Guild Chocolates Afternoon Tea: A real treasure in Petrolia, Ontario

Guild Chocolates Afternoon Tea, Chef Jacyln (center) created this delicious and beautiful event.

Last weekend, we once again traveled over the Blue Water Bridge into Canada for some gourmet treats, but this time it was for a full afternoon tea. We were joined by good friends and fellow podcasters, Rik and Carol D., who also share our foodie and tea passions. (Dare we say, "tea nerds"?) 

In April, we visited Guild Chocolates and it was love at first bite ('Guilded Age' of Gourmet Confections, April 22, 2026). We met owner, chocolatier and master chef, Jaclyn Sanders who told us about events she hosts throughout the year, including this month's afternoon tea. We signed up immediately and we are so glad we did. 

Because Jaclyn's shop is small, she hosts the events in a hall just a short drive from downtown. And although it’s a multi‑purpose space, Jaclyn transforms it with thoughtful, charming touches that elevate the entire experience.

Sweets and savories scrumptious works of art.

There are white tablecloths and napkins on every table which are set with an assortment of fine china teacups. A particularly delightful detail: every guest receives their own two‑tiered tray, beautifully arranged with scones, tea sandwiches, and desserts.

Add to this, a harpist who plays during the entire event. Incredible!

Of course, the main feature is the tea and tea fare and everything was as delicious as it was beautiful in presentation. Desserts and savories were miniature works of art, befitting of Chef Jaclyn's degree in Art History. 

With fellow foodies and tea nerds. Harp player behind us.

Included in the savories were a smoked salmon tartlet and a generously portioned coronation chicken sandwich. Among goodies on the top tier, were a tartlet, lemon goat cheese mousse and a mango brownie.

The grand finale on wheels:  assorted chocolate creations on a trolly cart. All of this was accompanied by tea of choice (six in total) in individual teapots. 

We also met other guests and shared tea tales and love of Guild Chocolates (Hello, Tracy!)

No surprise - we can't wait to go back!

For our "live reel" at the tea, check out our video on our YouTube channel! Thanks to Rik D., for bringing his recording equipment.

"Live" at Guild Chocolates Afternoon Tea

Duck Sh*t Tea: We tasted the chocolate, time to taste the tea with the odd (duck) name from Cultivate Taste!

Cultivate Taste's Duck Sh*t Oolong

Last month, we sampled chocolate made from Duck Sh*t tea (Duck Sh*t Tea and Chocolate). Tasting the tea was next and, after a bit of a search, we found some - and not so far from home. Our Duck Sh*t tea comes from Cultivate Taste, located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. 

This is an oolong tea, and per Cultivate Taste's website, the tea comes from tea bushes which are over 80 years old. It is lightly oxidized and the leaves are long and mostly green in color.

In our April blog, we talked about the unusual tea name and its origin stories, one of which focused on the farmer who cultivated this tea. It was so good, he wanted to detract competitors, so he gave it an unpleasant moniker to deter unwelcomed visitors. 

An oolong tea, leaves are partially oxidized.

After brewing up Cultivate Taste's Duck Sh*t tea, we now understand why the farmer was concerned about potential theft. It is delicious!

We found it flowery and pleasantly grassy with hints of fruit - smooth and well-balanced. We brought out the glass teapot and cups as the tea's pretty amber color adds to the whole tea experience.

Excited to find such a great tea in a neighboring mid-west state, we learned not only about the teas offered from the company's website, but some of their backstory as well.

 A little about Cultivate Taste

Cultivate Taste Tea prides itself as a luxury, single-origin loose-leaf tea company dedicated to showcasing tea as an agricultural product of place, much like fine wine or specialty coffee.

Every tea they offer is sourced directly from small, quality-focused producers across Asia. In addition, they do not create blends, add flavorings or sell novelty teas.

Founder Jennifer Nowicki is a Certified Tea Specialist (Specialty Tea Institute, NYC) with over three decades of experience in the gourmet and natural foods industry and nearly thirty years dedicated specifically to tea.

A quick check on their on-line store, Duck Sh*t tea is currently out of stock. We purchased the one ounce pack for $13.50 plus shipping. 

We're looking forward to trying more of Cultivate Taste's teas!

For more information, check out their website at cultivatetaste.com.

Color and taste add to a lovely tea time.

