Old School Coffee

  Linking up at Marg at The Intrepid Reader

Weekend Coffee Share

Sunday Salon

Sunday Post

Old School Coffee on Dundas West Toronto ON

Another quiet week.

Saturday was a dull grey which suited us fine, nowhere to go!

I got a notification to book my flu shot, done.

Monday John headed out for his flu shot at FCP. 

I went on Tuesday for my flu shot at 120 Adelaide after a haircut and some shopping.

I picked up sushi for lunch. I have never had such a sore arm from a shot, ever!

 I even iced it a couple of times.

Traffic backing up as we exit the Gardiner, gloomy day.

Wednesday we were awakened by the fire alarm. Oh joy! The trucks showed up and it was determined that the smoke alarm on the ground floor was triggered by construction dust from some renovations they were doing. Wonder who pays for the fire department??

John had an appointment (new hearing aids $6,000!!!) and then we made popcorn and watched a movie.

Out our window.

We were both notified to book our covid booster - done for next week.

Thursday I met my BFF for lunch, our first since we went to Newfoundland and Labrador. Lots to catch up on. We are still trying to find a new "local", so we went to WVRST in Union Station. John and I had been to their King St. location a few years ago. It is kind of a weird setup, you order and pay for drinks at the bar, then go and order and pay for your food at the back. But we had a booth and it meant we could sit as long as we wanted.

We both had (after many mind changes) their small charcuterie boards.

Sitting in traffic on the way home.

Sunset - the ropes are for the window cleaning.

The cleaning lady cancelled on Wednesday as her babysitter was doing her citizenship ceremony and then on Friday as the baby had bronchitis, poor thing. 

We took the bus down to Longo's to get some groceries. 

Then John went for a walk around the lake.

COOKING

Saturday ham, au gratin cauliflower and potatoes

Sunday leftovers with Brussels sprouts

Monday curry chicken

Tuesday BBQ chicken quarters, roast potatoes and tomatoes, broccoli

Wednesday pot roast

Thursday homemade pizza - frozen from from last order. John said his was harder than usual. I am making notes here for next time. Oven - 480, John's (GF) on bottom rack, 20 minutes. Mine was great.

Friday steak frites, I also made chimichurri and a dipping sauce for the fries. 

WATCHING

I watched Longford as I embroidered.
Longford is a 2006 British biographical crime drama television film. The film centres on Labour Party peer Lord Longford and his campaign for the parole of Moors Murderer Myra Hindley.

I didn't know anything about Hindley so I looked her up.

Luckiest Girl Alive - meh. It was easy to pick out the Toronto filming locations.

We watched Blonde as we had listened to the reviews in CBC radio while travelling.

Blonde is a 2022 American biographical film written and directed by Andrew Dominik, based on the 2000 novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates. The film is a fictionalized take on the life and career of American actress Marilyn Monroe, played by Ana de Armas. The cast also includes Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, Xavier Samuel, and Julianne Nicholson.

We disliked it intensely. This review sums it up.

“Blonde” abuses and exploits Marilyn Monroe all over again, the way so many men did over the cultural icon’s tragic, too-short life. Maybe that’s the point, but it creates a maddening paradox: condemning the cruelty the superstar endured until her death at 36 while also reveling in it.

We binge watched Dahmer - not for the faint-hearted. You have to also realize some artistic license went into producing this.

Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is an American limited biographical crime drama television series.  The series is about the life of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.

We also started the series, A Friend of the Family an American drama miniseries. Based on true events, it follows Robert Berchtold, a close friend of the Broberg family, who kidnaps Jan Broberg twice over a period of two years. It is based on a book written by Jan Broberg, who also does the intro to the series.

I'll admit, we both (with our 2022 knowledge) did think these people are very naïve/in denial and innocent/willfully ignorant.

Elvis - loved it, although you do have to suspend belief in many cases, it was just pure entertainment! It is listed as a biographical musical drama film.

The film's costume and production designs as well as musical sequences were fabulous.
Austin Butler is amazing! Tom Hanks is amazing.

I like this review.

Yes, it does have some bad reviews, but I don't care.

It made John and I look up where the "International" was originally in Las Vegas as we knew we had visited it. Here's a photo from inside the LVH, formally a Hilton.

READING

I tried to read Robert Goddard's Long Time Coming. Then I tried The Second Mrs. Astor, I mean, it's about the Titanic! Nope, couldn't finish it either.

