Coffee and Tea Expo at Harbourfront Centre

If beer and wine aren't your thing maybe you are more of a Tea and Coffee person. If you are then there is an event for you on May 2 to 3rd , 2020 at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto. The Toronto Coffee & Tea Expo returns again this year to a new venue. I went to the first one a couple of years ago and it's grown out of it's previous locations and moved to a more public accessible space at Harbourfront Centre.

Sip to your hearts content at this festival and know that you won't wake up with a hangover the next day. A little hyped up maybe and think of all the stuff you will be able to get done.

Tickets officially go on sale March 19th so feel free to tease the ticket launch in your post and/or stories anywhere from one week to one day in advance!

Tickets are $18 each and come with a reusable TCTE cup! 

Ticket link: https://torontocoffeeandtea.com/#tickets

Instagram: @torontocoffeeandtea

Facebook: @TorontoCoffeeandTeaExpo 

Royal Tea Party Events

Who:      Royal Tea Party Events

What:     Royal Tea Party Launch

Where:   Marche Restaurant - Toronto 

Why:      Launch of the New Tea Party Events Company

Date:      Sunday, March 26, 2017

A new company called Royal Tea Party Events launched their new company with a Free event held at the Marche on Front Street in Toronto recently.  I love Tea Party events because they are simple and inclusive.  Tea is something that people all over the world can have because it can be a simple cup of tea or a custom blended organic loose leaf tea that can be a lot more expensive.  All sorts of flavours for all sorts of occasions.  It's a very relaxing way to get together with people and talk about anything in a relaxing way.

I am no stranger to afternoon teas and Tea Parties so I was interested in this event.  There were 3 seatings which were an hour each.  A bit short but it was just a promotional launch so it was meant to showcase their Fine China and the concept of the company.  Royal Tea Party Events will bring their fine China to any location to set up a Tea Party for a group of 10-16 people.

You can have your own catering or they can arrange catering from their preferred caterer Marche.

With so many people living in small condos and not investing in fancy fine China sets it's a great way to have the experience without having to invest in the China or storage of it.

I attended with a group of my foodie friends and we used it as an excuse just to get together at a fancy quick event.  It was a lot of fun and oh so pretty.  It's a great idea for a little girl's Birthday Party or a Bridal or Baby Shower or a milestone Birthday even.  It would even be great for a corporate event to launch something important.

Fore more info and to book a consultation: www.royalteapartyevents.com

Email: info@royalteapartyevents.com

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/royalteapartyevents

Instagram @royalteapartyevents

Pinterest:  pinterest.com/royalteaevents

#royalteaevents

#myteapartyisbetterthanyours

*Disclaimer:  The event was complimentary but the opinions and photos are my own.

Hosting an Afternoon Tea Party

Here's how this Tea Party happened and a few tips that you can try to host your own Tea Party.

It started as an idea from a gift that I received from a gift that I received from my blogger friend Mary (Maryshappybelly) at a pre Christmas Gift Exchange dinner with my other blogger friend Natalie (cooking quidnunc).  It was supposed to be a bigger group but because of a snow storm we were down to just the 3 of us.   We had a great time anyway and in between dishes we exchanged gifts.  I got a gift of Pepperidge Farms jams and shortbread from Mary and I said that would be great for a tea party and they both thought it was a great idea.  I like having tea parties because it can be a relaxing Saturday or Sunday afternoon thing and simple or elaborate.  That began the idea and Mary said she wasn't available until the beginning of February so that's when I decided to do it but I decided to wait a bit to invite everyone else to see how the weather would be this time.   I decided to have it at my place because I am on the subway line and if everyone cancelled I didn't have to go anywhere for nothing.  I also had so many food gifts from Christmas that I couldn't possibly finish that I knew I already had the makings for a great tea party, plus I have lot's of teas because I like different teas.

As is turns out Mary wasn't able to make it because she fell the week before and her family plans got pushed to the weekend of the Party but I decided to go ahead because a lot of other people were available and the weather was going to be not too bad.

