Breakfast Lunch

 Linking up at Marg at The Intrepid Reader 

Sunday Salon

Seasons 

Hearth and Soul Link Party

Weekend Coffee Share

Sherry's Pickings

March 2021 - Toronto ON

MARCH 2021 - TORONTO ON

I forgot to mention last week that our building issued a directive that security cameras will be monitored for mask non-compliance and any offenders will be reported to the city bylaw officers and you will be fined. I am guessing that the office is getting a lot of flack from people and this will be easier and more effective. I am surprised as I haven't seen anyone without a mask.

Effective March 22 John can register online for his vaccine, slots will be allocated by age. My friend, who is 80, already has her slot for next week. 80+ were allowed to register a week ago. UPDATE MAR 20 - Pharmacies are vaccinating, by appointment, 60-64 year olds (born between 1957 to 1961). The pharmacy vaccinations take advantage of Ontario's newly acquired supply of AstraZeneca vaccine, which is being given to those under 65 due to limited data about its efficacy in older people. However, this is now being rethought. AS OF MARCH 22 PEOPLE OVER 60 CAN REGISTER AT THE PHARMACIES FOR THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE!! I will be booking mine.

Toronto public libraries have reopened with limited resources. This photo, from the TPC website, makes me smile. This is a favourite branch of mine, click link as it has two exceptional world-class collections in rare children's books and science fiction.

I updated my Titanic post after a discussion with a friend.

This week's mural from Hamilton.

Continuing with my Toronto lanes series.

I had a request from a blogger to use our photos from the Stratford On gardens.

These photos are excellent. Would you allow me to use them on a website I am creating about Stratford sites. I would of course credit you. Paul

I will have to look into this.

Got some work done on my embroidery on the weekend but no work got done on the jigsaw puzzle that is sitting on the dining room table.

Tuesday was movie day which includes popcorn!

We have started to see pigeons on our balcony, first time ever. The building also mentioned that  we are having an issue as the pigeons are looking for places to nest. We cleared any nesting spots off the balcony and other than me looking like a mad woman wielding a broom and shouting obscenities at them we also spent $50 on Bird X scare eye balloons and a deterrent spray. The balloons arrived and are on the balcony, so far I have only seen one land. The spray hasn't arrived as yet.

Wednesday St. Patrick's Day and John brought me flowers. A friend delivered some goodies. We celebrated with an Irish whiskey.

Thursday we went for lunch (safe, ordered online, eaten in car) at Burger's Priest.

Saw this sign at a school.

Toronto’s Half House was constructed around the late 19th century on what is now St Patrick Street. 

It is the result of a legal property battle in the 70s that led to the house being cut right down the middle, turning an internal supporting wall into the exterior.

It would be easy to think that the house’s odd number, 54 ½ is the result of this modification but that numbering system dates back to when the house was originally built in the 1890s.

This photo found at Houseporn.ca/

Then this one...

It is on record of being one of the smallest houses in Toronto. The house is also known as "the little house ."

The Dimensions of the house is 2.2 m wide and 14.3 m long or 29 square feet. This small lot was conceived as a future laneway for the neighboring home. it was not used for this purpose because the city never cut the curb to allow for vehicle passage so in 1912 Mr. Weeden built a home on the small lot. Mr. Weeden lived in this home with his wife for 26 years before he sold it.

This house, in Corktown, might look tiny from the outside and is only 8 feet wide, but it has high ceilings and is flooded with light thanks to an impressive array of windows.

This house is not unusual in its architecture or design. It is on this list because of its unusual selection of lawn ornaments. You can find a large statue of a first nations man on horseback, a pair of cowboy boots sticking upside down out of the ground and the landscaping has been done to best emulate a western desert.

COOKING

I made gluten free lemon brownies they were okay, I wouldn't say a keeper.

COCKTAILS VI

This week's concoction was Rusty Nails.

A Rusty Nail is made by mixing Drambuie and Scotch whisky. The drink was included in Difford's Guide's Top 100 Cocktails. A Rusty Nail can be served in an old-fashioned glass on the rocks, neat, or "up" in a stemmed glass. It is most commonly served over ice.

SOPHISTICATED SHAKERS - MENU 

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

Saturday I asked John what he wanted for dinner and he said hamburger patty with gravy and mashed potatoes?!? I decided to make a peppered gravy and Brussel sprouts. He also asked for a mousse and I had strawberries, I muddled some berries in the bottom before adding the mousse.

Monday chicken nuggets with maple chile glaze from Chasing Favor and broccolini and bok choy. The sauces from this cookbook have been amazing so far.

Click here for the recipe for the nuggets and glaze.

 I came across a peanut noodle recipe in the morning that had coconut milk , saucy Thai curried peanut noodles and decided to make it. 

Why?? I had just posted the perfect peanut noodle recipe a few weeks ago, this one was not that good.

Tuesday I made spaghetti with homemade meat sauce. I will say this was one of my best ever batches of sauce!

Wednesday St. Patrick's Day corned beef, cabbage and potatoes but I used the slow cooker!

Thursday leftover corned beef with potato cauliflower au gratin.

Friday steak and mushrooms, onions and green peppers.

WATCHING

We watched a British series The Capture - any evidence can be manipulated.

We seem to be into Australian shows this week.

I started watching Stateless this week.

Always funny/strange to see characters that you know so well from other series show up in a new one.

 The main character is Serena in The Handmaid's Tale!

It took me a while to realize that Dominic West from The Affair was one of the characters. 

Kate Box was in Wentworth (Lou Kelly).

Then we started watching Wanted, a 2016 Australian series which also happens to have Kate Box as a detective.

Tuesday's movie afternoon began with an average movie but then we watched 2013 Out of the Furnace with an incredible cast. Who doesn't love to hate Woody Harrelson?

For my kitchen viewing I started watching MasterChef UK Celebrity 2020 (YouTube), format is slightly different from the regular MC and I like that it includes cooking demonstrations by John Torode, an Australian chef.

READING

FRESH OFF THE PRESS: Marg at Weekend Cooking The Intrepid Reader mentioned she bought The Atlas Cookbook based on my mentioning it last week!!

On my laptop for browsing Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook. An interesting book, not one I would buy when I can get it at the library and most recipes are online.

Carrots and mustard rillettes intrigue me, from the menu at MOMA. She also has a salmon version.

Sweet chili chicken thighs looks good and she mentions it is also good with pork.

She also has a recipe for poke, so what's not to love.

Marinated flank steak is a definite try.

I was interested in her take on chowders, but didn't really learn anything new.

I was excited to see an entry for lettuce soup as I have been adding ends of lettuce to my soup bag lately. She basically made a lettuce soup and added scallops to it.

Still on my phone, a Canadian thriller, The Calling, a little disturbing. And still on my tablet Conflict of Interest. I need to finish both of these.