Happy Halloween from BTS' northern Michigan Tea Garden (enter if you dare!)

The misty, moody feel of the Pemberly Pines tea garden, captured by my photographer husband, Chris

Tonight at the Pemberly Pines tea garden, tea may not be the only thing brewing. Lurking in the fog-filled woods, bats may fly, owls may screech and witches may brew, but, it's still a beautiful spot to sit, reflect and sip tea . . . any time of day, any time of year.

The P. Pines tea garden is home to perennials, herbs and teapots. 

Our "formal" tea garden started four years ago at our northern Michigan retreat, Pemberly Pines. The garden is set in a large clearing where we've cultivated flower beds that are home to perennials and herbs. It  has proved to be a natural gathering place for tea time with friends and family during all four seasons.

In the winter, we cc ski to the garden, covered in a blanket of snow

In the winter, we cross-country ski to the garden and in the spring, we watch the snow melt around the  welcoming "T-E-A" letters, literally set in stone.

In the spring, we eagerly await the great snow melt

Summer brings more visitors and more afternoon tea parties. At our annual family reunion, along with paintball and boating, afternoon tea has become a requisite event. And, the fancy affair in the woods is not just for the ladies, as my brother proved this year.

Family reunion tea time tradition, crashed by my brother, Glenn

In the fall, our friends join us at Pemberly Pines for a walk in the woods, where the leaves of the oak trees among the pines turn a harvest-hued rainbow, and we sit for a cup of tea.
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Our friends join us for a fall retreat at Pemberly Pines and tea  in the garden

Pemberly Pines tea garden is a lovely place to sit during any of the seasons, but tonight, it captures an eerie beauty, perfect for Halloween. I must credit my photographer husband, Chris, for the misty, moody, October tea garden picture at the very top. He captured the "fall feelz" of our northern Michigan retreat.

Black teas pair nicely with  cookies and Kit Kat's no matter where you celebrate!

Although, we're not actually at Pembery Pines this haunted holiday, we are there in "spirit". Tonight, we're enjoying a cup of Venetian Rose tea and Halloween sugar cookies, baked and decorated by my daughter, Rachel.

In the woods, garden, or a  wonderfully, densely populated neighborhood block filled with trick-or-treaters, enjoy a cup of heartily brewed tea paired with a sugar cookie, Kit Kat or Almond Joy and from BTS, have a happy, happy,  Halloween!

Celebrating National Chocolate Day in northern Michigan

Doing our part for National Chocolate Day at Alpine Chocolat Haus in Gaylord

According to National Day Calendar, October 28th is National Chocolate Day. Here at BTS, we welcome any day that celebrates our favorite confectionery treat no matter where we are. This weekend, we're in northern Michigan and fortunate to find a lot of great palaces to honor this special day,

Alpine Chocolat Haus in downton Gaylord is filled with tasty treats: ice cream, hot cocoa and, as the name suggests,  lots and lots of chocolate treats.  They offer  what you are sure to expect, truffles and caramels, along with the not-so-standard fare, including chocolate covered potato chips and apples. The latter are decorated for the season (this weekend we found some black cats and Spartan apples).

Chocolate covered apples, including black cats and Spartan "S"

A short drive from Alpine Chocolat Haus, there's double-the-fun at The Old Spud Warehouse and The Bearded Dogg Lounge, a gift shop and gourmet restaurant, respectively, all under the same roof.  We found some wonderful treasures inside both to honor National Chocolate Day. 

Tea towels at The Old Spud Warehouse

The Old Spud Warehouse is always filled with great finds, no matter what time of year. But this weekend, we keyed in on a new selection of tea towels embellished with wise and witty prose.

The towel versed with a rationale for chocolate as salad inspired us a little bit later as we dined at the adjoining Bearded Dogg.

If chocolate is a salad, could carrot cake be considered a serving of veggies?

Here we indulged in the Bearded Dogg's dessert menu and chose carrot cake served with a chocolate garnish.  We had to eat our vegetables before getting to the chocolate!

After vegetables (carrot cake?), you get chocolate!

