The Stillroom

Check out this video on YouTube:

Loved this song then, love it still. It’s on a new commercial and it’s been forever since I’ve heard it.

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One of the things I have avoided as a shop owner is to not buy anything with a shelf life.

Over the years I have been asked if tea has a good shelf life. When stored properly tea can last about three years. Like with so many staples, a cool and dry and dark shelf is good enough.

I feel as though The Stillroom is going through a sort of transformation. I felt I needed to roll the dice and start to carry food stuffs that would go well with tea. These specialty items do have a shelf life. They are also ordered from mostly Pennsylvania and North Eastern States which is a super plus. I try to start in my own back yard and branch out from there. This makes me happy.

So, the Scone Mixes are in stock now with more on the way. Small sample size jars of clotted cream, honey and jam are here and the maple butter (bigger jar) from Vermont is on the way. I am excited to see how this “experiment” will work out.

Maple Candy, floral pastilles, violet candy, and chocolate covered river rocks! These come from the same company our sunflower sunny seeds come from. We live by three rivers so I thought these would make great stocking stuffers or use them to decorate a cake! They look like rocks, I kid you not.

When you come in the shop you will always find the signature lavender sachets, organic catnip pillows and tea wallets that are crafted right in The Stillroom workshop.

Occasional dried florals are sprinkled here and there. There are a few small bundles left then I will try and crank out some that are more seasonal.

Diamond Antiques and Gifts is located at 311 E.6th Avenue in Tarentum, PA

The Stillroom Tea shop is located right inside the door of the historic building.

Part of building a bustling community once again, it is my pleasure to be a part of Diamond Antiques & Gifts.

Tuesday-Sunday 10-5

Closed Monday’s to dust and restock.

Mask up, keep a couple dozen pirogies apart and stay safe this winter folks!

Keep checking back as the days roll by for updates on pretty much anything.

In the words of Ron Funches, ” I hope you’re feeling strong, I hope you’re feeling brave, I hope you’re feeling love and are grateful for that love.”

May our shelf lives be long.

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I live each day at random. I always have so much to do that I gave up keeping a hard schedule a long time ago.

Should I sit down and catch up on shop sewing? Or unpack, inventory, price and carry product to the shop? Should I clean out the fridge and figure out a meal plan that’s relatively healthy for the day? Should I make the bed or skip it one day a week so I can move on to something else? Should I cut up and freeze those peppers that are about to take a walk? Should I refill all of my parent’s meds and keep track to be sure we are on the same page. Should I get out that email canceling the Christmas Party this year for the family? Should I try and work on that kitchen wall project that I started last week? Should I finish harvesting and hanging my herbs? Should I bring in the patio furniture? Should I keep watching the news? Should I start thinking about the holiday window for the shop? Should I start to place a grocery order? Should I get gas or wait another day. Do it while the weather is great? Should I recycle while I’m in that area getting the car gassed up? Should I call for a dental appointment? Eye exam? Should I be out looking for cool stuff at estate sales? Should I update the blog? ugh!

I need therapy. lol

The latest goodie coming to the shop next week is maple butter. I have never had it but it sounds like something I would eat with a spoon.

All of the fall tea flavors are in stock now. Harney & Sons African Autumn, Cranberry Autumn, Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, Paris, Hot Cinnamon Spice.

New scone flavors will be arriving soon too!

Diamond Antiques and Gifts is located at 311 E.6th Avenue in Tarentum

Shop hours are Tuesday thru Sunday from 10-5

Closed Monday’s to dust and restock.

You must visit us! The Stillroom is located right inside the door to the right and after that you have a ton of just wall to wall furniture, antiques, collectibles, coffee, tea, local honey, mid century modern, I mean the list is endless.

My estimate is that there are thousands of things to look at and enjoy! Nothing like a nostaglic trip down memory lane.

In the meantime, I should end this mini blog now.

Have a great rest of the week. Mask up, keep a few dozen pirogies distance apart, wash your mitts a lot, and remember, who wants the flu? Not me man. I’ma outrun this bitch.

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Rando pics from an October morning.

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Can’t get to Vermont? That’s ok. I’ll bring Vermont Maple to you. The Stillroom sweets are getting better!

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Kenji has a great cooking show on Apple TV. He is a cookbook author, NYT columnist, restaurateur, and children’s book author.

I love watching you tube cooking shows when I am enjoying any down time. The shows are quick, which is key in most of my viewing habits. It is direct, easy and to the point. I usually watch Kenji and America’s Test Kitchen. (The latter gave me a shout out after I made their chili recipe).

Today I watched him make biscuits and gravy. I learned to make this southern breakfast dish (or anytime dish, really) when we lived in Baltimore.

But, there is always something to learn, especially when making biscuits. The lesson I learned today was to add heavy cream to the biscuit mix instead of chilled butter and buttermilk.

This leads me to the Cream Scone mixes from Rabbit Creek that I now carry at The Stillroom. The idea being that the fat from the heavy cream has enough butter fat to make the scones and light and fluffy. No cutting in small chunks of chilled butter or adding buttermilk. Just add the heavy cream to the scone mix and blend. Thus the name, Cream Scone Mix.

Now, let’s get baking! Cream Scones mixes are a great way to teach the kiddos some mad baking skills. They can learn measuring, kneading and baking. (with supervision, naturally)

The Stillroom is located right inside the door of Diamond Antiques and Gifts at 311 E. Sixth Avenue in Tarentum.

If you haven’t been here, you are missing out on a very, very good shopping experience! Mask up, stay two dozen lined up pierogies apart, (depending on the size), and enjoy the always lovely transformation from summer, to fall to winter.

It’s slow but sure.

Oh, I just got in organic, pure maple sugar candy from Vermont…the picture is here somewhere. In the store next Tuesday.

Thanks for reading.

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www.instagram.com/reel/CFpGqrkgy_0/

I can’t stop watching this!

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Chocolate chip scone finished with egg wash and turbinado raw sugar then baked to a golden brown. You really should have one or two of these mixes in the pantry. They take five minutes to actually make and fifteen to bake. So worth it and the house smells great!

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These seasonal cream scone mixes are amazing! I baked both the Pumpkin Pie and the Cranberry Orange so I could post an honest review.

They are excellent. I’m not kidding. These are from Rabbit Creek (they pop up in shops that sell dry goods in touristy towns), are produced in Kansas which makes these delightful scones made in the USA! Why does that excite me? Because how can it not?

These are so simple to make and bake even a child can help make them! Add one cup of cream to the mix, add the flavor packet (you will see it at the bottom of the box), Blend with your hands, get in there! Don’t be afraid! Finish the prep on the box and man, you are going to be so happy you did!

These are light and flaky and so full of flavor. No hockey pucks here!

I thought these were very worth posting about. Yum.

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www.instagram.com/p/CFcn6rfATDv/

I love this guy!

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