WTF-Beta

I use it, but in tandem with Goodreads. So many of my friends are on Goodreads and I stalk a couple folks whose reading preferences match mine to get suggestions. I do like Storygraph’s review mechanism as the pacing and mood parts really help me to determine whether I might like a book.

Add me too please!

Thanks for bringing up the problems with arthritic hands. I hadn’t thought of that. Obviously if I’m going to buy LC or some other more expensive cookware I’m thinking long term. I already have some mild (what I assume is) arthritis in my hands which at times makes it hard for me to open things or to grip utensils to stir for any length of time. Heavy objects haven’t posed as much of a problem but I assume they could in the future… maybe I should rethink.

@wtg so sad - the page doesn’t exist on the Canadian site.

@Mary-Anna said in Le Creuset vs. Other enamelled cast iron?:

We gave some off-brand enameled ironware that we got from Costco--a large- and a medium-sized dutch oven. I've had a couple of pieces of Le Creuset in the past, and I can't tell that these cook any differently. We've only had them for a few months, but I have no complaints. They're a beautiful blue that's as pretty as the Le Creuset colors, and the price difference was breathtaking.

This is my wondering! My off brand ones were from Canadian Tire and other than a few small external chips I really have no complaints.

I will definitely check at Homesense though and see if I can find some LC for a more reasonable price. Unfortunately the braiser that I want doesn’t seem to be a popular piece (the 4.7… it’s only available in the few most popular colours). So I don’t know if I’ll be able to find it at much of a bargain.

Le Creuset came up in the cookware thread and I have been considering getting one of their braisers. I have two off brand enamelled cast iron Dutch ovens. I’ve had them both for at least a decade, and since I got each of them for less than $50, they really owe me nothing. However, some of the enamel is starting to chip. Mostly on the outside, though there are also worn spots on a textured section of one of the lids.

Has anyone had experience with some of the off brand stuff compared to Le Creuset? I do have a Le Creuset wok, but I don’t use it terribly frequently so it’s hard to compare.

https://apple.news/A2DPyP9XrR9uY05mKJbVMwg

Excerpt…
“Eric Yu stood in the aisle of a grocery store, looking at the label of a pasta sauce he would have simply grabbed and put in his cart, almost without thinking, until last week. But now he looked closely at the label, and when he saw the sauce was made in the United States, he put it back on the shelf.
“I think, as a Canadian, it’s almost our duty. It’s an extremely small thing to do, but we have to do this in protest,” said Mr. Yu, who lives in Markham, Ont. “One person doing this will not make a difference, but if we’re all doing this, I think that’s going to at least allow our voices to be heard.”
Mr. Yu’s voice is one among a rapidly rising chorus that has swelled across the country, in the wake of President Donald Trump’s threats of sweeping tariffs and repeated mentions of making Canada “the 51st State.”
“I think there’s a lot of Canadian pride, and there’s a lot of anger toward the U.S. right now,” said Mr. Yu, who said he also rerouted a foreign trip to a non-American airline, and would not be travelling to the United States.
“I’m trying to make my voice heard through what I purchase and things I do.”
In recent days, there has been a marked surge of national pride and patriotism – coupled with a strong desire to support and protect Canadian interests – as Canadians navigate a shocking change in relationship with the country’s long-standing ally, trading partner and vacation destination.” …

The book The Wild Robot is based on is excellent! For kids, obviously, but my guess is it’ll be a modern classic.

The LCBO is the government controlled company that sells alcohol here. While we do have alcohol available in some grocery stores and some convenience stores, ALL of it is purchased through the LCBO. That’s the rules. Which makes the LCBO one of the largest purchasers of alcohol in the world.

Today Doug Ford (premiere of Ontario) ordered the immediate removal of all US products from LCBO shelves. Like LCBO employees were literally boxing it up today.

He’s also chummy with the head of one of the biggest grocery retailers in Ontario, who has started a huge ad campaign about buying Canadian. I’ll be interested to see if some American products start disappearing from the shelves. In some ways, it could be good for some smaller Canadian producers as they may be able to get some shelf space.

Canadians are worried but also… our patriotism is coming out. We definitely have big brother syndrome with having the US as a neighbour so our defining characteristic in how we think of ourselves is often “not American”. In this case, that works in our favour as everyone is mad but also banding together.

One more thing. My entire social media feed is filled with lists and photos of products that are made in Canada. It has been for several days. Everyone on my personal friends lists are posting about how they are not buying specific items with the Canadian alternative. Rob came home yesterday from grocery shopping annoyed that he had to buy spinach from a US producer but everything else he got was made in Canada. People here are pissed.

The other thing Trudeau said that wasn’t mentioned in the article is Canada’s response could also include non-tariff measures centered around the supply of critical minerals or energy procurement.

