Pocketful of Memory Cards

Yesterday, I stopped by My Country Garden, to pick up supplies to make this years batch of dill pickles.  Surprisingly it took me three stores before I found any pickling vinegar.  It's not that they were sold out, neither Extra Foods nor Stooperstore even had a spot of the shelf for it.  What's up with that? I couldn't resist these cute little eggplants, though I had no idea what I was going to do with them. I ended up roasting them with some olive oil and chopped garlic.  They were delicious along with the steamed corn from Don-O-Ray, pork tenderloin from Mission Meat and caprese sala d with cherry and pear tomatoes from our own garden and boccocini from Valoroso .

To be perfectly honest, as I write this I don't have a very happy feeling about the last three days.  There were things I wanted to do and unfortunately they all had to be done within a short period of time.  I would like to have spread them out, but cancellations happened, two things were re-booked, and didn't have much choice in the matter of the dates.  And to top it off I am suffering terribly from either spring allergies or a cold. By coincidence it's Gratitude Monday, and I can't think of a better way to remind myself of the enjoyment I got out of those busy days and what I accomplished. 138.  I'm grateful that I didn't have to go to the Golf Tournament Saturday night, and instead attended the UBCO BFA grad show to see my friend and award winning artist Laura Widmer's latest works along with other up and coming Okanagan artists. 139.  I was grateful to be asked to review the cooking class at Poppadoms on Sunday.  I love Indian food and ...

After all the ways we've been indulging ourselves for the past couple of months, I thought it was time to tighten our belts and get back into Frugal mode...mostly so we can afford to repeat our indulgent behaviour again next year!  I'm afraid it didn't take much of a nudge for me to fall off the frugality wagon when I stopped for cooking oil at  Valoroso  this afternoon.  I swear I have mediterranean blood in me somewhere.  I absolutely love Spanish, Italian and Greek cuisine.  I did refrain from tossing a few of the more extravagant "wants", like instant espresso, into my basket, but I just couldn't resist those tiny red tomatoes and the spicy pickled eggplant.  In the deli case beside the eggplant there was a boccocini salad that would be so easy to make myself,  so of course I bought some boccocini since the tomatoes, basil and kalamata olives were already there in my basket.  Did I mention the fennel?...oh how I love the liquo...