(Nimu, Sue, Martina, Amanda, Natalie, Loren, Cliff, Domenica, Denise, Adam & Jenny)

It started as an idea to get some of the bloggers together but I decided to invite the ones that I know pretty well and some that were close to where I live.  It was also Superbowl Sunday so a few weren't available so I opened it up to other people.  I decided to include a couple of friends other than food bloggers but ones that would really enjoy the party.  One of my friends works with one of my blogger friends and one of my other friends' daughter works with them.  One of my Tiff friends works in a hospital and one of my Gastropost friends is a radiologist.  There were all sorts of connections I didn't even think of.  I invited a couple of my Tiff Entourage friends and a couple of my best friends, some who have met each other and some who had some sort of connection in one way or another.   One of my friends lives in the same area as one of my blogger friends and as it was pointed out many of my friends at the party were Gastropost contributors who I met through Gastropost or otherwise.  It was kind of ironic that there were so many as days later Gastropost announced that they were ending.  It was almost like a farewell party.

TEA PARTY TIPS

TIP 1.
What made it work was that they were all friendly people who love food and can chat without me having to make the connections.  I was the connection but some knew of each other already.
The other thing that worked was that there wasn't anyone who dominated the party.  Everyone just jelled really well.

TIP 2.

Because I live in an apartment I had to buzz people in and then open the door to greet them so I was constantly answering my phone and busy so I tried to set up as many things that could be self serve as possible.

I opened the closet door so that people could hang their coats if I got distracted by other things.

TIP 3.
I set up stations for different things so that people could help themselves to the Hot water and Tea in the kitchen and the table with the plates and utensils.

TIP 4.
I placed white linens on 3 tables where the food was being placed.  I also had 2 3 tier stands to elevate the food vertically to save space. It's good to have things at different levels to present better.

TIP 5.
I tried to have all sorts of platters and utensils at the ready for anything that people would bring to the party.

TIP 6.
Prepare as much as you can in advance but know that there will always be something that happens to throw off your timing.
One of my friends decided he wanted to bake his frozen appetizers at my place earlier but of course I had to set him up with trays for it.
Another friend offered to pick up any last minute things I needed but he arrived as people were coming in so I had to stop and cut the ends of flowers to put in a waiting vase and transfer milk and orange juice into other containers.  I also tried to set up water and I had a Hot water thermos beside the kettle to keep the hot water flowing.

TIP 7.
The Tea Cups.  I asked everyone to bring their own tea cups for a couple of reasons.  I thought it would cut down on the amount of dishes that would accumulate in my kitchen along with all of the serving platters after the party but also I thought it would be a good ice breaker hoping that everyone would bring interesting cups or mugs that would get conversations started and it did.  Of course there were a few people that didn't bring cups so I had to provide them with one and I wish I had the time to set a few up around the tea area but time got away from me as usual.

TIP 8.
Don't do what I always end up doing.  I try and do too much.  Make too many things, plan to make too many things and then run out of time and energy to do them.
Case in point.  I wanted to make finger sandwiches but I didn't want to make them too far in advance because they become stale quickly and I didn't end up making them until most of the people actually left because I didn't have the time and there wasn't any room to put them.
I also made Tea Pot shaped cookies that I would have liked to decorate but that takes a lot of time to do so I skipped the decorating part.

TIP 9.
Prepare things that you know might be safe for people with restricted diets.  I made mini quiches using prepared tart bases but had some extra filling mixture so I made fritattas using the mix in a muffin tin so they were single servings without crusts which would be great for people that can't eat gluten products.

TIP 10.
I never seem to have enough time to sit and chat with everyone because my friends stagger in and out at various times even though I try to get them all to come at relatively the same time.  This is why I try and prepare as much as I can in advance so that I can have some time to enjoy the food and the people.

And not so much a TIP but an FYI... know that there will be people that might be offended because you didn't invite them to the party.  My place only holds about a dozen people comfortably and although I would love to invite all of my blogger friends, film fest friends and other friends there is only so many people that can fit in a small space so try and choose people that will bring something to the party and make it fun for everyone.

Starving Foodie's Favourite Things List

I thought it might be fun to do an Oprah style list of my favourite things in Toronto and more.

You can use it as a guide to your Christmas shopping or something new to try or you can even use it if you want to get me a gift I will love.   I hope that some of these things become your favourite things too.

Top 10 List of Starving Foodie Favourite Things:


1.  Teas

• Kusmi Tea - Detox
• Numi Tea - Gunpowder Green
• Teavana - Oprah Chai

2.  Coffee Shops

• Starbucks - Love Peppermint Mochas and Cool Lime Refreshers
• Aroma Espresso Bar - Ice Lemon Mint Aromas and great Hot Chocolate

3.  Sweet Treats

• Squish Candy - Grapefruit and Blood Orange flavour and Strawberry Rhubarb
• Hong Kong Waffles - I love snapping off bubbles of waffles
• Portland Variety Chocolate Chip cookies.  They are they best cookies I have ever had in Toronto

4.  Housewares stores - I love looking for things at Homesense and stores like that where I can find interesting gadgets and tableware and things I can use to style my photos at home and for entertaining.

