First of the Season: Rhubarb

Although the weather has been cold and damp here, we are actually well into spring because I used the first of my rhubarb!  I love rhubarb in the spring when there is no other fruit available (ok, technically it is a vegetable), but as the season progresses I find it harder and harder to use up.  So a few years ago I bought a small cookbook entirely devoted to rhubarb recipes (at Value Village, naturally). 
On the weekend I decided that I would randomly open the book and make whatever recipe happened to be on that page.

Behold. Royal Rhubarb Dessert!

This recipe for Royal Rhubarb Dessert was a little off-putting because it required dry strawberry jello! And I couldn't quite figure out how it all went together until I started making it.

First I pushed a pie-crust type base into a pan.

I thought it fitting to use my pyrex bowl to contain the
Rhubarb in this likely mid-century recipe.

Then, onto the piece-de-resistance: sprinkling the jello onto the rhubarb layer!

Eww! 

And here it is with the top layer on, ready to go into the oven.

After 30 minutes it was done.

The jello soaked up the moisture from the rhubarb, and as the dessert cooled the rhubarb layer became firmer.

And here is a cooled slice.  It cut and stayed together surprisingly well.  But besides being day glow pink, you wouldn't even know that it had jello in it.  The pie crust-like base contrasted nicely with the other softer layers.  I enjoyed it, but am not sure if I would make it again.  First, because I rarely have jello on hand.  Second, because there are so many other recipes to try out!  What are your favourite ways to use rhubarb?

May 5th Garage Sale Haul

Today was grey and rainy.  Not pleasant enough to spend outdoors doing yard work, but good enough to hit garage sales.  The first ones I've been to this year.  Many were fundraisers.  I think they were timed to coincide with the opening day of our very popular farmer's market.  I probably went to ten today, and I've grouped my haul into categories:


Housewares:

For some reason I didn't have a 1/4 measure.  But now I have this little white tupperware one. 25 cents.  And two canisters for dry goods. $1.50.

Toys:

A game, paper doll and seek-and-search book for my little niece and nephew that I'll be visiting in a few weeks.  $1.00.

Books:

Well, you can read the titles.  I will say that I keep picking up Philippa Gregory books for my 'to read' shelf, but haven't yet read one!

Fashion:

On the upside, I liked the style of these shoes.  On the downside, I rarely wear heels and these are made of all man-made materials.  But, on the upside they've never been worn and were only .50 cents.  So I took them home.  Behind is a hanger for scarves, belts etc. 10 cents.

I also bought some chocolate chip cookies at one of the fundraisers, but there are hardly any left to photograph!
So, these are all fairly practical items but a good start to garage sale season, nonetheless. 
I'm linking up to other rummagers from Her Library Adventures Flea Market Finds.

leftovers + creativity = delish lunch!

I stumbled into making a great 5-ingredient salad with leftovers from the fridge.  
We had some basmati rice left over from Indian takeaway, and a rapidly aging cauliflower. As I was holding both scanning the fridge for inspiration, I remembered this Jamie Oliver recipe for Salmon Tikka that my sister introduced me to (which I highly recommend).  I thought that if salmon smeared with curry paste tasted so good, so would cauliflower. 

Dished into lunch containers the next day

It was great!  We ate it for lunch for two days, and then the following weekend I made it for a potluck.  Everyone wanted the recipe, so I've come up with one:


2-3 cups cooked white or basmati rice
1 head cauliflower, broken into small florets
2 Tbsp Patak's mild curry paste*
2 tsp vegetable oil
2-3 Tbsp chopped cilantro (or more!)
3/4 cup defrosted frozen peas


Smear the cauliflower with curry paste and drizzle with oil.  Spread on pan and roast in a preheated 400 degree oven until soft and browned, around 25 minutes.  When cooled mix with rice, peas and cilantro.  Enjoy!


*I have no affiliation with Patak's, but would take freebies if they wanted to send me some!

Happy Birthday to...

Me!

Bought a package of 8 of these vintage invites at
the Sally Ann for 25 cents

I wanted to show you these cute invitations I bought, but unfortunately I haven't sent them out.  My birthday wish this year is to be left alone.  I know that sounds horrible, but I've had a stressful few weeks and really just wanted some downtime.  So I took the day off today, haven't answered the phone or checked e-mail, slept in until 9:00, and didn't get out of my pyjamas until 2:00.  But, I'll take birthday greetings later tonight.
Tonight Hus will take me out for dinner, then we'll probably come home and start watching his gift to me.  Season one of Game of Thrones. 
I received a few other gifts some weeks ago when we were back in our hometown for Easter.  My sister gave me these really cute Matryoshka doll lunch containers, and my mother-in-law bought me the most awesome high-waisted sailor pants at Sears. My parents also bought me some new PJs. Thanks everyone!
Next year is the big 40, so that milestone birthday party will make up for this lack-lustre one!

Sundresses and Vanity Sizing/Size Inflation

Last Spring I thrifted a bunch of new (to me) sundresses, but they didn't see the light of day since we had such a horrid and cold summer in British Columbia.  But, when we went to Mexico in February, I finally got to wear them.  Hopefully, I'll get more chances this summer.  Two are vintage (late 1980s) and the other one is newer - but all are made in Canada.
First the vintage ones...

