Sweet treat time: Virtual chocolate-tasting class courtesy Theo Chocolate

Theo Chocolate virtual tasting class comes with a box full of candy bars

What's better than chocolate? More chocolate! Add a virtual tasting class from Theo Chocolate to guide you through the dark-to-milk varieties - and everything in between - and you have an evening of fun and flavor!

Earlier this month, I was gifted with Theo's virtual chocolate tasting kit from my daughter and son-in-law. They had recently participated in the same event and thought it was fantastic. Knowing I love chocolate as much as I love tea, they sent this to me as birthday treat. My class experience certainly matched all their rave reviews.

Ready to excel in class!

Bars are sectioned for easy sampling

A few weeks before the on-line class, participants will receive a sealed box containing several chocolate bars. and a labeled with an empathetic warning. Knowing that recipients will most likely be those who have a deep affinity for chocolate, and with that, prone to sample such treats if they are in close proximity, Theo advises: "we understand if you can't resist and want to snack a tiny bit before your class, but try to save most of the treats . . for your tasting".

Tasting kit comes with sound advice.

Incredibly, I held off opening the box until class time, but I confess to tucking it away in our pantry, out of site, to lessen the temptation.

Our class started promptly at 8:00 PM, EST. Theo Chocolate is located in Seattle, Washington, so for our instructor and other guests on the west coast, things began at 5:00 in the afternoon. 

Class was educational and entertaining

captivated students

Our instructor was amazing:  he was informative, encouraging and entertaining. He began with a short presentation, explaining what chocolate is and where it comes from. Then he demonstrated tempering chocolate: the process of melting, cooling and, and in this case, "tabling" - spreading it around on a marble surface with a metal spatula.

We then worked our way through the candy bars, starting with the very dark (and less sweet) chocolate to the very creamy milk chocolate.  There were some classic additions: sea salt and raspberry which were phenomenal (sea salt being our absolute favorite!), but also some interesting specialty bars which included: peanut butter and jelly, bread and chocolate and root beer.

It was a well-paced and delightfully decadent sixty minute journey. Another bonus, after the class you will receive a discount coupon for your next purchase. Mine is already on order. And, yes, I bought myself the "Spring Tea" collection which is comprised of four different teas infused in chocolate ganache. I will report back once I've sampled! 

I so enjoyed furthering my chocolate education. BTS gives this a solid (chocolate) two thumb's up!

For more information on Theo Chocolate's virtual tasting class and kit, click this link:  Theo Virtual Class.

 

The band is back together: Second Downton Abbey movie coming this December!!

Visiting Highclere (aka "the real Downton Abbey) with Rachel (foreground) in 2015

Officially announced this week through various news outlets, including the blog of the current countess of  Highclere Castle (aka "the real Downton Abbey"), Lady Carnarvon, the production has begun on the sequel to the 2019 Downton Abbey movie.  To those of us DA-devotees, this is tonic in a year-plus of quarantine. 

As quoted in Variety, producer Gareth Neame sums it up well:  "After a very challenging year with so many of us separated from family and friends, it is a huge comfort to think that better times are ahead and that next Christmas we will be re-united with the much beloved characters of Downton Abbey." 

Just a sample of our Downton Abbey collecton

The sequel to Downton Abbey will bring together familiar faces and a few new ones, including Hugh Dancy (for Janeites, you may recall that attractive lad from the 2007 movie, "The Jane Austen Book Club"). 

Julian Fellowes, creator of Downton Abbey, will once again write the screenplay. As Neame told Variety in an interview from 2019, Fellowes was planning on starting the sequel once he completed  "The Gilded Age" (a new series on HBO also expected out this year - and YES! BTS will be revving up its Gilded Age tea talks, too!).

Downton Abbey Exhibit in Delaware, 2014

In anticipation of the Downton Abbey movie, we've gathered up memories and mementos of our DA-focused  trips. With daughter and BTS partner, Rachel, our first DA-themed getaway was in 2014 to Delaware for one of the first Downton Abbey exhibits. That same weekend (and, by the way, we do know what that is!), we met up with author, Jessica Fellowes, writer of the DA companion books and niece of Julian. We got a lot of fun inside tales from Jessica.

Meeting Downton Abbey companion book author, niece of Julian Fellowes, Jessica Followes

The following year, Rachel and I made the trek to Highclere Castle and Bampton Village, the movie sites of the Downton Abbey home and village, respectively.  (and yes, we had tea while there and, of course, brought back the souvenir cup.)

Tea at Highclere

Bampton Village

I also had the great pleasure of interviewing Lady Carnarvon for an article featured in TeaTime Magazine. 

Downton Abbey article for TeaTime

In addition, this captivating series launched six years of Downton Abbey tea talks and events for BTS.  We are happy to announce, we're already scheduled for another one in December to coincide with the Downton Abbey movie release. (Hint: it's one of our favorite venues.)  More details to come, so stay tuned!

