Thrifted! I love surprise thrifting!

Really! Who doesn't?

So last Friday on our way to my official B-Day dinner, I stopped at my usual thrift joint...

I was happy that the bag check lady was not at her post...the locals were calm and smooth....

And I found these gems!

                                               oooooohhhhhh! Amazing blowmold action!

                                              Who knew Santa had blue eyes??? Not me!

                                           

Le Creuset escargot dishes. I see quite a lot of scratched and used

Le Creuset but usually  escargot dishes are spotless because let's face it

people don't serve snails that often.

 

and finally a Pyrex 2 cups glass measuring cup. I had a Fireking one that

cracked and died not so long ago, so cool buy for a buck.

 

I hope to post again soon about my B-Day supper....

Culinary heaven. 

It's all beef!

By now you probably know that I get a kick out of shopping in ethnic groceries, specially oriental ones.

One of my fave is in Verdun on Wellington street, I have no idea of its name. And in fact is is more than an oriental grocery, it is also a latino and african grocery that catters to a large immigrant population in Verdun.

So it is a bonanza of exotic, cool stuff!

The meat is very fresh and as a matter of fact I buy pork for stirfrys that is really lean and delicious.

Here's what I saw the other in the meat counter...

 

the tag says viande de boeuf (beef meat). Yes it is, but it is

really beef heart.

 

More beef meat (viande de boeuf)

looks like beef, but what cut is it?

 

 

What is this? Beef tail? no clue but it is still called viande de boeuf

(beef meat). Funny no?

 

I won't be buying the last cut anytime soon, because I have no idea what to do with it....

But I could go for the second .

 

Have you seen interesting things in grocery stores lately? 

 

 

Landscaping for LAZY people

A closer shot ?

 Seen in Verdun Quebec

April 24th 2012

AWFUL!

The thrifting situation has been awful and dismal. Yes those are strong words! I read your blogs about the thrifting riches, the Pyrex cornucopia, the plethora of vintage linens all because of something called spring cleaning......

So I was realy psyched when I saw that there would be a flea market in a church basement in Verdun! Oh JOY OH BLISS!

Not what does a flea market in a church basement mean? Usually it's vonlunteers from the church that gather second hand stuff and also sell tables for commoners to sell their unwanted wares.....usually there's a counter with snacks and coffee.

 NO SIREE! No church vonlunteers, no snack counter, no thrifting joy....Just cheap dealers, selling leftover cheap new flea market stuff and vintage expensive stuff. At one table a guy was selling Star Trek glasses @ 5 $ each (the new star trek)....I got those glasses new in box shipping included for 20$ on ebay (a gift to my lovely Dan). I saw boxes and boxes of mood rings and cheap jewelry and at one point I could not take this a single minute more!

I ran to 2nd avenue for some respite and came across my old appartment....

It was in 1992. It was a large 6 1/2 with wood floor and the rent was....

Are you ready? 450.00$ a month. No not heat included.  

Here is my balcony on top where I grew herbs.

It was a nice place to live but the neighborhood left a lot to be desired....lots of poverty, social welfare,unwed mothers, drugs, crime you name it they had it!

Across the street I was remonded of something else....

Yes there are still Xmas ornements in the tree!

Here lived a really LARGE woman who would come out every morning and pick out the trash from her lawn. In her night gown WITH NO UNDERWEAR. Yes I saw some things no unwilling person should see! I wanted to gouge my eyes out and scream at the top of my lungs OH THE HUMANITY! GOD TAKE ME NOW! 

By the looks of grass she's not living there anymore!

On a more palatable note....

 Yes Barbie cakes still exists!

For all you french fries lovers I took a pic of Patate Normand; a Verdun institution. Just the prospect of a fry from that joint would put me in a transe! Those were amazing patates! Since the name is now Casse-Croute (Snack Bar) Normand they probably changed owners and I wonder if the fries are still amazing....Maybe another time!

And last but not least.....

A Pyrex sighting!

A Woodland bowl hidden in a flea market (small thirft). I didn't see the price but I bet it was at least 15$. NOT THRIFTY AT ALL! DID THEY READ COUNTRY LIVING? DAMN YOU COUNTRY LIVING!

I now must go, the open road beckons and the possibilities too!

Good saturday and good thrifting :)

Retro Tuesday: Humbugs

Last night Dan came home with a bag of one of the sweetest tradition around Montreal; The Stillwell's Humbug.
The humbug is a hard candy made of molasses,butter and peppermint....Huuummm humbug!

I'm sorry the pic quality is crappy, this is the only one I could find on the web.

Humbugs come from England and the recipe was brought here in 1914 when the Stillwell's moved to Verdun  .Stilwell's Home Made Candy Store was opened on Wellington street in 1933 and stayed at the same location until 1999. I remember going there (1991-1995) on saturdays to buy some sweet stuff. They had all kinds of hand pulled hard candy, my fave was the humbug and the humbug suckers. I'm kicking myself right now because i didn't take pictures and there is none on line. The interior was all white with glass cases. The counters were manned by old english sour pusses with hair nets....You could get a sugar rush just by breathing deeply! Oh the joy this place brought to everyone!

After 1999 it moved to Lasalle but closed down in 2009 due to tough economic times. However the humbug is still handmade by Mr Jenkins , son-in-law of the original owners and available at 5 locations in and around Montreal. They are sold @ Le Panier in Pointe-Claire, Deli Plus Frank & Fred also in Pointe Claire, Westmont Stationary Inc, St. Mary's Hospital Centre gift shop, Montreal General Hospital gift shop.

And now more on how they started out:   In an attempt to keep his family off social assistance during the Great Depression after losing his job in 1927, violinist and artist Richard Stilwell and Kay began peddling fudge bars baked by his eldest daughter, Gladys.

Kay sold them for a nickel each to caddies at the Mount Royal Golf Club while Stilwell bicycled into Montreal's business district, where he earned $2 to $3 a week selling ribboned boxes of the fudge.

After he was arrested for selling without a permit, Stilwell resorted to delivering call-in orders around town with the help of another daughter, Jeanne.
Jeanne worked at Bell Canada and with all those numbers at her disposal, promoted her sister's fudge and took the phone orders.
Sales were so good, they rented space for walk-in business for about 10 months, during which time they added Humbugs and other speciality candies to their selection. Then they moved to the permanent Wellington St. shop.

Don't be fooled by imitations! These are not humbugs!

So basically there was no point in waiting until Xmas to savour those timeless candies....so we digged in and watched a Xmas episode of the Big Bang Theory....and for a while time stopped and all was right in the world with lazy snow falling.

Have a great Retro Tuesday y'all!

For more Retro Tuesday Fun check Tracy's Crazy Suburban Mom !