 I got this one at a clothing swap fundraiser for a donation of $2.  Made by Les Mode Jolibel Inc, is is 100% cotton.  Notice how snug and well-fitting it is?  Size 10.  It is totally something I would have worn back in the day.  When my mom (who was in Mexico with us) saw it, she said I looked like I did back in the 1980s.  I take that as a complement!

 This one was purchased at Value Village in Coquitlam, BC for about $17. I love the pattern.  Although it feels like linen, it is also 100% cotton made by Seaqueen beachwear and swimwear.  I have a little shrug that dresses it up nicely.  It is also a size 10.  I also love that both of these vintage dresses have pockets.  So handy!

And finally the new one....

 This is Joseph Ribkoff, a Canadian design house that has been around since 1957.  Purchased at Value Village in Prince George, BC for about $15.  No pockets, and a synthetic material.  It also fits my torso well, but as compared to the size 10 1980s dresses, this one is a size 4!  Obviously, there is some discrepancy here.

And it is not just this dress. I have recently purchased a pair of jeans in a size 4, a few skirts, and many tops.  There is some controversy whether this trend is 'vanity sizing' (manufacturers purposely putting smaller sizes on clothing so vain consumers purchase the clothing) or 'size inflation' (manufacturers changing their sizing to reflect today's 'average' which is heavier and taller than it used to be).  Of course, studies show that even men's trousers (ostensibly measured in inches) do not reflect an accurate measurement.  A size "31" may actually measure as a "35."

All I know is that I never wore a size 4 when I reached adulthood and started shopping for myself.  Twenty years later, even with changing sizes, I still can't think of myself as a size 4.  I prefer to think of myself as a perfect (size) 10! Ha Ha! 

Spreading the Liebster Award Love...

This morning I received notice from the lovely Hausfrau at http://hausfraujournal.blogspot.ca/ that she has bestowed upon me a Liebster Blog Award. This is given to blogs with less than 200 followers!  

Danke Schoen, Hausfrau!  Although I haven't been posting too much lately, it is nice to be recognized AND this is my very first blog award!


The Hausfrau has been posting since October and her posts from the 'old country' about German vintage fashion, appliances and housewares are great.  As a child of German immigrants, I love seeing the things my parents might have grown up with, and I'm a fan of the ascetic.  Check it out; she posts about some really fascinating things.  And she may be interested in this West German Jute table runner, my mom just gave me....

Once it is ironed, it will be great at Christmas.
The colours are much brighter in real life.

Once the award is given, each recipient is to carry on the tradition by honouring five other small blogs.  In no particular order, I would like to pass on the award to (drumroll please)...

1. Daydreaming in Turquoise at http://daydreaminginturquoise.blogspot.ca/ 

I love Sarah's blog name, and I find her posts also pique my interest.  Yes she loves turquoise, but she writes about various things (not all turquoise related).  She is always trolling Etsy and Pinterest to show her readers the most absurd and interesting things.  Many of the posts are about appreciating the small things in life like baking and cooking in vintage pyrex!

2. Living Rich on the Cheap at http://livingrichonthecheap.blogspot.ca/

I only recently found Cheapchick's blog.  She is currently writing about relocating from Alberta to Vancouver Island.  One of her recent posts was about the bountiful seafood to be had on the West Coast.  I can relate.  I also enjoy her thrifting finds and budget updates.  She really lives up to her blog name.

3. Retro Fashion is my Passion at http://retrofashionismypassion.blogspot.ca/ 

This blog is the last one that I joined to follow.  The author writes with a lot of humour about vintage fashion and hairdos, but the blog is about a lot more, like her Etsy business and decorating her home.  I also like that the cleanness of her blog and that she includes just the right amount of photographs.

4. The Creekhouse at http://thecreekhouseblog.blogspot.ca/ 

Lovers of mid-century, go here pronto!  Jenny is an elementary school teacher and an Etsy entrepreneur.  She mainly posts about what housewares and collectables she finds to stock her store.  But what finds they are!  Arabia of Finland, Dansk, and Marimekko are some of the Scandinavian brands she finds.  Who would have known that Colorado would yield such amazing mid-century. 

5. Thrift Shopper for Peace at http://thriftshopperforpeace.wordpress.com/ 

This is another blog from my home province of British Columbia, and the author intellectualizes thrift shopping like I do.  Read her 'about' page to see what I mean.  Her most recent post was about disappearing bookstores and books.  She also 'reviews' thrift stores from around Vancouver and the lower mainland, and from her visits to other parts of Canada and abroad. 

So my lieblings, congratulations and pass on the award to 5 blogs you cherish that have less than 200 followers. 

Last of the Snow

Most Canadians engage in a Spring ritual: breaking apart the last of the snow on the lawn, so it melts and disappears faster.  Some, like my neighbour, take out their snowblowers and snow blow their lawn, but I take the old-fashioned approach: a shovel. Here is the fruit of my labour...

Rufus was in the backyard the whole day and as the lumps melted, he licked them like they were sno-cones.

Now that I am feeling better I'm taking advantage of the spring skiing before our local mountain shuts down for the season.  Here I am with friends last weekend...

I'm in the white, not sure why I am standing so funny though. 

It was a great day with warm sunny weather and we had burgers, fries and beers on the lodge patio at the end of the day.  Our local mountain is the only cooperatively owned ski-hill in North America - so that's pretty cool too.  We'll be back tomorrow.