My Blog = My Life: weekend

Two things of importance to report today. Actually, make that three.

1.) I am still on a carbohydrate high from all the perogies, rice, noodles, pasta, and dessert consumed during Mosaic this weekend. Hope that everyone indulged just as much as I did at this great annual event that showcases just how diverse our city is.

2.) A few weeks ago I posted a review of The Mercury Cafe. Since that time, a number of people have posted comments about the place. Last week, one reader alleged that the Mercury's burgers were not homemade, contrary to what it says on the Mercury's menu. Here's what she wrote:

Anonymous said...

May 26, 2010 9:37 PM

I was a bit shocked by this. I really believed the burger I ate was homemade -- both the look and taste of the burger did not seem like they came from Safeway across the street. Then again, you never really know unless you're in the kitchen standing next to the chef.
Today, I posted two more comments on this topic, presumably from employees at the Mercury. They said:

June 4, 2010 9:59 AM

Dave said...

June 5, 2010 6:39 PM

To all of my awesome, faithful compadres... I haven't been able to get anything new out on WW4F since Tuesday as I've been trying to get on top of the aftermath of the launch of my new book The Real Dad Rules.

I promise next week I'll have some great stuff for you! Until then, everybody have an awesome weekend full of rainbows, blue jays, and kettle corn. Or whatever else makes you happy...

Dan Pearce, Single Dad Laughing

The Round-up:

• Food - 3 out of 5
• Decor - 3.5 out of 5
• Service - 3 out of 5
• Overall - 9.5 out of 15

________________________________________________

Several months ago a food-loving group was created on Facebook. Its name was the "Cathedral Village Needs a Cheap Breakfast Place", or something like that. It seems that the Village just hadn't been the same since the Quality Tea Room shut down several years back.

I quickly joined the group, as did several hundred other Regina folks (What did we ever do before Facebook groups became the new face of activism, by the way?).
The Facebook fan page continued to grow, many of its members calling for a cheap plate of hash browns and bacon... like now.

Well, some wishes do come true.

The Mercury Cafe and Grill opened its doors in April. The place seemed to spring up overnight on the corner of 13th and Robinson streets in a spot that has housed numerous other restaurants.

The Mercury is a diner, no doubt about that. From the bright red vinyl booths to the formica and chrome tables, stepping into The Mercury is like stepping back 50 or 60 years in time. The Mercury is also under the same ownership as Regina's well-loved Novia Cafe, another all-out diner. This is a good thing -- who better to start a new diner than the folks who run one of the city's oldest and best?

I've been to The Mercury twice now, once for breakfast and once for supper. It's hard to find the right word to describe both experiences. It wasn't fantastic, but it wasn't horrible either. Perhaps satisfactory is the right word.

Weekend breakfast bustles and hustles in The Mercury. If you're not there by 11 on a Sunday, you're going to wait in line for awhile. Granted, The Mercury could easily jam a few more tables into the dining room in order to shave some time off the waiting game.

Your choices for breakfast are classic standbys: bacon and eggs; hash browns; pancakes; an omelette. You get the picture. Now, is it cheap? That depends on your definition of cheap. Most items run around the $8-9 mark, plus the cost of coffee and/or juice. I've had cheaper, but I've also had more expensive.

Service can be a little disorganized, but hopefully the servers work that out amongst themselves as the restaurant irons out the operating wrinkles. We had to wait 30 minutes for any food to hit the table at breakfast, almost enough to push us to the breaking point, but not quite. Fortunately, our waitress took good care of us in the meantime.

Now let's talk about supper for a moment. Once again, there are few surprises on the evening menu. Nachos; chicken wings; chicken fingers; burgers; clubhouse sandwiches; and grilled cheese are a few of the choices.

We ordered up a plate of nachos to get things started. With a $10 price tag, we pictured a nice platter of cheesy chips and veggies. We couldn't have been more wrong. A dinner plate with a puny pile of nachos on it was what we got. Even worse: the scarce bits of cheese on the chips were overcooked and rubbery. Epic fail, my friends. Epic fail.

Next up: the burgers. Now this is where the action is at. Tender homemade beef patties are smooshed between fresh buns with all the fixins. I went for the Mushroom Swiss. Big Willie had The Mercury Burger (two patties with fried onions, mushrooms, shaved ham, Swiss and cheddar cheese). All burgers come with a side. We went for the french fries and they were done to perfection.

Big Poppa (my dad) went for the open-faced Hot Turkey Sandwich... which came with hot chicken, oddly enough. But he got past that.

All in all, The Mercury offers up decent food in a comfortable room. The motto seems to be: come as you are, eat what you will. Now if they'd only fine-tune the nachos and up the portion size for most of the breakfast menu, we might have a sure-fire winner on our hands.

(no website)

Le Macaron bakery and cafe is making progress in Regina's east end. The store will be on Quance Street, behind Applebee's. Owner Gilles Gobin expects a mid-summer open, which will make weekend trips to Costco oh-so-much-more enjoyable.

So, May is here and the outdoor Farmers' Markets started again today. Unfortunately, the weather couldn't have been much worse. Rain, snow, and cool winds did not make for a great turnout this morning at the new location next to City Hall. In fact, I only counted about 10 vendors of a possible 50-60.

It's a real shame, considering that two weeks ago we were all wearing shorts and basking in +23 degree temps.

Well, things can only get better from here. If the sun is shining next weekend expect a good turnout at the market. Get on out there and buy some local food!

