JB's Warehouse & Curio Emporium

Being from a family with strong culinary genes, there are a ton of cookbooks lying around the family homestead. Most have eye-catching, mouth-watering looking recipes. The further back you go in the collection, the more the eyes pop out at some of the dishes that passed the publisher's test kitchen. One of the larger series we have is various versions of the Better Homes & Gardens cookbooks. Volumes from the 60s are telling in how much opinions about tasty, economical foods have changed through the years. Key findings: 1) Every other dish was a "bake", "strata" or "hodgepodge". 2) Spam (and its knockoffs) was the monarch of the kitchen. This wonder of science could be used in every way imaginable. 3) Other kitchen basics: creamed corn, lima beans, sherry, the number of the nearest heart surgeon. 4) Anything was fair game to be an exotic dish. 5) Velveeta is the king of cheeses. 6) Frankfurters are as diverse in their uses as Spam. L

A few pix from the Kensington Festival of Lights... The procession moves along Baldwin St. The crowds around European never cease. Note the masks and number of people moving along. Anyone could join in, most with lanterns in tow. All this to celebrate the longest night of the year. A mermaid and fisherman above a falafel shop. Across the street was a rooftop of native-inspired birds (the shots didn't turn out so well), then rooftop drummers at Baldwin and Augusta. More masks near the end of the procession route on Kensington Avenue.

Let's say that since I moved down to Toronto, the items I've used for sleeping have driven others up the wall. From the last days of scanty student income, I used a cheap guest bed from Ikea with an orthopaedic pad. Surprisingly comfortable, it lasted until one part fell off (plus a basement flood was a good excuse to ditch it). Next I used a futon, which was good as long as I stayed on one half without rolling over the top of the trench in the middle. Finally, after recent repairs to my place were finished, I started the hunt for my first bed. Amazing how the suggestions of others linger in one's mind. From the prodding of coworkers, I got it into my head that I needed a queen-size bed. Spent a couple of weeks going to stores, bouncing up and down on beds. In the end, it was a toss-up between Sears and Sleep Country. The latter won, and I happily walked out with a nicely-priced queen. Got home, reassessed space, concluded I'd goofed. Called the next morning

At first I thought it was just another piece of phone spam. Lately, the majority of messages left on my phone have been of the unwanted variety, which is a growing complaint around the city. It tends to either be for a "free" vacation by Collingwood or a moving company. The latter's messages crack me up, as it's the same guy everytime (who never took public speaking, judging from the long, drawn-out "uhhhhhhs"). Whether he calls himself Boris, Jimmy or Janos, I find myself wishing there was a skip command. Twice in the past month I received an "urgent" message from an unidentified company looking for "Jamie or Barb Bradburn". Figured it was someone calling at random, since I haven't a clue who Barb Bradburn is. At least they got my gender right. But then the other night I got the message again and it sounded urgent, complete with a case number and company name - D & A. Decided to call the number. Turned out D & A w