Yellowstone

  Linking up with Marg at The Intrepid Reader

Weekend Coffee Share
Sunday Salon

November 2024 - Toronto ON

Saturday we went to lunch at Mc Cain's Frydays Cafe pop-up.

McCain Foods Limited is a Canadian multinational frozen food company established in 1957 in Florenceville, New Brunswick, Canada. Click here for our visit to Florenceville NB.

It is the world's largest manufacturer of frozen potato products, with 1 in 4 French fries in the world being a McCain fry.

We had this!

It was very good and it was a good size for the price $8.

It is a little iconic that this was in the news this week.

Two Canadian companies have been named in separate frozen-potato price-fixing lawsuits south of the border.

McCain Foods Ltd. and Cavendish Farms are among those accused of being part of a “potato cartel,” conspiring with other large processors by sharing pricing data in an effort to raise the price of frozen potatoes in the U.S.

The other companies named in the class-action lawsuits are U.S. companies Lamb Weston Inc. and J.R. Simplot Co., as well as an industry association called the National Potato Promotion Board.

On the drive home, the Princes' Gates.

A local Mexican restaurant posted this on social media.

We are heartbroken to share that our restaurant was vandalized last night with the word "ICE" painted on our window. As a business rooted in Mexican culture living in our wonderful and diverse community, this act of hate is especially painful. We know migrant communities often face racism, especially south of the border, but we never imagined this would happen in the wonderful city we call home.

Let’s encourage each other to lead with love, tolerance, and understanding. Let’s protect the spirit of our community.

Monday's Mural was taken back in August.

John headed out to the car dealership assuming he would have to buy new rims and snow tires for the new to us car. WOO HOO our other ones fit!!

I cleaned out the fridge, getting rid of past best dates or coming up to best before dates. That was a lot of jars!

I went to Longo's. There are some good deals on!

Canada Post is on strike, I thought this was a good cartoon.

Goodbye, iconic landmark! The 1956 Chevy truck embedded in the wall at 299 Queen Street West in Toronto is being removed. For over 34 years, it's been a part of the building's design and a popular spot for photos.

The building, once home to Citytv, MuchMusic, and CP24, is being renovated after Bell Media relocated to a suburb (yawn, boring). I wonder how many staff quit, not wanting to leave the downtown area for suburbia???

My photo 2014

Tuesday I did Rexall's (senior's day) and the $ store. While cutting through Longo's the fire alarm was ringing.

And I received flowers for our anniversary tomorrow!!

We were early as we headed to our anniversary lunch reservation.

RBC tree.

Eataly pop-up

Cheese Boutique pop-up where we had samples of Spanish cheese (I need to go back and pick some up) and wine.

Lunch.

Salmon for me, the Dijon sauce was delicious!

Steak frites for John. An enjoyable meal with meh service.

Cutting through the Royal York on the way home.

Thursday I went to the Toronto Reference Library current display.

Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Lucy Maud Montgomery! Lucy Maud Montgomery is an iconic Canadian author whose works are popular world-wide. In celebration of the anniversary of her birth we are exploring one of her most notable pieces of literature — Anne of Green Gables.

This exhibition features original costume designs, from both stage and screen, by designers Martha Mann and Marie Day from TPL's Special Collections in the Arts. These designs were used in Sullivan Entertainment’s Emmy award-winning Anne of Green Gables series, Theatre Calgary’s 1994 production and Charlottetown Festival’s long-running Anne of Green Gables musical.

Click here for a post I wrote about Anne of Green Gables when we went to PEI.

From there I went to Fabricland (John is very happy he is not with me, Green Gables and a fabric store!! Insert eye roll 🙄🙄🙄) I forgot how lovely it is to roam a fabric place! I want something, was thinking gold pattern, for additional sham/pillows for our bedroom. Instead I ended up with royal blue velvet!!

Then to Eataly, however, they had rearranged their panettones, I asked two people, one in Guest Relations, where the gluten-free now were, both sent me in opposite directions to no avail. They also didn't have ground lamb, my main goal. 

I went to Mr. Grocer (AKA Loblaw's - hate with a passion). It was Mr. Grocer's when we worked in that building in the early 90's so it will always be. In fact, the cashier I had worked there way back when. 

Holt Renfrew.

I baked sour cream banana bread with frozen bananas and added the frozen blueberries I had. I like this recipe as it makes two loaves. 

Friday we took a trip to Longo's for eggs ($3.99) and weekend stuff.

COOKING

Saturday  ham and spinach quiche 

Sunday sausages (Farm Boy, a disappointment, too salty/garlicy) French toast and blueberry compote

ham, mashed potatoes carrots and turnip. There was more ham than I thought, I should have frozen some.