1777 New England Primer Cursive & Manuscript Printable Alphabet Sets $2.99 each
While preparing for our daughter's first official year of "school," I found myself searching for cursive worksheets and came up empty handed. I decided to create my own and since then, I’ve had dozens of requests from other Moms to compile them into a printable set. What follows is a set of the English alphabet in cursive, combined with rhymes for each letter from the 1777 New England Primer and plenty of dotted lines to aid in practice.

Our goal for our children from the beginning has been to stress the importance of character and personal salvation in their education. Hence, I’ve included 26 Scripture passages to correspond with each letter of the alphabet. These verses, combined with the biblical ditties from the 1777 Primer used by the Puritans help enforce the Gospel message in the tender hearts of our children while they learn to write. A: In Adam's Fall, we sinned all. B: Heaven to find, the Biblemind. C: Christ crucified, for sinners died. The first half of the book includes printables for individual uppercase and lowercase cursive letters. In the second half, the letters are attached to help teach the flowing pattern of cursive script. I recommend printing out the entire book and laminating the pages if you wish to reuse them with an erasable marker.

1777 New England Primer Cursive Printable Set | 64 pages
$2.99

... and here is the Manuscript version, complete with the same 26 Scripture passages to correspond with each letter of the alphabet, biblical ditties from the 1777 Primer used by the Puritans, and plenty of dotted lines for practice!

1777 New England Primer Manuscript Printable Set:
$2.99

What Customers Are Saying About The 1777 New England Alphabet Printables:
"This is beautifully put together- an excellent resource! Thank you for all the work you put into it!" - Sandy Tritt

"I was so happy to see you offer this wonderful resource. My daughter needed extra help in math last school year,by the school giving her the extra help they removed her from her cursive class. We were assured all year they would help her to catch up. It sadly never happened. I have been looking for something that would work with how she learns. This book is perfect! I plan on using it daily until school starts and then working with her on the weekends. Again, Thank you!" - Beautiful House Life

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A Reader's Cursive Primer all put together!
1 Week of Fall Activities & Printables for Preschoolers

As part of our study on "Fall" this year with our 4 year-old, I created a "package" entitled 1 Week of Fall Activities and Printables for Preschoolers to go along with our theme. It is free to anyone who wishes to use it! If you'd to see how we used these printables in our home, you take a peek into our Fall-themed week here. Print or Download here. Table of Contents Sugar Cookies (to use with cookie cutters) ___pg. 4
Autumn Fires Poetry Memorization___pg. 5
Autumn Treasure Hunt___pg. 6
Leaf Prints with Crayons___pg. 8
Thankful Tree___pg. 9
Painted Pumpkin Faces___pg. 10
Corn Husk Dolls___pg. 11
Apple Twigs___pg. 12
10 Frugal Fall Field Trip Ideas___pg. 13
Fall Reading Suggestions for Preschoolers___pg. 14
If you’re interested in receiving more printables like this in the future, you may wish to subscribe via email, or follow Growing Home for updates via Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Google +.

(NOTE: this is a new feature of the blog, featuring restaurants within driving distance of Regina -- we all need to get out of town once in awhile, right?)

The Round-up:

• Food: 3 out of 5
• Service: 3.5 out of 5
• Decor: 4 out of 5
• Total: 10.5 out of 15

This weekend I headed down to the Portland Antique Expo in beautiful Oregon! I planned to meet up for the first time with a couple of my favorite fellow bloggers. Let me tell ya, I was sooo excited!! I've read about so many of the Georgia bloggers getting together and I must admit I was more than a little envious *winks* And I would be meeting Isabel from Maison Douce who has one of the most fabulous dreamy blogs ever!! As well as her being an antiques dealer! (can it get any better? *winks*) Anyhoo, I took one look at Isabels booth and knew it was hers!! So full of wonderful things!! Here we are! And I must say, Isabel is just as warm kind and lovely as I thought she would be! She even took me to a few of her favorite booths... and boy howdy did I see why!

Then my new friend Michelle from Chocolate and Marmalade Tea joined us and we all had ourselves a good girl gab!
Actually we "gabbed" so much we pretty much missed the show! That was actually OK because both Michelle and I had broken our budgets by about the third isle! Lol ! *winks* Anyhoo if you haven't visited her blog please do! She has the most beautiful pictures of comfort food! As well as her three wonderful kitties!

Me Isabel and Michelle (note to self black boucle is NOT slimming! Lol!)

Isabel had the most beautiful wedding dress in front of her booth! The front was lovely... but the back!! oohhh la la!! Soooo fab! Check it out!

Isn't it wonderful???!!!

And here is one corner of her booth, full of so many charming things! Isn't that a darling pink desk and chair? And that lampshade is a neat one too!

And isn't this the cutest dresser?!!! Well Isabel gives you instructions on how to make your own here as well as a few other wonderful projects. I know mine would never turn out as darling as hers because she is the QUEEN of fabulous old fabric!! And look at the sweet concrete statue of a deer.

This wonderful old vintage pillow with pink roses went home with Michelle.

In retrospect I wish this vintage barkcloth pillow had gone home with me WAAAHHHHH !

This little coffee table was in Isabel's neighbors booth and was only $65

This one was more than a little bit more... but oh so charming!! Don't you agree?

I loved the old fabric covered drawers!

I REALLY wanted this one to come home with me. It's a late 18th /early 19th century letter box. The seller even offered it to me for $200 less than the marked price... but I was really trying to be good!

I saw these quimper plates and thought immediately about Debbie at Confessions of a Plate Addict
The seller told me I could have it for $35. I don't know enough about quimper to tell if that's a good price or not... but Debbie always has pairs with a boy and a girl... And there wasn't any boy... so I passed. Au revoir !

