Shop For All Reasons » Blog

New From Sloane Tea – Almond Truffle

Shop for All Reasons — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 07:23:35 +0000

Sloane Tea Company has added four new flavours, the first we will highlight is Almond Truffle. From the web site: With deeply rich notes of dark chocolate and Brazilian cocoa, this masterfully blended black tea is both a treat, and a statement. With sophisticated truffle notes and a hint of almond, this tea provides for a truly refined finish. This makes quite an interesting tea, to go along with their already amazing flavours in their premium line. The other additions are crimson berry, jasmine pink lemonade and cocoa chai chai.

New From Crabtree &Evelyn Tarocco Orange!

Shop for All Reasons — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 07:11:09 +0000

Crabtree and Evelyn have introduced a new scent, Tarocco Orange. Made with antioxidant and vitamin C rich Tarocco Orange extract, combined with citrus and green herb. We presently have the full line – come in and sample! Our selection is quite extensive – and we keep adding more! You will find all of the scents, including those for men. As well, we have many, if not most of the items for each line.

Sloane Earl Grey Classic Tea

Shop for All Reasons — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:51:28 +0000

Our premium tea line from Hoda at Sloane Tea Company offers the best classic and blended teas available! With a wide range, from black to green to oolong, as well as flavoured teas, tisanes and rooibos, there is sure to be several to satisfy both the tea connoisseur and anyone who just enjoys an excellent cup. Earl Grey Classic is a blend of high quality black tea, cornflower petals and natural bergamot. Hoda describes the flavour of the tea: “Golden amber liquor, medium-bodied, velvety smooth with a lengthy and creamy vanilla linger.” Steep the tea for 4 to 6 minutes using one teaspoon for 6oz. of water (at about 90 degrees C)

Trudeau Stress Less Kitchen

Shop for All Reasons — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:36:23 +0000

An amazing line of products for the kitchen. Stress less from Trudeau makes everyday tasks easier – from opening cans to cutting pizza! Designed for ease of use, the products are helpful for those with problems gripping, yet the features make anyone appreciate the concepts used. The can opener leaves no sharp edges, and the cutter does not touch the food inside the can. The pizza cutter is beveled on both sides so one pass of the wheel is all you need. And cleanup is a breeze! Even the salt and pepper grinders are fantastic. Very little effort is needed for grinding due to the gearing used. And the wine bottle opener includes a foil cutter in the base, and removes the cork in very easy actions. Come into the store for a demonstration!

Flamous brands Falafel Chips

Shop for All Reasons — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:34:29 +0000

We now carry Falafel chips – quickly becoming a favourite item in the shop. Gluten and dairy free, these organic chips come in two varieties, regular and spicy. Great with hummus, they are high in fiber and with only 80gm of sodium in a serving, not overly salty. We are sampling on most Saturdays through November and December, so be sure to try them when you are in the store.

Himalayan Blue from Crabtree & Evelyn

Shop for All Reasons — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:33:06 +0000

Crabtree & Evelyn have added an exciting new fragrance to their line. Inspired by the journey of early English Explorers in search of the fabled Himalayan blue poppy, Himalayan Blue blends citrus, ginger, pink pepper berries with base notes that include smokey Lapsang Souchong tea, Sandlewood and exotic woods. Available now at The Shop For All Reasons in hand therapy, eau de toilette, body lotion and shower gel,.

Stinson Bowls

Shop for All Reasons — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:28:05 +0000

The New York International Gift Fair was amazing! Besides being a good excuse to visit NYC, the show introduced us to new sources we don’t see at the regular shows in Toronto. What is more exciting is finding ones that are actually from Canada! Stinson Studio is a great example. Located in Tamworth Ontario, Stinson Studio is family owned and operated since 1982. They create extremely interesting salad bowls and art pieces using woods from eastern Canada. The woods they choose show fantastic character in their grain and the shapes they create are quite artistic making great attention grabbing salad bowls, both for personal use and for gift giving. They also create pieces from burled wood that make a statement in any decor. An important aspect of their operating principle is the sustainability of the woods they acquire, ensuring that they use as much of the raw material as possible for multiple bowls and boards. We have just received our first shipment, and we are very impressed with the quality of the work the Stinson family performs. Be sure to see the pieces in the shop next time you drop in.

Bibelot Designs

Shop for All Reasons — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:24:09 +0000

We are excited to be re-introducing Bibelot Designs into the shop. Bibelot Designs is Christine McGrath, who moved from jewellery design to creating “a line of fresh, modern and sophisticated home accents using glass, textiles and wood veneer.” Her pieces, especially the castle frames, were always popular items in the shop. Her present collection includes many of the favourites that we carried before as well as several new designs that make wonderful gifts and additions to your decor. Her pieces are all made in Niagara on the Lake, where she keeps her studio with her husband Reid. It is great to have their pieces back in the shop, another great addition to our wide selection of Canadian products we are proud to carry.

My Favourite Fudge at the Shop

Shop for All Reasons — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:19:11 +0000

We are now introducing “My Favourite Fudge” from Marmora Ontario into our chocolate and candy selection. Makers of specialty buttercream fudge, they have a great variety of flavours and great packaging for gift giving. Novelties include mini cups and fudge pops, sized for quick snacking on delicious fudge!

They are joining Nudge Fudge (Nudge… Nudge… Here’s the Fudge), our longtime supplier of nut free fudge. Remember with autumn comes their wonderful pumpkin fudge, made with real pumpkin and tastes just like fresh pie!

Hot Sauces 1 – How hot is this sauce

Shop for All Reasons — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:15:37 +0000

This is a common question asked as customers try to choose a product from our large selection of hot sauces. The answer is not that simple, yet at the same time is not complicated. The perception of heat is based on the threshold limit of the person eating the sauce. To some, popular grocery store products are very hot, but generally these are found at the bottom of the heat scale. On the other extreme, some people can easily consume a liberal amount of the hottest peppers known to the chili head community. Their tolerance has been built to such a level. So, basically, the heat level is fairly subjective. Keeping that in mind, there are many ways of comparing the heat between products. The most commonly used scale ranks sauces from 0 to 10, with 10 being the hottest. You will usually see the extreme sauces rate as “off the scale” or 10+++. I have found these ratings to be pretty reliable both within a product line and even, in most cases, between product lines. There is a more scientific scale used, referred to the Scoville Scale created about one hundred years ago by Wilbur Scoville. This scale runs from 0 to 16 000 000 – from not spicy at all to pure capsaicin (the actual extract from chili that creates the heat). The number refers to the amount of dilution needed to essentially neutralize the heat. Your own tolerance level increases the more you use these sauces. It is important to start at an intensity you can handle, and ratchet up the heat as you become accustomed to that level. It is probably best to avoid overstepping your comfort level; going too fast tends to ruin your meal and might keep you from wanting to progress. However, I have personally found the old adage, “no pain, no gain’, applicable to the learning art of chili appreciation. At the shop, we carry a wide range of products, from beginners “Sauce for Sissies” to extreme sauces such as Dave’s limited Ghost Pepper reserve, Blair’s 3am and Black Mamba. Keep in mind that the sauce not only adds piquant to the meal, it also adds flavour. The type of pepper used as well as the blend of other ingredients creates a condiment that becomes integral to the tastes you are adding to your menu.