Too real to be liked? Mary Cassatt's Lady at the Tea Table without filters

Lady at the Tea Table, photo taken at my first visit to The Met

 

Today, selfies and group photos can quickly make their subjects prettier, thinner and younger with easy editing. Strategic crops can eliminate pounds and filters can erase wrinkles. But, for those whose portraits have been painted by famous artists who will not adjust the lens, what happens to the "rejects"? In the case of Mary Casssatt's Lady at the Tea Table, the painting was stashed away in the Impressionist's attic for years. 

Fortunately, Cassatt's longtime friend, Louisine Havemeyer, convinced her to eventually to take it out of hiding and donate it to the Met in 1923. It still resides in my favorite New York museum, and I first saw it up close and personal in 2019, the year my son, Matt, moved to Manhattan.

The Met's teapots crafted in Paul Revere's shop. Subject in photo may benefit from strategic editing. 

Cassatt (1844 - 1926), came from an affluent family in Pennsylvania, but spent much of her adult life in France. She became part of the changing art scene in Paris, and although not an over-night-success, she was invited by Edgar Degas to show her work with the Impressionists. In the Impressionist Exhibit of 1877, she displayed eleven works, some of which were criticized for colors that were too bright and portraits that were too accurate to be flattering to the subjects.

Those opinions were shared by the family of the subject in Lady at the Tea Table (1883-1885).  The "lady" was Mary Dickinson Riddle, first cousin of Cassatt's mother. Riddle's daughter had given Cassatt the blue, white and gold-trimmed tea set in the picture, and the artist painted the portrait in appreciation of the gift.

Riddle's daughter did not like the portrait, thinking Cassatt made her mother's nose too large. So, Cassatt stashed it in her attic for years.

There's a story that Riddle's family came forward to claim the portrait once it was out of hiding and on display at The Met. Cassatt's response - and I paraphrase here - "not a chance".

I'm glad I got the chance to view this lovely portrait and every time I return to The Met, I visit it again, along with the collection of teapots, Gilded Age furniture and silver tea accoutrements (including those from Paul Revere's shop). 

While we may not always like how the camera - or the artist - shows our authentic selves, maybe there's a lesson here to embrace "non-traditional beauty".  The Met website has a short video, "The Nose" produced in 2011 by Masha Turchinsky, then their Creative Producer, now CEO of Hudson River Museum. She takes pride in her prominent facial feature. Spoiler alert:  Lady at the Tea Table gets a mention.

Looking back at some of my photos taken at The Met, circa 2019, looks like I forgot to crop or apply filters, though the only editing I regularly apply is erasing the noise (people I don't know, Exit signs, etc).  Maybe Lady Visiting the Met can stay "as is".   😉

The Met's teapot collection

Another visit , NY couple at FLW home

                           

Sources:  The Met, Wikipedia and Everything Explained Today. Thanks to Pam & Quint for sharing their notes on a recent lecture from The Met on Cassatt and Morisot which included Lady at the Tea Table.

Eight Etiquette Rules for Trash Treasure Hunting: Though free and kicked to the curb, there's still proper protocol

Even trash treasure hunting requires good manners:  BTS provides the top eight!

 

Sorting through curbside trash can bring treasures, but don't forget your manners!

We've been recent recipients of gifts found on the curb:  earlier this year Royal Tara fine china and just this month an Emily Post's Etiquette book, 16th edition. While we weren't the shoppers, we were thrilled with the items as well as their price - or more accurately the lack of. Everything was free.

As we noted in this month's post , Where do you find your treasures. . .?, bargains can be found at the end of driveways after a non-depleting garage sale. That's not uncommon in suburban neighborhoods, but what about big cities? 

Turns out, the same principle applies, though the geography shifts. In New York City, boxes of “take me” items appear not only on curbs but on stoops as well. A familiar sight on many brownstone steps, these boxes offer an assortment of merchandise for the taking. During their daily walks, our favorite NYC couple, Matt and Jenna, often browse their neighborhood’s porch and curbside offerings. On one such jaunt, they found my etiquette tome.

While enjoying these freebies, we wondered: is there a proper protocol for curb shopping? It turns out there is — though Emily Post hasn’t covered it… yet.

Most of the etiquette for trash-treasure hunting — also known as “scrounging,” “curb-alerting,” or “freecycling” — comes from online community forums. The basic rules boil down to respect for property and safety. We sifted through comments like a seasoned scrounger digging through a freshly released stoop box and distilled the best good-manners guidance.

Top eight guidelines for the well-mannered scrounger.

1. Only take items on curb or stoop. Don't walk up to the house. Merch inside is off-limits, so no chance on getting the dining room chandelier.

2. Clean up rule. If you sort through a pile, restack items when you're done rooting. Keep the display as enticing as you found it.