This sweet little dish reminded me of my dear friend Ann at LIFEATANNSPLACE
I just know she would love it!

This italian tole candelabra was sayin ' my name... but I wasn't listening "LA LA LA LA LAAAAA " Sheesh ! Some of those items can really "scream at ya! *winks*

So did these sparkley warkleys !! And just look at the fabulous silk tapestry behind it! I might have to go back for that one. It has ME written all over it!

This spelter figural clock reminded me of my friend Gloria at Happy To Be
She has a collection of the most amazing clocks... Don't think she has this one, and the seller said I could take it home for $100. It's a big one too!

Then I spotted this one out of the corner of my eye and I went a runnin "!! Only to find that she was $2400!! NOOOOOO !!! That's WAY TOO MUCH!!! And I really wanted to take her home!! Sometimes the sellers are smoking crack... or just really out of touch with our current economy *sighs*

OK so for what I DID get. I had to be good at the show and keep to a $100 budget because I found this on ebay !! It was $247 and it's absolutely gorgeous!! It's a 6'x9 aubusson carpet featuring the most beautiful pink roses! I will be using it in an upcoming project which involves a chandelier as well *winks* So keep visitin '!

But I did find this pretty little dresser jar/casket. It's lined in blue velvet.

Here it is with a couple of others that I have.

And just look at this sweet antique cherub clock! Well he HAD to come home with me!!

In the larger context.

And this wonderful vintage dresser tray come from Isabels booth. It will always remind me of our meeting!

Cute rose detailing.

And last but not least, this little Victorian syrup pitcher. I can't wait to use it for Sunday breakfast!

Well thanks for coming along with me! The Portland Antique Expo show was a winner! I can't wait to go back for the next one! Vanna

If there's one thing I've observed in 13 years of being homeschooled and now as a second-generation homeschooling mom, it's that home educators seem particularly susceptible to turning their children into trophies of achievement. This is not an argument against homeschooling (I sing its praises all the time!), but rather, a reminder (mostly to myself) to guard against the temptation to show off our children in an attempt to prove our "greatness" as a teacher.

John S.C. Abbot in his excellent book, The Mother At Home, records the response of a preacher after being highly commended by one of his parishioners following a sermon:
"Be careful, my friend," said the clergyman, "I carry a tinder-box in my bosom."If a great man of God so easily admits his propensity to an inflamed ego, how much more dangerous do we make things for ourselves and our children when we place them in situations where they're sure to be flattered?

The reason I think homeschoolers are prone to this is because many times as both mothers and teachers, we feel as though we need to prove our worth. It's worse if you *gasp* don't happen to have a teaching degree. We want to prove to our parents that our children are indeed learning to read (and quite well by age 4), to the local school-board that their education is not sub-standard ("See? Our daughter's GPA is a 4.0. I've kept records!"), and to skeptical church members that they are well socialized ("Oh, you tried to call this week? Sorry I missed it! We had soccer on Monday, music lessons on Tuesday, volunteered in the soup kitchen on Wednesday, dinner guests on Thursday, etc., etc.")

Now, there's nothing wrong with Grandma delighting in her grandchild learning to read, but turning our children into exhibitions is unhealthy for everyone involved.

First, it hurts children - yours and others. Our efforts to raise our children with a spirit of humility quickly become undone when out of pride and insolence we thrust them forward onto the attention of others, show off their intellectual attainments, and relish the flattering words our families and friends feel compelled to dish out.

I've seen homeschooling moms, in front of their children, publicly praise one child for performing their studies two grade levels ahead of where they "should" be, while simultaneously pointing out that the other child is "not the academic type - but that's okay! We need all kinds!" The first child walks off with her head held high ("Mom thinks I'm the smart one!") while the other is left feeling inferior and worthless simply because her talents lie in different areas. It's devastating to exalt one child above another and defeats a key reason people homeschool in the first place!

Second, it hurts those considering homeschooling. A few years ago, we invited friends along to our provincial homeschooling conference. At the time, they were just considering the possibility and we were excited about them spending a whole weekend immersed in the subject. However, things back-fired a little when one of the very first moms to introduce herself after we arrived began a spiel about how young her children were when they began university and how they lead such godly lives, etc. She meant of course, to present homeschooling in a positive light, but to those still on the fence about the issue, it came across as prideful, arrogant, and extremely off-putting.

Thankfully, our friends stuck around and met many other homeschooling families over the course of the weekend and discovered that not everybody spouts off all their accomplishments and how wonderful it all is within minutes of meeting you.

If you happen to be one of those moms with 8 polite, finely-dressed, instrument-playing, intellectually astute children to whom homeschooling comes easily, I say: Well done! Be thankful for your gifts, hone your strengths, use them to serve others... and keep your successes to yourself unless asked. Remember:
"Your walk talks and your talk talks. But your walk talks more than your talk talks."Third, it hurts you. Our lives will greatly lack in joy unless we get over the need to prove ourselves. Continually trying to live up to the expectations of others, real or perceived, is exhausting and draining. You risk your children drifting away or buckling under fear of not measuring up. You yourself may be rendered useless as a homeschooling mom when you fail to meet your own impossible standard.

We will always be found wanting if we try to find our satisfaction, purpose, and sense of worth as a homeschooling mom in how well we teach our children or what they manage to learn. It's only the grace of God that makes any of us capable of accomplishing anything. A full and humble reliance on His redemptive work is the only way we can find true satisfaction in the job He has called us to do.

Let it not be our children or our teaching skills we hold out as trophies, but God's extraordinary grace which works despite our failures, shortcomings, insecurities, and sinful struggles. You, your children, and those looking on will be blessed and refreshed when they realize your strength does not come from within yourself but from the Lord who gives freely to all who ask (James 1:5).

