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Since TSLL began I have shared recipes that I have enjoyed making and eating. The two prerequisites for a recipe to be shared on TSLL were they had to be delicious and adhere to simple instructions. Since that time, a few other underlying themes have emerged, much of which was inspired by the French culinary culture: quality, moderation and enjoyment (rather than excess, processed food and deprivation) that has shown itself to be the key to living well and respecting one’s health.
Upon moving to Bend, Oregon, in the summer of 2015, I have had greater access to seasonal as well as unique ingredients that I otherwise had not been able to acquire. And I have not let that opportunity go unappreciated. With nearly 40 new recipes added since I arrived, my culinary curiosity has only increased.
Today, I am excited to debut the first episode of The Simply Luxurious Kitchen. A vlog series that will have new episodes (8-10) each season (currently, I am beginning with one season a year) airing each Saturday morning to begin your weekend.
As shown in the images above, my exploration at the farmers markets in my community have been abundant and quite fruitful. And what is even more exhilarating is having the opportunity to always learn something new: whether it be being introduced to a new vegetable or fruit, or a different idea for how to prepare a particular food discovered at the market. Most importantly, as I shared during the summer of 2016 with TSLL’s Capsule Menus, I continue to strive for a seasonal appreciation and a deeper understanding of food, and it is often at the market where I learn exactly what is in season, and upon seeking out particular produce, asking the farmers how they recommend preparing the food they have brought to market.
The Simply Luxurious Kitchen will help viewers to discover how to enjoy the everyday cooking that will elevate the quality of our lives. Incorporating seasonal fare and sharing skills and ideas that will help you navigate successfully in your own kitchen, viewers will discover how to “dance” so to speak with the produce and necessary cooking fundamentals honing the methods to making a delicious vinaigrette or a salad with the produce you happened to find at your local market, or an appetizer with what is available in the refrigerator, so that year-round you can make delicious, yet simple meals. Ultimately, the new addition to TSLL destination is to enable viewers to feel confident as well as enjoy stepping into the kitchen, so that they can become the chef of not only their meals, but of their lives.
Cooking for me is analogous to navigating and thriving through life. When we don’t know how to do something, it can be intimidating, but it is with time and practice as well as attention to how something functions that enables us to thrive. Each of us will add the spices or herbs available to us based on where we live and what our budget allows, just as each of us will bring unique talents and strengths to the table of life. The first step is often understanding what those talents (spices) and strengths (herbs) are. And then discovering how to use them to their fullest potential.
Today I want to invite you to step inside the kitchen with me (the first episode will be in my rental cottage in Devon, but future episodes will be in my own kitchen in Bend, Oregon) and begin to discover how to elevate the everyday and enjoy every bite.
Some readers and my own family have inquired as to why I waited to debut the first episode on December 15th. Well, you may or may not know that today is International Tea Day. And as someone who loves her teas, I thought debuting the first episode of The Simply Luxurious Kitchen on this particular day fit perfectly with what the focus was going to be in the pilot episode.
After all, I found myself in England, and every cup of tea I savored was delightful. Since I wasn’t in my own kitchen, I wanted to share something that showcased the destination I found myself. The answer was as obvious as well, drinking tea in England: tea!
Have a look at the pilot episode and discover how to make a delicious pot or cup of tea every time, when and where my love for tea began, as well as the health benefits of choosing to make your drink of choice (besides water) a hot cup of tea.
September 8, 2018: Look for the first full season of The Simply Luxurious Kitchen to premiere on September 8, 2018, with 8-10 episodes each Saturday morning to begin your weekend.
- All of the episodes will appear on TSLL blog, as well as Youtube and iTunes under the new podcast title: The Simply Luxurious Kitchen (subscribe to Youtube here and iTunes as well).
Below are the show notes as promised with all of the details discussed in episode #1:
Teas:
- Fortnum & Mason teas
- Palais des Thés – Montagne Bleue (my go-to black, lavender infused tea)
- Mariage Frère — Vert Provence (my green tea of choice)
Victoria Hotel in Victoria, Canada (aka Fairmont Empress)
- Make reservation for high tea here at the Victoria Restaurant
The Health Council of the Netherlands study on the benefits of tea
Where to find the yellow mini teapot in episode #1: During my trip in England, I visited Barnstaple and popped into a secondhand shop while strolling in the city center. What I found was this butter-yellow teapot for £2, and I couldn’t pass it up. It now is at home with me in Bend. In an attempt to find teapots, some similar, you might prefer, I have done some shopping for you below.