As Lady Carnarvon noted in her blog this week, it is a bit of relief - now that the official announcement of the second movie is out - to no longer be worried about "let[ting] the news of the film slip out inadvertently".  She, too, is filled with excitement and comfort, comparing the arrival of cast and crew on the grounds of Highclere to a feeling from her youth when returning to school at the start of a new term. It's  a mix of "apprehension allied to the welcome feeling of a familiar structure to the day."

More Downton Abbey tea talks this year!

DA fun at favorite venues

The band of the Crawley clan, from upstairs to downstairs, will be back together again and we can't wait.  We're polishing the tiara and counting down the days!

With tiara and tea, waiting for the next Downton Abbey move

The Downton Abbey sequel is scheduled to be released December 22nd. Keep checking back to here for updates on DA-2021 events! 

Get your Masters tea-gree from Adagio: Specialty, limited edition teas with a story

Premium teas from the Masters series from Adagio

Masters is a series of  specialty teas from Adagio teas.  As noted in previous blogs, this collection not only features fresh loose teas to savor, but also, through Adagio's Masters website, an opportunity to learn more about the region in which they are grown and meet some of the tea harvesters.

For the past three years, I've had the opportunity to sample the early release of some of these wonderful teas and last month, I received two delightful selections from the Rohini tea estate located in the Darjeeling region of India:  Rohini first oolong and Rohini gold wire.

Two selections from the Rohini tea estate in the Darjeeling region of India

These teas come from the same tea estate, but that's not all they have in common. Both are light, smooth and brew up a beautiful amber liquor in your teapot. They also are harvested by Debbi Chittri who shares a bit of her story on the  Rohini teas' pages.

Brewing up Rohini first oolong, mild but not timid.

The Rohini first oolong is sweet with a touch of  delicate fruity notes. It offers up a mild, but not timid, taste. 

Both Rohini teas brew up a beautiful amber liquor

The Rohini Gold Wire has a faint earthy but refreshing taste with subtle honey notes.

Rohini gold wire has subtle honey notes

I enjoyed both of these Rohini teas and sampling such high grade teas reminds me of all the amazing offerings that come from the camellia sinensis plant. It gets me out of my black tea rut go-to's like English breakfast  and Earl Grey (not that there's anything wrong with that!)

It also inspires me to continue my tea education and work towards my Master's tea-gree, courtesy Adagio. 

Product review disclaimer:  I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free or discounted price. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

We're making changes! Welcome to Barb's Coffee Service

With coffee, one can add milk OR cream and one may be so bold as to raise a pinkie. . .or two!

We're making some big changes here at BTS or, as we now can be referred to as "BCS" or "Barb's Coffee Service".

We're replacing Camillia sinensis with the coffee bean. The latter produces such a hearty drink, we can add, not only milk, but as much cream or half-and-half as we desire.

Replacing Camillia sinensis with the coffee bean

With that change, we're also eschewing some of the etiquette that comes with drinking tea. I had a cup of coffee today and raised both pinkies while sipping. 

Once travel opens up, instead of scoping out exciting tea venues,  I've mapped out visits to coffee houses around the country and abroad - mostly Starbucks. Although they're pretty much all the same, it will save a lot of time on my blog reviews. 

It's a slippery, but, robust slope. 

But first, COFFEE . . . until tomorrow!

 

We'll be back to Barb's Tea Service tomorrow.

Happy First of April!

Tuesday Tea and Tomes: The beginning of virtual Tea and Reads

Afternoon tea now features book club!

 

Afternoon tea is not just about tea and scones (although, those are delightful components). Our monthly family tea times have evolved to include not just a gab fest (although, another delightful component), but now book club, too!

At our initial tea, the conversation turned to latest Netflix shows and last reads. The latter topic lead to a an informal book club idea and Haley, my future daughter-in-law, had just picked up a book the weekend prior, "Mrs. Everything" by Jennifer Weiner.

Sis-in-law shows off fancy spoons and biscuits from Caffe Florian

Haley was drawn to the book because it's about two sisters growing up in Detroit. The time frame spans from the 1950's to present day and it's a page-turning journey of the sister relationship strained and forged over tragedies and expectations.

Having been on the cusp of the generation where women had the choice of stay-at-home mom or Ms. Career  - and a vast subtext of suspicion from each camp of the other - I understand the struggle to "do it all" with equal amounts of confidence and doubt.

The senior members of the book club found some of the sisters' antics exhausting. The millennials in our group were saddened by the limitations of the time for the Kauffman girls. 

With names pulled from "Little Women"  - Beth and Jo,  the pretty one and the tomboy -  the sisters carved out lives for themselves neither one anticipated.

And, all of this story with Michigan roots. There's some fun references to the Detroit area, but we all spotted out the incorrect geographic crossroads of Quarton and Lasher described as being part of Southfield. Not essential to the story, but still allows an "insider" to raise an eyebrow.

Definitely for mature readers, but a fast read and something, I'm happy to report on, out of my routine. It's nice to be in the new millennial from time-to-time.  