If you want to enjoy the taste of chocolate, but skip the candy and the calories, we recommend Light of Day's (northern Michigan Tea Room and Farm in Traverse City) Cacao Mint.  A black tea blend with peppermint and chocolate, it serves up a satisfying dessert in a tea cup.

Save on calories with a cup of Cacao Mint from Light of Day

May we add, this may be enjoyed in the northern woods, next to a cozy fire served in a vintage tea cup from Lewiston's own Antique Depot.

Chocolate tea tastes even better in a tea cup from Antique Depot

However- or wherever, - you celebrate National Chocolate Day, it's sure to be delightful.  Here at BTS, we don't necessarily need a reason to partake in chocolate, but we'll never turn down a day to honor this decadent treat!

Truffles from the Alpine Chocolat Haus

Ciao Bella! Italy is a beautiful place to visit

Coffee in Florence. When in Rome. . . 

Ciao Bella!

Italy is beautiful, inside and out. Graced by nature, with sloping verdant landscapes and scenic coastal shores along turquoise seas, this country also houses some of the most spectacular architecture and artistry in the world. It's also home to amazing food, wine, coffee and, yes, even tea!

Last month, I visited Italy along with my husband, Chris, and daughter, Rachel. We spent time in Rome, Venice and Florence, making our way to all the "must-sees", like the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum and David, and taking part in all the "must do's", gondola rides, pasta dinners, and sampling every flavor of gelato.

Parting in the "must-sees", the Colossuem tour at night

                                 



In our travels, we also paid a visit to two amazing tea rooms, but more about those in upcoming blogs. Aside from those lovely afternoon tea venues and our Venetian hotel, we mostly drank espressos and other coffee drinks because when in Rome. . .  (couldn't wait to use that!)

What I loved the most about Italy was the passion of the people and the artistry they bring to everything,  whether it's a small outdoor cafe tablescape or grand hotel lobby. Old mixes with new to make ordinary things extraordinary:  a chipped teapot filled with fresh flowers, bold blue plates accompanied by bright red napkins and ornate chandeliers illuminating centuries-old stone walls all work together to enchant and charm. Even the McDonald's, with it's glass counters filled with trays of multi-hued macarons looks like a high-end pastry shop,

Rachel and Chris at McDonald's in Rome, we're not in Kansas, Toto!

Our hotel in Rome, Hotel Manfredi,  was on Via Margutta, a short walk to the Spanish Steps, and home to Gregory Peck's character, Joe Bradley, in the movie "Roman Holiday".  (We learned this  later in our stay and finally understood why so many people were taking pictures of the address, '51 Via Margutta').

Charming Cafe, with beautiful tablescapes on Via Margutta

Italy is also a place where anything can happen and it did! We met up with our good friends from Michigan, Rik and Carol, while in Rome. (Their vacation intersected with ours for one day (!) and we met up for lunch at a quaint restaurant near the Spanish Steps.). 

Meeting up in Rome with friends, Rik and Carol, from Michigan

We also crossed paths with a celebrity while in Venice, and we're part of his entourage for an exciting 15 minutes of fame.

Part of of celebrity entourage for 15 minutes of fame, with Nick Reynolds

So, that in a hazelnutshell, is our trip to Italy. In upcoming stories, we'll dedicate one blog for each of the great cities we visited: Rome, Venice and Florence.

Pasta dinner in Rome. Ciao Bella, Italy!

Ciao Bella, Italy!

  

Divine Tea Finds: Downton Abbey Bears and Antique Depot

Lord Grantham, Lady Mary and Mrs. Patmore 

In our second installment of our new blog feature, "BTS' Divine Tea Finds", we found "everything old is new again".

The Downton Abbey television series may be over, but there's much hinted on social media that there will be a new movie in 2018. We do so hope that is true. In the meantime, we're still hanging on to all things Downton. So, when the Downton Abbey teddy bears went on sale, we just had to snap up  a few.