Monday Asian chicken wraps

Tuesday leftover quiche and salad

Wednesday lunch out. Bacon and tomato sandwiches 

Thursday pan fried trout with roast potatoes and broccolini. First time cooking trout, the skin could have been crisper.

Friday steak and loaded baked potato with jalapeno jam (first time) and chimichurri

WATCHING

IC814: The Kandahar Hijack TV series 2024. Indian Airlines flight hijacked en route Kathmandu-Delhi on Dec 24, 1999, diverting to Kandahar under Taliban control. We enjoyed this as neither of us remembered this piece of history before 911.

Justice  A discharged police officer is given a chance to regain his former life by capturing a bank robbery crew. Teaming up with a young policewoman, the ex-cop must act swiftly before the heist draws unwanted scrutiny from the new authorities.

What/If American thriller series. What/If is a neo-noir thriller that, according to Deadline Hollywood's Nellie Andreeva, explores "the ripple effects of what happens when acceptable people start doing unacceptable things.

READING

I DNF'd three books this week! The Roommate (British title The Flatmate) boring, predictable, a lot of typos, A Simple Lie  implausible storyline, and Bitter Street, too melodramatic, loath romance books.

I read The Dollhouse Fiona Davis's debut novel pulls readers into the lush world of New York City's glamorous Barbizon Hotel for Women, where in the 1950s a generation of aspiring models, secretaries, and editors lived side by side while attempting to claw their way to fairy-tale success, and where a present-day journalist becomes consumed with uncovering a dark secret buried deep within the Barbizon's glitzy past.

 Another of those current day/historical period dual storylines.

A little bit cliched, the present story is basically a rom-com, and I wanted more of the history of the past.

Lies and Weddings just plain fun. Lots of exotic settings, many, many characters, and family drama with tons of money. However his Crazy Rich Asians series were much better.

Weekend Roundup

 Welcome to The Weekend Roundup...hosted by Tom The Back Roads Traveler

1. Starts with "V"
2. A Favorite
3. VERTICAL - Chosen by Tom

Starts with V (BIGGEST/SMALLEST/LONGEST/SHORTEST/OLDEST)

VATICAN is the smallest country in the world.

FAVOURITE

VACANCY Santa Rosa NM

VERTICAL

Happy Anniversary!

 

Signs

 Joining Tom at Signs2

Wordless Wednesday Wordless Be There 2day

Toronto ON

I added to my potato chip collection this week. A Chip off the Old Block WIP.

I also came across this BBC article about a man that collects crisps (chips) packages.

Found at the $ store in September.

In September the iconic Munchies returned! The Canadian brand marks the occasion with the return of its three instantly recognizable Munchies - Red, Yellow and Orange. The beloved trio are back to give Canadians a taste of the past with a whole new twist including new flavours and formats for all to enjoy. To mark the launch of their return, the Munchies have made their debut appearance at Toronto's landmark Red Canoe (art piece by Douglas Coupland - Tom Thomson (Group of Seven) red canoe). 

Did they need the artist's permission??

More finds.

All-dressed (French: assaisonnées or French: toute garnie) is a potato chip flavour popular in Canada. It is described as the flavour as a mix of ketchup, barbecue sauce, sour cream and onion, and salt & vinegar.

The term 'all-dressed' and its French equivalent "toute garnie" originally applied to pizza, meaning roughly 'everything-on-it', deluxe, or 'the works'.

Dunn's Famous Deli and Steakhouse is a chain of Jewish delis serving Montreal-style smoked meat, pastrami and cheesecake founded in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, by Myer Dunn in 1927.

In 1955 he opened his flagship restaurant at 892 Saint Catherine Street West. The storefront windows were famous for the top-to-bottom stacks of large jars full of hot banana peppers. The deli was open 24 hours a day, unusual for restaurant in the downtown core. Beginning in the 1970s Dunn's Famous began to focus more on Montreal-style smoked meat, eventually stopping its promotion of Pastrami.

When the controversial Charter of the French Language (Bill 101) became law in 1977, the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) took action against Dunn's and other stores retailing imported kosher goods that did not meet its labelling requirements, an action perceived in the Jewish community as an unfair targeting and antisemitism. This coincided with a high-profile case brought by the OQLF against Dunn's due to the apostrophe in the establishment's sign, which remains.

Dunn's also got in trouble with the OQLF for having the English word, "Smoked Meat" on the sign out front. Dunn's, along with other well-known delicatessen establishments, also fought a ruling to change the name of "Smoked Meat" to "Boeuf Mariné" in order to conform to Quebec Language Law. They won the ruling by appeal by proving that if they didn't advertise "Smoked Meat" they would confuse and anger customers. A good example of this was Parti Québécois MNA Gérald Godin who himself ordered the sandwich by its English name. Due to the work of Myer Dunn, under the new ruling, enacted in 1987, Smoked meat became a word in both Official languages of Canada.

