Monday, December 22, 2014

Thrifting Finds #75: ...and to all a good night.

Whew.  Your ol' Uncle Veg has been a busy boy these last couple of weeks getting ready for Christmas.  There's been a lot of cooking and baking lately, which I'll get to in a minute but first, I have an actual Thrift Find to share with you!




Christmas Napkins!  Yes, I actually found some Christmas linens at the Goodwill.  I'm not sure how vintage they are--probably not very, but I couldn't refuse them at only 0.50 each!  I bought 8 of them.  There were 12, I think, but some of them were discolored.  There was a matching tablecloth too, but I didn't care for it.
Now here's the problem--I can't use them this year!  I'm using the Christmas tablecloth I found last Spring and my Christmas china.  I realized that if I added these napkins to the mix, it would go from "My, isn't that festive!" to "Wow, it looks like Christmas threw up all over your table!"  So maybe next year I'll use a plain white tablecloth and these napkins.

Speaking of that tablecloth, take a look:

It almost fits my table!  In fact, I think it looks pretty darn good, especially considering that my table is an odd size and no tablecloth actually fits it.  P.S.  I took the picture after I ironed it, all evidence to the contrary notwithstanding.  And please pardon the mess--Christmas is still a work-in-progress Chez Fondue.

We're going to my brother's for Christmas dinner, so I don't have to cook a big meal.  The Girl Child and The Boyfriend are coming for a belated dinner next Monday, so at least I get to use my Christmas china again, and I'll get to cook a little, at least.

Which is a strange thing to say, considering what I've been up to lately in the kitchen.

What I Made Department:

1.  An insane number, of cookies!  So far, I've made 2 batches of Cherry Jumbles, 2 batches of Platinum Blondes, two batches of Holy Crap, It's a Brownie!, and four batches of M&M cookies, with two more batches on the schedule for today. When you consider each batch is like 3 dozen cookies, that comes to...well, a lot!  I took some to work, and some went to the vet's office.  Many are for bro and his girlfriend, but there are still plenty for Hubs and me (good thing we've been going for walks lately!)

2.  Candy candy candy!  I've made two batches of peanut butter fudge (which might as well be called peanut butter crack, it's that good), a batch of chocolate fudge for Hubs, and a batch of Sponge candy for bro.  Tomorrow, I'll be making pink popcorn (AKA Mother Goose popcorn), also for bro.

I stopped counting how much sugar I've used this month.

And that's it, really, though I have a question:  I need a small microwave for work (there's only one for like 40 people and it doesn't get cleaned...)  So I was looking in the GW yesterday, and they had one for 15 bucks.  It was cleanish, but not immaculate.  Assuming it works, would you be squeamish about a used microwave?  I wasn't sure so I left it.  A new one would cost about 50 bucks.

Oh, before I go, I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas from all of us here at Fondue Headquarters!



8 comments:

  1. Merry Christmas Uncle Veg - that tablecloth is spectacular. But I agree that the addition of the new napkins would be a touch too much xxx

    ReplyDelete
  2. The tablecloth fits perfectly, like it was made for your table. Perhaps you need to starch the cloth but who does that nowadays? I am impressed with your baking and your utilization of sugar during the season makes the sugar lobby beam. Why, or why do we love things that are not healthy? I really enjoy roasted brocolli, but I have never said, under my breath, that I was craving some or wished I could spluge and have some. Though roasting veggies is an excellent way to eat them, if you haven't tried them that way. Almost like crack...
    I love your blog so much! Enjoy your holidays and wishing you health, wealth and happiness, and restraint with the sweets!
    Oh, the microwave question. If you're asking, I bet it bothers you and you will probably feel better just going for a new one. The only other thought I have is the fact that you have probably eaten things that were heated up in questionable micowaves and also, as thrifters, we like used things that we clean them up and use them. So, I think I just straddled the fence with my advice, :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, nice advice there suzieQ! LOL! I've already decided that if the microwave is still there next week, I'll get it. Upon reflection, it was already cleaner than the one at the office...
      Thank you for your kind comments! All of us here at Fondue HQ wish you health, wealth, and happiness as well!
      TBH, I do starch napkins, which made that tablecloth stick to the ironing board the whole time. Grr. Can you wash an ironing board cover?

      Delete
  3. We bought a used microwave for our camper and it was fine. It's a gamble I suppose, if you get one at a thrift store but I would not be afraid to get a used microwave. Maybe ask if you can microwave a coffee cup of water in it first there at the store?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's exactly what I was thinking of doing. What I'm mostly worried about is it having some kind of insect eggs or something lurking inside. Yeah, that's the kind of thing I worry about!

      Delete
  4. About the microwave...don't bother cleaning it, throw it in the room at work, and obviously no one will care. $15 bucks well spent! If you decide to spend $50 on a new one, park it at your desk and put a lock on it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, please--I'm not getting it to SHARE! I already got my own little fridge to keep in my cube, the microwave will live on top of it with my coffee maker, in what I like to call my Kitchenette :)

      Delete