We all often have fond memories of our childhood and the home where we grew up, I know I do.
I lived in a victorian house in central Ballarat a beautiful big old home in Talbot st.
So many details I loved about the house I didnt even think about it as a kid growing up there.
My grandparents originally owned the house and lived there I remember moving there when I was about 4.
There were fireplaces in everyroom and the front room fireplace was made of marble it was stunning. There was a long hallway with all the rooms coming of the hallway, the foundations were bluestone and the front veranda was tiled, all rooms had bluestone windowsills. Leadlight windows in the front window. High ceilings with ornate rosettes and ornate cornices.
In the early days we had a woodstove which I remember my Nan making bread and allsorts or yummy goodies and the kettle constantly on. Later on we got a gas stove and had both for many years until the fireplace was boarded up.
We had a walk in pantry which was filled with staples flours, sugar, and it was also where all the homemade cakes and biscuits were kept in the retro aluminium canisters.
Through the 70s I remember the kitchen being allsorts of colours, Mum had a habit of painting and re arranging things quite often, so it was the hot orange and brown , apple green, lemon and brown.
The big down fall was the outside toilet oh how I disliked that as a kid, I remember being petrified of a night going outside so I used to make my father stand at the back door and sing while I was in the loo the minute he stopped for air I used to yell "are you still there keep singing ". We also had two toilets one was even further down the yard it was of those old wooden ones with a chain to pull, I dont think I ever used it I was scared of spiders.
We also had and outdoor laundry we did have a twin tub but there was an old wringer and the big old wash tub out there. We had a woodshed and a sleep out which was just a spair room outside. There was a gully trap which everything was put down , tealeaves , fat, vomit. ugh
Also we loved the incinerator oh how we used to love burning stuff in that, it looked a bit like a bbq it had a iron grid across the top which I used to have my sandpit nearby and when I cooked my pretend cakes thats where they went.
One thing it had a very small bathroom and the sink was in the pantry.
In the pantry there was a cellar where years ago they stored butter and cheese.
I can never remember the doors being locked and we lived in the middle of town, how things have changed.
I think this is why I have a love for vintage things and collecting bits and pieces as it reminds me of then. My Dad allways collected things books, antiques, samurai swords, clocks, postcards, actually to many things to mention. Mum was dolls and bears.
Dad had a room for his office with whatever he collected at the time.
The backyard had two big apple trees and a large vege garden.
Mum grew gladis and dahlias.
Often people walking past would stop and look at the front garden with the blooms of roses, gladis, pansies, daphne, ferns, dahlias, it was allways beautifully kept.
I never remember going to a supermarket but there was allways plenty of home cooked and home baked food.
I think we may have been the first in the street to get a colour tv, which my grandfather bought he was a watchmaker and ran that business from the house. Oh my gosh we had 3 stations that was huge, we had chanel 3 chanel 6 and the big one was chanel 10. It was just to much to choose from.
My father was a pastry cook and made the best eclairs ever he did show me once how to make them so I must give them a try again soon as I havnt made them in about 10 years.
The little bottle with strawberrys on it in the picture above I found on ebay , my Mother had this in the bathroom it is Avon strawberrys and cream bubble bath I remember it well has I copped it for pouring the whole bottle in the bath/
Also the the 4711 perfume in picture my nan used to wear I think I found this in opp shop.
The old gold lipstick container I bought in an antique shop as I remember my Dad taking me to a white elephant sale when I was about 4 or 5 and he bought me my first ever lipstick it had been used but I remember I used to love the smell of it it was some apricot colour think it was some old ladys as it was in a gold container like this one.
I think with childhood memories we could go on and on for ever and go into many many subject, like our home, shops, around the area , where we used to play , school days ect ect ect.
Its just such a lovely time in our lives where everything is so simple
So I will end it here for now x
I have been extremely lazy with this blog of late, I just dont like sitting on the computer to much or even sitting full stop, I rarely sit down to watch tv. I think the only time I sit is to eat meals.
Finally now school is back I can get back into my favourite past time opp shopping.
I have a couple of favourites the sweet little ones only open a couple of days a week where they are genuine opp shops with lovely ladies offering cups of tea these are the opp shops where my donations will be going. Rarely is anything over $5.00 these opp shops are few and far between these days. They are run by volunteers everything is donated and everything is sold cheap Im pretty sure thats what a opp shop is. I think these other opp shops that some of the prices are ridiculous if you go to a sale in a department store they are cheaper. The other day I went to the Brown Hill opp shop I quite liked a tea towel the price was $5.00 I asked the lady is this right she said yes, hmmmm ok and out I went it wasnt really worth looking at another thing who buys a tea towel for $5.00 from a opp shop.
Dad and I took a drive to Ballan where there are two opp shops. Steptoe and son has just moved from an old garage to an absolute quirky gorgeous little house. The prices seem to be pretty good . The lionesses run the shop. The thing that strikes me is the garden out the front , I fell in love with it, the house used to belong to an artist who did all the gardens and had tea rooms there.
I loved this garden as there were so many recycled things in there cups ,saucers plates, teapots, sewing machine , bird cage, knifes, forks, pots, pans.
