Bazaar-o-Rama Week 4
Well, I’ve put on 12 pounds worth of Mars Bars Slices and Peanut Butter Porcupines – and just in time for the holiday season! That can only mean one thing. Bazaar-o-Rama is coming to a close for another year.
Read MoreBazaar-o-Rama Week 3
Another week, another round-up of church bazaar treasures! What did I find this past Saturday on my travels? Read on, dear reader.
Read MoreBazaar-o-Rama Week 2
It’s been another exciting bazaar adventure of shopping, eating and making new senior friends. Here’s what I scored this week.
Read MoreBest and Worst Pasta Sauce
I’ve been partnered with an Italian for over 23 years. And in those 23 years, I’ve learned there are some things that Italians hold sacred: a clean house, designer sunglasses and disco singing sensation, Raffaella Carrà.
Another sacred thing? Tomato sauce.
Read MoreBest and Worst Granny Candy
You can count on grannies for a number of things. Showing you how to do the mashed potato dance, for one. Or keeping Glade Plug-In Air Fresheners in business. Or using “dilly-dally,” “horse-feathers” and “nincompoop” in a single sentence. Another thing you can count on is a granny’s candy stash.
Read MoreDaisy Cut-Up Cake
Some time ago, I was on CBC Radio’s The Next Chapter, predicting that cut-up party cakes were due for a huge comeback. Cut-up cakes, for anyone born past 1980, were popular in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Basically, you take a cake, cut it up into different pieces and assemble those pieces to create something new. Like a turkey. Doesn’t that sound appetizing?
Read MoreDollar Store Chocolate Bar Taste Test
Who isn’t trying to cut corners these days? But should the line be drawn with chocolate? I picked up six brand name chocolate bars and paired them against their dollar store equivalents. I conducted a blind taste test and enlisted the services of a second taste tester, so you’ll get more than just my opinion. Even though mine is the most important. Obviously. So how did the dollar store bars stack up?
Read MoreBest and Worst Snack Crackers
Let’s face it – snack crackers don’t always get the recognition they deserve. Think about all the times snack crackers have been there for you. While you’re microwaving your dinner. When you come home after too many wine spritzers. When you need to preoccupy your mouth during awkward office parties.
Read MoreMy Gingerbread House Obsession
Every Christmas, I take on an ambitious baking project. I tell myself I enjoy doing it, but, by the end of the project, I always wonder if I have some sadomasochist need. This year, I decided to make a gingerbread house.
Read MoreBazaar-o-Rama 2018 Week 4
Well, here it is. The final week of Bazaar-o-Rama 2018. Pass me a tissue, will you? My only comforts are the treasures I found this past weekend.
Read MoreBazaar-o-Rama 2018 Week 3
We’re knee-deep in bazaar season. What did I score on my third weekend out? The only way you’ll find out is to scroll, my friends. Scroll and be amazed.
Read MoreBazaar-o-Rama 2018 Week 2
I’m back with another exciting round-up. What did I find this week at my church bazaar travels? Check out my loot!
Read MoreBazaar-o-Rama 2018 Week 1
Bazaar-o-Rama is back for another titillating edition! Every November, I scour church Christmas bazaars in search of the weird and wonderful and share all my treasures with you, dear reader. I’ll update this post every Monday throughout the month. Come along for a bazaar journey. Or is that “bizarre?”
Read MoreWitch Cut-Up Cake
A couple of years ago, I was on CBC Radio’s The Next Chapter, talking about what I thought would be the new book trends. Cut-up party cakes was one of them. Apparently, the rest of the world still needs to catch on. Maybe people think turning a cake into an airplane is intimidating. But believe me, if I can do it, so can you.
Read MoreBest and Worst American Chocolate Bars
Recently I went to New York City and learned a few things. When riding in a taxi, never look out the windshield to see what the driver is doing. Instead, just look out the passenger window and think of puppies and daffodils.
Read MoreValentine's Day Heart Cookies
Ever since I received a cookie letter press a couple of Christmases ago, I’ve been a bit obsessed with inscribing inspirational messages on cookies. See my Fuck Cookies as an example. I like putting messages on cookies because a) you truly get to eat your emotions and b) it’s good spelling praktice.
Read MoreCaker Christmas 2017
I recently hosted my annual Caker Christmas potluck party. I ask Italians to make Anglo Saxon dishes like casseroles and things saturated with Cool Whip. As you can imagine, it’s a real rollercoaster of tastes.
Read MoreBazaar-o-Rama 2017
Every November, I embark on Bazaar-o-Rama, my annual tour of church bazaars. If you haven’t been to a bazaar, you’re missing out. You can find cheap gifts, form friendships with women named Beatrice and Irene, and buy percolated coffee for next to nothing.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll post some of the treasures I find. Join me on my bazaar journey, won’t you?
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