Last month, the ShopPBS online store had an incredible sale on these furry personifications of the Crawley family and their downstairs staff.  These bears come from North American Bear Company, the same folks who make the adorable Muffy VanderBear family, which my daughter Rachel collected when she was young.

Lady Mary next to English Rose tea which "bears" her  likeness

Standing 12" inches tall, these bears are 4" taller than the tiny Muffy collection, giving us that much more to love.

The retail price for each Downton Abbey bear is $74.99. However, last month, ShopPBS offered up some of the  fuzzy cast members at $29.99.  At that price, the hardest decision was which to buy and how many.

Mrs. Patmore comes with her own spoon. She, too,  has her own tea.

In the end, I chose, Lord Grantham, Lady Mary and Mrs. Patmore, which provided the essentials of an aristocratic ensemble:  a Lord, a Lady and a cook.

(The other price I paid was promising Lord Gulley of Glencoe that I would take two boxes of "stuff" out of the house and donate, which I did.)

Lord Grantham with a cup of  Breakfast Blend

The other purpose for my purchase was to have the cuddly characters displayed next to the Republic of Tea's tea tins "bearing" their likeness for all our Downton Abbey afternoon teas. We prepare and serve the teas in the Republic of Tea's Downton Abbey series, specifically Grantham Breakfast Blend, English Rose and Mrs. Patmore's Pudding. These are fun teas in name and packaging and well-received by guests.

At last check, the only bear still available on ShopPBS at this great price is Lord Grantham.

Our other "old" new find, was at one of our favorite antique stores in the whole world. Lucky for us, Antique Depot in Lewiston, Michigan, is just a hop, skip and a jump from our northern retreat in nearby Greenwood Township.

Rachel stands outside Antique Depot in Lewiston, Michigan

Antique Depot is owned and run by Deb K., who manages to make the store look brand new every time we visit. She has a keen eye for design and her displays of vintage china, crystal and assorted bric-a-brac are amazing. Sometimes arranged by color, sometimes by holiday, it's always pristine and appealing.

A "new" Paragon tea cup

Not the usual, but so pretty & perfect for the tea garden

Deb also offers outstanding customer service. You know your visiting an old friend each time you step through the door and she keeps an eye out for what you collect. I'm partial to Paragon tea cups and she'll let me know if she's secured some new ones and where they are in the store.

However, when we stopped in last month, she showed me a teacup that she really liked and thought I would, too, even though it wasn't Paragon. I LOVED it! It's still fine bone china, but it's not my usual Aynsley cup with the gold line around the middle. This one is white cup with delicate blue morning glories bordering the edge of both the cup and the saucer. It is perfect for afternoon tea in my up north tea garden.

If anyone is traveling north and then a bit east of I-75 (Mio/Gaylord vicinity) and wants to experience a wonderful afternoon of browsing beautifully displayed vintage collections, you must pay a visit to Antique Depot. Tell them BTS sent you. Better yet, text me and let's go together!

Bear in mind, everything old becomes new again! These were the BTS Divine Tea Finds for August. We'll be back in a month for more!

Northern Michigan Afternoon Tea is still an elegant affair

Afternoon tea at Pemberly Pines tea garden. with crasher, Glenn.

Rewind without crasher. Enjoying tea time with Rachel and sisters-in-law, Sandy and Cara

Two years ago today,  we were having afternoon tea at Claridge's in London.  Just last week, we were having a similar experience in the woods of northern Michigan.

Two years ago we were having tea at Claridge's. Where's Glenn?

For the past few years, we've been hosting a family reunion at our up north retreat. We're fortunate to have both sides of our families together (Gulleys and Engmans) under one roof for an extended weekend.

Family reunion - Gulleys and Engmans gather for paintball and afternoon tea

We gather together for paintball and, eventually, afternoon tea. In between, there's boating, archery, disc golf, tractor racing and outdoor movie night.

Paintball in the fields of Pemberly.

This year also marked an anniversary:  ten years of Pemberly Pines (we even had a sign made to commemorate the occasion!).

