Thursday Things

Time for this week’s Thursday Things:

1. I found this silver-plated copper serving tray from the turn of the century, approximately 1890-1900, at a local San Diego antique shop. Complete with feet, handles, and gorgeous scrollwork, and I’m in tarnished surface heaven.

The store was having a 50% off sale and at half off, the tray was already a very good buy. I’ve bought things there in the past and knew that the owner wheels and deals and asked him if that was the best he could do on the price and he replied, “Well, since my time to polish that thing is worth something, I’ll take off another $50 bucks off for you. How’s that sound?” Sounded perfect. Sold. The irony is that I wouldn’t have wanted it polished anyway because food does not photograph well on super shiny surfaces from all the glare.

This thing must weigh 50 pounds. It’s heavier than Skylar and she’s about 45 pounds. Pound for pound, the copper alone could be sold at a scrap metal yard for more than I paid for it but that’s out of the question.

2. In addition to the old wood board I bought recently, which has already appeared in so many food shoots, and I’ve only had it a couple weeks, my new metal tray is going to be a nice balance to the wood.

The Spiced Apple and Banana Bundt Cake with Vanilla Caramel Glaze is on the old wood board I’m referring to, and I actually got the silver spatula and the fork in the photo from the same antique dealer that I bought the tray from. He’s got great silver pieces.

3. Sandwich Sacks, $8.99 each from The Container Store. Being eco-friendly and reusing just got cuter.

I have something like this that I bought from Etsy years ago but have moved too many times and don’t know what box I stashed them in and have boxes stashed in storage lockers. If you sew, I bet these are a snap to make.

4. Little trays in the shape of movie tickets, memo pads, and dry cleaning tickets from Fishs Eddy.

I have the pink ‘While You Were Out‘ and it cracks me up every time I use it.

5. The Kitchn featured my Peanut Butter and Jelly Blondies and reminded me that I need to make them again.

So many things to make, so little time.

 6. Rectangular Teak Cutting Board with Feet, 24 x 18 for $99 from Gilt – I think this is a very fair price for a board this big that’s teak, but I need to stop. No more trays and wood. Not this week any way.

“Teak is much easier on knives than other woods, and contains resins that actually repel moisture—helping avert the sad “warped cutting board” scenario. ‘Edge grains,’ wood cut with the grain of its growth rings, lend a gorgeous yet simply pattern to the finished product and help boards self-heal after cuts. We love Proteak in particular for its commitment to quality and because all wood is harvested under ethical, sustainable conditions from the Pacific Coast of Mexico—unlike much southeast Asian teak. This sleek board is great for everyday knife work, and in a pinch can serve as an ad hoc serving platter.”

7. I must have been living under a rock because I did not know that laundry detergent is now sold in little packs.

I have a tendency to use way too much detergent because I’m of the mindset that more is better, more is cleaner, and never use just one capful. I never use just a teaspoon of cinnamon or vanilla, either. I guess I’m universally heavy-handed when it comes to pouring. Can I make you a drink?

Normally products like this are more expensive, ounce for ounce, than the original version of the product but in my case, these will actually save me money because I will actually get 24 loads from the package, without the possibility of heavy-handed pouring. They were on also an in-store club card sale and became ridiculously cheap and will make for the cheapest 24 loads I’ve ever done.

8. Facebook is charging for Fan Page posts and 84% of your posts are not being seen by your fans unless you pay for them.

“Facebook revealed the average post has only an estimated 16% reach to your Facebook fans. So on average 84% of your Facebook fans are not seeing your posts. Facebook uses an algorithm formula called EdgeRank to decide what users will see in their news feed. In order to gain more reach to your Facebook fans, Facebook is now offering promoted posts in which companies will have to pay to have more visibility to their fans. “Like” it or not, Facebook has announced that many more changes are on the way for business owners.”

Feedburner is shutting down in October and there’s no comparable free service like it. Millions of bloggers and tens of millions of readers depend on Feedburner to push feeds out into Google Reader or similar viewing platforms. This is huge and I have no idea what I am going to do, or what any of us will do, if it really happens. I’m not pushing the panic buttons yet.

Dianne wrote a post on both of these matters

9. Cider Bourbon Roasting Glaze, intended for meat, but I want to use it with tofu. Cider bourbon tofu sounds pretty fabulous to me.

Use it similarly to the barbeque sauce in Barbeque Tofu with Pineapple and Mango (vegan, GF)

10. Printed iPhone Case from Free People, $28 – I’d rather have my phone less protected in a cuter case than more protected in the ugly white industrial strength plastic case that I have on it now. Fashion before function.

What are your Thursday Things?

Do you have a tendency to gravitate toward buying certain things for your house or home?

For me, it’s dishes of any kind, but serving bowls, plates, and trays are a weakness. There’s always something cute and pretty that’s just calling my name. But I don’t have the storage space and my wallet hates me, so I frequently have to tell myself, no more. Sometimes that works better than other times.

If you’ve made anything, done, seen, or bought anything fabulous recently, feel free to link it up in the comments.