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Don’t replace…repair. We have creative ways to upcycle your clothes! Join Shirley from Fabric Spark to learn how to make repairs to well loved clothes. She will go through a number of techniques for different kinds of repairs, and then hear your questions at the end.

If you want to try things during the demonstration, you will need thread, needles, scissors, embroidery thread, fabric for patches, pins. There will be a discussion on many ways to embellish repairs. REGISTER HERE

This is our final workshop in the DECA Zero series! Recordings or notes for the three previous sessions can be found at deca.to on the homepage. Thank you to the many members of our community who have been coming out to join the conversation on Thursday nights this Earth month!

Our third workshop in the DECA Zero series is Thursday night. We are excited to learn more about zero waste living with Mira from The RePlace, and then get our garden planning questions answered by Erin from Dirty Girl Gardening. You can REGISTER HERE

We asked Mira our “home school” questions. Read on to find out her local faves and recommendations!

1. History:

How long have you worked at your business/in this field? How long has your business been in the community?  I’ve never owned my own business before opening up Poured and The RE Place.  I knew nothing about green living or eco friendly choices until just a year and a half ago.  When my eyes were opened to what is happening to the planet, I just had to do something about it and became passionate about sustainability.  I’m still learning and truly believe that it’s all about the journey.  

2. Geography:

What’s your favourite place in Toronto? Glen Stewart Ravine at 7 am.  

What other east-end businesses do you recommend?  Moberley Fine foods compliments our ethos so well and they’re so great there!  We also love Cumin for some great eats

3. English:

What are your go-to websites/channels/books for additional info on your skill? Truthfully, I’m a full-time working mom of a 3, 5 and 7 year old.  Whatever spare time I have is dedicated to being with my family because hey, the days are long but the years go by way too fast. 

If you’re looking for bite size info that packs a punch, visit Instagram and check out @https://www.instagram.com/solidarify/ and https://www.instagram.com/yourecofriend/

Also: Stock School Q & A from last week

This Thursday’s workshop has two special hosts: Mira, the owner of The Re.Place and Erin from Dirty Girl Gardening. They will be showing you how to reduce your household waste and how to plan for your urban garden. Register here!

Stock School

Who knew compost could be so delicious? Lisa Dickie did, and she showed us how in last Thursday night’s vegetable stock workshop! We don’t have a recording of the workshop, but we will have Lisa’s recipe up on our site soon, and in the meantime, here are the highlights of the Q&A portion of the workshop

Q. Can you even use potato peels? And ginger peels?
A. Yes! Just give things a scrub before you peel them. You can keep your food scraps in a ziplock bag in the freezer until you are ready to use them.

Q. If you’re working with frozen scraps, do you have to separate the different veg?
A. No

Q. What are some examples of neutral oils you like for stock?
A. Olive oil, coconut oil – could really use anything

Q. Do you just boil the scraps? or sauté?
A. Saute the onions, carrots

Q. Should we peel the carrots before cutting them?
A. No (just scrub)

Q. What are the health benefits of adding egg shells?
Added calcium

Q. Can you use dried egg shells? Like keeping in a container until making stock?
A. Yes

Q.Are there any vegetables that you wouldn’t put in?
A. Corn – it’s too starchy

Q. Do dried mushrooms need to be pre-soaked?
A. No

Q. How long would stock last in the fridge?
A. One week – otherwise freeze it.

Q. Can you cook the stock straight from frozen?
A. Yes

Q. After you strain the liquid stock can you put the leftovers in the compost or do you use it in some other way?
A. Into the compost!

We are so excited to continue our DECA Zero workshops tonight with Lisa from Dickie’s Cooking School teaching us how to cook stocks and soups to use up food scraps.

Register here!

Here are Lisa’s answers to our home-school questions!

1. History: How long have you worked at your business/in this field? How long has your business been in the community?

Dickie’s Cooking School has been open for 3 1/2 years. I have over 10 years of teaching experience and did freelance catering for a few years. I can remember making “pies” out of pastry scraps with my mom when I was 3. I have always loved cooking (and eating).  

2. Geography:What’s your favourite place in Toronto? What other east-end businesses do you recommend?

My favourite place is Ashbridges Bay. I go there year round and love it as much when it is rainy and blustery as I do when it is hot. The East End is LOADED with great businesses. For groceries, I love Warren Fruit Market, Royal Beef, Plank Road and Masellis. For specialty items and take out I love Sharman’s Pies, Cumin, The Dylan and Local 1794. To burn it all off I love virtual classes at The Pink Studio and Toronto Yoga Company. Percy Waters is a beautiful local florist and I go there whenever I need a pick me up or someone in my life does. 

3. English:What are your go-to cooking websites?

The Minimalist Baker is an exceptional source for recipes (minimalistbaker.com). Same goes for Spruce Eats (https://www.thespruceeats.com/) and Epicurious (epicurious.com). 

We are so excited to kick off our DECA Zero workshops tonight with Spencer from Cyclepath getting our bikes ready for city cycling!

Register here!

To get Spencer warmed up and ready for our questions, we’ve asked him a few about himself, home-school-style:

1. History:How long have you worked at Cyclepath/worked with bikes? How long has Cyclepath been in the community?

I started working at The Cyclepath in June of 2020, right in the thick of it. It was a steep learning curve for me with the bike sales world, and I brought a lot to the table for my bosses. I rebuilt their entire website, restructured their online presence, and breathed new life into the efficiency of their e-commerce in a time where it was so crucial. I am now the go-to guy for their online stuff, which is why I answer about 95% of the shop’s emails. The Cyclepath Danforth opened in 1988 during a huge franchising push by the brand. The franchise has since disbanded and many of the shops that were once Cyclepaths now use other names, like Sweet Pete’s. The Cyclepath Danforth has been owned by Christina and Carlos since the beginning, and many of the original mechanics still work in the basement today!

2. Geography:What’s your favourite place to ride in Toronto? What other east-end businesses do you recommend?

I love riding bikes by any means necessary, however I pride myself in being primarily a mountain biker. I have been riding Specialized bicycles, our flagship brand at the shop, since I was about 4, and used to race on a national level. The Don Valley is a hard place to beat when it comes to enjoying the Toronto cycling scene. There are so many hidden gems right at my doorstep, and every time I ride I discover something new. We love all of our neighbours on the Danforth! While we have been here for quite a while and have seen businesses come and go, our close bond with Tidal Fitness, Legacy Indoor Cycling, and my love for PomaRosa’s hot chocolates make them our choices for favourite businesses. 

3. English:What are your go-to websites/channels/books for bikes and bike maintenance?

When it comes to bike maintenance, there’s nobody I trust more than the guys downstairs at our shop to know what needs to be done. I’ve been working on bikes for a while, but our mechanics combine for roughly 150 years of experience with bicycles of all kinds. When it comes to DIY work, I usually turn to Worldwide Cyclery, GMBN, and PinkBike, to lead me in the right direction. When it comes to helpful tips and tricks, our website’s resources tab has all the need-to-knows on biking in the city.