Hi there, Great pieces... Could anyone help? A lovely gold coloured tea set, gold karat? They have lovely floral design and the stamp at the base is simple JAPAN Thank you for any help. Enjoy your day!

Knock, knock! Anybody still here? Any Plain Jane coffee maker suggestions for a non-coffee-snob, non-foodie? DH drinks two cups of coffee at breakfast. I have one cup, cafe au lait. (Acid tummy.) Our 15-year-old Krups drip coffee maker with thermal carafe is acting up -- failing to use all the water in the reservoir, despite de-scaling with vinegar. It uses #4 Melitta cones. I use a separate small burr grinder. I warm the thermal carafe before making coffee. My main objectives are a decent brewing temperature, a thermal carafe, and a medium-low price point. Among the medium priced five drip coffee makers that Consumer Reports says reach high enough water temps, only the Capresso MT600 did not have bad user reviews on the carafe. (Complaints about drips; some people resorting to pouring *over the sink*.) Costco has a Capresso CM300 for $60. The MT600's MSP is $140. Would you encourage/discourage me from buying either one? (At least I could return the CM300 with no loss.) Would you encourage any of the 'pod' type coffee makers? (I would not be spending hundreds per year on pre-made pods, but using our own freshly ground beans.)

Hello fellow China Collectors. I am collecting dessert/salad plates in mismatched patterns. I collect the sugar bowls and creamers too. I am working on a business plan to rent props for parties. I have always adored "girlie golden items" sweet flowers...painted tea pots items the pin up girls from the curvy era would use on their kitchen tables dawning an Apron and a smile. I do not care about the value of the dishes. I use them all every day. The trade name of Shabby Chic which still has all of us women in admiration of it's sweet design, calls my name in every dusty shop - mothball smelling - church basement - ninety degrees in the sun venue. I so enjoy the treasure hunt that my IBS starts to rumble. I am caught up in the frenzy of my own accord...fortunately prior to stepping into the hunting grounds...I prepare my quest with great walking shoes...cool loose clothes...a light meal. I can not Thank You all enough for posting pictures of your lovely finds and prized China. My seek and find missions are the highlight of my weekends. I am now collecting cute plastic - backyard fun acrylic plates and wine gobblets for my event planning company. I paint old furnishings. One day...God willing...I will either get this business rolling or my Family will sell it all in an Estate Sale - when I am old and grey. I hope they will keep my bird bud vases for these little pink birdies take little space up on a windowsill.. I am certain a nice Middle Aged Women like myself will see them and use them or loan them out for a grand Tea Party some fine day - after I have left this sweet soil. Enjoy your finds...no dust on the dishes...fine or dinnerware...Share you collection with a few girl pals paired with crumpets because girls - or boys - we all just go around once.

>>The headline on the company history page says "It All Began on Vine Street", at the corner of Walnut in Berkeley.>> The first Peet's store was opened in Berkeley. But he sold his beans through a few other shops before opening the Peet's-only stores. I remember being very sad that his store opened in Berkeley instead of being in SF where I could reach it (didn't drive and no car in those days). Even Herb Caen mentioned it, I believe; the Peet's French was highly coveted stuff. We were all hoping his first store would be in SF.....sigh. Aliceinmd, interesting that your recipe uses salt. I used to work in a big hotel in Chicago way back when, and one of the waiters was known for making the best coffee of anyone. I watched him one day and he salted the coffee grounds before turning on the big urn percolator. Much later when "food science" started to become popular, I read that salt offsets bitterness and thought, "Aha, that's why he did that!" Intriguingly enough, according to several articles (NYTimes, Serious Eats) they still don't know quite how salt works to offset bitterness (whether the salt somehow disrupts the bitter receptors on the tongue or whether itâÂÂs some sort of post-processing by the brain)! This post was edited by jkom51 on Mon, Jan 12, 15 at 18:49