FauxPas

Are you providing all the containers yourself? And I guess you need new ones each time?

The counters are about 26" deep, the fridge extends out to about 30.5" or so, so about 4.5" beyond the counters. (I don't think the fridge can sit right flush with the back wall though there's not much of a gap.) The manual says it's 29" deep and handle extends a bit further. I think a regular depth fridge would be another 4 - 6 inches and I think it would look quite bulky in there.

Wow, @patti you are sure doing a lot of work, but making some lovely meals. Do you get much feedback on what you do? Do the meals go fast? I was just re-reading about your kitchen remodel in 2015 on the Kitchen Photos thread, are you still in the same house? Lovely kitchen! You have made an impressive variety of meals. Are you looking for meal ideas or just general feedback on your choices? Everything you have made looks wonderful and so thoughtfully packaged. There was a thread on Batch Meals but I don't know if it's got many suggestions for you. But it's here, just in case: You and your husband are to be commended for the good work you are doing!

Aw, thanks. It's pretty bland by some people's standards and it's not very big at all, but it is working out pretty well for us. 🙂

Just to complete things, this is the fridge I settled on. It's a Whirlpool 36" counter depth. And yes, it only has a little over 20 cu ft capacity. For the most part, it's been ok. But my stepdaughter and her boyfriend were burned out of Jasper, Alberta last year due to the big wildfire there and they stayed with us for a couple of months. And during that, I felt it was a bit too small. But I like the look and for the most part it's fine for the two of us! Plus, the old one now resides in the garage with the upright freezer. 🙂 We use the interior water dispenser quite a lot. It's a handy feature. And it does have an ice maker in the freezer, one of the basic ones with a wire arm that lifts up and down to activate on/off. These simpler ones seem to break down a lot less than the fussy new ones with all kinds of sensors. The one in our expensive LG one was always a problem - it was repaired once and replaced once and was acting up again when the whole fridge up and died. I put Jasper the Bear at feline nose height for our cat's benefit. 😆

Having lived with a counter-depth fridge for a few years now, I can say there's some truth to this, @weinoo. For the most part, the fridge is large enough but the produce drawers and freezer compartments are annoyingly 'short' compared to a deeper fridge. It would be better if those compartments could be magically deeper or even if one were wider and the other narrower. Even though it's 36" wide, the lack of depth can be occasionally frustrating. We decided to hold on to the original fridge, which is in our garage along with an upright freezer. Seems like a lot of refrigeration for just two people, but we make pretty good use of it. 🙂

Is anyone watching Top Chef Canada 2025 right now? I'm quite enjoying it so far. But wow, it goes by fast. They already had a double elimination challenge.

This was a tip from Serious Eats for making better macaroni salad and it really worked! So, to infuse the pasta with maximum flavor, this recipe calls for adding the vinegar straight to the cooked macaroni before introducing the mayo-based dressing, not unlike Kenji's method of adding vinegar to boiled potatoes for potato salad. This extra step ensures that every squishy elbow is super tangy; on its own it tastes a little weird, but the whole thing becomes remarkably well-balanced once the creamy dressing is tossed into the mix. https://www.seriouseats.com/tangy-creamy-macaroni-salad

Really good to hear you are getting back to normal in some ways! I love your decor. So cute that Ronnie and your friend brought pumpkins for you - and the cows, ha. 🙂 I love your porch so much.

Lush, healthy plant. Gorgeous!

Wow, you have done so well with that plant! You must have been treating it right. 🙂 Will you dry the peppers or freeze them or ????

I'm feeling a bit crappy today and decided to skip the big weekly Farmers' Market. I had mentioned to my husband previously that I wanted some chili crisp from one of the vendors. He surprised me by sneaking off to the Market (which he NEVER goes to) and bringing home some chili crisp plus a couple of delicious pineapple buns. Yum.

I had to do a search for this one, never heard of it before. 🙂 It's peanut butter and marshmallow cream, right?

@Kerry Beal, I don't think there's a Costco in Thunder Bay. Do you know what would be nearest to @Smithy?

Costco Canada has them for $329.99 plus tax.

I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that mine is still in the box. But the old one is still working, so no real need to switch right away. 🙂

Possibly next year but maybe more likely to be the year after? It's a Violette de Bordeaux (this one is actually called Little Miss Figgy but I think they are the same thing). Our friend said to give it a few years to get any real production.

Oh yes, we are going to find the right home for our new fig tree! Our little yard is getting a bit full so we have to think about where to plant it. He actually gave us the cutting last Fall and then gave us some figs this year to show us what we might expect. Here is the cutting now:

A fairly new friend gifted us with some figs, all beautifully nestled in among fig leaves. He also gave us a rooted cutting from one of his fig trees, a gift that will indeed keep on giving. 🙂 The same man keeps bees and has given us some delicious honey.

Wow, it's so shiny and bright and CLEAN! 😀 My little ovens never stay that way for long, sigh.

That's awesome news and looking forward to hearing about how you use it! I'm still waiting for mine to arrive, as shipping times have lengthened since I first checked on the Costco.ca website. We're at the start of a long weekend so I don't expect it until late next week now. Good job, @ElsieD!

I could not resist! The siren song drew me in. Have just ordered one of the new CSO-500 steam ovens! (sound of angels singing.... ) 🙂 My husband (very reasonably) said: "Doesn't the one currently on our countertop work ok?" AND "Don't we have an extra in the garage?" Yes and yes, but the one on my countertop is 3 years old and is disgustingly grotty. Even though I clean it regularly, it gets used so much that it becomes very hard to clean. But I do know someone who would love to have it and I will clean it up as best as I can. Also, my stepdaughter is now mad for this oven, I gifted her one about a year ago. At some point, she will want a new one. All is good. (more angels ..... ) 🤣

I think you now have to follow along on the other thread to see the outcome. I believe @ElsieDis going to ship one now as she is quite a bit closer than me! Good job, Elsie!

If necessary, we'll get you one here in Canada and ship it to you!!! 🙂 One of my cousins who now lives here in BC is going to visit his sister in Kansas City next month. But I think the plan is to fly. If he was driving, I would ask him to bring one along. 😞

I didn't know about Whippets before! Weird, I checked the box on these things and 2 of them said "Made in Canada". I was so ashamed. Hahahahahaha 🙂 Edited to add: I did know about Whippets, my brother (as a kid) loved them and I thought they were disgusting. But when you said the raspberry splotch, it reminded me!!!!!