Dineen Coffee Co

  Linking up with Marg at The Intrepid Reader

Weekend Coffee Share
Sunday Salon

September 2024

Yonge St. Toronto

It's a long weekend, Labour Day, before things wind up for the summer, the CNE will finish on Monday, the air show is on, then back to school on Tuesday.

Monday's Mural was from last week's Yorkville visit.

It was supposed to be a rainy day but it turned into a steamy hot one.

It was noisy as the air show flew over us. We've seen it many times. I did go down to see the crowds and enjoyed the sun for a while.

People watching from the building across the street.

John used the golf simulator.

A cool start to the first day of school, it was 12C at 7:30.

Wednesday I headed out to Burlington to have lunch with my BFF, we had a good natter as we lunched at the Piper Arms. I caught the later train home at 2:50.

The underground map.

John went to golf.

Thursday was opening day for TIFF, Toronto International Film Festival.

Wouldn't you know that as soon as we got on the bus the plumber messaged that he could come now! 

I planned on lunch at a new crepe place that is gluten free. But they only opened at 4:30 (they didn't have a website for me to check).

Walking along King St. it was closed from University to Peter and Wellington to a little north of King.

It was fairly quiet as they were setting up.

Food trucks this year.

So we chose The Town Cryer on John St.

Currywurst, not as good as in Berlin!

Down John St.

We got some free chocolate samples and planned on returning for more, but they weren't handing them out.

We would have stayed for the performance, but I had said to the plumber we would be home by 3:45 to which he responded "okay". Did that mean okay he would come at 3:45 or not? Obviously not, as he didn't. My fault, I should have clarified with him.

He is fitting us in, around his job, for a cash payment, so it is what it is.

Choir Choir Choir meeting spot, at the Amazon Music Bus.

Kicking off the excitement on opening day is the World Premiere of The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal from producer-director Mike Downie — brother of Gord Downie, who alongside Rob Baker, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois, and Gord Sinclair went on to make music that defined Canada to the world, and more importantly, Canada to Canadians. Following the screening of the four-part docu-series, Choir! Choir! Choir! will lead a giant outdoor sing-a-long from the Royal Alexandra Theatre onto Festival Street to celebrate 40 years of The Tragically Hip, presented by Prime Video. Fans are invited to join this unforgettable moment at the Amazon Music Bus on John St. (between King St. and Wellington St.) on Thursday, September 5, 4:30pm–5:45pm. Approximate start time is 5:00pm, exact timing is subject to change.

Click here for the Tragically Hip appearance.

The Tragically Hip No Dress  Rehearsal was debuting here.

Lots of potatoes needed for the poutine truck.

Friday rain put a damper on John's golf plans so he slept in until 9:30! That rain never materialized, he could have played.

COOKING

Saturday turkey, mashed potatoes and carrots, mushy peas, roast potatoes, stuffing and gravy

Sunday leftovers! Then the leftover-leftovers became soup!

Monday burgers

Tuesday roast chicken, roast potatoes and cabbage

Wednesday chicken pasta

Thursday chips eggs tomatoes

Friday steak mushrooms baguette

WATCHING

We both continue to watch Animal Kingdom, separately. John finished it, and was slightly disappointed with the ending. I am extremely invested in this series, now!

We're also watching MasterChef: Generations.

Amazing Race Canada is down to the last two episodes.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga The origin story of renegade warrior Furiosa before her encounter and teamup with Mad Max. I did not like this.

The Domestics is a 2018 American post-apocalyptic action horror film. The US Government conducts a catastrophic chemical weapons attack on the American populace to "reset" society. The surviving percentage of America has divided into two groups: the Gangs who control territory and go by their respective themes: The Gamblers, Sheets, Plowboys, Nailers, and Cherries; and the Domestics, those not affiliated with the Gangs who wish to live in peace 

Toast 2010 Wolverhampton,1967: nine year old Nigel Slater loves his mother though she is a hopeless cook, her finest offering being toast whilst he has great culinary aspirations. When she dies of asthma Nigel is left with a distant father but worse is to come when the 'common' Mrs. Joan Potter arrives as the Slaters' cleaner. Nigel fears, rightly, that her aim is to be the next Mrs. Slater and soon he has a new stepmother and is whisked away to the country. Joan is, however, a superb cook but this only makes for rivalry as Nigel, the only boy in his cookery class at secondary school, competes with her to find the way to his father's heart. A weekend job in a pub kitchen introduces Nigel to an older boy, another great cook and gay like himself, who gives him the confidence and inspiration to leave home after his father's death and head for the hotel kitchens of London. I also enjoyed the book.

East Side Sushi 2014 An immigrant single mother discontented by her regular life decides to take a chance working at a Japanese restaurant and realize her dream to become a sushi chef and provide a better future to her family. This and Toast were just feel good movies.

21 Bridges 2019 An embattled NYPD detective is thrust into a citywide manhunt for a pair of cop killers after uncovering a massive and unexpected conspiracy.

READING

The Widow  I really enjoyed this, but couldn't stand the wishy-washy wife, I really thought she would grow some and come through.

