…thanks to Judy Dykstra-Brown for hosting The Numbers Game https://judydykstrabrown.com/2025/11/10/the-numbers-game-98-please-play-along-nov-10-2025/
This week’s number is 220.
Haven’t Played this for Awhile – #220
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Category Archives: lunch with friends
Looking Back With Judy’s Photo Challenge
…thanks to Judy Dykstra-Brown for hosting the Numbers Game https://judydykstrabrown.com/2025/02/10/the-numbers-game-60-feb-10-2025-come-play-along
This week’s number is 181. Type it into your photo search box and see what old photos show up.
Back to Baking
…after a six week hiatus I’m back at Montgomery’s Inn
The break from baking after Christmas was nice but I’m happy to be back at the Inn with my baking friends. On Tuesday we filled the industrial mixer with four different doughs and left them to proof overnight in the fridge. The next day the wood burning oven was fired up. We had a new shipment of wood delivered to the inn that week but unfortunately it was a bit wet and getting the oven to temperature was a bit of a challenge but in the end we managed. Two more batches of sour dough bread were prepped that morning and then we kneaded and shaped six different breads for the oven.
Our lead baker, Dale made a wonderful tourtière for our lunch and I made a big green salad.
After lunch we removed the first batch of bread from the oven and then loaded the second batch. We bake about 30 to 40 loaves at a time.
Once all the breads are baked we turn it over to our sales staff to sell the bread at the Farmers’ Market that same day. All the profits go to fund community projects at the Inn.
Christmas for the Dogs at the Berczy Dog Fountain
….in a downtown Toronto park
Last week I attended a luncheon for the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto at a popular restaurant close to Union Station. I took the Go Train ( a short trip from the station close to my house) and I walked to the restaurant which was only a couple of blocks away. As I approached the Flatiron Building I noticed that the park behind it has been decorated for Christmas. Berczy Park was redesigned by Claude Cormier ( no relation) in 2015 and features a fountain with 27 dogs looking up to the top where a bone is perched. There is also one cat facing north looking at a couple of birds. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berczy_Park
Happy Easter to my Friends in the Orthodox Community
…some colourful Easter goodies from Eataly in Toronto
Before our trip to the ROM a couple of weeks ago we stopped in at Eataly for a bite to eat. The Easter goodies were on display and very tempting but the prices made us think twice. In fact we put the Easter chocolates back when a small bag (about 6 small Easter eggs) weighed in at $12.00. It was feast for the eyes only that day.
Happy Easter to all my Ukrainian friends.
A Busy Weekend Starting With Canada Day
…Friday, July 1st was Canada Day
Friday morning I started the day at the lawn bowling club where we had a fun time with a 4,3,2,1, game of lawn bowling. After a couple of hours we were treated to a BBQ of burgers, hotdogs and salads and of course cake. Everyone was instructed to wear red and white.
After lawn bowling I attended a garden bridge party with another BBQ after the game. Great company and great food. Thanks Mary.
On Saturday I went back down to the art gallery where my show is being held and I welcomed 15 more friends and family members to my exhibit. Another successful day with four more paintings being sold and lots of cards. I have one more week at the gallery starting tomorrow. Here are some of the paintings that have sold.
On Sunday I went to visit a friend to pick up a book and we ended up having lunch together in her lovely backyard. I picked up some yarn from her to pursue a new hobby. I’m going to attempt to do some weaving to add to some of my new art projects. The rest of the weekend is pretty much a blur.
Plans for this week? Not sure but I am going to go back to the gallery on Wednesday with a friend who didn’t have a chance to get there earlier. I don’t need to be there for people to see the show but I’m happy to make the trip for anyone who’d like me to be there. Thanks to all who have already made the trek downtown to see my show. I loved seeing all of you.
Carol
Cooking for Ukraine
…last Friday a good friend hosted a Ukrainian lunch
Patricia is of Ukrainian descent and loves to share her culture and food favourites with her friends. Last Friday she did just that and asked that we make a donation to a charity of our choice that supports the Ukrainian people.
The table was all decked out with a beautiful table cloth and a wheat sheaf. Before lunch we were treated to kielbasa and slices of buttered rye bread as we got caught up with the comings and going of our lives. This was the first time in over a year that we got together in person.
When we sat at the table we were greeted with a beautiful bowl of homemade borscht, followed by cabbage rolls and pierogies with sour cream and mushroom gravy. The meal was topped off with coffee or tea and poppy seed cake. A lovely meal and all for a good cause.
When I got home I found a charity that was matched dollar for dollar.
If you’d like to donate to an organization that feeds the Ukrainian refugees here is a link for the World Central Kitchen, donations@worldcentralkitchen.org
The Best Volunteer Job
….bread making
Now that may not be your cup of tea but for me it’s fun and it helps support activities at Montgomery’s Inn (an 1840s-era inn operated as a museum by Toronto Cultural Services at 4709 Dundas St W (at Islington Ave) in Etobicoke, Ontario, 416-394-8113, montinn@toronto.ca.).