Linking to: Holy-Spirit Led Homeschooling

Winter getting you down? Beer belly not quite round enough?

Lift your spirits and up the ante next weekend at the 5th annual Festive-Ale on February 5 and 6. Hosted by the Conexus Arts Centre, the event offers more beer than you could possibly drink, along with a smattering of wine and spirits.

Tickets and more info here: http://festiv-ale.ca

I'll start with my good find. This beautiful lady came from a local antique store. I paid $110. Not inexpensive to be sure, but I fell in love with her! Anything with tattered old velvet seems to get my attention. So I'll be eating mac and cheese for awhile... I have my priorities lol! She had the name of a jewelry store on the back and I was able to research a little and find that she had been framed in 1873. And as I was browsing ebay I found her match! He was too expensive for me to purchase at this time ($777 Or Best Offer) but I will be on the hunt for another now that I know he exists!

Isn't this frame beautiful?

Close up

Here is the matching gentleman I found on ebay. Not so nice a frame as mine. She was a pretty good score I think?

Now on to the good book... While I was browsing decor books at Barnes and Noble looking for something french (As usual) I stumbled across this book. Not impressed with the cover at all, but since there wasn't much else to look at I opened it up... Oh my goodness! Not what I expected! The beautiful images of grand antique rooms rich with character enchanted me at first glance! I felt as if I'd stumbled upon a secret. The perfect antique design book in disguise. Maybe you'll feel the same way? *winks*
Warning: This book nor the following images are for the minimalist. But if you're a more is more kinda gal like me you're going to love them!
Text by Carl Skoggard and (Dreamy!) pictures by Derry Moore (12th Earl Drogheda)

I love the bed canopy. Actually I love EVERYTHING in this room!

Some dark romance...

Oh how I love the dilapidated beauty of this one!

This image is for my friend Dawn the bohemian. It's Nureyev's apartment. Looks to be the perfect place for one of Dawn's fabulous tea parties. We can all sit on the floor and luxuriate *winks*

And this image is for my friend Andie who'll probably whip this up in a weekend using old scraps of silk and re purposed furniture *winks* Yes she's that kind of talented! See her post here and you'll know what I mean. Love love love this bedroom!

I sold a piece very similar to this one and now I could scream!

How's this for a plate display?

I LOVE this rococo piece topped by an old lampshade! (Carl Skoggard's) Hey wait... I HAVE that same lampshade! Mine is a little worse for wear)

I wandered around my house hoping a fabulous rococo piece would jump out at me so I could plop my ole lampshade on it... but this was the best I could do. Looks pretty cute on her I think? *winks*

That's Miss Joannie saying "Thank you for dropping by!"
If you loved the images from this book as much as I did you can find it here for as low as $6.19 (Including shipping) Truly a bargain IMHO. Vanna
I'm joing up with the wonderful Linda at A LA CARTE below. Please click to connect to the other wonderful junkin' finds!

And the lovely Cindy at My Romantic Home for:

As well as my dear friend Laurie at Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie for:

It feels as though everyone I know has come down with seasonal colds and flues over the last week! Thankfully, we've been spared so far. I'm sure our turn is coming though so I made up a stockpot of Chicken Soup on the weekend for when the time comes.

Grandma knew what she was talking about when she said chicken soup is good for the cold! When chicken is cooked in a soup or broth, it releases an amino acid called cysteine that helps break down mucous and heal the lungs. The addition of other vegetables (garlic, onion, leeks, carrots, and celery) provide vitamins A, B, C, and E, and provide antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties.

So if the family's feeling queasy, simmer up this traditional favorite and enjoy the flavorful health benefits! There are a zillion variations to Chicken Soup. This is how I make mine (and how my Mom made hers). Gluten-free.

Healthy, Healing, Old-fashioned Chicken Soup

For THMer's this is a Fuel Pull.

Ingredients:
1 whole organic chicken
water
6 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 large onions, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1/2 stalk of celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 Tbsp oregano
2 tsp Herbamare (or sea salt)
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
4 cups prepared GF Chicken Boullion (I use the Epicure brand)
4 bay leaves

Directions:
Place whole chicken in a large stock-pot and cover with water. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Boil for 30 minutes or until the meat is ready to fall off the bone. Remove chicken from stock-pot until it's cool enough to handle. Carefully pick apart the meat and return it to the soup in small, bite-sized pieces. Discard the bones. Simmer soup for several hours - the longer, the better! Remove garlic cloves and bay leaves before serving.

If you're feeling well, nothing beats a bowl of warm soup served with crusty white bread, sharp cheddar, and a handful of saltines. :-)

Makes 20+ servings. Freezes well.

For more healthy recipes, I highly recommend The Cottage Mama Plans Her Menu eBooks. This is the one set of eBooks I continually go back to for recipes (especially the homemade BBQ sauce!). They are to simple to prepare and are generally loved by the whole family.

The Round-up:

• Food - 1 out of 5
• Decor - 1 out of 5
• Service - 2.5 out of 5
• Total - 4.5 out of 15

2201 11th Avenue, Regina, SK
306-757-2288

_______________________________________________________

To me, there's something comforting about tucking into a restaurant below street level.

Those few stairs that lead down to the dining room make the noise of traffic outside seem even further away behind the glass windows. It's like discovering a secret getaway in the middle of the city.

Big Willie and I popped into J & A Restaurant across from The Bay on 11th Avenue last weekend. The place was fairly full for a Saturday so I figured we were in for a good time.