Trump did one thing that Trudeau hasn’t managed to do recently - unite Canada behind him. And he has nothing to lose since he is stepping down. The Liberals are working on a stimulus package to financially help Canadians weather this. Do you think Trump will do the same for Americans?

Ugh. I’m sorry you are having to go through it.

@wtg I do know that half the country, and the majority of folks I associate with, think the current administration is toxic. But for once I don’t think Canada should just politely give in.

It has been interesting to watch some of the discourse around tariffs and impact on Canadians. There are a lot of folks who are not buying anything from American folks including small businesses. The idea being that to send any sort of money to a country whose leadership has stated they want to take over our country is a terrible idea. I don’t disagree. I used to order things and have them shipped to a US post box or drive across to buy things. I will not do so under the current administration because I feel that the US is threatening our sovereignty. So my money doesn’t go there.

Some American small business owners (creatives whose products are often either digital or one of a kind) are ANGRY. They are saying that the Canadians with this stance are “over reacting” and “punishing small businesses and their families”.

While I get that any hit to a small business sucks… I don’t think it’s an overreaction. Money is clearly the only thing that is important to the US government, and they are threatening my country. I’m not going to reward that by contributing to the US economy if I can help it.

@Steve-Miller said in Hey Mik!:

The lake is freezing over. I’m told it used to freeze solidly every year and that people could drive on it.

This is the first time I’ve seen it freeze since we moved here.

My great grandfather lived on Point Pelee as a young adult in the 1920s and they used to drive on Lake Erie frequently in the winter. He used to do some small scale rum running during Prohibition, until some of the bigger fish gangster rum runners caught them and started shooting.

Just realizing that the way I wrote this could be misleading. Yes my old friend ran for MP but the event was open to the public. We just walked in the morning of and got breakfast while we waited for him to arrive. I wasn’t on some fancy guest list or anything.

@wtg He made a campaign stop at a little
breakfast restaurant in my small town of 6,000. An elementary school friend was running for MP here and they were hoping to wrestle the riding away from the Conservatives (it has been Conservative for as long as I can remember). So Trudeau did a little swing through the area in support. Sadly she didn’t win the riding and she has walked away from politics (she is an elementary school teacher).

While I was frustrated with some of the Liberal Party’s decisions over the past couple of years, I will miss elements of Trudeau’s leadership. I am so glad he was at the helm during COVID, for example. I voted for the Liberals in his first and second campaigns with enthusiasm. In his third campaign I actually would have voted NDP, but because of the way our election process works, I voted Liberal because I thought the local Liberal candidate was a fantastic choice.

Unfortunately, those in the wings to take over the LPC aren’t terribly charismatic, IMO. And as much as I love Jasmeet Singh (and NDP positions in general) there is little to suggest they would be able to make a run for even a Minority government in the upcoming election. My hope is that the Liberals and NDP will form a coalition government. My fear (and, sadly, prediction) is that the Conservatives will win, and likely with a majority government. And I am soooo not okay with that happening.

While Trudeau clearly led a privileged life as the son of a former Prime Minister, he was also a school teacher for several years. He’s also only a few years older than me. So it is the first time ever in politics that I have felt like the person at the helm was even close to being someone “like me”. It was definitely time for him to step down, and even if he hadn’t I wasn’t enthusiastically going to be voting Liberal in the next election, but I’m still a little sad about the end of his leadership.

And just because I can…. Here’s me and the kid with Trudeau in 2019…

We have been having this recipe on repeat. It is so delicious, quick, easy, and makes fantastic leftovers. We have it as a main but it would be delightful with a grilled bit of salmon or chicken as well. From NYT cooking.

Crispy Gnocchi With Spinach and Feta
YIELD 4 servings
TIME 25 minutes (Prep 5 minutes | Cook 20 minutes)
INGREDIENTS
5 ounces baby spinach
6 ounces Greek feta, crumbled (about 1 cup)
1 lemon, halved
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 (16- to 17-ounce) package potato gnocchi (shelf-stable, fresh or frozen)
¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Big handful of chopped dill
Big handful of chopped mint

PREPARATION
Step 1
Place the spinach into a large bowl. Add half of the feta, juice of ½ lemon, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a big pinch of salt; rub the
ingredients vigorously into the spinach to tenderize it. Leave to sit and soften further while you cook the gnocchi.

Step 2
Heat a large (about 12-inch) cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high; add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the gnocchi to
the pan, breaking up any that are stuck together. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing every 2 minutes, until golden and crispy all over. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes; they will further crisp as
they cool.

Step 3
Add the gnocchi to the spinach, along with the red pepper, scallions, dill and mint. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive
oil, add the remaining crumbled feta and toss to combine. Squeeze the remaining lemon juice over top and serve.