• Winners
• Homesense
• Kitchen Stuff Plus
• The Bay

5.  Restaurants

• Hawthorne Food and Drink - Because they use local vendors and train people that need help to get jobs in the industry while trying to produce as little waste as possible.

• Pearl Diver - Great seafood and awesome desserts too and they have a special private room for Chef special nights to help George Brown College chefs mentor with established chefs.

6.  Things - Movies
I love going to see movies so a Cineplex Gift Card or tickets for a TIFF film would be great.
I love documentaries so a pass to Hot Docs Film Festival even better.

7.  Gelato
I like the Gelato from Gelato in Yorkville and I like La Paloma but it's far for me now without wheels.

8.   Cheese

If I lived near the Cheese Boutique I would probably be there all the time.  I love cheese.  I like triple cream cheeses like this and smoked cheddar for mac and cheese and goat cheese for pastas and appetizers and Cheddar cheese for so many things.

9.    Poke
I love the classic Tuna Poke - Favourite places include:

• Big Tuna Poke on Bloor Street.
• Cali Love on King St. West.
• North Poke on Baldwin

10.   Places

The Drake Devonshire Inn - For it's amazing view and relaxing vibes and it's eclectic decor.

** This is not a sponsored post.  All of the choices are my own.

Perfect Valentine's Day Gifts for Foodies

You have no clue what to get for your significant other or someone you fancy for Valentine's Day?

If they are Food Lovers or Cooks or Bakers then here are some suggestions for things besides the usual standbys of Flowers and Chocolates.   

Don't get me wrong, some people love flowers and chocolates but if you want to look like you have put some thought into a gift for the one you love then try one of these ideas.   If they are on a diet or hate to cook then there are still a few things on the list that they might like.



1. Le Creuset Red Dutch Oven -  with a cooked meal in it.  They get to enjoy the meal and any future meals cooked in this oven for many years.

2. Fancy French Macarons from Nadege or Sweet Escapes or a Class to learn how to make French Macarons with my friend Mardi Michaels from Eat, Live, Write - http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/classes/

3. House Cleaning or a Professional Organizer -  http://organizinglives.com/about-us 

I used this company when I had to sell my house and downsize to an apartment.  They also helped me organize my kitchen in my apartment after I moved in to maximize the limited space.

4. Dinner at a high quality intimate restaurant where the service is impeccable like RUBY WATCHCO  (Chef Lynn Crawford) or ICI BISTRO (Chef JP Chalet)  or FABBRICA (Owned by Chef Mark McEwan)

5. Cheese Club Membership http://leslievillecheese.com/cheeseclub/ or a Gift Basket from Cheese Boutique or a Class or Fondue at Cheesewerks.

6. Organic Food Delivery - http://www.mamaearth.ca/ or http://www.freshcityfarms.com/ or Front Door Organics

7. Private Chef to cook an in home meal. - http://www.cdnpca.ca/hire.htm or take a Knife Skills Class at a Community College or a private Academy like Cirillos or Aphrodite Cooks or take the family to Petits Chefs Academy

8. A great cookbook and some basic ingredients from their favourite Chef's cookbook, pick up some rare cookbooks at The Cookbook Store.
   

9. A beautiful tea set with samples of different kinds of GOURMET TEAS like great french tea KUSMI or Canadian Tea Company DAVIDS TEA, TEA EMPORIUM or another Fav is NUMI Teas.

10. Instead of Flowers get a Fresh Herb Planter that will last at least a whole season and will be used to freshen a space and add flavour to lots of meals.

                                      

The Key is to put some thought and effort to whatever you do and make it as special as you can for that special person in your life.   If you don't have a special person you can even share some of these ideas with a group of friends.