If your in Ballan this little place is in the main street. I know its open on Fridays. Its worth a peek.
Being a single Mum and paying a morgage and keeping it all together has been such a learning task for me. 95% of our clothes we buy at the opp shop and we have some lovely clothes. The other day at work a lady said to me I love your handbag, I said I bought it at the opp shop for $6.00 she said "oh my god we were allways told as kids dont go in there they are for the unfortunate people with this look of horror on her face, I then said" well I buy all my clothes from there and the kids" she couldnt believe it ,she said "gee I would of never known that I might go there which one do you go to" lol . I cant believe some people still think like that as though they have a stigma about them. You can find beautiful items in there.
Onto shopping , bake your own biscuits, make your own laundry liquid. and cleaners,
In your weekly shopping how many items would you buy that you dont need, like packet biscuits, chocolate, cakes. packet mixes. If you can knock 20.00 worth of stuff out of your trolley thats $1000.00 a year and thats $83.33 a month. If you put that on your home loan, say your loan is $155,000 and the term is 30 years at 7% putting that extra 20.00 a week on it saves you $51,750.27 in interest and you pay your loan of 6 years earlier hmmmm thats a lot of money for the sake of baking a few items a week.
I wonder if they teach that to the kids at school.
My chickens free range my backyard at the moment, I am hoping to enclose them in a area sometime next year. Of course they have a shed and nests, but on nice nights they refuse to go back to there pen and like to perch around the yard. I have 3 silkies and 3 Black utility Austalorps at the moment, I am a bit unsure of the sexes of the Australorps as yet as these were my eggs that I had mail ordered.
Around the yard there are several spots where they like to dust bath. My silkie girls are so friendly they come running to me every time I appear in the yard and crouch down for their pat. The dogs and the cat dont worry them the only thing that will chase them is my rabbit (strange). I love having chooks, they are so entertaining to watch, they make the best pets, they supply us in eggs. Their droppings make great garden fertilizer , they eat our scraps, nothing is wasted. They scratch around in the garden, ever since I have had them the soil looks so healthy and alive and rich with worms. Busy little girls they are
It comes once a year and the kids look forward to it all 3 of them, my eldest has been going for 19 years.
Family funday and thats exactly what it is.
All the food you can eat, all the rides you can stomach, my two youngest ride until stumps, and christmas presents from Santa.
My favourite is allways the animal nursery.
What a great way to celebrate working all year with family having lots of fun together.
We also spent the morning together watching my son do his karate grading. Dad was so impressed watching how hard they worked. I love watching the gradings as the endurance is fantastic. I think it is important as a family we support each other in what we do. Im hoping the next grading we can all watch together also. Im sure my Mum would be proud of her family.
Friday night used to be take out night, now its baking night.
We never buy packet mixes or bought biscuits, we prefer to make our biscuits and cakes.
When we bake its usually never one thing, we fill the oven , Friday night just gone was 2 batches of Indias brownies, 2 orange cakes (we froze one) and a jelly slice and golf balls, hmmm that should get us through the weekend ( although we do have extra house guests).
Im sure India makes brownies every week and its usually after I have the kitchen spotless.
Ingredients
125g butter
1 1/2 cups castor sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 eggs
1 teasp vanilla
1/4 teasp salt
1 cup plain flour
1 teasp baking powder
1 cup white choc bits
Melt the butter
Stir in sugar, cocoa,vanilla and salt
Quickly whisk in eggs
Fold through sifted flour and baking powder
mix in choc bits
spoon intp greased lined slab tin
bake at 170 for 25- 30 minutes
Its that time of year again , and its come around so quickly the diary is full of events leading up until christmas.
I have plenty of home made soaps that will be given in christmas hampers, Christmas baking will start soon, a lot of things will be home made this year as we have quite a few bills after a hectic few months.
Im not quite sure yet as what we will all be doing on christmas day, but in another week Im hoping to have that all organized.
India and I made chocolate houses for the christmas table.
I have just had 13 bales of pea straw delivered so I will also be busy gardening.
Im hoping to get back into writing some blogs as I have been lazy of late after losing my Mum I couldnt quite get back into the swing of things.
Im lucky that I have such a lovely family and good friends, who I love spending time with. Dad and I go for great drives to country towns opp shopping he makes me laugh so much our drives are one of my favourite things at the moment.
My children all three are just so special it was my eldest daughters birthday this weekend and she came from Melbourne and spent the weekend and brought a special house guest which entertained the children all weekend (her pet parrot}. I must say we certainly ate lots of food between Dads famous lasagna which we all love, then his chicken wings are to die for, bbqs, banana pancakes. I was glad for a rest during the week from all this food, oh and I forgot Indias apple crumble which is also the best I have tasted.
Banana pancake recipe
I dont measure anything
make a batch of pancakes or crepes.
Then cut up bananas
Put abt tablespoon of butter in frypan add 2 tablspoons brown sugar then some orange juice to make a syrup , add cut up bananas, then simmer away then add some cream to make it into a caramely sauce, then add to pancakes dollop of cream and its extremely yummy.