Monday Mural

 I'm linking up at Monday Mural

August 2024 - Toronto ON

On the side of the Canadian Red Cross building.

Tim Horton's HHOF

 Linking up with Marg at The Intrepid Reader

Weekend Coffee Share
Sunday Salon

November 2024 - Toronto ON

Hockey Hall of Fame Toronto

Saturday was fun. I prepared lunch for John's granddaughter and friend, who were arriving by train from Montreal for Taylor Swift. Then we picked them up at Union Station and gave them a tour of the area around the stadium and where the pick up spots would be after the show.

Spotted while waiting for their train, which turned out to be filled with Swifties!

Back here, we checked them into a suite and then fed them. They then went and got ready.

We did some photos in the lobby before dropping them off at their zone for the show.

Sunday the girls were ready for breakfast at 10 and regaled us with stories and details about the concert.

We dropped the girls downtown to wander and then brought them their bags around 2:45 for their 3:15 train back to Montreal.

Monday John golfed, booking himself, by error, on the hilly course which played havoc with his back. Most likely the last game of the year.

I went to the Eaton Centre to see a photo show of Taylor Swift by a Canadian photographer, click here to read about her.

I grabbed lunch at Beauty's Chicken in the Eaton Centre Queen's Cross food hall.

The tree is up in the Eaton Centre.

Gotta remember this place, the prices are very good.

Tuesday and click here for lots of Taylor Swift signs round town!

Other than both of us going for pedicures and I had a manicure we hung around home. I baked oatmeal raisin cookies as John finished off the lemon curd cookies.

As we can never remember how much cash we need (therefore no taxes!) I took a photo!

Wednesday John went to Metro. 

I took the 10:30 bus to meet my cousin (19yo) at the Bata Shoe Museum.

“What is art?” This question has sparked debate for centuries, and today, the boundaries of what defines art are being pushed further than ever. One significant shift is the growing trend of artists engaging in commercial collaborations, particularly with sneaker brands. These collaborations blur the lines between art, fashion, and commerce, offering consumers the opportunity to buy and wear creations by some of the most revered figures in the art world. Many of these sneakers are also finding their place within traditional art spaces, such as museums and auction houses, where their rarity has elevated them to a status similar to limited edition artist prints. The cultural significance of these artist-sneaker collaborations is contributing to the ongoing discussion of what defines art today.

This was our main objective as she is studying Criminology at TMU (Toronto Metropolitan University). 

This exhibition examines both the development of footwear forensics as a means of solving crime and the social constructions of criminality from the nineteenth century to today. It also considers how clothing and footwear play roles in cultural ideas of criminality informed by assumptions and bias. This exhibition will take visitors on a journey to sleuth out the central but complex role of footwear in crime, policing, the judiciary system and our cultural ideas of criminality.

Click here for more.

English, 1930s “The butler did it!” is a longstanding trope in detective fiction. Butlers were prized for their ability to inconspicuously serve their employers often wearing shoes with flat, smooth soles that let them move noiselessly through the house.

Before DNA evidence and fingerprinting, footprints were a key way to identify and convict suspects. The distinctive nails and nail patterns of each shoemaker and region made hobnail boots worn by working-class men in the 19th and early 20th century especially useful evidence.

Invented by John Gardner, an Oregon prison warden in 1866, these heavy leather boots with metal shackles were designed to prevent escape and could weigh up to 28 pounds. They were also effective in permanently disabling wearers, who often limped for the rest of their lives.

Enlarge the photo to read about a Canadian train robbery as I cannot find any information online.

Flannelfoot (on loan from the Crime Museum of New Scotland Yard, London, UK)

The first ever loan of this burglar’s kit made by Scotland Yard, Flannelfoot has been dubbed London’s most famous house burglar. The elusive ‘Flannel Foot,’ known for wrapping his feet in flannel cloths or socks to muffle and mask his footsteps, Henry Edward Vickers, was finally caught in 1937 by Scotland Yard police after a notorious 25-year career of petty crime. His kit included tools to cut glass windows, gloves to avoid fingerprints, a flannel sock, and rubber galoshes with distinctive soles to keep his shoes clean of suspicious mud.

American, 1965–1967 This US Army boot was designed during the Vietnam War to leave the sandaled footprints of a Vietnamese National Liberation Front soldier.

Historically, female criminality was often linked to a love of finery and seductive behaviour, with dress playing a central role in how women were perceived. Heels that were too high and clothing in lurid colours that exposed too much skin were often used as proof of immorality. It was believed that women might be driven to crime from shoplifting to murder because of an uncontrolled desire for fashion.

