In my kitchen:
Is my new storage box that Maus made. As you all know, we alternate between two houses. We have well-stocked pantries in both houses but there are some things we just don’t want to double up on. So we take a number of items back and forth in case we need them in the other house. I usually use a cut-off wine box for the job but Maus decided it just wasn’t up to scratch. My box fits perfectly in our oversized esky. She is such a sweetie, sometimes ….
In my kitchen:
Is my new biscuit docker.
As I mentioned in my July IMK post, I wanted a round one to match my square one. Square Graham biscuits are the go but Granitas need to be round.
With a bit of nagging, Maus eventually came good. Now, when I make round biscuits, I can dock them in a perfect circle. 🙂
In my kitchen:
Is some chilli jam. Last month, I featured yet more chillies from my garden (they are still coming). Elizabeth, from Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard, suggested I make chilli jam with them. Here is a link to the recipe. Thanks, Elizabeth. It is a very nice recipe and very easy to make. The only issue I had was when to stop cooking it. Elizabeth said to cook until it is the consistency you want. This is easier said than done. I usually make jam too thick so I was a bit cautious, but this time I think I left it a bit runny – oh, well, it still tastes the same. I made nine small jars. Six went to a charity stall and I kept three for myself, which I figure is plenty.
In my kitchen:
Is a wonderful vinegar mother. Look at that woman go!! This is the jar I featured in last month’s IMK post. What a difference.
This is what it looked like one month ago when it was merely vinegar, white wine, water and a few strands of spaghetti. This month, it is a living, moving thing!
I now have three vinegar mothers going and know how to easily produce one. Next step is to try, again, at making vinegar from fruit, not from commercial wine or apple cider. Back to the drawing board.
In the meantime, a tablespoon a day will keep the doctor away.
In my kitchen:
Is this magnificent filet crochet tablecloth. It was my mum’s and it is totally hand made. The story behind the tablecloth is lovely. My grandmother had seven daughters and she planned to make a tablecloth for each daughter. Sadly, she developed cancer and died, aged 39, before all the tablecloths were made. She was in the middle of making one when she died. One of her dear friends finished it. I think mine was that tablecloth. Isn’t that a lovely story of love and friendship?
In my kitchen:
Is the start of something great, I hope. Recently, my sister was staying in my house looking after my dogs and came across a pattern for a lovely filet crochet tablecloth that she had given me many years ago. The pattern originally belonged to my cousin, Jennifer. When I first saw it, I loved it. It has a teapot, cup and saucer, sugar bowl and spoon and milk jug along each side. In each corner are the words 5 o’clock tea. I have crocheted one jug and you can see the words 5 o’clock tea being formed in the first corner. At the moment, I am really enjoying it but I get bored easily and wonder how I will go doing all four sides. I will give up-dates of my progress (if there is any).
In my kitchen:
Are the last of the pomegranates. I picked these guys ages ago and put them in the cool room. The other day was wet so I decided it was time to do something with them.
Those seeds produced about 900 mils of pomegranate juice …
… which made about one cup of pomegranate molasses. For those who are interested, here is the link to the pomegranate molasses recipe. It is very simple to make. Again, the only hard part is working out when to stop cooking. Last year’s was a bit thick – this year’s is a bit thin. Poor me.
In my kitchen:
Is a big bowl of dried liver. To be honest, there is always a big bowl of dried liver in my kitchen. It is the only treat my dogs get. They absolutely love it. It is easy to make and is much, much cheaper (and better for them) than buying commercial dog treats.
In my kitchen:
Is some spiced creamed honey from Nannup. Maus bought it at A Taste of the Blackwood which is a Bridgetown food festival showcasing food produced in the Blackwood River area. The spices are a very nice touch.
In my kitchen:
Is my collection of bread bags we bought in Portugal last year. For some reason, I missed them when showcasing all my purchases from the trip. Maus bought them. I did ask, as she bought the third one (the lovely embroidered one, bottom right), why we needed three bread bags but she was not deterred. It sits nicely in the linen cupboard and the other two get used regularly. I think cloth bags are the best way to store bread.
In my kitchen:
Is broccoli and more broccoli. We eat a lot of broccoli so we are getting through it. One day, I picked four heads, blanched them and froze the florets. We probably won’t have enough to last until our summer crop is ready but it will be close. Next year, I plan to be self-sufficient in broccoli.
In my kitchen:
Is this magnificent fennel bulb. Alas, I didn’t grow it. It is a gift from my generous neighbour, Renate.
I made a lovely fennel and orange salad with half of it. I haven’t decided what to do with the other half.
If you would like to see what is in other bloggers’ kitchens this month, visit Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. Celia hosts In My Kitchen each month.
