her some tortilla chips and her preferred dip to dunk those chips into has seven layers of goodness. I recently made the mistake of picking up what I thought was a seven-layer dip, but was merely a ‘Fiesta Dip’. I paid dearly for those missing couple of layers.

Seafood Chowder – In our many travels around the world, Mrs. Sip has enjoyed a number of chowders. This includes visits to Dublin, San Francisco, Boston, Disneyland, Halifax, etc.

Caprese Salad – Providing the ingredients are fresh, such as they are in Europe, this is Mrs. Sip’s favourite salad.

This was perhaps the most challenging segment of this exercise, with many dishes worthy of consideration. I wanted to use one slot simply for bread, as Mrs. Sip loves that being included prior to meals, however I felt the four appies I chose better reflected a meal worthy of consumption. Other notable sides that were left off, included Chicken McNuggets with sweet and sour sauce, a baked potato with all the fixings, nachos, cornbread, and cheesy bread.

Mrs. Sip’s Mark: 4.0 – This is pretty well done and would likely change on any given day. I think I would sub out charcuterie for a really good garlic cheese bread, but this is dependent on just how much good wine is on hand. Also, is there truffle burrata and red wine cheddar on the board? Hmmm, hard choice!  Burrata for the caprese and a breadbowl for the chowder, and those sides sound just about right! However, I would take the appie-sized butternut squash ravioli from Cactus Club as my number one side!

Snacks (2):

Popcorn – A childhood favourite treat for Mrs. Sip (which she passed onto the Siplings) has remained a preferred snack during movies, sporting events and amusement park visits.

Beef Jerky/Pepperoni Sticks – Another ingredient of her younger years, Mrs. Sip will often pick up one of these products from the impulse buy area of store checkouts.

Another easy section to compile for the lady of the house!

Mrs. Sip’s Mark: 4.75 – Don’t forget the popcorn needs to be drowning in real butter!!!

Desserts (3):

Ice Cream Cake – Mrs. Sip loves ice cream cake, with Dairy Queen novelties regularly being served for her birthdays and other milestones. Another version she enjoys is the Billy Miner Pie offered by The Keg restaurant chain. She even likes this indulgent dessert, despite its coffee flavour.

Crème Brûlée – I have watched Mrs. Sip eat many servings of crème brûlée, as it is not among my own likes. Perhaps that’s why she orders it, eliminating the need to share. Either way, Mrs. Sip especially enjoys the burnt top of this meal finisher.

Cookie Dough – Sometimes, the cookies don’t even get baked, as Mrs. Sip (not unlike other females) has been known to consume the dough straight from whatever device it has been cased in. Warning labels be damned, sometimes stuff is better raw.

This was another difficult section to fill out, as Mrs. Sip likes a number of sweet treats. I almost included a Nanaimo Bar to completely troll my love, who as a youngster once feasted on too many at a family party and ended up getting sick. She hasn’t touched one since. Notable omissions, included scones with clotted cream and jam, as well as chocolate fondue.

Mrs. Sip’s Mark: 4.95 – I think this is pretty accurate. I may replace Creme Brûlée with salted chocolate caramels from Purdy’s, but I’m really not sure myself when it comes down to it.

Beverages (2):

White Wine – Regardless of grape (chardonnay, pinot grigio/gris or even bubbly), Mrs. Sip loves her wine, preferably sipped in a beautiful vineyard.

London Fog Chai Tea Latte – This is practically a daily treat for Mrs. Sip. I’ve picked up so many for her or driven her to get one over our many years together that I have second-hand London Fog issues.

Another fairly easy category to curate for Mrs. Sip. Narrowly missing the cut here were drinks such as Horchata and a Mai Tai cocktail.

Mrs. Sip’s Mark: 2.75 – 0.25 deducted for calling a London Fog a CHAI tea latte. Tsk, tsk. Chai lattes are good, London Fogs are better. I would also just accept a cup of Double Cream of Earl Grey (with a splash of milk). HOWEVER -2.0 for “regardless of grape!?” Sir, you did NOT!!! Now I’m not deducting full points as I assume the slip was omitting the word “dry”. Then you would be correct, as I like any good dry white wine varietal. But if someone had brought me a Moscato or Gertz for my last meal, I would probably have just cried into my cup. Make those corrections and this was 5/5.

Rusty Rail

• 1 oz Scotch
• 1 oz Fernie Fog Liqueur
• Garnish with Dark Chocolate

For this article’s beverage, I wanted to incorporate the Fernie Fog Liqueur Mrs. Sip bought me, as the flavours replicate an Earl Grey Tea taste. I also made sure to use the bottle of Scoth Mrs. Sip one at a whiskey tasting a few years back. Top it off with a chunk of dark chocolate, a callback to the charcuterie board mentioned above and you have a cocktail made for a queen!