Monday, October 13, 2014

Thrifting Finds #70: Hot Stuff!

Meaning "things to make stuff hot."  You people...

Anyway, you can probably guess that last week was less than fruitful, thrifting-wise.  I did a little better this week.  Nothing truly exciting, still, I'm happy with what I got.

As an aside, it seems like the thrifts have been overflowing with stuff lately.  Crap, of course, but a lot of it.  Have you noticed that too?  I just wish there were something a little better than Wal Mart junk with all the Christmas stuff they're putting out.  Oh, well.  First World problems, right?

So here's what I got!


1.  Regal Hot Pot!  I picked this up because of the coffee situation at work.  I could join the coffee club, but it's a Keurig machine and I think those little pods are way too expensive, not to mention they create an unholy amount of trash.  I used to percolate my own, but the only facilities for washing out the pot, etc. are not very convenient.  So I'm going to see if I can get used to drinking instant.  It used to be pretty nasty, but maybe they've improved it in the last 20 years?  Savers, $2.00.


2.  Yes!  More Corningware!  Hubs pointed this out to me, but I said we already had the serving tray.  I looked more closely though, and discovered this was the Electromatic Heating Tray!  Yay!  You can never have too many heating appliances when the holidays come around.  Unfortunately, the cord for the Electromatic percolator doesn't fit.  Dang,  Now I'm going to have to look for one on ebay, and you can bet it'll be 'spensive.  Goodwill, $5.00.

What I Made Department: More precisely, what I didn't make.  These:



"Meatballs Deluxe."  To be honest, I almost made these.  I had everything done to the point where they were simmering.  I leaned over and took a whiff...  Disgusting.  Really foul.  Horrified, I tasted the sauce.

Easily the worst thing I ever put in my mouth.  Ever.  You cannot imagine how vile this was.

Thinking quickly, I scooped out the meatballs into a strainer and rinsed them off.  Even the garbage disposer gagged when I unloaded the sauce.  I made some brown gravy and saved the day.  But it was a close call, lemme tell you.

Job Update:  Things are settling down some, which is a good thing.  There were a few glitches to take care of, but nothing major (so far.)  It'll take some time before everything beomes routine but isn't that always the way?

And that's it for another installment.  Linking up this week with Sir Thrift A Lot, Hey What's For Dinner Mom?, We Call It Junkin  and Vintage Bliss Tuesdays


16 comments:

  1. I know what you mean, I don't even bother with the thrifts any more. I'm lucky to live in an area that always has great estate sales, though.
    Nice finds!

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    1. We don't seem to have many estate sales here, for some reason. Or maybe I'm just missing them. The thrifts are never really great, but they're always there and you never know what you might find,

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  2. Thank you for my morning smile. WHO would use Miracle Whip as an ingredient to simmer with meatballs? My Swedish meatball making MIL and my Sicilian Nuni, the queen of great meatball makers, are whirling in their graves! It is a wonder that some of us know what good food is after listening to Madison Avenue during our growing years. No wonder the natural foods movement began.
    Honey, instant coffee isn't going to cut it, no matter how hopeful you might be feeling. Those Keurig cups are such a marketing rip off and what every fool is adding to the landfills...don't get me started.
    If you were considering instant, while not bring some cold coffee and heat it up? Either I'm not a purist but it works for me.
    Love your sense of humor, it isn't recieved well in the halls of academia. Perhaps that is why teachers are perceived as humorless. I owe, so off to work I go...

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    1. Thank you for the nice words! I usually find those old Kraft recipes pretty good (and Ed Herlihy could make anything sound delicious), but man. Revolting. And I like Miracle Whip!
      The instant coffee wasn't too bad, as long as you don't expect it to be the same as the real thing.
      Oh, please--talk about humorless? I'm a former librarian. Now there's a group not known for its collective sense of humor!

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    2. I just had a chuckle about librarians...you're right, you win! Isn't it sad that people get pigeon holed and typecast? Thanks for the reminder about Ed. He did have such a lovely voice, so rich and comforting. I know what you mean about old recipes and Kraft was a good source, but I'm sorry, maybe never having Miracle Whip growing up, I am a bit snooty about it's taste. Those commercials are aimed right at me and I keep on ignoring them. Perhaps I should go buy a tiny, tiny jar.

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    3. The thing about MIracle Whip is that it's not *supposed* to be just like mayonnaise. Though it looks similar, it's a different animal entirely. Once you get used to that, you can learn to embrace the 'Whip.

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  3. Love the heating tray. You're so right. It would be handy over the holidays. Thanks for linking up at Vintage Bliss Tuesdays. Jo

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    1. Always happy to link up! Now if only I could find a cord for that tray...

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  4. I passed on one of those heating trays (a different one, but the same idea) about a year ago and I'm still upset about it. We have somehow become the Thanksgiving house for my family and it would be really handy.

    Good luck with finding a cord!

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    1. I love being The Thanksgiving House! If you're ever going to do any entertaining, never--no never--pass up a heating tray. You'll end up using every single one. Oh, and pick up the little Crock Pots, too; they're great for gravy.

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    2. I hadn't thought about using the little Crock Pot for gravy. That's pure genius!

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    3. Several members of my family consider gravy a beverage, so I always make a lot. The Crock Pot does a great job keeping it hot. It worked pretty well with a chocolate fondue, too.

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    4. Again, your observation is spot on! One Thanksgiving, I was making a small plate of turkey goodies for my best cat ever, Ernie. I put a tiny amount of gravy on the turkey and stuffing and you would have thought I was committing murder the way my son complained. Gravy?! For a cat? He then grew up to where he now cooks a petite hamburger for HIS favorite cat. See, I knew I brought him up right.
      There is a movie, with Dana Carvey and Nicolas Cage where they are bumbling bank robbers and they get invited to the bank president's house for Xmas dinner and Carvey pours the entire gravy boat onto his plate. The family was more than gracious but my collective family went bonkers when we saw that scene! We decided death would be a fitting punishment.
      Will remember this tip, brilliant!

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    5. Haha! Emptying the gravy boat would not be a problem at my house--there's always a refill ready and waiting!

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  5. That recipe is vile--hope the coffee situation improves I hate the disposable kueirg cups too but I like the refillable ones-totally not for work where you can wash it out though! What about a fresh press? You could haul it home and rinse it out, add coffee bring it back and fill it up? IDK instant sounds like a death sentence to me(OK FINE! first world problems I know!) Sorry it took so long get back here from Thrifter Share the last two weeks have been CRAZY! Thanks for linking up and showing me what I'm missing.

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    1. I think I have the coffee situation solved--more next week if I have anything to post, LOL.
      As for the recipe, I actually like Miracle Whip. I thought the sauce would be interesting. Hubs said "You didn't save any for me to taste?" I told him I did him a huge favor!

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