First flea market in a very long time

I didn’t’ t go to the flea market in a very long time, maybe since November? It was a cold and busy winter and I didn’t have the energy or the motivation to go, even if it is one of my favorite things to do. But this Sunday was nice and sunny. It was a very good flea market day, with some good finds for my collection, with some relaxing time walking around and looking at stuff and also with some friends met there.
These are the things I have found:
An antique gold plated locket in a very good condition, with the two photos (of mother and sun, maybe) still inside under the clear celluloid). It’s my new favorite from my collection.

An old pocket watch winder that I’ll wear as a pendant.

A glass brooch ( I think it’ from the forties).

This unidentified thing (maybe some fastening for a jacket?). I don’ t know what I’ll use it for, but I liked the acorn like shape and it was very cheap, of course.

An old wood and brass knitting doll for my collection.

And a pretty silver ring.

 

Learning how to sew

After a very long time of planning this, I have finally started to learn how to sew. This is the first thing I’ve done, a shirt in a funny cats in outer space print, using a simple Burda magazine pattern. I was really motivated by the fabric (that I have found in a fabric outlet store), otherwise I would have probably just stopped after making several mistakes and having to rip out the thread for at least five or six times. I found especially difficult to finish the neckline hem and in the end it didn’t come out perfectly, but it is totally wearable.

It was really funny to wear this top in school. Several kids stopped me on the hallways to compliment it or to ask from where did I bought it. I could proudly say : “I made it myself.” 🙂

Snowdrops

My favorite flowers just started to bloom in our urban garden. I’ll update when they are in fool bloom. 

Vegan potato salad

My friend made the veganized version of this very usual dish. A comfort food for me and something that I used to eat all the time before being vegan. This version came out delicious and very similar to the non-vegan one, only cruelty and guilt-free.

These are the ingredients: 4-5 potatoes (boiled in their skin and then diced), 1 sliced onion, 4-5 mushrooms finely sliced, the juice of 3 smaller lemons, olive oil, salt, pepper, homemade vegan mayonnaise.

We sliced the mushrooms and marinated them for an hour in the lemon juice and olive oil with some salt. We kept them in the fridge, while the potatoes were boiling and my friend made the mayonnaise.

For the mayonnaise she used corn powder, 4 spoons of boiling water, half of a boiled potato, 3 spoon of mustard, salt, pepper and sunflower seeds oil. She mashed the potato (while the potato is still hot), added the boiling water and then she added the corn powder. Mixed everything and then she added the mustard and the oil, the salt and the pepper. It is a very nice vegan mayonnaise.

At this point all that was left to do was to mix the diced potatoes, the sliced onion, the marinated mushrooms and the mayonnaise and she added a bit more salt and pepper. It was very delicious and comforting.

Vegan pickled cabbage dish

This is another random dish I have made using all the things I have found in the fridge. It turned out quite delicious, so I write this here to be able to replicate it sometimes. I have used for this dish:

4 small diced onions, 1 large diced carrot, 1 small diced potato, approximately half of a medium sized pickled cabbage that I shredded, 1 smaller cauliflower that I cut in small, rice like pieces, 1 cup rice, cooking oil, some salt (not much, as the cabbage is very salty too), 1 spoon curry powder, 1 spoon smoked paprika powder.

I stir fried the onions, cabbage and carrot with the curry powder, salt and smoked paprika powder until the onion became translucent. I added the cauliflower, the potato and the rice and water to cover everything up and I let it boil till the rice and potato were cooked. It was very tasty and creamy. We added later chickpeas from a can (not pictured in this photo) for some protein and texture.

Almost spring

It’s hard to find the tone to write here (or in other places on the internet) with everything that goes on in the world. It’s also hard in the day to day life to find the balance between anger and hopelessness for the state of the world and gratefulness for my own life, that is still safe and full of things to be joyful for…

Meanwhile, it’s almost spring here. I love February and this feeling that was there with me all my life of anxious expectation of something unnamed, of nostalgia for that unknown, ethereal thing that never happens…