And, as with other teas, we still showed off what we were drinking and fancy accoutrements. We had a bit of a Caffe Florian theme - my sister-in-law, Sandy, showed off her beautiful silver teaspoons and biscuits (!)  from the Venetian tea room that she received as a birthday gift. I held up one of my selections from the Caffe Florian's 300 year's anniversary collection. Molto bene!

We've already selected our next book and scheduled the "Virtual Tea and Reads" for April. Looking forward to tea, scones, gab fest and book review - all delightful components for our next gathering!

Victoria's Tea Pleasures inspire spring teas and bring back memories from Carolina Inn!

Victoria Classic's Tea Pleasures inspires spring teas and tea travels

Yesterday, March 20, marked the first day of Spring and with that (and a well-timed sunny, temperate weekend in  Michigan), we're anxious to change color schemes from winter bolds to warmer pastels, take tea out of doors, and - with the promising outlook of more venues opening up - a visit to a favorite tea room. Victoria Classics Tea Pleasures special issue "Celebrating the Art of Tea" has all of those topics covered in almost one hundred pages of inspiring articles accompanied by beautiful photographs.

In this edition of Tea Pleasures, there's a delightful arrange of topics from tea traditions to tea hospitality. the latter including tips for making guests feel welcome such as place cards, uplifting background music and adding some casual elements to the table to dial back some of the stuffiness of a very formal place setting. 

Place cards can help guests feel comfortable and welcomed!

"Occasions for Tea" section features a Spring Tea and a Garden Tea - both of which I'm anxiously planning and preparing for soon.  Recipes and tablescapes for each themed tea are provided. Although the "lemon-blueberry parfait" is listed under the Spring Tea, I'm going to prepare it for the Garden Tea as well. It looks delicious and not overly complicated to prepare - and the bonus of having it in our "up north" tea garden is that blueberries grow naturally there and its herb garden is filled with mint. It can be our "tea-garden-to-tea-table" sourced afternoon tea!

Tea Pleasures has us thinking of more outdoor teas to come

Tea Pleasures wraps up in a final section on "Tea Destinations" which brought back memories as well as added to my must-see tea room wish list. The first tea room highlighted is The Carolina Inn which I visited back in 2013 (see blog story, Going to Carolina Inn my mind).  The article had me reminiscing about the delightful afternoon tea I enjoyed at this venue in Chapel Hill with then tea director Carolina H. 

Carolina Inn for tea in 2013

Tea Destinations also had me go back to my tea room visit wish list and re- highlight, re-circle and boldly underline New York's "The Plaza Hotel". With all our trips to Manhattan, that's one spot I've yet to experience, but now must.(Note to NY son, when we can visit you next, we'll be heading to Fifth Avenue and Central Park for a cup of tea). 

 While we wait to officially move the winter coats to the far side of the closet and travel becomes a bit more accessible, we recommend "Celebrating the Art of Tea" in Tea Pleasures for a refresh on tea essentials and lots of spring-time inspiration. 

Happy Spring from BTS!

Virtual tea times still going strong! Warning: duration of afternoon tea talk may exceed time on invite!

Virtual afternoon tea - a most civilized way to get together for an hour . . . or more!

Last weekend, BTS (Barb Gulley and Rachel Gulley Brown)  hosted a family virtual afternoon tea.  The invite list included two aunts, one cousin and one future sister-in-law (or, from the elder Gulley's  perspective, two sister-in-laws, one niece, and one future daughter-in-law) with a geographic spread ranging from the Oakland county suburbs to Cincinnati, Ohio.

Local afternoon tea guests were treated to delicious blueberry scones, baked and delivered by Rachel

The time was set for Sunday from 1:00 - 2:00 pm and all but our Cincinnati relation received a special delivery the day before. Rachel baked blueberry scones from scratch (gluten free and "regular") on Saturday, wrapped them up in a clear cellophane package cinched with a  silver twist tie and personally door-dashed them to local guests.

Come-as-you-are attire means hat and bling for some

It was "come-as-you-are", which, at BTS, means fascinator and bling!  

Virtual afternoon tea with the family. Cousin/bridesmaid Marti, shows off her fancy tea cup

We all logged on to our on-line  link and commenced with tea and talk. Over blueberry scones, we shared what tea we were drinking and in what cup. Honors go to Marti E., who brought the tea cup she was gifted as part of a bridesmaid invite package from Rachel last year (she's not only a cousin, but a bridesmaid, too!).

Sandy & Marti's pretty afternoon tea tablescape - all the essentials:  tea, scones, savories & tiered tray

Conversations covered current events and recent reads, the latter including text books, children's classics and "Mrs. Everything", the latter a choice for a future tea time book club.

Although the invite designated time period was one hour, it, without hesitation, went well beyond. Afternoon tea time cannot be constrained!!

So much enjoyed by guests, another virtual afternoon tea time was scheduled for this month (and tea time book club coming soon!).

We love keeping up this new tradition. Certainly more to come and we'll be ready with tea, scones, and tablesscapes. But be warned:  time on invite is merely a "suggestion". 

BTS' tablescape for one included festive spring flower placeholder (no confusion as to where I sat!)