Cake Vendor

November 2019 - Toronto ON

Financial District Toronto - November 2019

These vending machines started popping up downtown in early November. This is the first time I could get a photo without someone in it.

Each machine contains 160 slices of cake. So, if every slice is sold daily, that means Carlo's Bake Shop — the family bakery of Buddy Valastro and the location where the hit TLC show Cake Boss is filmed — is making $4,315.20 a day on the slices alone.



Saturday was chores and baking. I was flipping through my 1970 Betty Crocker cookbook and settled on ginger creams. Not sure why they are called creams, but they were a keeper.

In looking for the recipe online it turns out it was a Betty Crocker 1929 prize winner.

I took some  frozen homemade beef broth and added some leftover mashed potato/turnip.carrot and meatloaf to it. Quick and easy lunch.


Wings and fries for dinner with carrot and celery sticks to round out this healthy meal.

Sunday and One Word Sunday was HOME. I chose two photos from when we moved in 2012 and then two from this morning of the same spots.

We tried the black cheese that we bought last week. It was very good but it really is completely black which feels a little odd.

I finally posted my recipe for onion bhajis, which has evolved over the years. I had made them last weekend and wanted to capture my final version.

Mid afternoon and I got my slow cooker spare ribs in the crockpot.

Then I planned on using up the remainder of the pumpkin from the cheesecake bars I had made. I started the mousse and when I went to add the pumpkin it was moldy.

I had already added the pumpkin pie spices so debated what to use. I thawed out some cranberries and added those. Worked out well.

Monday and I framed a new photo for our bedroom.

I had ordered a lamp online but when it came it was missing some pieces so on Tuesday we took it back. Then went looking for another one. At Ikea, we changed our plan and bought a table top lamp for that spot.

Spotted from the car on the Queensway.

We then headed to Yonge and St. Clair to find another new Birdo mural. Check here for the details.

John captured this in a new condo building.

Across from the Birdo is this 2017 piece by Phlegm.

Next up to find a new sculpture unveiled during the summer in front of the Desjardins building on St. Clair. The Toronto Man.

A 25-foot-tall, expressionless man holding a skyscraper in his arms atop a pile of colourful cubes now looms over his own patch of concrete.

He is made of painted bronze and stainless steel, his creator is acclaimed German sculptor Stephan Balkenhol, and he was commissioned by the companies behind the forthcoming Imperial Village master planned community.

This reclining figure also sits outside the same building.

This area was known as Deer Park and the reason for the deer on Birdo's mural.

Inside the Scotiabank Arena, currently being renovated is this clock. This part of the building used to be home to the Postal Station A. They've removed any of the post office memorabilia but hopefully it will be on display either here or elsewhere.

An old classic I have made in a while, Asian ground pork and green beans.

The Eaton Centre is all decked out for the holidays.

The Bay has a technical robotic theme to its windows this year as I took these photos in the pouring rain.

Snow angel assembly line.

It was our wedding anniversary and we celebrated with roast pork belly.

And flowers for me.

Thursday a quick shopping trip and crustless gluten free quiche for dinner.

Friday and John did a Costco run while I met my BFF and we thought we might find some Black Friday sales but nothing got our attention so we had a nice lunch instead.

We checked out the new attraction at Union Station, it was quite open yet.

For the first time ever this holiday season, Toronto's busiest transit hub will be hosting its own free, outdoor ice skating rink as part of its annual "Union Holiday" celebrations.


Approximately half the size of an NHL ice rink, the new skating spot on Front Street will be the largest free outdoor rink in Toronto and it'll be completely free to access — skate rentals included.

Some decorations in the Financial District.

Rainbow cake from the vending machine featured in the top photo, $9 a slice.

BOOK ENDS

I bought a cookbook this week based on a blogger's recommendation, thanks, Tina.

I finally hit 75 books read this year so far. I've taken more hard copy cookbooks from the library this year than ever before and they are not included. Nor are the magazines I read from the library.

Finished The Starter Wife and I must say that this theme has been done to death lately, and includes the juvenile crazy narrator.

I also finished Wherever She Goes, a 7 day library loan that I finished in a day, so it was a very quick read. Predictable but I enjoyed the computer hacking episodes.

I started Unquiet written by Linn Ullmann, the daughter of actress, author and director Liv Ullmann and director and screenwriter Ingmar Bergman.

LINKING UP WITH
Beth hosts Weekend Cooking where you can post anything food related.
Sunday Salon
Seasons
Say Cheese
Monday Walks
Monday Morning Blog Club

Sharply Dressed in Black and White

Six Word Saturday


November 2019 - Toronto ON

But really?? The temperature was 3 C and felt like -3 C.

Thursday Doors

Linking up at Norm's Thursday Doors.

September 2017 - Lincoln NE

Tuesday Treasures

Tom hosts Tuesday's Treasures.
Travel Tuesday
Our World Tuesday
Good Random Fun
Image-in-ing
My Corner of the World


March 2013 - Cottonwood AZ

Bing's Burger  on 89A through the middle of town. We have stayed in this area at least four or five times and love it.
There is a link to Route 66 as I-40 is the old Route 66.

State Route 89A (SR 89A) is a 83.85-mile (134.94 km) state highway that runs from Prescott north to Flagstaff in Arizona. The highway begins at SR 89 and heads northward from Prescott, entering Jerome. From Jerome, the route then heads to Cottonwood and Sedona. The highway is notable for its scenic value as it passes through Sedona and the Oak Creek Canyon. The route then enters Flagstaff, where it crosses Interstate 17 (I-17) and I-40. The highway ends at I-40 Business in Flagstaff.

You place your order at the corner using a menu pad to select your options.

Signs 2

January 2015 - Las Vegas NV

Some of my favourite signs along Fremont.

Since I took these photos in 2015, the Goose and Vickie have been removed and relocated due tot he demolition of these buildings to make way for a new and "improved" casino resort.
The Golden Goose has been relocated to Fremont and 10th. I couldn't find any information on Vickie's fate.

Click here to see many other retired signs at the Neon Museum.


Cowboy Vic must be lonely these days.


The Golden Goose was a casino located on 20 Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas. It was the first casino to be fully owned by Herb Pastor and first opened in 1975. It later closed in 1991 after Pastor bought the Glitter Gulch Casino and converted both properties into a gentlemen's club, known as the Girls of Glitter Gulch, now also closed.

Vegas Vickie was originally named Sassy Sally when Glitter Gulch was a casino owned by Bob Stupak. The sign was created in 1980 by Ad Art’s Jack Dubois and Charles Barnard. The sign gained national attention in 1994 when she “married” her neighboring neon cowboy, Vegas Vic, who currently stands over the former Pioneer Club building.

Vegas Vic is a neon sign resembling a cowboy that was erected on the exterior of The Pioneer Club in 1951. The sign was a departure in graphic design from typeface based neon signs, to a friendly and welcoming human form of a cowboy. The sign's human-like abilities of talking and waving its arm constituted an immediate acceptance as the unofficial welcoming sign reproduced thousands of times over the years and all over the world.

Oscar’s Neon Martini Glass shown here, though it is mounted on East Fremont along with many of the other renovated signs in the “gallery,” is not actually a restored vintage sign. It was created new a few years ago. It was named for the long-time mayor of Las Vegas, Oscar Goodman.