Monday, November 11, 2013

Thrifting Finds #31: Have yourself an absolutely horrifying little Christmas!

Wow.  Just wow.

Once again, hubs and I didn't find much on our rounds this weekend, but something I stumbled across turned out to be the highlight of the day.

But first, let me rant a bit.  What is up with the Christmas stuff around here?  I keep reading all these blogs where people come across the mother lode of Shiny Brites or shelf after shelf of Lefton elves, or blowmolds up the wazoo.

And I'm totes jelly, as the kids say.  (Actually, do they still say that?  I'm kind of behind the times.)

We hit seven thrift stores this weekend, and while I found a lot of Christmas stuff, 99% of it was recycled dollar store crap.  The rest of it was just ugly.  Where's all the good stuff?

Harumph.

Other than crappy Christmas stuff, I also came across a bunch of Pyrex, most of it horribly abused.  I even saw a couple of pieces of English Pyrex.  I didn't take a picture, but it seems a little more opaque than the typical American opal glass.  Closer to Corelle, actually.

Anyway, on to what I found.



1.  Pyrex!  It's been a while since I bought a piece of Pyrex, and I'm glad I came across this.  I already have a couple that Mom bought back in the '70s.  These are really great storage jars.  I needed something to keep flour in and was looking for some Tupperware, but I got this instead.  Pretty sure it won't hold a whole 5 pound bag, but it should fit in my freezer.  $3.00 Goodwill

I almost got a Scumbuster at Savers, but the lines were so long that I didn't feel like waiting.

Speaking of Savers, I did find something there of note.  I didn't buy it, but I took a video of it

Because it's so horrifying.



Click to watch--if you dare!!!!

This thing is horrifying on so many levels--the club foot, the creepy voice.  But the face--that scary, I-want-to-eat-your-soul face--just really did me in.  How fortuitous that the person who donated it left the batteries in so you can get the full effect.

Brrrr.


What I Made This Weekend department


A.  Dan L's Enchilada Casserole  My friend Dan sent me this recipe a while back and I love it not just because it's from my friend, but because it originated in the Mexican food capital of the world:  Council Bluffs, Iowa.

1lb ground beef
Chopped onion
1lb can enchilada sauce
1lb can refried beans*
1lb jar salsa
Corn tortillas
Cheddar and/or Monterrey Jack cheese

Brown ground beef with the onion.  Drain and return to pan.  Stir in refried beans, enchilada sauce and salsa.  Simmer a few minutes.  Put a little of the sauce in the bottom of a greased 9X13 inch baking dish (vintage Corningware preferred) and add a layer of corn tortillas.  Layer sauce with tortillas until you run out of materials, ending with the sauce.  Put cheese on top and cover with foil.  Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Take off foil and bake another five.  Let sit at room temperature 5-10 minutes before attempting to serve.

*I leave the beans out because ew.


B.  Potato, bacon and corn chowder  Okay, I'll admit it--this isn't the best picture.  I'll take another one tonight when we actually eat it.  It'll have bacon bits on top and some lovely cheese melting in.  I got this recipe from Carnation evaporated milk and it's so easy it's embarrassing.  Still, there's something to say for an easy recipe that's delicious and made with stuff you're likely to have in your cupboards.

EDIT:  Here's what it looked like last night when I served it:

It was delish.


In other news  I had my car detailed last week!  I always thought that sort of thing was only for self-indulgent BMW drivers.  Then a while ago, hubs got a coupon for a free (!!) detailing, and man, what a difference!  He liked it so much that I got him a gift certificate for detailing last Christmas.  (There's an impossibly cute story about hubs and me giving each other identical presents last Christmas, but it's so nauseating that I'll spare you the details.)  Anyway, I finally got to use the gift certificate that hubs gave me last year.  Man, oh man, it's like having a brand-new car again!  Everything is so clean and shiny--and they totally got the coffee stains out of the mats.  The only problem is that they go kind of crazy with the Armor All.  There's a plastic mat/tray thing in the back of my car to protect the carpeting from dirt and stuff, and with all the Armor All they put on it, it's slippery as Teflon.  We did the marketing this weekend and every time I turned a corner, our groceries did a little Indy 500 thing back there.  If you're looking for a gift for a hard-to-buy-for person (hubs knows I am way too cheap to ever buy this for myself), I recommend this.

