Was Nana J. Again, we didn’t see much of her. Her husband was also not particularly nice. Odd things I remember was their outdoor ‘toilet’, in a shed. It had two holes with two buckets underneath. When full, granddad would dig a deep hole near the veggie patch, tip them in and cover them over with soil. Black gold he called it, telling me that in a year, it would go on the garden as compost. They also had an inside toilet, upstairs, but we weren’t allowed to use it, or even go upstairs.
In their hardly used front room, was a brown wooden jewellery box. When you lifted the lid, a ballerina in a pink tutu twirled around whilst music played.
The kitchen was small, which you entered straight from the back door. The cooker was opposite and I remember bursting in one day, nearly knocking her flying. She was bent down peering into the oven, checking on some baking dumplings. I found that weird as the dumplings we ate were always simmered on top of the stew, inside the pan.
So few memories:(
Ooooo, baked dumpling, now that brings back memories of when the kids were home. I used to make pastry covered baked apples, yum yum. The pastry would cripple me now, lol
ReplyDeleteBriony
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Not too keen on them baked but love the moist squidgy ones.
DeleteCrispy dumplings! My MiL used to make them, my mother made the soft ones. I must admit I loved both versions, though I think my mum's just had the edge.
ReplyDeleteNot many memories, perhaps, but you have managed to paint a picture which I could easily visualise.
Same here.
DeleteMy mum made the onessimmered on top of a stew. Cloudy and soft with freckles of parsley. I made some recently on top of a casserole in the oven with the lid off. Different and slightly crispy but I prefer the dumplings of my childhood.
ReplyDeleteI can’t get mine as light as I want, most annoying.
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