Friends told us that J & A, which specializes in Chinese cooking, does a mean dim sum. Being dim sum fans, we just had to check it out.

We settled into a table fairly quickly -- our waitress just had to wipe it clean before we could sit down. She wiped it, though I wouldn't say it was clean. But we got past that. We were hungry, after all.

We waited a few minutes for tea and then a few more minutes to order. With only two waitresses working the floor, the service wasn't exactly speedy.

Unlike most dim sum restaurants, J & A does not bring carts of hot food by your table. Instead, you are provided with a slip of paper on which to tick off your choices from the menu.

We went with a range of standbys, like dumplings and spring rolls, along with a few more unique items (like cassava cake).

As we waited for the food we started to take note of J & A's decor, which includes a strange mixture of fake flowers, pink chairs, and Walt Disney characters on the walls.

First to hit the table were the Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings. These weren't exactly proper Chinese food, but they sounded good. And they tasted good. At first.

I was on my third wing when our whole experience started to go downhill. I bit into the wing and noticed that underneath the crispy skin was a whole lot of blood. How a chicken wing can be deep fried and crispy on the outside, but bloody on the inside, I'm still not sure. I stopped eating the wings and waited for the next item to arrive.

The Vietnamese Spring Rolls were up. Three puny spring rolls came on a small white plate. That's it. No sauce, and an odd number of rolls (there were two of us, as I said).

The rolls tasted about as good as they looked. In fact, they really reminded me of frozen appetizers from Costco. I'm just saying....

We asked the waitress if she had any type of sauce for the rolls. She brought us some plum sauce. In a package.

Next we got the Cassava Cake. This dense, yellow cake was hearty and very filling. Cassava, a root vegetable common in the tropics, is mixed into a sweet cake and then cut into squares. It tasted OK but I'm no cassava expert so I'll refrain from judgement here. Big Willie grew up eating the stuff and he thought J & A's version was on the sweet side.

Next up, another item and another disappointment: the Shrimp and Vegetable Dumplings.

Unlike any other dim sum restaurant I've ever visited, J & A serves dumplings in metal steam baskets instead of traditional bamboo steamers. That's a bit of a shame because the metal seems to dry the dumplings out while bamboo seems to retain more moisture. Plus the bamboo adds a touch of authenticity.

These dumplings were overcooked and the pastry pockets weren't even staying closed. And they had almost no flavour. Good Lord, it was time to take action.

We still had at least three more items to come, but me and Big Willie had more than enough by this point. We called the waitress over, pointed out the bloody chicken and asked her not to send any more items. Oh, and Big Willie mentioned that his teacup was dirty when it came to the table.

You might be thinking that we should have pointed out the chicken incident sooner. And we probably should have. But I like to be an easygoing diner and I was willing to let it slide at first, until everything else turned out to be a disappointment too.

We asked the waitress for our bill and she brought it quickly. Thankfully, she took the chicken and the items that never made it to our table off the bill.

We settled up, threw on our jackets and made a beeline for a real dim sum restaurant: The Four Seas on Rose Street.

To read my review of Four Seas, follow this link: http://www.reginafooddude.com/2009/10/four-seas-restaurant.html

As for J & A, your quaint basement location in a convenient spot downtown almost had me at hello. Unfortunately, you blew it. Big time. We won't be back. And please lose the Mickey Mouse decorations.

BONJOUR Y'ALL!!
I'm back to my regular FLEA MARKET FINDS!!
I don't have a lot of things to share this week (Christmas and all) but I do have a few goodies for ya. (I hope? *winks*)
Starting as always with my favorites first.
This was my "wow" find this week, a 1950's prom dress in pale blue that's just so darn pretty! I'd hoped to display it on my painted white dress form but alas the dress was wayyyy too small. It must be what would be considered a size zero today?The waist measures 21"... Oh how I miss those days *winks* Layers of tulle with ruffles along with a shelf bust. Isn't it fab? And all for $32! I think it was a steal! I set it up at the front counter to do some more shopping and a couple of ladies tried to buy it out from under me! You know it's good when... right?... lol! I overheard the clerk telling them "sorry it's already sold" and I muttered to myself "darn skippy it is!" I think I would've gone on the war path over that dress! *winks*

It has a pretty flowered bodice with rhinestones. It's a keeper for sure!

Next up is this set of 1890's purple transferware that I found at a favorite local junque store. I paid a goodly sum of $100 for service for 6 (minus 1 cup and saucer) I knew that the purple/mulberry color (What actually is the difference?) is a harder color to find, so I went ahead despite the high cost (at least for me) and brought them home.

I guess I did ok because I found the platter by itself going for $90 (Found HERE )

There are seven of these dinner plates.

Even Replacements LTD only had a very few of these pieces. I have my fingers crossed that they'll be able to find me one more cup and saucer. If you happen to come across one let me know K? *winks*

Then I found this really cool frenchy clock at the Value Village for $3.99. I couldn't believe it was so cheap! It was love at first sight! I also purchased another cute little spelter frenchy clock for the same price at the same time... SCORE time! Lol!

Then at a the same antique mall as the prom dress I found this old silk petticoat for $22. It had such beautiful details... little tiny tucked lace pleats... along with pleated silk... Did I mention lace galore?... And it actually fits me too. *winks* I'm brainstorming all the different things I could do with it. Maybe a lampshade? Or a bed crown? Do you have any ideas? I'd love to hear them.

Here's a shot of my clock and petticoat together.

And via ebay another lovely boudoir lady for my collection ($39) This one a 1920's German munzerlite. Somebody took the time to crochet her some lacy finery. They even made her a little hat. Isn't she sweet? I hope I look this good when I'm 90ish!

