Sometimes the Finds Are For Us!

Yes, it's been a while since I've posted and I'm sorry about that. Things have been a bit up and down, so for today, things are a bit up and I thought I'd share that with you.

Remember those funky pink appliances? The hand mixer, can opener and ice crusher? They sold! Yeah...I couldn't believe it myself! We both thought they were cool and retro, but didn't think they'd sell as fast as they did! Amazed, I tell you...we were amazed! I put them in the space right before Valentine's day and they sold last week!

That hanging curio cabinet? Also sold! Excited to get in and use up the wall space I have left. I have a couple of shelves that will work out in the space, so we'll be able to put it to better use.

We've met our goal this month with the booth and it's only taken three months...I'm actually considering another small space in the shop if something comes open...not a room, but a small space with some floor room to put small furniture and maybe another case/curio. We'll see...that's down the road a piece, so for now I'm happy.

Joanne and I spend a decent amount of time trolling flea markets and thrift stores when the auctions are few and far between nearby or we're trying to save cash. So, this weekend that's what we did. It's hard not to come home with something for ourselves sometimes and this time around we scored BIG!!! I'll explain in a minute and tell you what I found.

I got into canning two years ago and through a food blog I follow called Serious Eats have found a woman who is pretty local - CC Phila. - who is my Canning Goddess! Her name is Marisa McClellan and she writes a blog called Food in Jars . She's phenomenal! What I discovered about canning two years ago was that you didn't have to 'put up' 30 pounds of peaches or several bushels of tomatoes. There's this new thing called 'small batch canning,' that allows you to preserve only a few pints at a time. Marisa's blog has made canning easily approachable and with her small space in a high-rise apartment building, she's well aware of the restrictions of storing home canned goods.

I invited her to come up and hold class with a group of friends, so we could all learn something about the process of putting the season's best away so we could liven up a dull winter meal. One of the hints she gave was using an asparagus steamer to can a small batch of whatever we were canning. How simple! No need to bring out the big canning pot and this is even tall enough to process a quart jar! Ironically, my canning pot isn't even big enough to do that!

Well, folks...SCORE!!! Joanne found a pot with a basket and glass lid! Calphalon, even!

We love it when we are able to cross something off our 'want' list!

Speaking of want lists...Marisa told me she's a pushover for enamel cast iron pots and pans and to keep my eyes open for them in my travels...here's her score from me!!! Awesome...I'm gonna have to start looking for some for my own collection!

Something you may be looking for? Certainly let us know. We can take photos and text you when we find something and let you know the condition and our price!

Moxie Update: He's holding his own. Skinny, but eating although I sometimes have to force with a syringe to jump start him. Otherwise he's doing as well as can be expected. Alert, sometimes even playful and always in need of cuddling!