Turquoise Kitchenware and some news

Not sure if anyone is out there anymore.  I haven't posted anything for almost a year, but  I thought my most recent acquisitions deserved a post.  It was a 50% off kitchenware day at one of my local thrift shops.  I didn't expect to find anything,but I found two things one after the other.

A small pyrex bowl, in excellent condition.  I think the pattern is called Amish.  Besides the Forest Fancies, this is the only other pattern I have and look out for.  And a pristine Melmac divided bowl, which I was equally pumped to find.  

There was a small article about Melmac in the latest edition of Atomic Ranch.  I was just reading it and admiring the styling of Melmac pieces and then found this bowl in the thrift store later that week.  This bowl was made in Toronto by Maplex.  As I was researching it I came across this blog all about Melmac.  There are aficionados for everything!  Its great reading.

I only spend $2.50 for both, as they were half price.

And for the news...I may be resurrecting this blog, as I'll have lots of new (and old!) things to blog about.  Hus and I will be moving to a new city (a city! with an international airport, culture, amenities, and lots and lots of thrift and consignment stores), in a new province, and I will be returning to school (at age 40!) to transition to a new career.  But most exciting of all, for the purposes of this blog, we bought a 1959 mid-century modest home, which has many of its original features.  So my turquoise bowls will fit right in!

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?

Pyrex Present

Our family often exchange used gifts.  When I opened the gift my parent's gave to me on Christmas Eve, I was happy to discover two individual-sized 'Forest Fancies' dishes!

I haven't used them yet, but I will.  I only have a small collection of pyrex and have never baked in it before!
Other kitchen goodies (new ones!) that we received for Christmas were: a heavy-duty pizza cutter, a recipe keeper binder, tea towel, filet knife, kitchen scissors, veggie scrubber, and cookbooks.  Thanks everyone!

I'm back...with vintage bowls to share

I can't believe its been three months since I've posted last!  I didn't mean to totally abandon my blog, but I also wasn't reading anyone else's during that time.  May and June were incredibly busy with many meetings and trips to Vancouver and back, and in July we took holidays to England!


But I was still able to keep thrifting and rummaging.  So over the next few days I'll post what the thrift stores yielded over the last three months, and I'll post a little about our vacation, and a few other things.


So now onto the 'bowls' referred to in this post's title.


Back in May, I was thinking that I should probably search ebay for the matching bowls for my large 'Forest Fancies' pyrex bowl.  A few days later, I walked into the thrift shop and found a set of the three smaller bowls for $10.  This was a better price than I could have found elsewhere, including Value Village, and the bowls were mint!

Now I'm so happy that I have a complete set and these have become my 'go to' mixing and serving bowls.

Isn't it funny how the thrifting gods can summon up just what a person was looking for?  


And sometimes you think that you will never be lucky enough to come across something you've only seen in pictures.  That was the case last Saturday when I was in my hometown and at Value Village with my mom.  Something caught my eye in the housewares and I had to do a double take, since I really didn't believe it.  I flipped over the bowls and yes indeed, they had the 'Arabia of Finland' stickers on the bottom.

I've become very familiar with these enamel bowls designed by Kaj Franck in researching mid-century Scandinavian housewares on the internet.  So, I know that they can net over $80 for a bowl.  I scored the large one for $5.99 and the smaller one for $4.99.  And they are in pretty good condition, only a few minor chips on the rim.  I wasn't sure where I was going to put them but I wasn't about to leave them in the store, so as you can see, they sit on my island holding fruit and veggies.

Pyrex Presents

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!  I thought I would share some pictures of the vintage presents I scored.  I received two pyrex bowls matching the only pyrex I already have....

Thanks mom and sis!  My one sister also gave me a 70s Goebel piggy bank which matches the fishy bank I have had since childhood....

And my other sister gave Hus this swinging cocktail tray....

I guess the red noses are the 1950s equivalent of a health warning!