At the Value Village I found a bowl for $3.99 that's almost a match for the platter I found a few weeks ago... I guess I'm consistent *winks*

Here's the other little frenchy clock. Tells good time too!

And on a completely different note I found myself a couple neat pairs of brand new shoes (also at the Value Village) I just love that place! Some jeweled sandals by Apepazza for $6.99

And this pair of black naughty but nice Guess platforms for $12.99. At least my feet are feeling fashionable *winks*

Well that's it for this week. Thanks for stopping by! Please leave me a comment and I'll do the same for you. I just LOVE hearing from you!
And if you found some great (Or even not so great) bargains please come get me K?
I'll add some envy green to your blog page! *winks* Vanna
P.S. I saw Hugo last weekend and found it enchanting! Has anyone else seen it? What did you think?

I'm joining my girls Patti and Paula of Ivy and Elephants for:

Kathleen at Charm Bracelet Diva for:

And Cindy at My Romantic Home for:

If I read my Bible everyday and use my trusty highlighter,

if I cook nutritious meals from scratch,

if I homeschool my children and give them a Christian, classical education,

if I meet my husband's needs before my own,

if I surrender my fertility and never pop a little pink pill,

if I adopt a special needs child or foster babies in our home,

if I entertain guests every weekend and invite them to spend the night,

if I perfectly tailor our curriculum to each individual child,

if I make our family memorize Scripture, songs, and poetry,

if I teach them Latin, Greek, and Hebrew,

if I foster beauty and femininity in our daughters,

if I encourage chivalry and a hard work ethic in our son,

if I plant a large vegetable garden and grow perennials along a white picket fence,

if I spend the summer canning, and freezing, and preserving our produce,

if I menu-plan, and master the art of crock-potting,

if I become a coupon queen, ad-match, and never buy anything unless it's on sale,

if I visit the poor and donate clothes to Salvation Army,

if I bring Chicken Noodle Soup to the sick and lonely, and invite our widowed church members for dinner,

if I vote for the most godly candidate, help set up lawn signs, and campaign against abortion,

if I dress in skirts and keep my necklines high,

if I sew all our clothes, knit all our mittens, and keep our shoes polished,

if I can preserve my daughters' virginity, and keep my son from looking at porn,

if I install Covenant Eyes and monitor my children's computer usage,

if I get rid of the TV and cancel Netflix,

if I keep the laundry basket empty, and the linen closet stocked,

if I make family devotions our top priority, and teach our children the Westminster catechism,

if I am a Trim Healthy Mama, and exercise every day

if I birth my children at home, and follow ecological breastfeeding patterns,

if I make use of the chiropractor, herbal remedies, and essential oils,

if I buy toy trucks and swords for my boy, and dolls and a play-kitchen for my girls,

if I live debt-free and pay for everything with cash,

if I take my family to church twice every Sunday,

if I clean puke out of carpets and change diapers for 14 years straight,

if I can't remember what it's like to sleep in,

if I do everything right...

... to buy my own salvation or that of my children,

it profits me nothing.

But if, out of a sincere love for my Savior (John 14:15),

believing it is not my works that save me (Isaiah 64:6),

but God's great love in granting me a full and free redemption purchased by the precious blood of Jesus on the Cross (John 3:16), and sealing my pardon by raising Him from the dead (Romans 10:9),

I desire to do all things through and for Christ which strengthens me (Philippians 4:13),

then motherhood is not in vain.

It is an honor to be pursued with diligence and joy (Colossians 3: 23),

because He who called me is faithful (1 Thessalonians 5:24),
and as much as I do it unto the least of these (Matthew 25:40),
I do it unto the Lord.

Coming November 29!

If you enjoyed this post, you may wish to follow Growing Home for updates via Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, or have them emailed directly to your inbox.Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Arrows, A Wise Woman.,Walking Redeemed, The Better Mom, The Modest Mom, A Mama's Story, We ARE That Family, Raising Mighty Arrows, Hearts For Home, Frugal Homeschool Family Time Warp Wife

{photo source}

The Round-up:

• Food - 4.5 out of 5
• Service - 3.5 out of 5
• Decor - 4 out of 5
• Total - 12 out of 15

2228 Albert St., Regina, SK.
Phone: 306-546-3660 _______________
There are plenty of reasons why La Bodega is one of Regina's best restaurants.

OK, I guess you want me to name them. So here goes:

1.) La Bodega took an old, forgotten, decrepit house in the Cathedral neighbourhood and turned it into a hip, vibrant, intimate restaurant. That's not just luck, it's good planning. Previous owners of the building launched a bakery in the same spot and it was a massive flop within a year.

2.) So why has La Bodega succeeded? I think there are three key ingredients: a smart menu, a great location, and a design that allows La Bodega to be a restaurant, lounge, and/or concert venue depending on the time of day and the day of the week. They say you can't be all things to all people, but somehow La Bodega has always managed to attract the cool kids and the business lunch crowd and middle-aged couples just looking for a nice meal. That's no easy feat.

