Depression Glass

I've never been much of a collector.  Perhaps of stickers, rocks and dolls as a child but, beyond that, I can't recall anything specific.  Despite this, I've always wanted to collect something, I just couldn't find anything that I cared enough about to track down, display and store . . . until I met depression glass.  

Depression glass was inexpensive dishware produced at low cost at the time of the great depression.  It was considered "low quality" and was sold very cheaply or given away for free as a sale incentive.  It took me a while to warm up to depression glass.  Some of the styles are very ornate and some of the colours are very unappealing.  It was milk glass that eventually won me over with my initial purchase of cream and sugar bowls and a little vase. 

My first purchase on the left and
my newest (3) purchases on the right.   

Twenty-five cents each!

Milk glass, however, is not my true love.  It is the jadeite and delphite that I adore.  Due to influence from Swedish Modern design, these two colours/styles have a simplicity that is lacking in the white and clear glass, which tends to be over-the-top in design.  Alas, these styles are very difficult to find and too pricy for my budget.  I did find a beautiful bowl set and a very cute lemon juicer locally, but at $200.00 and $60.00 respectively, I just couldn't do it.

Instead, I have settled on an "under $25.00 an item" budget and green and rose clear glass.   These two colours are widely available although it takes some dedication to find the right combination of form and function.  Of course, that is part of the fun!

I love the deep bowl of my lemon juicer and can't believe how much I've used it in the month or so I've had it.  It will be perfect for making Lemon Drop Martinis this summer, if the weather ever warms up!

Making lemonade!

My rose glass collection consists of two items, a bud vase and a pitcher.  The pitcher was originally outside of my budget and I waited semi-patiently for it to go on sale.  A risk that paid off!  Rose glass seems to be the most widely available right now and I am planning on focusing my attentions in this direction for the future.  While it does not compare to my favoured jadeite, I do love the summery look of rose glass and I can't wait to see what I can find for my collection next!

Treats

One side effect of Weight Watchers is that I can no longer (most of the time!) resort to food or drink as treats in those movements of celebration, despair or just plain boredom.  Instead, this sort of energy has moved over to buying "stuff" as treats.  While I am sure that there are some who would say that this is a lateral move, I don't really care.  It's a pretty good trade-off in my mind.  Buying a treat here and there allows me to have my moments of impulsivity (and who doesn't have these?) in a way that doesn't mess with the other goals that I am working on. Plus, my home gets a little bit prettier with each purchase.

Is a canning jar a treat?

A tiny silver tray.  The cream and sugar dishes were a gift.

Not only that, it's a fairly equivalent financial trade-off.  While I'd never buy $100.00 of gelato and cookies in one sitting, my weekly spending at my favourite cafes and restaurants has decreased significantly over the past 6 months.  And, although I am an impulsive shopper, I don't shop just to shop.  I have a running list of items I am searching for and buy them when I see them!  The hunt is a big part of the enjoyment for me.  

A serving platter.

I've been looking for a platter with this shade of red for ages!

Almost everything I've bought recently has been second-hand.  And, I must say, impulsivity is the key to shopping vintage, if you don't buy it when you first see it, it will be gone!  

. . . or Treat!

Something sweet for Halloween.  Teeny tiny sugar cookies painted in the blackest black and the orangest orange. 

Black Cats

Orange Pumpkins 

The perfect one-bite treat.  Yum!

Happy Haunting!

Thin Mints

I made my first attempt at homemade thin mints (or peppermint patties) around Christmastime. They were edible but, being made primarily of coconut butter, had a bit of an odd texture. So, I tinkered around with the recipe and, while it still needs a bit of work, I think I have developed a pretty tasty additive-free and minimally processed replacement for thin mints.

Thin Mints

(Warning: I did not measure so all quantities are approximate)

(1) Melt 1/2 cup semi- or bitter-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave. Coat the bottom of each section of a silicone mini muffin pan/candy mould with 1/2 teaspoon melted chocolate. Place in fridge to set.

(2) Boil 2 tablespoons maple syrup on the stove until slightly thickened.

(3) Add 1/3 cup coconut butter, 1/3 cup coconut cream and 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract to hot maple syrup. Once melted, whisk until a caramel like consistency is attained. Allow to cool.

(4) Spoon 1 teaspoon of cooled filling into each section of the muffin pan, over chocolate. Place in fridge to cool and harden.

(5) Melt another 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in microwave and allow to cool. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of chocolate over hardened filling. Tap tray on countertop to remove bubbles.

(6) Place in fridge to harden overnight. The next day, pop the chocolates from the mould and enjoy!

Objects in this picture are smaller than they appear.