Lead paint was commonly used up till the late 1970’s. Up until 1965 paint was often 50% lead. Houses, and sheds dating from before that often had a history of being scraped and sanded and repainted, and the lead paint flakes and dust settled as a ring around the building.
Someone asked me not long ago if I make sourdough crackers. They are so easy they are scarcely a recipe at all. Just sourdough starter, wholemeal flour, oil, salt, and perhaps some sesame or poppy seeds. Ok, I’ll try to be a bit more specific. Because it is really worth making your own, and avoiding all those nasty transfats, as well as the ridiculous amount of packaging.
Yes, yes, a hundred times yes from me. Nearly four years ago I found a pasta machine at a garage sale. I had been making pasta from scratch before that but rolling it out with a rolling pin, which meant that lasagna and ravioli were much more likely than spaghetti or tagliatelle. I wrote at the time that “I’m not sure at all whether it will be a stayer.” But…
The Spring egg glut situation is still going on. The goose eggs have started hatching (three babies today and another egg or two to go) and the ducks have slowed down laying. But the chooks are still laying four or five eggs a day (even though some of them are well into chook middle age). So I made an egg curry on the weekend for a curry night feast for…
This is one for the breakfast party people. I’m not sure how it would go for preserving. For me, lemon curd is lemon season party food rather than a pantry item. This time of year, with lemons and eggs both in season, is it’s time to shine.
The glossy paper and coloured dyes in the supermarket specials brochure insert in the newspaper makes it hopeless for fire lighting. And no good for mulch or worms either. I took it out to put in the recycling – I hope they can do something with it – and got distracted into browsing it while waiting for the fire to catch. And then intrigued. And then on a quest, to…
Just because they look like party food doesn’t mean they can’t be really healthy, low fat, midweek dinner food. And I love the social aspect of all just sitting round the table sharing one platter, rather than individual plates. Everyone has their own favourites. Conversation flows. It’s nice.