3.) Food -- of course, La Bodega would be nothing without the food. When La Bodega opened almost 10 years ago, no one in Regina had ever heard of tapas. Executive chef and owner Adam Sperling brought a creative, exciting menu to the Queen City and presented it in a way that was fresh and interesting to diners. Most people fell in love with the place after just one visit. And even now, the chefs continue to change and improve upon their menu, revealing new versions of it several times per year, keeping old favourites and introducing new ventures. And if a menu item doesn't work, La Bodega gets rid of it.
4.) Unless you're at Smitty's or an unapologetic hole-in-the-wall, a restaurant's decor is almost as important as what's on the plate (I said almost). La Bodega has always got the decor part right by using a mix of sophisticated yet rustic furnishings. The plain and sometimes mismatched wooden tables and chairs are jazzed up by much-more daring artwork and colours on the walls. The music -- never radio and certainly not Top 40 -- captures the worldly nature of the place without coming off as fake or, worse, New-Agey. In short, La Bodega's gypsy chic style is the Cathedral neighbourhood in a nutshell. It fits into its surroundings naturally. What more could you ask for?
5.) OK, this last reason is half-serious and half a joke. But when La Bodega first opened, they sold alcohol at ridiculously cheap prices. The food was never undervalued, but the drinks sure were. And people loved it. So they stayed for another. And another. And hey, can we see that menu again? We're hungry now. Over the years, it seems the prices of booze have crept upward, but you can still get a decent glass of wine for $5-6 per glass.
So, what's the downside? La Bodega's biggest weakness is its weekend brunch. The menu is nowhere near as tasty as what's on offer for weekday lunch or suppertime. And the prices for an Eggs Benny border on the obscene. To me, the best breakfasts in the world are cheap and dirty. Get in, drink your weight in coffee, and get out $8 later.
Otherwise La Bodega, you rock.
http://www.labodegaregina.ca/

The Round-up:

• Food - 4 out of 5
• Service - 3.5 out of 5
• Decor - 3 out of 5
• Total - 1o.5 out of 15

1779 Rose St., Regina, SK.
Phone: 306-522-1818

____________________________________________________________

Another week goes by, and this blog grows another inch or two. Bear with me, folks. It is truly a work in progress.

It was tough to decide which restaurant to talk about next -- actually, that's just a cliche. It wasn't so tough this time. The Four Seas Restaurant on Rose Street downtown is a new discovery for me. Me and Big Willie have been there three times in the last three weeks. And we're now frequently trying to recruit our friends. Surely that's worth writing about.

From the outside, the Four Seas is easily forgettable. Heck, from the inside too. Mind you, the owners have done a decent job of sprucing up this old building that has clearly been through a few restaurant incarnations during its lifetime.

Anyway, the surroundings are secondary. What I really go for is the food. And what the Four Seas really does best, as far as I'm concerned, is Dim Sum.

OK, perhaps it's time for a definition. Not everyone is familiar with Dim Sum (but everyone should be!).

Essentially, Dim Sum is this: a wide range of Chinese dishes served on small plates alongside tea. You could think of it as the Chinese version of tapas. What you must not think of is Chicken Balls, Sweet and Sour Pork, or giant, greasy Egg Rolls. Dim Sum is NOT that kind of Chinese food.

The most exciting part of Dim Sum is when the waitresses come around with carts of food inside small bamboo steamers. You never know what's on the cart until they take the lid off -- and try to tempt you.

Each time I've been there are new items, but you can count on there always being Shrimp Dumplings, Pork Dumplings, Steamed Buns, Spareribs, and a few vegetable dishes. There will also be things that you have never seen before, but don't worry. The waitresses are happy to answer any questions that you have.

In larger cities with larger Chinese communities, you'll find huge, loud Dim Sum restaurants where the waitresses fly past you with carts and you practically have to scream to get their attention.

The Four Seas is on a smaller, quieter scale. It's nonetheless a welcome addition to Regina's list of restaurants. And it's definitely popular with Regina's Chinese community who fill the place by 11:30 a.m. on weekend mornings.

Big Willie, who is half-Chinese, says that the Four Seas Dim Sum reminds him of the food his grandma made when he was a kid. If that's not a compliment, I don't know what is.

The next time you find yourself bored with what Regina restaurants have to offer, head downtown for Dim Sum. A whole new culinary world awaits you....

It's time once again for (what passes for... *winks*)
FLEA MARKET FINDS!!! of the week Can I get a WHOOP WHOOP!!?? How bout a YEE HAW!!?? OK too much?... Yeah I thought so too... Sorry...
I'm just so excited about my finds! You see I've wanted this special something something ever since I started seeing beautiful statuary pieces like it around the blogosphere. So I was cruising craigslist (as usual) and there it was! Just waiting for ME!! A HUGE (well at least to me, she's 5' tall) nude maiden *sighs dreamily* Can you say *swoon-o-licious*!!

I'm not certain where she'll end up living? I've... Ahem... actually the hubby has been dragging her around the house... which by the way is no easy task because she weighs 200 lbs! But anyhoo this is where she resides for now. There's still some lichen in the cracks to remove but it's LOVE for me!! 100 well spent dollars! The guy who sold her to me said they'd found her burried in the bushes in their backyard and his wife didn't want it around. When I told him I would be putting her in my livingroom, he thought I was nuts! Lol!

Isn't she fab!?

My second favorite find was this AMAZING 1930's french doll by Bernard Ravca 15" tall. This is in likeness of the 1930's movie star Alice Faye.

Have you ever heard of her? I hadn't (Finally something before my time! *winks*) but back in the 30's she was one of Hollywood's top movie stars. I spotted the doll on ebay and instantly fell in love with her!

She still sports her original tag which is actually signed by Bernard Ravca.
About Ravca: Bernard Ravca was a French artisan, who crafted many different costume and character dolls from many different materials, including crepe paper, papier maché, felt, clay and combinations of materials. The needled stockinette faces are perhaps the best known of his dolls, on which detailed and realistic expressions are sculpted onto the stockinette by means of tightly pulled stitching. His dolls were made in France from about 1924 to 1939. In 1939, he came to New York City and continued to make dolls to great acclaim. The most frequently found Ravca dolls are small, 7.5" -10", but he made dolls of many various sizes, including life-sized children and adult characters.