Cousins at the pond, sign commemorating 10 years of Pemberly Pines

To prepare for the afternoon tea, there's more than just steeping the brew and securing scones. First the tea garden must be improved. We groomed the beds and planted flowers and herbs earlier in the summer.

 

By reunion time, the tea garden had blossomed into a lovely outdoor venue, reminiscent of Claridge's (if Claridge's was "across the pond",  outdoors, in the heart of twenty acres of pine trees and without the trappings of luxurious furnishings and impeccable service).

Pemberly Pines tea garden on the other side of the PPines pond

Although we don't share the fancy linens or crystal chandeliers of Claridge's, we do bring delicious home-brewed tea and fine china. We chose Earl Grey from Palais des Thes (we purchased a few packages of this loose tea at La Boheme, the French cafe in Detroit, when we were there in July).

Brewing the Earl Grey and setting up the tea tray

We brewed the loose tea in Adagio's IngenuiTEA Teapots.  These are amazing and convenient lidded cups that allow you to steep the tea and then release the brew from the bottom.

Adding "roses" to the tea garden with Royal Albert tea set

The china we chose was our Royal Albert  Rose Confetti tea set. It added more flowers to the tea garden!

This year, Rachel and I were accompanied by my two sister-in-laws, Cara and Sandy, and for a brief moment, my brother, Glenn.






It was a most delightful way to wrap up the reunion. The long weekend was not long enough. We're looking forward to next year!

Solar eclipse 2017: Keep calm and drink (sun) tea

Best to be prepared for tomorrow's solar eclipse.  While special glasses or hand-crafted viewing equipment, (see below) are important, don't forget about your choice of tea.  Keep calm and drink sun-themed tea.

Tomorrow, August 21, the first solar eclipse in the continental US since 1979 will take place. While Michigan isn't in the "path of totality" that crosses several states from Oregon to North Carolina, we'll get about an 80% view of the eclipse, per The Detroit Free Press.

From 1:00 PM to almost 4:00 PM, the moon will cover a portion of the sun. At approximately, 2:27 in Detroit, the moon be directly in front of the sun, turning afternoon light into night time. I know what you're thinking - that's just in line with afternoon tea time. And, you are right!

Black tea is an excellent choice, considering the outlook of the afternoon sky at 2:30.  Here's what we picked out:

Hot Cinnamon SUNset from Harney & Sons. This is a spunky black tea blend with cinnamon, orange peel and sweet cloves. This will keep you going when nature lulls you into a premature evening atmosphere.

Another black tea choice for the eclipse is Tiger Tea from Yumchaa.  It is a refreshing Assam black tea with orange, blackberry, apricot and SUNflower.  We bought this in London at a Sunday Market when last in England, and find it to be a lovely alternative to Earl Grey in the afternoon.  Hearty, but fruity, it will lean you in the direction of the eclipse.

While black tea is a great pick-me-up in the afternoon, some of us rely on herbal tea to reduce the caffeine intake after noon. Light of Day's SUN in Winter is a fruit salad blend of ingredients with blackberries, cherries, blueberries, grapes, and currents along with lemon myrtle and lemon balm. A tisane that is prepared to "make you feel sunny in dark winter months".  If it can sustain us during the months of November through February, it should be more than sufficient for two minutes on an August afternoon.

Now for the other necessary equipment, aside from your teacup and kettle, for eclipse viewing - a pinhole projection box. The one we have here was put together at the home of BTS partner, Pam B., using an empty Cheerios box.

Put a piece of white paper at the bottom of the inside of the cereal box. Cut out the box top and place aluminum foil over the opening. Insert a pinhole in the aluminum foil. This pinhole allows the sun to reflect on the white paper at the bottom. You just look inside to see the eclipse in reflection.

My son, Rob, is the only one in our family who is actually traveling to another state for a better experience. He'll be in Kentucky tomorrow afternoon and I'll be anxious to hear about the eclipse festivities in the blue grass state.

As for me, I'll be at home with my pinhole projection device and a cup of tea. Keep calm and enjoy this rare occurrence. As noted in Time, we'll have to wait seven more years for the next one.