The Battered Fish on Queen Street, Toronto

As fish and chips places go we are giving this place 4 stars out of 5.

The fish was good, the chips were awesome, the coleslaw was actually TOO cold, and the drinks reminded us of Subway (Coke products)...

Price wise it was comparable to going to South Street Burger - a gourmet fast food place that I also give 4.5 stars.

The Battered Fish has one major problem. Their menu is CONFUSING the first time you go there as it is all about mixing and matching things. A better solution would be to list 12 different popular combos, and options for customizing those combos. This complex mix and match process leaves customers struggling to say their order properly, as opposed to simply saying "I would like combo #3 please."

Also we felt there should be an option to "shark size" the combos, or "whale size" it. Or even "the Moby Dick". More for amusement's sake than anything else.

Which brings us to one last thought. Change the name to "Moby Dick's Fish N Chips". Much more awesome name. The Battered Fish is too meta.

Gaudet Sweet Goods Inc. Apple Pie - where is the baking time???

Awhile back I purchased a "Gaudet Sweet Goods Inc. Apple Pie" and left it in the freezer.

Today I finally got it out and decided to bake it. Because I was hungry and said "Mmm apple pie... I love apple pie..."

Looking over the packaging I am trying to find the recommended appropriate baking time and temperature ...

And the packaging is blank on the subject of baking time.

It has all the nutritional info there. Just no recommended baking time and temperature. Nothing. Zilch.

Baking times can truly vary wildly from apple pie recipe to different apple pie recipe.

Judging by various recipes online it can vary between 20 minutes and 60 minutes.

• For example one recipe calls for 425° F for 20 minutes.

• Another recipe calls for something rather complex: 15 minutes at 425° F, then reduce the temperature to 350° F, and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes.

• Another calls for 375° F for 50 minutes.

• A 4th recipe I found calls for: Bake at 450° F for 10 minutes.  Lower the heat to 350°F and continue to bake for an additional 40-45 minutes.

So apparently we are supposed to GUESS the appropriate baking temperature and time and then check the oven every 5 minutes to see if the pie is burning.

I think part of the problem is that Gaudet Sweet Goods Inc. is producing conveyor belt apple pie... the pies are made by machines, mass produced, and the company really doesn't care that they forgot to add recommended baking instructions on their pies.

Now I admit, I LOVE APPLE PIE. Hence why I purchased their product in the first place. I couldn't care less that a robot made the apple pie, I am sure it will taste great as long as it is baked properly.

Thus I am giving their company TWO THUMBS DOWN because of their lack of proper baking instructions. I don't care if it turns out to be the best apple pie I have ever eaten (which I doubt as it looks pretty generic), they should at least have the decency to list recommended baking instructions on the packaging.

Gaudet Sweet Goods Inc. is based in Acton Vale, Quebec. Shame on them!

Canadian Tire Xmas Shopping

Shopping at Canadian Tire is a bit of a holiday tradition for many Canadians.

However when doing so I often find the selection... disappointing.

So far this year I have done roughly 60 to 70% of my xmas shopping at Canadian Tire, but that total will likely change as xmas gets closer.

I also did a good chunk of my shopping this year at Pet Smart and Indigo, but that is dwarfed by the amount spent at Canadian Tire.

Certain hard to find xmas gifts are still on my list of things to get people, but I am admittedly delaying a bit before I go shopping for them - for various reasons.

Theoretically a person could buy all their gifts for every family member at Canadian Tire - but the selection would be a bit dull. For the really nice stuff you need to be going to specialty stores like:

Lee Valley or Home Depot for tools.
Pet Smart for pet supplies.
Sports Chek for sporting goods / clothing.
Marks Work Warehouse, H&M, etc for clothing.
Bed, Bath and Beyond for bathroom / bedroom items.
Home Depot or RONA for gardening tools.

Shopping at Canadian Tire is often more about convenience and price, as their variety is often short.

Scrubbing Bubbles Vs Scrub Free

Today I decided to do a test of two different products sitting in the closet next to the bathroom.

#1. Scrubbing Bubbles

#2. Scrub Free

Both claim to be able to scrub your bathtub with very little work involved. So I decided to do a double test, side by side. I sprayed half the bathtub with Scrubbing Bubbles and other half with Scrub Free.

I then walked away to play with our cat - see Victoria has Claws - and then came back.

When I returned the Scrubbing Bubbles side of the bathtub was noticeably cleaner. The Scrub Free half looked like nothing had even happened.

To finish the job I sprayed the Scrub Free half of the bathtub with Scrubbing Bubbles. Because apparently Scrub Free isn't living up to its name.

Which is weird because I remember using Scrub Free a lot when I was younger and seemed to always do the job, but now it doesn't seem to work that well. Could it be that Scrub Free has changed their formula to cheaper chemicals and now it does a shoddy job compared to what it used to do?

Spot Pet Laser Classic, Laser Pointer

Earlier today I went xmas shopping and got our cat (Victoria) a "Spot Pet Laser Classic" for $6.99 - basically it is laser pointer with 5 different shapes:

Classic Dot
Butterfly
Mouse
Happy Face
Star

I don't think the cat really cares which thing she is chasing, all I know she seems to really enjoy chasing it and trying to catch it. (I even made a video of her chasing it around in the dark, which I will likely post later on Victoria has Claws.)

I have determined I have a tendency to spoil our cat when it comes to cat toys. Whatever it takes to prevent her from clawing our faces off while we sleep.