Also  I finally put the Eames coat rack and the free laptop I got up on ebay this weekend.  I already have bids on both!

Linking up this with Sir Thrift A LotThe Nifty Thrifty, and We Call It Junkin 



19 comments:

  1. ¡Andale, andale! As they like to whoop in Council Bluffs. My Mum makes risotto that she insists on calling 'Rice Risotto' because that's what the recipe was called at her Cordon Bleu cookery class in Upper Hutt NZ circa 1968. Hope you get a good result on the Eames coat rack. I don't normally do the thrifting to eBay thing but I found some very cute 60's cutlery this weekend

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    1. I made risotto once.
      Once.
      Because like homemade graham crackers and noodles, once was enough. I can only put a certain amount of work into anything I cook before I give up in disgust. I mean, look through the recipes I've posted-nothing takes more than five minutes of prep work.
      I used to ebay a lot more, then I discovered that packing stuff to ship was just way too much trouble. Now I'll only do it for something that's A) easy to pack up and B) likely to earn a good ROI.

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  2. Oh, my. Snowflake girl was indeed creepy. Almost creepy enough to buy.

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    1. And that's my dilemma. I'm often tempted to buy that sort of thing and then inflict it on a loved one. So far, I've managed to behave myself, but it's only a matter of time until I give in...

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  3. Ah, creepy Christmas decor. I need to hit up the local thrift stores, they'll always deliver. ;) Creepy snowflake girl!

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    1. And cheap, too! I think Creepy Snowflake Girl was only six bucks--a bargain!

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  4. Funny post! Cute Pyrex container. Yeah, there is a glut of that dollar store Christmas at my thrifts as well, and our DAV has the nerve to charge double the dollar store price for it. Creepy snowflake for sure, lol. Visiting from We Call It Olde. Wish you had a Bloglovin follow button on your blog, or Goggle.

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    1. Thanks! I noticed too late that the Pyrex container says not for use in freezer, which is exactly where I was planning on using it. Not sure why you can't put it in the freezer, so I think I'm going to try anyway--don't want to waste 3 bucks!
      We don't have a DAV around here, so it's the Goodwills that mark up the dollar store crap. Really, Goodwill? Really?
      I'll put a Bloglovin button on this thing just as soon as I figure out how!

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    2. ...and done. It was easier than I though it'd be!

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  5. That enchilada casserole looks right up our alley! Do the chips get soggy?

    Most Christmas stuff I see is pretty sad too, people need to know its ok to throw away holiday decorations.

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    1. We love the enchiladas, and as you can see, it couldn't be easier. No chips involved--we use corn tortillas. They hold up pretty well, given that it takes us a few days to eat our way through a batch. But your chips question intrigues me; there's really no reason I can't throw in some, right? Hmmm.
      People also need to know that it's okay to take their good Christmas stuff and give it to Goodwill so that I can swoop in and buy it!

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  6. Love the Pyrex canister. Those are actually pretty easy to find around here. I just saw at set at St. Vincent's the other day for the antique mall price of $29.99! Jeez, it's not like THEY GET IT FOR FREE!!!

    Anyways, thanks so much for the yummy recipes. I am always looking for new ones. Your chowder photo looks so professional :-)

    ~Erica

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    1. Thirty bucks? Holy schlamoleon! I've noticed that those canisters actually are pretty common, but it's rare to find one with a lid that isn't cracked. I guess they get used hard?
      Thanks for you compliment on my photographic skills! LOL, it's actually a cell phone picture and my kitchen light makes everything look yellow! But thanks anyway!

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  7. Keep hunting, there has to be some vintage Christmas out there for you!

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    1. Don't worry, I will! I keep reminding myself that I found *two* boxes of Shiny Brites this year, so there's still hope!

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  8. I love creepy snowflake girl! Not enought to buy her, just as an obscure oddity. Definitely odd.

    We had those Store & Sees.

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    1. If I had six extra bucks I didn't need, I think Creepy Snowflake Girl would have come home with me. It would have been fun to inflict her on the people at work.

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  9. This had my whole family cracking up - let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Ha ha! According to my 13-yr-old, the kids do say "jelly", but she didn't know about "totes" jelly. They do say "totes fab" and "hashtag jelly", so there you go. Love your Pyrex jar. Thanks for sharing this at the We Call It Olde Link-Up. So glad to have you join each week! Take care - Dawn @ We Call It Junkin.com

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