3. Go one better! Be a good citizen and enhance #2., leaving the "store" neater than you found it. If the box has broken apart, even if you didn't break it, try to restore order as much as possible. 

4. Don't return items. This is "take -and keep - as is".  If you later decide you don't want what you "bought", keep in mind, curbside retail has no return policy. Consider setting up your own stoop box shop.

5. Signage. If there's a sign that says "FREE",  you're good to go. If there is no sign, but item or box is on the curb, that's a pretty safe bet it's okay to take. 

6. Don't confuse actual garbage with freescycling. If there are garbage bags wrapped up and, on the curb, assume it's true trash. Don't open the bags and dig through - it's unsanitary and dangerous. (But, really, does one need formal instructions to avoid such behavior?) 

7. Be fast, be quiet. Loitering and shouting are frowned upon unless you just found some fine china or an Emily Post Etiquette book. A modest "yahoo!" is acceptable.

8. Don't add items. Someone's curbside box is not a consignment shop. If you want to donate some of your things, get your own stoop container or give to Goodwill. They'd appreciate the drop off. 

For those who wish to partake in a trash treasure hunting, we wish you luck. No need for to bring a wallet, only your impeccable curbside manners are required.  😀💰

   

Mom's are like tea: Necessary every dang day!

Woman are like tea bags and Moms are like tea!

Elanor Roosevelt once said, "A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it's in hot water".

Not quite as famous - but perhaps just as profound - is a sentiment from a humble greeting card that also compares special women to tea:  "Mom's are like tea -   necessary every damn day."

Although the original card listed "coffee", my eldest son, Rob, made a swift edit, and replaced the java reference with his mother's favorite hot beverage.

Like tea, chocolate, flowers and family fun - every damn day!

I believe both aphorisms and though Eleanor Roosevelt's quote applies to all woman, I think our pithy greeting card casts a wider net as well.  "Moms" can be our mothers, grandmother, godmothers, or ladies who have come into one's life that also offer support, advice and love.

"Afternoon Tee" time with family earlier this year.

As I noted in a blog story first published in May of 2016, (Happy Mother's Day:  Make it one for the books). I was fortunate to have not only a wonderful mom, but I have the great fortune to be mom to three wonderful children (and, now, mother-in-law to two more!). 

Me & my Mom, ready to go anywhere if scheduled.

As for my own mom, she  and I were very close and enjoyed each other's company, although we differed in so many respects. My mom was a neat freak, with a schedule that was never departed from, even if something fun came along. I keep a clean enough house, but if you want to invite me for tea or shopping, I'll cancel the utensil drawer reorganization in a New York minute.

And though she's been gone for over twenty-five years, I still think of her daily (or, in the lingo of my greeting card, "every damn day" 😊) There are so many times, I wish I could call my mom and say, "you were right!", or, even at my advanced senior-discount-age , I'd desperately ask, "what should I do now?", because she would always know.

Mother's Day Brunch followed by an afternoon of games!

This Mother's Day, I received the "tea card", flowers, an Earl Grey baseball cap and two boxes of chocolate. I was feted with a brunch followed by an afternoon of family game time and Zoom with our favorite New Yorkers.  It was wonderful.

Go ahead - make my Earl Grey extra strong!

I have my own edits to my Mother's Day card:  Moms are like Earl Grey tea, chocolate, flowers, and family time - necessary every damn day.

And, as a card-carrying AARP member and a mom of over forty years, I'm very familiar with "hot water events".  So go ahead - make my Earl Grey extra strong!

Where do you shop for vintage treasures - retail, antique shops, thrift stores. . . the curb? We struck Royal Tara gold for free!

Royal Tara fine china, a beautiful treasure, rescued from the curb.

Treasure seekers know that half the fun is the hunt. Excitement comes in various forms: completing a set, finding a rare piece, and, getting a great deal, no matter the venue. It could be found at a high end retailer close out, an antique shop's 20% discount, green sticker day at the thrift store or on the curb. . . for free.

My collection of Royal Tara fine china had been kicked to the proverbial curb, though, I wasn't the one to initially rescue it. Dear family friend, Megan, had found it after a nearby weekend-long neighborhood garage sale. A pile of boxes sat at the end of one of the participating home's driveway with a big sign on top: ALL FREE. 

Since teacups were involved - 5 total and 4 with matching saucers - Megan had a pretty good feeling I'd be interested. And, no suprise, I was. 

I loved the design:  the white china featuring floral bouquets with broad bands of burgundy, all trimmed with gold. I loved the accompanying luncheon plates and larger cake dish. I especially loved the price.