Every Tuesday I go to the inn to help prepare the dough for six to seven different types of bread. There are no preservatives in the bread and most of them are made with specific bread flours that are ordered from specialty mills. I’m usually in the kitchen for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
On Wednesday I return to the inn where anywhere from four to seven volunteers shape the dough, fire up the outdoor brick oven, prepare two sourdough breads and one or two batches of focaccia. Wednesdays is always a longer day because it takes anywhere from two to three bakes to get all the bread baked and ready for the Farmers’ Market where a another group of volunteers sell the bread. Typically on Wednesday we’re there for five to six hours and lunch is always prepared for us by our ‘boss’ who makes some of the most amazing meals from scratch (homemade soups and stews, sausages with homemade buns, pasta and salads, baked beans, etc.).
This week I took some photos of our beautiful and delicious bread.
Baking During a Blizzard
….crazy weather didn’t keep us from baking outdoors this week
A couple of weeks ago the weather forecast was dismissal so the Farmers’ Market was cancelled. A lot of vendors come from out of town so with their safety in mind calls were made and notices went out to the community that Montgomery’s Inn would be closed for the market.
This week the weather looked grim again but we went ahead and prepped for the market. On Tuesday morning the snow was coming down pretty heavily so I opted to forgo driving to the Inn. Luckily three of the other bakers braved the snowy roads and prepared a smaller batch of dough than normal. Instead of 7 breads they prepped for 4. The turnout to the market has been down this winter because of bad weather so the decision was made to make less and hopefully have less waste. Not that the bread is wasted. In the end whatever doesn’t sell goes into the freezer or is given away to the other vendors.
On Wednesday the sky didn’t look promising but I drove to the Inn to join my colleagues and get ready for the market. Everyone showed up so I was in charge of making lunch. All the ingredients for a homemade lentil soup had been bought so I started preparing the onions, carrots and celery. It’s a pretty basic soup and the lentils don’t need to be soaked ahead of time. I added a small diced smoked sausage, about a cup of tomato sauce and some leftover mashed potatoes along with the broth and water. Then I let it simmer for a couple of hours and before serving I seasoned it with salt, pepper, basil and thyme. It turned out to be a very hearty soup. Perfect on a cold winter day.
Getting the wood oven to heat up turned out to be a bit of a challenge this week. Since the oven hadn’t been used in two weeks it was ‘stone cold’ and it took quite a while to get the inside up to temperature. When it finally did reach the desired temperature the snow and the winds picked up and we had to proceed with putting the loaves in the oven during the worst part of the day. We decided to score the bread inside to keep our stay outside to a minimum.
The bread turned out exceptionally well this week. I don’t know how many people showed up for the market but hopefully the bread sold. At least the vendors and those who showed up had a nice warm fire to cozy up to inside the inn.
Share Your World – January 15, 2018
…..thanks to Cee for hosting Share Your World
Complete this sentence: I’m looking forward to….
….doing more painting and art projects. I’ve been reorganizing my studio space for the last few months and even though I’m still not finished I have started to work on small projects.
What is your favorite comfort snack food?
My favourite comfort food is anything with carbs but I’m not suppose to eat them too often because when I start I can’t stop. My all time favourite comfort food is pasta.
What was one of your first moneymaking jobs (other than babysitting or newspaper delivery)?
I remember working in my parents’ milk store when I was 14. I did that till I was 16. When the store was held up for a second time and I was working that night my parents gave up the milk business and opened a fabric store.
What inspired you or what did you appreciate this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.
This past week I spent time with a friend who is going through a tough time. I helped her check out nursing homes for her partner and I consoled her on the phone. It made me realize how quickly life can change and how important it is to live life to the fullest. I also spent time with a couple of other friends. With one we went out for lunch together at a really nice restaurant in a hotel and afterwards we walked downtown and browsed around in a few stores. With the second friend we drove to the mall and had lunch and did some shopping for a gift. Then we went to Costco and did our shopping together. We ran into another friend from our teaching days and quickly got caught up with what was happening in our lives. Each moment with all these friends was special in it’s own way.
On Sunday my sister came to visit with her daughter, son-in-law and her baby grandson. She lives about 3 1/2 hours away and she had to cancel a couple of times after Christmas because of weather. I knew that my husband and I had a funeral to attend on Sunday but I didn’t want my Dad to be disappointed again so I didn’t call her back to let her know we wouldn’t be there. Luckily they arrived before we had to leave so in the end we had a short but sweet visit and my father was able to finally take them out for lunch.
At the funeral we were able to reconnect with some of my husbands cousins, got caught up with up was happening in their lives, learned a few things about the family which we didn’t know and promised each other that we wouldn’t wait for the next funeral to get together.
Mama Cormier 