The Ravca dolls were sometimes signed in ink on their bodies and others on their tags. Some pre-1939 dolls had paper tags, imprinted "Original Ravca Fabrication Francaise" or woven labels designating "MADE IN FRANCE". There have been many Ravca-type dolls made over the years, so without signature or tags, it is almost impossible to verify an original Ravca, unless it can be favorably compared to a documented Ravca original.

Her signed tag.

Who could resist that big goofy grin? *winks* Not me that's for sure!

Dolls turned out to be my theme for the week.
I found this little shell art piece at the Goodwill for 99 cents and I added this little Italian doll bust from ebay to it... Now she's living a shell-tered life! Lol!

Now on this next one I don't want to creep you out... but I went to a car show with the hubbs this weekend and found this 1960's Suzie-kins styling mannequin for $10. I've been having a blast trying on different hats and styling her real hair. I purchased her at the beginning of the show and carried her through the ENTIRE show which was a huge conversation starter! I heard "Are you a head hunter?" And "What did she say to make you THAT angry?" Message to self... If you want people to chat you up... carry a mannequin head around with you! *winks*

This little boudoir doll box was an ebay find. She's a little LOT rough around the edges but still very charming don'tcha think? These are very hard to find in any shape so she's a keeper for me.

The wig is a replacement.

The interior.

I found this alter style candlestick lamp at the Goodwill. I love the huge metal moroccan looking plull! And the basket was also a $4.99 Goodwill find. The birdcage and Victorian beaded needlepoint picture of Saint Peter came from a local estate sale.

Cool pull huh?

The cage is an antique brass Hendryx. It'll be going to my etsy for anyone who might be interested.

This antique beaded needlepoint picture reminded me of something my friend Richard would have in his Old Historic House. *winks*

It's hard to see but his entire robe is made up of different colored glass beads. His hands and feet are done in micro petit point. Some poor victorian lady spent a good long time on this one! I'm thinking it would make a beautiful pillow?

This 1920's tin (with handle) of Christopher Columbus and Queen Isabella (?) was a $1.99 Goodwill find.

And last but not least I'd like to introduce you to "Sandi" She's named in honor of my new friend Sandi from the wonderful blog A Cottage Muse who's just about as crazy for boudoir dolls as I am! You can see hers HERE. I begged her to name one of hers Vanna! So maybe you could stop by and tell her you think so too? *wink wink nudge nudge*

Thank you so much for stopping by!
Next week I'll be forgoing the flea markets finds to share with you... An Evening In Paris (my Paris garret livingroom) I hope you'll come back for a visit. And please leave me a comment and I'll do the same for you *winks* As always I LOVE to hear from you! Vanna
I'm joining my friend Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for:

And Kathleen at Charm Bracelet Diva for:

Ann at On Sutton Place for:

Courtney at French Country Cottage for:

And Cindy at My Romantic Home for:

And Honey at 2805 for:

I woke up and ran through my list of "should-do's" in my head.

I should do laundry before the kids run out of clean underwear.

I should do some weekend housework so our house looks half-decently presentable for evening visitors.

I should make red pepper butter before the peppers in the garden go bad.

I should vacuum the Cheerios and dirt off the floor in the van and I should probably wash the outside while I'm at it.

I should start supper and get it in the crock-pot before the afternoon gets so filled up that I excuse myself and order take-out again.

I should go buy stamps for the mail that should be sent out.

I should respond to my overflowing inbox.

I should, I should, I should.

My thoughts were interrupted by an excited little voice from a girl in a yellow princess dress. "Mommy, I have a good idea! We should go to the park!"

I smiled and almost spit out my standard line, "No, not right now. Mommy has a lot of things need to get done first," but I didn't. Her suggestion startled me. It wasn't a request out of the ordinary, but it revealed something concerning; in my long list of things that needed attention, deliberately taking the time to enjoy my children without distraction was not one of them.

They were the interruptions to my housework, the distractions to making red pepper butter, and a interference while I folded wash. My list for the day suggested they were an after thought, not a priority.

A lump caught in my throat. I never want my children to feel like an annoyance, or worse, a mistake.

They needed to know that they were more precious to me than clean floors, a stack of neatly folded towels, and red pepper butter.

Read the rest at Raising Homemakers.

***

If you're looking for a great resource to help you find the balance between mothering and managing your home, may I recommend Large Family Logistics? The title is a bit misleading in that this book is helpful for any mother, not just those with several children! This is my go-to gift for Moms, new and seasoned, and my #1 favorite resource as a Keeper of the Home. Kim Brenneman will equip you with everything you need to efficiently run a household while making your children your top priority.

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Burgers are one of our favorite ways to start off a weekend! These are gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, Trim Healthy Mama friendly, and mighty tasty. Topped with crispy, bacon, sharp cheddar, fresh lettuce, juicy onion, tangy mustard, and creamy mayo... it's a guilt-free party in your mouth.

Time: 10 minutes plus grilling
Servings: 5-6 burgers
Gluten free, dairy-free, soy-free, Satisfying for THMer's.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup finely diced onion
• 1 Tbsp ketchup (no sugar) mixed with 1 Tbsp water
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1 lb organic ground beef
• Seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, garlic powder

To keep the burgers THM friendly, use portobello mushrooms as buns or a low-carb pita (such as Joseph's) for a Satisfying meal.

We enjoy our burgers with:

• mayo
• mustard
• ketchup
• lettuce
• red onion
• tomato
• cucumbers (or pickles)
• bacon