Item 1 - Two-toned Spectator

Worn by Bela Lugosi who played the original 1931 on-screen Dracula, these shoes were originally associated with leisure and play, but by the 1930s, were seen as flashy, the footwear of playboys and gangsters. In England, this connotation was captured by their alternate name, ‘co-respondents,’ a term used in divorce cases to identify the person who committed infidelity.

The reason we have to take our footwear off at the airport - The Shoe Bomber.

From there, we did a quick look at Dressed to Impress which I had seen last December.

Then we had lunch at the Kimpton Saint George Hotel. I had the chicken lettuce wraps (I prefer ground chicken in my wraps) and a kale chicken salad for my cousin.

Thursday, after lunch, we went to go to College Park Farm Boy.

The Swifties are back in town! But it was a rainy cold day for them.

We picked these up at Farm Boy, gluten-free.

Ah, such fun, the alarm went off. We got dressed in case we had to leave. Better safe than sorry!!

At 9:48 p.m., November 21st, 2024, we experienced a Fire Alarm activation: 

• B2 – Level Sprinkler Activation in the #2 Squash/ Basketball Court.

Staff and the Toronto Fire Services (TFS) responded to the Fire Alarm incident, and it was found to not be a real Fire incident. The sprinkler system in the #2 Squash/Basketball court was activated when a sprinkler head was damaged by a basketball.

After investigating the concern, the attending TFS Captain gave the All Clear and all systems were returned to normal today after Dunwell Fire Services replaced the damaged sprinkler head.

Please be reminded that the staff will NOT silence or reset the Fire Alarm Panel, until instructed by the TFS Fire Captain to do so. 

Friday and the plan was to go to the Reference Library and see an exhibit and then go to Eataly for a few items. It was a damp, dreary day (pity the Swifties) and the 1:10 bus hadn't arrived by 1:20 so we decided to come back in, of course, I looked out the window and he was turning the corner once we were upstairs! Oh well, John made popcorn and we watched Cross.

COOKING

Saturday lunch and dinner ham, colcannon, mashed turnip and carrots

Sunday leftovers

Monday bay scallops and fries

Tuesday ham and au gratin potatoes

Wednesday we ordered Swiss Chalet chicken

Thursday cheeseburgers and chips

Friday (all cooked by John) ribeye (Market) steak in duck fat, baguette, sauteed peppers, onions and shitake mushrooms. We normally buy cremini but we are experimenting.

WATCHING

I finished the grand finale of My Kitchen Rules Australia season 14 and am very happy that my team won!!

We watched the English crime drama mini-series Joan.  Sophie Turner plays real-life character Joan Hannington, a figure known as "the Godmother" by certain aspects of the British criminal underworld. The series features Hannington's journey from housewife and mother to petty offender, diamond thief and criminal mastermind in 1980s London.

Irena's Vow was an excellent movie. It was a little disconcerting to see Dougray Scott (Scottish actor that I know so well from Irvine Welsh's Crime series) as the evil German commander. Equally disconcerting as I watched Irena and thought I recognized her. She is Sophie Nélisse Canadian actor) who appeared in the American thriller drama series Yellowjackets.

Through the eyes of a strong-willed woman comes the remarkable story of Irena Gut, and the triumphs of the human spirit over devastating tragedy, as she risked her life to save a generation of Jews from the atrocities of the Holocaust. 

Spoiler Alert!! There is one scene that John and I will never forget!

Landman is a 2024 American drama TV series. Landman is set within the world of oil rigs in West Texas, where "roughnecks and wildcat billionaires are fueling a boom so big it’s reshaping our climate, our economy, and our geopolitics.

We binged-watched Cross season 1, NOT for the faint-hearted!! Series adaptation of James Patterson novels about the complicated and brilliant detective, Alex Cross. It was mainly filmed in the Toronto area. I spotted this scene, that is right up the street from us, Tom's Ice Cream, they didn't even change the name although it was supposed to be in Philadelphia!

I grabbed this from the TV.

We also started The Helicopter Heist, is a reality-based and character-driven suspense series in eight parts about the drama behind one of the most spectacular heists in history, a grand and fast paced Icarus tale about winning, or losing, it all.

I started watching Leonard Cohen If it Be Your Will but then decided that we should watch it together. A cinematic celebration of Leonard Cohen's music, life, and legacy through the eyes of his son Adam and tribute performances by musical icons. 

READING

Pet peeve - people who spell Santa Claus as Clause!!!

I read Gone by Morning and I enjoyed it enough to subjecting John to a long-winded detailed summary of the plot! 

A suicide bomb set off in a Times Square subway station nearly claims the life of 68-year-old ex-madam Kathleen. Then a woman is brutally murdered, her body dumped on a marshy beach in Queens. The woman, Sharon, was last seen by 26-year-old Emily―a Deputy Press Officer working at City Hall―getting into a car in front of the building where she and Kathleen both live in far upper Manhattan.

I started A Simple Lie, there is no such thing.