Lies, Lies, Lies is more a domestic drama than a mystery/thriller. It also felt like a short story with no real ending.

Tuesday Treasures

  Tom the backroads traveller hosts this weekly meme.

Travel Tuesday

Image-in-ing

My Corner of the World

Toronto ON

Canada's Walk of Fame (French: Allée des célébrités canadiennes) in Toronto,  is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of Canadians who have excelled in their respective fields. It is a series of maple leaf-like stars embedded in 13 designated blocks' worth of sidewalks in Toronto in front of Roy Thomson Hall, The Princess of Wales Theatre, and The Royal Alexandra Theatre on King Street as well as Simcoe Street.

The first group was inducted in 1998, and it now includes 204 Canadian activists, scientists, philanthropists, athletes, coaches, actors, directors, writers, producers, musicians, comedians, cartoonists, models and others.

The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as the Hip, were a Canadian rock band formed in Kingston, Ontario in 1984, consisting of vocalist Gord Downie, guitarist Paul Langlois, guitarist Rob Baker, bassist Gord Sinclair, and drummer Johnny Fay.

UPDATE - Tom sent me a link to a Gord Downie mural in Rochester NY!

Funny enough, there is an exhibition about Gord Downie at Union Station when I was there this week.nt

Click here to read the story of Do Something and Gord Downie's involvement. 

Needs no introduction!

Anne Murray

Gordon Lightfoot and Bryan Adams

Viola Irene Desmond was a Canadian civil and women's rights activist and businesswoman of Black Nova Scotian descent. In 1946, she challenged racial segregation at a cinema in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia by refusing to leave a whites-only area of the Roseland Theatre.

David Suzuki

Alex Trebek

Kim Cattrell

Russell Peters

k.d.Lang

James Cameron

Bonjour Brioche Bakery

Linking up at Marg at The Intrepid Reader 

Weekend Coffee Share

Once Upon a Time

Sunday Salon

Hearth and Soul Link Party

Sherry's Pickings

What's On Your Plate (Monthly)

June 2021 - Toronto ON

2020 - Queen St. East Toronto

44 radical moments that shaped Toronto's PRIDE history.

Click here for Pride murals in 2014. These murals are still there.

We enter Step 2 of reopening on June 30 a few days earlier than planned.
To enter step two, the province needed to have 70 per cent of adults with one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 20 per cent with two doses for at least two weeks. As of June 23, more than 76 per cent of Ontarians 18 and older have had one dose and more than 29 per cent have had two doses.

Ontario has actually surpassed the step three vaccination targets of 25 per cent of eligible adults fully vaccinated, but the province would remain in step 2 for a period of 21 days “to allow the most recent vaccinations to reach their full effectiveness and to evaluate any impacts of moving to Step Two on key public health and health care indicators,” the government said.

Finally haircuts and manicure/pedicures are on the horizon!!!

UPDATE: Canada extending restrictions on non-essential international travel until July 21.

Monday Mural along the Humber.

Tuesday Treasures more Toronto lanes.

John was nursing a sore knee for the weekend so we lay low, but then we do that most weekends.

My geraniums are flowering.

Monday John was supposed to play golf at Wooden Sticks but it was a rainy morning with a forecast of thunderstorms so he rescheduled.

I took a friend in the building downtown for a Starbucks coffee.

Wednesday John golfed and I had big plans of going shopping at Winners, dollar store, some groceries and perhaps even a patio lunch.

Waiting for the bus, the guys are finishing up the touch-ups on this side.

Union Station as I passed through to the subway.

The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund (DWF) was established to honour the legacies of Chanie Wenjack and Gord Downie.

Chanie Wenjack was a 12-year-old Anishinaabe boy from Ogoki Post on the Marten Falls Reserve in Northern Ontario. He was forced to attend the Cecilia Jeffrey Residential School at the age of 9. In 1966, he escaped from the school and died while trying to make the 600 km journey home to his family. Gord Downie, singer, songwriter and driving creative force behind The Tragically Hip, was introduced to Chanie’s story later in his life and used his final years on earth to raise awareness about Chanie and the 150,000 Indigenous children and youth in Canada who were forced to attend residential schools.

Reconciliation begins with each and every one of us. Through awareness, education, and connection, we can all answer Gord’s call to “Do Something” to move reconciliation forward and build a better Canada.

The collection of photos shared in Reconciliation Begins With You exhibits DWF’s programming and events, which inspire Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada to join our collective reconciliation journey. We also invite all peoples in Canada to celebrate the cultures, traditions, rights, and contributions of Indigenous Peoples.

But remember, we are still in stage one, so only stores that have their own street entrance are allowed to be open with 15% capacity, no malls, and only patio dining.

Sooooo...this was the line at Winners on College. Screw that!

Okay picked up some items in Farm Boy, thought about lunch and grabbed an egg sandwich (food court seating allowed) and took it home. But it was a delicious $3.99 sandwich on their own bread. Farm Boy is compared to Trader Vic's in the States. They make much of their own products.