~Fortnum & Mason Burleigh Teapot (4 cup)~
~Fortnum & Mason’s Classic Glass Teapot (2 Cup)~
~Sur la Table porcelain teapot (42 oz)~
~English Tea Store Porcelain teapot (2 cups)~
~Kinto Pebble Porcelain teapots, three colors~
~Carnot Alcott Hill 1.7 qt teapot, yellow~
~Teaz Omniware 1.06 oz teapot, turquoise (more colors available)~
~Unity Cast Iron .93 Qt teapot~
~Le Creuset small teapot with infuser, red(other colors available)~
The tea cup and saucer was also found while I was traveling in England at a weekly market in South Morton for £3.
~Shop Tea Kettles below (this one is similar to the one in the video and this is the one I currently use from Breville here in the states):
~Tea and Tea Cups and Saucers:
~Mottahedeh teacup & Saucer, Cornflower Lace~
~Brasserie All-White Teacup & Saucer, W & S~
~Fortnum & Mason Breakfast Blend (one of my favorites from F&M)
~Fortnum & Mason Countess Grey Tea (classic bergamot with hints of a light, delicate orange flavor)
~Fortnum & Mason Queen Anne (a black tea which is featured in the picture below)
~enjoying dessert at Fortnum & Mason’s whilst sipping a pot of Queen Anne tea~
~Discover all of TSLL’s recipes here, organized by meal or food type.
~Shop TSLL Kitchen Boutique to discover all of the culinary tools I use and recommend here
~Discover how to rent the Devon Cottage seen in the video (and below) on your next vacation to England, or find one similar in the English countryside.
Discover more about my trip to England in the below posts:
- My Discoveries in the Devon Countryside
- The Perfect Trench is Personal
- London Perfect: A Traveler’s Sanctuary
- 16 Ways to Simplify & Make the Holidays Pleasurable
Thank you for stopping by and checking out the new addition to TSLL. I cannot wait to share the first season with you in the fall.
As always Shannon. Looking forward to your new addition. Due to my husband’s I’ll-health and very limited ability to eat, I have out of necessity cooked very little over the past year but reading your posts has renewed my interest in cooking and the need to care for myself also. Thank you. Best wishes from the UK. Sue
Thank you Sue for stopping by and my thoughts go out to you regarding your husband’s health.
How wonderful, Shannon! I adore cooking and look forward to your new series eagerly. Thank you for sharing your love of tea and as an English lady, I can confirm that it is an everyday luxury not to be missed.
Karen, Thank you so much for confirming the idea of enjoying tea regularly. I so enjoy doing so. 🙂
Yeay, Shannon! How glorious this is! I love a good cup of tea! I live in N. Ireland, where tea drinking is an absolute part of every day for most people.
This year, my lovely husband bought me the Fortnum and Mason Advent Tea Calendar, with a different tea bag for each new day. Every evening, I make a cup of the latest tea, light the Advent Candle and sit enjoying the candlelight and reflecting on the day. I have found this to be a very restful habit for this busy time of year – and I thoroughly recommend the Advent Tea Calendar to you for next year.
I leave you with a quotation from a wonderful author, born here in Belfast, C. S. Lewis; I think you might agree with him, as he blends two favourite things, tea-drinking and reading: “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”
With warmest congratulations on this latest wonderful venture,
Anne
xx
Anne, Thank you for everything you have shared! Happy holidays. 🙂
Are you quitting your day job? How do you fit all these adventures and writings into a day? Thanks for the sharing, Shannon.
Shannon,
Great addition to your blog; I enjoyed your first episode and look forward to September 2018!
Best,
Colleen
Colleen, Thank you for checking it out. 🙂
I’m only sad we will have to wait a year!
Eagerly anticipating.
I understand, but I promise I will make it worth it. Perhaps inclusions of my travels in France will be featured, so do stay tuned. 🙂 And only 9 months, not 12 😉
Bravo! A beautifully produced video. I am so looking forward to the new series. You make me feel that anything is possible. Thank you for all of the inspiration. I’m also eagerly awaiting the new book. Best wishes.
Happy to inspire! Follow your compass. It will lead to amazing places and revelations. 🙂
Fabulous job, Shannon! Once again, you’re a natural in front of the camera! Your ‘video blog’ is just as interesting and engaging as your blog and podcast! I look forward to future episodes. Merci!!
Karen, you are very kind. Thank you for stopping by. 🙂
I loved this episode & can’t wait for the next!! I’m inspired to elevate my evening cup of tea tonight! Thanks Shannon!
Thank you for checking out the pilot episode and enjoy your evening tea!
I LOVED this! It is so refreshing to visit your blog, listen to your podcast – and now videos! I have dramatically pared down my blog/social media exposure, but you always make the cut. I love your genuine and simple approach to life and can so relate to you as I am also an introvert and most often prefer to stay home with a nice cup a tea and a good book rather than attend a social evening out. I just wanted you to know that your thoughtfulness and hard work is evident in the quality of your content and much appreciated! Cheers!
