Great stores!

Last week, I found three new great stores in Toronto to satisfy my roaming needs at times of procrastination!

The first is a candy store. You know, the ones with all the bins of every jelly bean you can imagine, boxes of candy that bring back childhood memories, and hard-to-find candies from abroad. However, this one is awesome because in addition to all of the above, they have bins of spices and powder that they sell by the grams (we're in Canada here!). I love it because I can get the teaspoon of baking soda or baking powder I need without having to buy a whole box/can at the supermarket. Sure, it probably isn't "fresh", but it beats having to pay $2+ for more than I need and what will surely end up in my cupboard until the next time we move. The other day, as my bananas got too ripe for my taste, I was happy to buy the teaspoons I needed to make banana bread. Two small baggies of white stuff (hehe, just thought I'd be funny here), plus a bit of rosemary and a few chocolate-covered pretzels to satisfy a craving, all rang at $0.92!!!. Now I can explore my cookbooks and not be affraid of recipes that call for all kinds of spices!

The second store was a kitchen supply store. It was kind of small compared to a Crate and Barrel, but I love wondering around these stores. And because this one was new to me, I probably walked the whole store more than twice. Oh, and they have Oxo kitchen utensils which I had not been able to find here in Toronto! I ended up buying a mini grater and a mini beater. I like small cute stuff.

The last store was called Solutions. Upon entering, we discover it is the equivalent of The Container Store, probably one of my favo(u)rite back in the US. I used to spend hours on the weekend just hanging out at The Container Store by my old place in Virginia. This place had the same closet organizer, kitchen accessories and bathroom knick-knacks, and lots of other things that are fun to shop around for! Didn't buy anything major (maybe when we have to move again) but I did get a milk+cereal to-go container. The bottom part has a cool gel to keep the milk cold, the top part serves as the lid for the milk and carries the cereal, and the top lid comes with a folding spoon. I tend not to eat cereal at home because I am one of those that likes to get extra sleep and then just run out the door, usually eating breakfast at the office. This is suppose to be my solution to eating better for breakfast. Worked great today! No spills and carries a good-sized portion. Negative points for the flimsy folding spoon, though easily remedied by taking a real spoon. Unfortunately, I am starting to think I am becoming lactose intolerant... Only time will tell how this one goes...

What else will I find in this new City? Who knows! I am now armed with a monthly transit pass - unlimited riding here I come! Too bad the winter cold is near and will likely get the best of me some days...