Thursday we met up with friends in Hamilton for fish and chips, Hammerhead's of course and gluten free. Once we finished lunch we headed to Collective Arts Brewery, I featured their murals on a visit during total lockdown with snow on the ground.

Shalak and Peru.

Mosher

Guys getting our drinks. We moved around to the front patio in the shade.

Collective Arts Brewing invites artists and musicians to submit their work in bi-yearly Calls for Art. Since the first art and music call in May 2013 over 16,000 submissions have been received from artists and musicians representing over 40 countries. Each artist is paid to appear on the labels. Collective Arts does not own the art but is allowed to use it on cans and bottles for a limited period of time. To date, Collective Arts Brewing have produced and compensated over 650 artists and musicians for appearing on limited edition cans and bottle labels.

We had the Circling The Sun series.

Our Apple & Cherry cider is a tart cherry cider blend made with Ontario Montmorency Cherry juice from the Niagara escarpment, and blended with our Nature of Things Cider.

In their shop.

We bought a 6 pack to take home.

Friday was grey but no rain so John golfed. Lake view as I headed out to Longo's, Rexall and $ store. 

Grey.

Another pop up patio.

SOPHISTICATED SHAKERS

The Kentucky mule is a bourbon-based spin on the Moscow mule, a classic cocktail from the 1940’s. Apparently it was invented as a ploy to sell more vodka, ginger beer and copper mugs! Well, we don't have any copper mugs but have everything else.

2 ounces bourbon
1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
Ginger beer, to top

Add the bourbon and lime juice to a Moscow Mule mug or a highball glass.
Fill the mug or glass with ice and top with ginger beer.

Tasty!

COCKTAIL CIRCUIT - TO DATE

Mai Tai with orgeat which is new to us

Tequila Sunrise

Rob Roy required bitters which we had never bought

New York Sours 

Gin Fizz

Rusty Nail

Vodka Sidecar

Vodka Cosmopolitan

Negroni

The Perfect Storm

Boulevardier

Side Car

Jalapeno Margarita

The Godfather

Peach Cosmo - FAIL

The Barista

Blue Diablo

WATCHING

John had a bunch of movies recorded so we watched Dr. Cabbie last night and really enjoyed it. It is a 2014 romantic comedy filmed in Toronto. The story revolves around a newly arrived immigrant doctor in Canada who cannot get a job and is forced to become a taxi driver. He becomes a local hero when he converts his taxi into a mobile medical clinic.

We watched the latest season of The Handmaid's Tale.

No Afternoon at the Movies this week. Maybe Saturday as we are scheduled for a wet weekend and perhaps week ahead!

COOKING

Saturday trusty Spanish chicken thighs with mashed cauliflower and potatoes.

Sunday

3 ingredient lemon cookies and 4 ingredient chocolate cookies both made with almond flour and so easy that I had to make a double batch of the lemon immediately after tasting.

Roast pork, roast potatoes cauliflower cheese.

Monday homemade pizza. Tried baking the (boxed) crust first but it was very cardboardy. Will definitely look into a "baking steel" as recommended by Beth. But I think the issue is finding a good gluten free pizza dough.

Tuesday leftover roast pork and cauliflower, made more roast potatoes and a mustard sauce for the pork.

Wednesday BBQ chicken quarters and salad.

Thursday after fish and chips out we had salad.

Friday steak, baked potato and broccoli. I made a chimichurri sauce, a first ✅ for us, I wasn't sure if we would like it. We loved it!

Plus ice cream! We tried the Halo (Canadian) last night, but it is not as good as the So Delicious (dairy free) we had last week. It didn't have much of a salt caramel to it. On sale $6.99

I bought the Longo's brand at $4.99 as their products are usually overpriced just as a comparison.

READING

A lot of reading this week.

On my laptop - Kiin by local Toronto chef Nuit Regular (great name!) is just a beautiful and well written cookbook. The recipes are amazing and the photography will blow you away! I think it is a book that I should buy!!

Kiin means to eat.

Catching up on Masterchef Australia, I've had issues finding it to view again, I'm back watching on DailyMotion. I am so intrigued by the incredible curries that Kishwar and Depinder are making that I borrowed Ginger and Ganesh from the library. Indian is one of my favourite cuisines along with anything from Asia! But the book itself is disappointing, she is just a bad writer and story teller. She goes on and on about being a single mother and woe is me! The recipes are difficult to follow.

I finished Ask Again, Yes and loved it until the ending. It stopped so abruptly and without a lot of closure.  "A tragedy that reverberates over four decades" I was looking forward to four decades, but really, it was only two.

Anyhoo...Such a Fun Age was a good read for a debut novel trying to deal with complex issues such as racism and white privilege. There are some cringe-worthy moments too and I loved the relationship between Brier and Emira.

The Guest List was like watching a train wreck that you can't take your eyes of. A great read although the plot was a bit far-fetched and melodramatic, a little Agatha Christie. 

Started Confessions on the 7:45 it was slow going and suddenly it has got interesting!