Twenty Years Later caught  my interest I loved it and didn't see the ending coming!!! Loved it. I always wondered if this could happen, after 9/11. *SPOILER ALERT* could someone have faked their death in the building and walked away to a new life?

I changed the font colour to white to not show the spoiler... I talked so much about it that John borrowed it from the library.

I started another by the same author The Suicide House, so far so good. However it takes place before Twenty Years Later.

Daily Press

 Linking up at Marg at The Intrepid Reader 

Weekend Coffee Share

Sunday Salon

Hearth and Soul Link Party

Enhanced vaccine QR codes are now available to download. We both now have ours on our phones. We have each other's as well in case one of us forgets our phone.

Saturday John took a friend to physio and picked up his regripped clubs from a friend.

It was a gloomy day with rain off and on. Around  5 we had an amazing sun shower.

Yes, that is a ghostly me in pink on the left.

Followed by a nice sunset - there is a plane heading to Pearson airport, almost in the middle of the photo.

Sunday we slept in and lounged around all day. I finished and washed my embroidery (yay me!). I just have to finish the back.

I started knitting a sweater the n had to rip the ribbing out as there was a flaw in the wool that I thought I could ignore, but it was too noticeable. 

Pattern at Mama in a Stitch.

I finished watching season 6 of Great British Bake Off as I had somehow missed the season when Nadiya won!

John can make fun of me watching these baking shows BUT on GBBO season 11 (I watched last week) the technical challenge was Danish Kransekake Cornucopia Cake which is made with almond flour so it is gluten free. This made me wonder if the Danish Pastry House in Toronto had gluten free pastries, and sure enough they do. So on Monday I stopped into their Union Station outlet and picked up a couple of kokokeep for John, you're welcome! He said it was delicious.

Then I headed to College Park to check out a new art installation.

They also had Halloween decorations out.

I went to Farm Boy as we needed some vegetables and I wanted to check out their gluten free fresh ravioli.

Tuesday was a gorgeous day and I decided to check out the new T and T Chinatown location while John golfed.

T and T is a Canadian supermarket that specializes in Asian food products. The only one downtown was closed due to a city revitalization project of the land.

I took the streetcar to College, not sure which side of Spadina it was on. Of course I turned the wrong way but got a great shot of the Lillian Smith library.

I turned around and laughed, if I had just looked up I would have seen the sign on the T and T condo that the store is in. It would be great to have this in your building. They also have an incredible take out selection, including BBQ duck!

They have a large selection of fish parts for making soups.

Large frozen foods selection.

Crazy chips for my chips photo collection.

Tomato chips, onion soup chips, Himalayan pink sea salt chips.

I also picked up frozen lamb pieces (yum curry!) and frozen BBQ pork, which is what I had come for. Also got more gouchujang, scallions, baby bok choy and bean sprouts. 

Fun T and T murals.

As usual my bag was heavier than I intended. I headed down Spadina planning to catch the 1:45 bus. 

Never noticed the rooster before.

More robot deliveries. I had seen one in action back in August.

Okay, if I want to make 1:45 I should take the streetcar, nah, may was well walk and get the 2:45. But now I would have too long a wait. So I'm on Richmond, and there is the 501 bus (Queen St. streetcar replacement due to construction) so I grab that and am home before the 2:45 leaves downtown. Talk about being indecisive.

Wednesday I headed out at 9:30 for the Bata Shoe Museum for a new exhibition.

The lake as I waited for the bus.

The exhibit was All Dolled Up. 

It never got as warm as they promised and this sky turned grey when I left the Bata Museum. Then it started to rain so I popped into the ROM, Royal Ontario Museum gift shop.

A rare sighting this year, but still happy to see it back on the streets. I also forgot to mention that yesterday was the first time in 19 months that there was a convention on the convention hall.

Music store on Bloor.

I made a stop in Winners/Homesense and then Indigo bookstore before picking up a few items at Bay and Bloor.

Thursday we had flu shots booked for 10:40 at Rexall Pharmacy in the Atrium.

The vaccines available for adults 65 years of age and older: 

A high-dose quadrivalent vaccine (QIV-HD): Fluzone® High-Dose Quadrivalent; and a standard-dose adjuvanted trivalent vaccine (TIV-adj): Fluad®.

Then I took John shopping at the Eaton Centre, we're not sure the last time he was there, definitely pre-pre-pandemic!