So happy to make the cut! 🙂 Thank you very much for your kind words. They truly mean more than you know. ?
Another beautiful accomplishment! I do believe you are the epitome of fearlessness and focus. ?? Yea for you — and us!
You are extremely kind. Thank you for your time and words. ?
I loved the episode! Can’t wait, it’s going to be so fun! Thank you.
Thank you for tuning in. 🙂
Very much looking forward to your foodie series! I’m Canadian of British heritage & drink tea all day long. Finding a good teapot that doesn’t dribble can be a challenge but is well worth the hunt (I find that one with a tall spout that ends a bit above the water level of the pot itself works best) — I have 7 pots of varying sizes & use them all & am always watching for new ones (especially at estate auctions).
I live just down the road from Victoria’s Empress Hotel & have had their High Tea many times over the years. It’s ridiculously tourist-oriented, of course, but you do get a good cuppa. If you’re in Victoria, there are good tea shops in the downtown close to the hotel where you can buy a fine selection of teas for every occasional — as well as pots, cups & other tea paraphernalia. Murchie’s Teas is probably the best known (check their website at murchies dot com). Next time I sit down to enjoy a nice pot of tea, I shall pretend you & everyone else who’s commented is here with me! LOL!
Thank you so much for sharing your findings regarding a non-drip teapot! I am very grateful. What a wonderful place to call home. My trip to Victoria was quite memorable for all the right reasons, and I remember it being naturally beautiful with the hug of he ocean right alongside. Quite ideal. Enjoy your next sojourn to the Empress. 🙂
The Simply Luxurious Kitchen is a perfect addition to the blog! I am filled with pure joy and I am always on my toes as to what you will share with us next, Shannon. Thank you so much for including us, in this way, on your travels as well.
Your journey is enough to inspire me to explore and to savor the every day, but now I have something really special to look forward to in the coming year, and something valuable to take away now (tea!). You are a natural presenter, and this raw footage is super warm and authentic – a real gift you have at making us all feel so welcome.
Wishing you and your boys a happy New Year!
xo
Kayla
Love the music! Who is it?
I will be linking to it by the end of the weekend. Stop by this link on Monday – https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/category/vodcast/
What a wonderful introduction to The Simply Luxurious Kitchen! I have been a tea lover for years and now I’m inspired to find a mini tea pot for my own kitchen. Thanks for sharing such a simple, but luxurious pleasure as the perfect pot of tea. I’m looking forward to future episodes!
Ellen
Thank you for having a look. You’ll find that mini teapot soon – visit secondhand or antique shops. You will be surprised how many you will find.
Kudos to you dear Shannon! Loved the video and can’t wait for the series. Lovely style, and you have a flair for bringing simple , comforting and inspirational ideas to living the good life. Xo to you and the boys.
Thank you for stopping by Karen. 🙂
I loved the episode Shannon! I can’t wait for the next one!
Thank you checking it out. 🙂
Love this addition, Shannon. Thank you for reminding us to take time to think through what we are doing and making it quality. You are appreciated!
Thank you Jackie for taking a look! I cannot wait for the first season to kick off. 🙂
Hi Shannon! We’ve had guests for three weeks and I’m just getting caught up with your newsletters. My husband took me to London for my birthday a couple of years ago, and we had a wonderful lunch at Fortnum and Mason. What a delightful place! Joe is an American who lived in the UK for many years, moving to France after re-connecting with me many years after our first meeting. We love going between the two countries. If you’ve not yet spent any time in the Cotswolds, think about that for your next trip to UK. Stunning.
I’m very much looking forward to your “Simply Luxurious Kitchen” episodes. My style of cooking has certainly changed tremendously since moving to France, having taught Home Economics in the North Clackamas School District for 29 years. Just spent three glorious days in Paris, eating, drinking wine, and shopping!
Oh my goodness, thank you for all that you have shared and your time to get caught up. 🙂 You are an inspiration from one fellow Oregonian to another. 🙂
Hi Shannon,
This is great! I’ve been a fan of your original podcast and can’t wait for your the launch of the Simply Luxurious Kitchen. Thank you for taking us to England with you on this pilot episode, this was a nice peek into your vacation. I’ve built a world (and business) around tea and teaware, so this was especially enjoyable for me. Please keep up the amazing work!
-Trish
Thank you for tuning in!
Lovely video! What shirt are you wearing? We are built similarly and I love your style!
Davena, Thank you for checking it out. The shirt is from Claridge & King. I actually share more about it in episode #137’s Petit Plaisir – https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/podcast137/