Spread the Love and Share the Food -  HAPPY VALENTINE"S DAY

Mom's cold remedies

I have had an annoying cold all weekend and found myself thinking about the things my mom would do when I got sick when I was a kid.   So I decided to list the ones I have been using all weekend.
My mom's cold and flu remedies:

1. TEA - The first thing my mom would do when the first sniffle would start was to shove tea with honey and lemon down my throat.  I always associated Tea with being sick after that.  And still drink Tea when I am not feeling great for whatever reason.   Here's why it works:  The lemon gives you Vitamin C which you need to fill up on.  The honey coats your throat to prevent sore throats.  The tea well it is just a way to get more liquids down unless you use a really good organic herbal tea that has all kinds of medicinal properties.  I have been drinking Green Detox Tea mostly.

2.  CHICKEN SOUP- My mom's other stand by was always something that I always had when I was sick.  My mom always called it Jewish Penicillin.  Why it works:  There seems to be some sort of magical properties in boiling down the bones of a chicken mixed with vegetables like onions, celery and carrots which all have different health properties that are all distilled into a clear vitamin boosted broth that clears out your system while loading up on detoxifying, antioxidant, vitamin boosting vitamins.  If you add ginger and garlic to the broth you can boost your immune system even more.

3.  VASELINE - while it's not a food it is something you don't take for granted when you have a cold and blow your nose so much that you look like your nose was under a magnifying glass in the sun.  I went down to the drug store in my building because I put some cream on my nose that burned and wondered if there was a non greasy alternative to vaseline.  The pharmacist said probably not because the Vaseline adds a protective coating so that your skin doesn't dry out.

5.  WATER - This one is a no brainer.   The more fluids you can get into your body the better to flush out all the toxins that have built up and you rid your body of all the excess of mucus and other gross things.

6.  HONEY - I have found that honey has been working better than throat losenges for coating my throat.  The losenges kind of leave a pasty and burning effect while the honey just coats the throat with a nice smooth sweet flavour bonus.

7.  HUMIDIFIER/VAPOURIZER - While it's not food either it takes your basic H20 and puts it back into the air in the winter to get rid of the dry air that is caused by the extreme cold and the dry indoor heaters.  My throat and skin have been so dry that it's been uncomfortable.  So I finally broke out the vapourizer and added a couple of drops of Eucalyptus oil into it.  It's one of those subtle things that works and you only notice it when you don't have enough moisture in the air.  The one thing about keeping the room humid is that I heard that it is the skin in your nose drying up and cracking that will open up and let your nose suck in the airborne germs.  Sounds gross but true.  I know that our extreme cold and dry winter has probably contributed to people around town sneezing away.   I noticed it the last couple of times out on the subway and in stores.   That's probably how I got sick.  Everyone is getting sick right now.

8.  REST - Getting proper rest is hard when you try and sleep and your nose starts running and you have to sit up and blow your nose.  But the more rest you get the more your body can heal itself.  The body regenerates when at rest.  Unfortunately my body doesn't seem to like to rest at night so I am trying to get whatever rest I can get when it is ready to rest.

9.  EGGS - This one is a maybe on whether it's good or not.  My mom used to always make me a fried or hard boiled egg.   And she used to concoct this thing she called "guggle muggle" which was an egg yolk beaten with sugar and vanilla, I always loved the taste but I don't know where that came from and if it worked but it tasted good.  I don't know if I would have it today with the chance of salmonella from raw eggs but it seems like when I was a kid you could eat raw eggs and raw meat without it being as big of a concern as it is now.

10.  TOAST - I think the toast mostly was given to me because it was a safe thing to eat most of the time.  She always made me toast when I had the flu.  I guess maybe just to soak things up and have something to prevent dehydration or who knows why but it's also something easy to make when you are home alone sick and don't want to make anything but need to eat.

Anyway.   The fact is that all of these things are simple things that have been around for generations and are basically things that have stood the test of time.   I am not a big drug person and got some syrup  from the pharmacist but found that the tea and honey worked just as well and I know what's in it.

The most important thing is what I haven't been very good at is building up your immune system with loads of antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables so that you can fend off these little annoying colds and flu's during our long winter season.

I suppose some of this stuff is working because I have enough energy to write this blog post now and couldn't even stop for less than 10 minutes without blowing my nose the first couple of days.


I hate being sick,  My skin is pale, chapped and my nose is red.  My hair is dry and lifeless and it just makes me look and feel old.   So anything that will help me look and feel better quicker is well worth it.   These are the things that have been worth doing for me.

I am sure everyone has their own home remedies and some people just load themselves up with drugs.  I don't like going the drug route because it always leave some sort of residue that you have to detox later.   Skip the drugs and find a more natural alternative if you can.

Stay Well and Skip the Kleenex Box.