Royal Tara teacup stamp

Though it was truly love-at-first sight, I knew little of Royal Tara, the makers of my newfound fancy china. The full stamp on each piece includes: Royal Tara, Fine Bone China, Ireland along with a graphic of three gold crowns and a letter-number ID.

While finding the treasure was relatively straightforward, finding its history proved to be a little trickier.

A Google search located Royal Tara quickly and its website and on-line store. But, the items displayed on their site were more of the gift shop type merchandise - pottery with Celtic designs that fill souvenir shops. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but as far as "fine china", inventory was non-existence.

I could find Royal Tara at the usual on-line sellers of vintage items - eBay, Etsy, Replacements - but for their origin story, I had to look a little bit deeper*

Royal Tara originated in Belleek, Ireland in the 1950's.  Founded by George Delaney, who previously worked for Belleek Pottery, Royal Tara quickly gained a reputation for both its beautiful designs and its high-quality. It became popular not only in Ireland, but other countries as well, including Canada and the U.S.

Royal Tara's most recognized patterns, Shamrock

One of the brand's most distinctive and widely recognized patterns is the Royal Tara Shamrock with its green clover design.

After five decades of operations, Royal Tara fine china closed its factory due to market trends and manufacturing costs.  Though Royal Tara still operates a retail gift shop, its fine china production ended in 2003, which makes vintage Royal Tara pieces increasingly collectible today.

My pattern is Lady Hamilton and, from some additional on-line sleuthing, it looks to be one of the earlier productions and the pieces are in mint condition. Current availability is limited from the on-line resale shops, so a non-expert guess places the value at around $100. 

Of course, getting it for free - priceless!

* Sources:  Galway City Museum, Royal Ware China,  EclectiQuas

When the King comes to America, what do you serve? A Costco favorite? If so, there's precedence!

Hot dog lunch for the Royals? Almost 90 years ago, FDR hosts a picnic for the King and Queen.

King Charles and Queen Camilla are visiting the US this week and those who reside in the White House have surely pondered what to serve the English Royals on this historic trip. Could a casual American food item, more at home at a picnic or baseball stadium than a state dinner, be on the short list?

Of course, we're talking hot dogs - and if that's the choice - there's precedence dating back almost 90 years ago.

In 1939, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, parents of Queen Elizabeth II, made a trip to America,  the guests of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and First Lady, Eleanor. They toured Washington D.C. and were feted at a formal State Dinner, but there was still time in their four-day visit for some casual fun. The latter came as picnic at the Roosevelt home in Hyde Park and, yes, hot dogs were on the menu.

BTS at Hyde Park. . . 

The grounds of Hyde Park, perfect for picnics

As noted in The Smithsonian (June, 2017), the New York Times ran the following headline, post picnic: "King Tries Hot Dog and Asks for More".

NYT's columnist, Felix Belair, postulated that the no frills frankfurter served as plain speaking diplomacy. Though outwardly it may be conveying "On behalf of the United States of America, may we offer you this tubular delight of meat, meat byproducts, curing agents and spices?"  But, what it's translation is buddy-talk for "How ya doing? Wanna beer?"

Though the English monarchs were willing to try this American non-delicacy, the Queen was unsure how to eat it. Served on silver platters, both the King and Queen joined the others eating off paper plates. However, the Queen drew the line at hot dogs as a finger food. She used a fork and knife. 

Coincidentally, the same week of King Charles' visit, Costco announced a change to their classic hot-dog and fountain drink combo. For over 40 years, the warehouse retailer has offered this combo for $1.50.

For those who enjoy discount shopping accompanied by a less than $2.00 repast, do not fret. The only change Costo is making to its "happy deal meal" is offering the option of swapping pop for water. Guests can now have a 16.9 ounce Kirkland brand of bottled water instead of a Coke. 

The Royals have been to countless formal dinners and black-tie affairs when visiting foreign dignitaries, so maybe a little more informal entertainment would be a welcome change. 

We have a Costco membership and would be happy to escort the King and Queen to our local store. We'd even offer to cover the cost of lunch.

Author's notes:  

1.  As our cover photo suggests, hot dogs can rise to an "elevated occasion". This hot dog and wine pairing took place in Dundee, Scotland (October, 2023) at a local restaurant on the eve of my husband and I touring St. Andrews. Hot dogs, pinot grigio and soccer on a big screen TV work well together. 

2. BTS features Eleanor Roosevelt tea talks. A remarkable first lady who provided us with a favorite quote:  A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong she is until she's in hot water.