A stop in H and M and a new dressing gown for John and a couple of pairs of gloves for me. Old Navy - nothing. Bed and Bathworks - shower gels and room sprays. Through The Bay - crazy shoes.

These are plastic!

Crazier price!

Speaking of shoes, John got two pairs of Rockports. In speaking with the sales associate, there are inventory shortages and even The Bay is looking to hire. Hiring signs are everywhere!

Friday and it was only 5 C (41 F) when John headed out at 8AM!! I went out later and I was freezing. 

Looks like a Day of the Dead/Halloween display in Union Station?

For the first time since 2019 Fan Expo Canada was taking place at the Convention Centre. 

FAN EXPO CANADA is about celebrating ALL things fandom. From Comics, Graphic Novels, Anime, Manga, Sci-fi and Fantasy to Cosplay, Horror, to Gaming, Toys, Movies, and Television. Come and meet your heroes, attend celebrity guest panels, autograph sessions, family-friendly programming, and so much more.

Normally I would have gotten a lot of photos but I think it was just too cold. When I was on the bus I did see the long snaking line at the entrance. Note to self - go there for photos.

As of Friday Ontario reveals plan to lift all COVID-19 restrictions by March next year.

WATCHING

Little Fires Everywhere we finished this miniseries and think there will be another season.

A blogger mentioned that if we liked Squid Games we should try Alice in Borderland, we did and enjoyed it, now looking forward to another season.

As we are currently hooked on Japanese action thrillers we watched Battle Royale (2000).

Crisis a 2021 crime thriller, stars Gary Oldman, Armie Hammer, Evangeline Lilly, Greg Kinnear.

I started watching an Irish series Smother, perfect for bingeing while knitting.

For those who asked:

I watch GBBO on CBC Gem, all the seasons are available there. I doubt it is an option outside Canada.

Great Canadian Bake Off Season 1 is on Dailymotion you can search for the rest of the episodes.

Great Canadian Bake Off Season 2 Dailymotion BEST season with Dan Levy

Great Canadian Bake Off Season 3 Dailymotion

Great Canadian Bake Off Season 4 Dailymotion

It appears the American version is also on Dailymotion

The British one also shows on Dailymotion as does the Australian!!

YouTube shows the three seasons of the Great IRISH Bake Off!

COOKING

My semi planned weekly menu got changed around a bit.

Saturday pasta with brie, new to my recipe box.

Sunday coconut shrimp (air fryer) and Caesar salad. Coconut shrimp was coconut flour, one egg and shredded coconut, air fried for 10 minutes. I call this a lazy bottle meal. I used bottled mango sauce for the shrimp and Farm Boy's bottled Caesar dressing which happens to be delicious.

Monday pho lamb chops, new potatoes and honey baby carrots.

Tuesday General Tso gluten free spinach and ricotta ravioli with arrabbiata sauce and Caesar salad.  OMG this pasta was horrible! So gloppy and sticky. Barely a hint of spinach. YUCK.

Wednesday steak bites and  mushrooms (air fryer)  Pho with BBQ pork (see above), first time doing it with pork. 

This pork wasn't quite right, it wasn't quite the BBQ I expected. I need to find char siu pork in Chinatown.

Perhaps I should make it myself using a pork butt/shoulder? OR with pork belly, I have some frozen!

Thursday chicken stir fry with bok choy, bean sprouts on rice.

Friday steak frites and I made siracha mayo and chimichurri. John's not a huge fan of chimichurri (chalk it up to a bad experience in Puerto Vallarta) but he really liked the mayo.

I need to try GBBO Paul Hollywood's recipe for gluten free pita bread.

READING

Marg at Weekend Cooking mentioned a couple of air fryer cookbooks. I "went" to the library and discovered that Allrecipes had published a couple of special magazines with air fryer recipes. Click here to take a peek inside the January 2020 issue.

Click here for 15 best new air fryer recipes of 2020 from Allrecipes.

I borrowed two of the magazines this week and read them on my laptop.

I would definitely try this General Tso recipe although I do have another that I like.  And it is gluten free.

What I don't understand in their recipe for loaded baked potatoes, they use a skillet to cook the bacon and put it aside to cool. Why not do the bacon in the air fryer, let it cool while the potatoes cook? Why are you dirtying extra pans? 

    I read The Wife Upstairs, a modern Jane Eyre. It was okay but nothing exciting.

I started The Strangers about four generations of a Metis family told through four women.