We DID it!!!

This week it will be 2 months since the move....

We are making the space our own, but it is a slow process. My Dad still has some boxes here and slowly but surely we are bringing them downstairs.

We achieved 2 big, I mean BIG things over the weekend....

First we unpacked the last boxes...

 All GONE!

In less than 2 months! 300 boxes!!!

 I alos had one of those AHA! moments

And (get ready for this) it dawned on me

that I just had too much Pyrex.

(WHAT? WHAT? WHAT?)

I was opening the last boxes and I was choking under the weight of the Pyrex!

I NEVER thought it would happen.

Oh well! I will be keeping a lot but only

my super fave patterns. And that doesn't include those

Verde casseroles....

I spotted this beautiful tree today on Ste-Catherine street.

The yellow leaves against this bright blue sky just make my

heart sing!

Good night folks!

And then the door fell!

I had quite the weekend filled with stress and panic,fear, tears...You name it.

It began with a health scare while at the hairdresser and a ride to the hospital in ambulance....

But don't worry, everything came back negative! But we did spend 12 hours in the emergency room while they were making sure Dan was A-Okay.

Thank god I had my trusty aluminium .lunch box containing snacks....But it wasn't enough.

This was my dinner:

 2 baby bell cheeses, 1 pack of Melba toast and 2 soda crackers....

Needless to say I am sooo tired I felt like a zombie at the office today...

Yesterday afternoon, I had chicken thighs in the oven...

 This is my 1980 Roy oven.

So yesterday afternoon I opened the door

and immediately knew something was not right....

The door just gave out, I was holding it with my oven mitts

As you can see, we know have bricks and a melamine plank holding it.

And I will not be using it anymore.

My Dad said it had been a good oven and had given all he could and it was time to take it to pasture....

So I am now shopping for a new one....

I'll keep you posted.

Be well!

 

Thrifty Goodness

One of my fave grocery store is the kookiest or one of the kookiest in Montreal.

My Dad calls it the dirty grocery, I've called it many names....but in fact it has no real official name outside. The sign says 'épicerie' or grocery store.

I know its real name but cannot say it....It is one of Montreal's best kept secret!

If you can get past the smell (Dried salted cod), the chaos and the noise....you will be rewarded with thrifty goodness.

The produce can be fabulous, or past its prime and sometimes they don't have red bell peppers....

I go there with a list, but rarely buy all that is written on it. Because you never know what deals you will find!

Here is some of the goodies i got today.

The Cracker Barrel cheese was $1.99 for 250g (about 8 ounces)

That is a DYNAMITE deal!

The cheese expires in 16 days....

The butternut squash was a dollar a pound, so it came to $1.06 

And the Oka cheese , was $1.49 for 100g (3.5 ounces)

The company introduced the sliced version of this iconic Quebec

cheese maybe a year ago. I saw it first at my local Maxi & Cie

(Canada's Superstore) and it was $6.99 for a big package, don't know the weight

but this cut of cheese has been MIA ever since.

It smells of feet and is amazing on toast!

  I also bought an eggplant ($1.11), 3 zucchinis ($1.07) and a

red pepper for .57cents

With the veggies I made a pig pot of ratatouille.

Eggplant,zucchinis,onion,garlic,red pepper and tomatoes....LOVE!

I also add basil, S&P and some Johnny's seasoned salt

It will be sooo good with Italian sausages

Seen Around

Last week after our return from New Hampshire, I was in NEED of a huge supermarket and big box store visit.

While living in suburbia I would stop at the Maxi & Cie store (Canada Superstore)3 or 4 times a week. I loved that you could get a bag of milk, fill out the prescriptions and buy a sweater all at the same time!

Here in the city (Montreal) the HUGE super markets and big box stores are in the periphery and since I live more in the center i don't have access to these wonders....

So before our shopping trip I packed some snacks, because you never know!

  We originally bought this lunch box at a garage sale a few years back.

It was filled with View Master reels...

A few month ago I had to save it from the trash because Dan

said we never used it!

 Apples, Cliff's bars, seaweed snacks...

We are set!

 I am betting this will be the 2015 Must Have in

exterior lighting. It is a projector that projects flurries on

your house!

 Lanterns and systems to keep your decorations well

organized, as if!

 I do like those decorative boxes to give cookies...

 Lights yum!

 The lighted pine cones were my faves!

 I also saw a limited edition Pyrex display at Walmart.

 I loved the turquoise measuring cup....

I had to promise not to buy any....

Dan gets nervous just at the sight of the word Pyrex!

Oh Well!

LOL!

Just no luck

While vacationning in New England , we took Newhampshire's route 4 AKA Antique Alley.

The way I had read about it was...that there was an avanlanche, no an ORGY of flea markets and antique malls......

And I couldn't wait to visit.....

We only stopped at 1 mall, mall is stretching the truth, even gilding the lily....The mall was okay, but it was regular sized, and kinda of boring.

Let's face it I prefer utilitarian objects from the turn of the century up until the 70's, the place didn't have a lot...

Mostly tchatskies....and ornate victorian knickknacks.....

We passed on half a dozen of Antique and Gift shops.....which are even less my thing....and they are the same shops I LOOOOVED when I was a child.

But not this time. So that was it for UN Antique Alley!

I also visited 3 other thrifts....

                                          I wanted to bring this red Dansk baking dish home with me

but it had a big ding on the other side

 This thrift shop is in York, Maine

it is spotless and full of treasures...

 I don't really get the mushrooms motif but it is fitting if you live

near the forrest!

 not appetizing....

 One of my classic's

 I did spot this Pyrex bottle

 But somehow my heart was not in it....

I also visited the Portsmouth, NH Goodwill.

I did not bother to take pictures....

I was pretty bummed out!

But my frown was turned into a big ol'smile with

this big bowl of Goldenrod's clam chowder!

So delicious!

ROADTRIP!

Oh man oh man, did we deserve this break or what?

We have been in our new place for a month now and the routines are setting in. I know where most of my kitchen things are so I can cook efficiently.

Some things are still MIA, so that makes for funny moments....I looked for my scarves for 2 days and they were right there, in front of me....lol

 Yes we drove all the way to the sea side....This is the view from the balcony

 The sea is pretty wild because of the hurricane that just finished

 The sunrise was spectacular

 The sky is clear and bright

 The wind is very strong and cold. Even if I brought my bathing suit...I don't think I will be taking
a swim  anytime soon.....

Later today we will go shopping,thrifting and sigh seeing .....

and eating and napping of course!

That's what a vacation is all about!