I guess years ago when my Mum didn't go out to work and was raising us kids the same went for her.. a bit of washing, prepping for dinner and then later on for tea. dad and Ken used to go to sea from Spring to Autumn and also fitted in the needs of the violet growing, but with the tides sometimes they went to sea twice a day. maybe they went out at 4am and then in late morning, a bit of food, sleep and back out for the evening tide. There was always a meal to be had and although there was only four of us it did seem like family time.
Dad and Ken used to tease me, what else do you do to a little girl as she is growing up. Ken once told me that because I had swallowed a prune stone that I might grow a tree out of my ears.. and promptly went outside to get a bit of bush to show me how I would look...not impressed, I can see the face I must have pulled in the grandchildren now when they get teased!
Mum made proper food, no tins and nothing pre-made. We had no fridge until I was about ten years old, we had solid rings on the cooker so it was hard to heat oil to be hot enough for chips, so they were a rarity too. On the odd occasion Mum did cook fish and chips Ken and Dad were known to have stood outside our back door and pretend they were waiting in line at a chip shop as the visitors to our little cove went by!
The only bit I liked was the sprinkled nutmeg and sugar on top!
Dad and I loved the skin which formed and caramelised around the edge of the rice pudding tin and we would both try and get that bit at the end of the pudding... I think Mum made a pint at a time, I always make two pints as Kate, Ross and I love it so much! One day recently someone in our house put the pan to soak and I missed the sticky edgey bit and I was really peeved!
Lyons Chocolate Cupcakes were such a treat when I was young. Not the BakerBoys ones they only seem to sell now, but the Lyons ones, with chocolate sponge and thick fudge. I think one day I had a huge debate with my brother about who could have the spare one as there were only three of us who would eat them. He was such a tease big brother.. and I guess maybe I was a whinger baby sister... just the same every generation!
School dinners were okay, except that they made you eat everything, the only way to get round it was to ask to not have something you disliked! I loathed grated carrot in salad but it was already set out in the salad so no luck there. Many a time I have forced it down disguised in the mash we got given with salad! Pasty pie and bread pudding were school dinner favourites. I always recall seeing a small plate with a spoon of each food that was saved in case there was a case of food poisoning, a solitary plate left on the clean table behind the cooks!
Interesting post. Sounds like you had a typical childhood with a typical big brother to tease you! I have one of those as well! I enjoyed reading about the foods you ate because I think they are very different from what we ate.
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