Category Archives: Sweet Shalom

Sweet Shalom Tea Room – September 2020

Last Sunday, David and I, along with Soapy, drove to Sylvania, Ohio for our September visit to the Sweet Shalom Tea Room. This month’s theme is “A Leaf Peeper’s Tea” in celebration of the approaching autumn season. We met up with our dear tea friends, Betty and Ron Hill.

At each place setting was a caramel apple waiting to be decorated. An assortment of little edible decorations were on each table to use for this purpose. We each had fun with this special and seasonal activity…we all agreed David won the prize for most creative!

A delicious tea meal along with a presentation on best scenic road trips in Michigan to see fall color rounded out another wonderful time with the folks at Sweet Shalom. Thank You!

  • Personalized menu with September’s theme – “A Leaf Peeper’s Tea”
  • Caramel apple at each place setting waiting to be decorated
  • Generous assortment of caramel apple decorating treats
  • David and Ron very thoughtful about decorating their caramel apples!
  • David’s completed masterpiece!
  • David’s wins for being the most creative…at our table!
  • My apple on the left and David’s on the right
  • September’s tea meal starts with a delicious Harvest Vegetable Soup
  • Cheddar Chive Scone accompanies the soup
  • Tea server of savories and sweets – Cucumber Tea Sandwiches, Turkey Tetrazzini, Veggie Confetti Tumble,
    Beefy Cheesy French Bread, and Pumpkin Run Cake with Rum Butter Sauce
  • Finial Dessert – Apple Dumpling with Whipped Cream

Sweet Shalom Tea Room – May 2020

After such a delightful “take-out” tea experience at Sweet Shalom in April, David and I were truly looking forward to doing it again in May! We made our reservations with Sweet Shalom, and plans to meet up with Betty and Ron Hill in the back parking area as before. When we arrived though, David and I were invited inside. Not sure what was going on, but once inside we were escorted to the big table by the front bay window where in the middle of the table was this GORGEOUS “Cara Cara Orange Cake”!

Such a surprise…Sweet Shalom co-owners Chris Kruse and Sara Velasquez, along with our tea friends Betty and Ron, organized to celebrate David and my May birthdays! Chris baked and decorated this beautiful cake for us! The tea food still was “served” take-out style to the table (except for the soup)…and it was all great fun! Besides the staff, the four of us were the only ones inside.

As I write this post, I am still in awe, humbled by the love and thoughtfulness of our dear Sweet Shalom and tea friends! It was so special and lovely! Thank You All!!

  • Cara Cara Orange Cake – so pretty!
  • Our dear tea friends Betty and Ron Hill, along with Sweet Shalom Co-Owner Sara Velasquez
  • Our take-out tea food packaged and served at the table!
  • Our assortment of tea treats in the take-out tray…love the fresh flowers!
  • And for dessert…a slice of the delicious Cara Cara Orange Cake!

Sweet Shalom Tea Room – April 2020

I recently posted about our June and July visits to Sweet Shalom Tea Room in Sylvania, Ohio. For April and May, our visits to Sweet Shalom were a bit out of the ordinary to say the least!

In order to stay in business during the COVID-19 shut-down, co-owners Chris Kruse and Sara Velasquez, along with their dedicated staff, needed to get creative. They decided to offer full “take-out” service of the month’s themed tea menu.

Not to break our record of visiting Sweet Shalom each month…David and I decided to go to Sweet Shalom the last weekend in April even though it was still iffy traveling around in Michigan and especially crossing the state border into Ohio.

We made our reservations with Sweet Shalom and were given an allotted time to be there for our take-out pick-up. When we got there, we parked in their back parking area, called the staff to let them know we arrived, and the masked staff proceeded to deliver the full tea menu offerings in take-out fashion to our van.

The warm scones were packaged in white paper bags complete with butter and jam, each in their own little lidded cup. Soup was next and presented in a lidded container. Then the items normally served on a tiered server were all beautifully arranged in a brightly colored covered tray complete with the usual fresh flower garnishes.

As for drinking hot tea, David and I had brought our own personal Thermos of tea.

Our dear tea friends, Betty and Ron Hill met up with us in the back parking area to enjoy our respective take-out tea meals. It was a warm enough day that we could sit in our vehicles with the windows down to converse and still have social distancing.

I have to say…it was great FUN! Different, delightful and delicious! Thank You Chris and Sara (and staff) for your devotion to keep Sweet Shalom going for yourselves and for your tea patrons. You found a way to work around the COVID-19 challenge and present such a unique tea experience! It was beautiful in so many ways!

Sweet Shalom Tea Room – July 2020

David and I visited Sweet Shalom Tea Room in July for their “Salute to America’s National Parks” Themed Tea. It was another wonderful visit with a delightful assortment of National Park themed food!

  • Decorated fireplace mantle in Main Parlor Room
  • An assortment of National Park Themed Teas
  • Display prop of bear and tree!
  • Table centerpiece
  • Arcadia National Park Popovers with Maine Blueberry Jam
  • Smoky Mountain Fried Chicken Salad
  • Tiered Server: Denali National Park Salmon Pasta Salad, Apostle Island National Park Cucumber Tea Sandwiches, Independence National Park Philly Cheese Steak Tea Sandwiches, Glacier National Park Sherried Mushrooms on Baguette, Death Valley National Park Date Nut Bread with Orange Cream, Yellowstone National Park Morning Glory Cookies
  • Hawaii’s National Park Volcano Cake

Sweet Shalom Tea Room – June 2020

Sweet Shalom Tea Room in Sylvania, OH re-opened for dine-in service in June after offering only take-out Tea meals for the months of April and May. The co-owners, Sara Velasquez and Chris Kruse, along with their staff, are like family to us. Each month Sweet Shalom presents a different theme and menu. My husband David and I have not missed going each month for years…we even went in April and May for their take-out Teas! It is a two-hour drive door-to-door and we have never tired of the drive which takes us across southern Michigan’s beautiful Irish Hills countryside.

The theme for June was “A Sumptuous Summer Strawberry Tea”.

  • Menu for June
  • Cream Scones with Homemade Strawberry Jam
  • Strawberry Spinach Salad
  • Tiered Server: Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches, Cucumber Tea Sandwiches, Egg Salad on Lettuce Boats, Veggie Confetti Tea Sandwiches, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Key Lime Pie
  • Individual servings from the Tiered Server
  • Strawberries on Sour Cream Pound Cake with Whipped Cream