Victory Cake

 Weekend Cooking is now hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader 

Sunday Salon

Seasons 

November 2020 - Toronto ON

COVID CHRONICLES

Toronto is extending its current ban on indoor dining and fitness classes, and the closure of event spaces as COVID-19 cases continue to surge to record highs.

Toronto’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, has confirmed indoor dining will not resume at Toronto bars and restaurants this weekend as initially planned, while a number of other businesses, including meeting spaces, movie theatres, and casinos will be ordered to remain closed amid the recent rise in COVID-19 cases.

The restrictions will start on Saturday, November 14 at 12:01 am, when the current modified Stage 2 orders end, and the city enters the ‘red zone’ of Ontario’s COVID-19 tiered framework and will last for at least a month. The red zone is the last step of the tiered system before a full lockdown.

AROUND HOME

Saturday was so beautiful out. We went for our fruit and veg grocery shop and then stopped to investigate these murals we keep driving by on Lake Shore.

My Lakeview Village, looking at the artists' renditions of what this development will look like, will definitely be a breath of fresh air for Mississauga. I worked in Mississauga (shudder) and we called it Miserysauga.

They have certainly done an amazing job with the hoardings and the construction site. I'm sorry we missed the fields of sunflowers when they were in bloom.

Click here for more photos.

Sunday again too nice to stay in. I picked a coffee spot and we then walked around Corktown.

It is named for a street in this area near Church and Wellington which was home to a red light district of bars and brothels near the harbour around the turn of the century.

Looking across the street.

Nice to see these murals are still here. Click here my detailed descriptions of the murals from 2017.

Me!

Back around and across from our coffee stop.

Little Trinity Anglican Church

I have never been inside St. Paul's, will have to wait until churches are open again.

Established in 1822. St. Paul’s is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Toronto. The first St. Paul’s, of red brick and Gothic style, was completed in 1824. After the diocese was created in 1841, Bishop Michael Power used St. Paul’s as his cathedral until the completion of the construction of St. Michael’s Cathedral in 1848. In 1847, a typhus epidemic raged through the city, killing 850 people, including Bishop Power. Many were buried on the grounds of St. Paul’s Church and School, though the majority were moved to St. Michael’s Cemetery at Yonge and St. Clair.

It seems that nothing has been recorded about the Century Knitting Mill that was housed in this building. There were other knitting mills in the area, the Simpson Knitting Mill building is close by, also converted to lofts.

I put my box collection back in the cabinet in the living room.

I had to take a picture of this one.

John did a Costco run on Monday so that meant putting everything away and finding freezer room once he divided up the meat.

Gluten free products.

John took a walk.

John golfed on Tuesday and I just went to Longos. I made Jamie Oliver's ganache with cookies and clementines, so easy. I omitted the cookies but they would be a great addition.

It looks like I will be making clementine jam this week as he bought a crate.




Wednesday was Remembrance Day.

John decided to come with me for a mani pedi. He headed home when he was finished.

I walked along the lake on my way back and saw these Canadian air force CH-147F chinooks flying by after they finished a fly by as part of the Remembrance Day services.

I took some photos of the finished living room floor. The guys came back today as they had received the thresholds that had to be ordered.

Thursday I went to Yorkville and John golfed.

As I waited for the subway the TV projected this.

Love this sketch on the subway.

Cute Christmas decoration.

Outdoor dining.

November 12, the day after Remembrance Day, and the stores are busy putting up Christmas decorations.

I came to Yorkville to see the display of painted paddles that were being auctioned off to raise money for a couple of camps. Date says to Nov 12, BUT they were gone. Pissed me off...

This laneway felt like Europe with all its tents.

Sorry, yes that is the name of the cafe, always has great signs.

My favourite bookstore.

I was browsing the shelves and an image caught my eye on a cover. It was a book by Tony Comper, John's mentor and boss at the Bank of Montreal. I immediately bought it for him.

This guy wasn't being the least bit shy about practicing his moves in this hallway. He got a lot of doubletakes from people walking by.

I got home and there was a box from Simon's, a Canadian department store. A fun mat for the bathroom.

A new rug in our walk in closet.

A couple of sweaters for me. Also a couple of planters and a big basket for a plant, I'll show it when we figure out what we are putting in it.

I had found this new product in the Manulife Centre (BMT to me) along with finally LADY Earl Grey tea.

Friday I caught the 9AM bus as I had an appointment to get my haircut at 10. I had time to kill so I had a mission in mind.

Some new additions to the King St. transit priority project that I've posted about in the past. 

I had come to find Alex Trebek's star on the Canadian Walk of Fame on King St. A small memorial has been set up.

A movie set just behind me at Metro Hall, it has been there for a few weeks now.

Walking back on Front St. You can see the tent set up at a favourite, O and B.

I removed the tape from the thresholds and took this photo, I never knew I could be so impressed by such a small thing, I hadn't realized how ugly our mismatched ones were!

COOKING

May 2020 - Yonge St. Toronto

Saturday

Chocolate cake mix was disappointing. The way it is pictured I assumed it would make the two layers and include the icing. No, it also said use a 9X9 pan, this made for a really flat one layer, I would do 8X8. I made my own mixture of cream cheese, butter, cocoa, icing sugar and whipping cream to ice it. I also shaved some chocolate on top. Cake was rather dry as well.

Roast chicken, roast potatoes, Brussel sprouts and mashed carrots and turnips.

The chicken carcass went into the soup pot after we had sandwiches for lunch. These Costco chickens are so small we really only get one decent dinner and then lunch and soup.

Sunday Greek lamb meatballs, salad, homemade tzatziki.  and buns from a gluten free bakery.

Monday I used the last of the short ribs in the slow cooker along with a slew of vegetables served with cauliflower, leftover mashed turnips/carrots, Brussel sprouts and buns.

Tuesday I made chicken divan with homemade chicken soup.

Wednesday chicken parmesan with pasta and broccolini.

Thursday pork chops, mashed cauliflower/potatoes and beans! Thanks, Marg, The Intrepid Reader and Baker, for reminding me of this old favourite.

Friday, steak with peppers, mushrooms, onions and bean sprouts.

WATCHING/READING

We have often watched Jeopardy over the years, especially the Champion tournaments.

CopyKat Dining Out at Home was my browsing cookbook. Meh.

I read Anne Cleeve's The Baby-Snatcher and I was surprised I enjoyed it as I was never interested in her Shetland or Vera series. I just found out that this was the last of her Ramsey series. The ending was rushed and left you thinking where did all the pieces fit?

I started The Outlook for Earthlings and am enjoying it.