Passion Fruit Garden 
i love the things in your kitchen. how clever are you- vinegar mothers, liver treats, pom. molasses and on it goes. Thanks for sharing. i was inspired.
Thanks for visiting, Sherry.
You have the most exciting kitchen I know. I didn’t know until today that you had two kitchens and that just fills me with envy. I could only hope to be self sufficient in anything but I can toss a line out back for fish or crabs – so maybe if I were really good at it I could keep starvation at bay with a bit of bait. 🙂 Talk about crafty – you two are at the top of the heap.
Maureen, catching your own fish is wonderful. If you grew your own vegies then you would virtually be self sufficient.
Glenda your kitchen never stops!! I love all the homemade goodies – even the dog treats! That vinegar mother has really come on from last month and the chilli jams look beautiful and if they taste fab I don’t think it matters if they are a bit runny. How clever to make your own pom mol. I will have to look at that as I love the stuff! And your fennel and orange salad has my tastebuds in overdrive now!! Love the story behind your table cloth – how very special and what a wonderful friendship that must have been. Good luck with yours – I do not have the patience! Thanks another wonderful IMK post!
Hi Selma, thanks for visiting and all your compliments.
Glenda love that very special crochet tablecloth and the story behind it. Great that you make your own chili jam and pomegranate molasses which I am sure tastes amazing. The mother vinegar sounds interesting. Love those linen bread bags. Thanks for the peek into your kitchen Glenda 🙂
Hi Moya, thanks for all your compliments.
I think Maus was right (no surprise there :)) to buy three bread bags as you can never have enough. Love the docker and traveling storage box as well! Your crocheted tablecloths are a work of art – how amazing to see one that’s handmade with so much love by your mum and her friend. And I’m SO impressed by your own crocheting – that would make me go blind trying to follow the pattern in all white! Don’t get any pom juice on it! 🙂
Hi Celia, you are always on Maus’ side 🙂
I do love following your vinegar adventures Glenda. I am glad to see you finally have one growing.
You are so lucky that Maus is handy. Tell her there is probably a small business opportunity in biscuit dockers if she was interested 🙂 I love you tablecloth and the bread bags. It is the stories behind them that make them so precious.
Thanks Tania.
Wow, Glenda, your kitchen is an absolute marvel to me…so many fresh and delicious items grown and/or made from scratch! What a substantial garden you must have. Not only do all the veggies and homemade chili jam and juice look great, those table clothes are so lovely (and with such a lovely story about your grandmother, too). Nice to meet you through IMK!
Yep – I love a bit of fennel. I have a bulb ready to bake on the weekend with a roast chook. Looking forward to it! Small pleasures… Oh, how I wish the pomegranates grew in Brisbane. Too wet though. Still, I can live vicarioulsy through you. Chillis – we are overwhelmed so I must check out that recipe.
You’ve had a busy month. It seems that you’re always creating something interesting. As always I admire Maus’ handiwork.
I absolutely love that tablecloth and it’s story. I have one that my mother crocheted and one year my husband thought we should how it out because it had some stains on it! I explained to him that I remembered every event and the cause of those stains, and that rather making its less valuable I thought it increased. Quite a while ago I started on of my own but set it aside though it’s only perhaps half way done. Some day I will get back to it but I think I’ll need are fresher course in crochet stitches.
I have a cloth bag to store lettuce in but don’t think I’ve heard of using them for bread. Does the cloth keep it better? (And don’t laugh at me but would you first wrap the bread in Saran Wrap or something?)
Hi Diane, would I laugh at you? No you don’t wrap your bread in plastic. The whole idea is to let your bread breath. The best storage for bread is supposed to be paper or cloth bags. You have one on my. I have never heard of a cloth bad for lettuce so there you go.:)
Well, you might laugh but I now I’m so happy to hear that because I can make up a bunch of bread bags & decorate them !!! Yes! A new project for Diane.
If I don’t put the lettuce in my cloth bag & use a zip lock bag, then I usually toss in a paper towel. I’ve never done a side by side trial but it’s supposed to keep the lettuce from rotting.
Hi Glenda! I love this post! I’m so impressed with your vinegar mother that i am determined to follow your lead and have a go myself! The crochet work done by your Grandmother and yourself is quite beautiful – I would love to have your skill!
Hi Marian, I am very proud of my vinegar mother. She is a beauty. I am quite enjoying the crocheting but I think it may bet a bit boring doing four sides the same.
That’s a very healthy looking Mother!
Thanks Misky-I have been using a technique from a site that Joanna referred me to.
Aha, reading your post has given me information I need… I was thinking about buying a bread crock but will now go for cloth bag(s) 🙂
I love your crochet tablecloth and its story. I have one my grandmother made. I had it framed but sometimes I wished I’d kept it for the table.
What a great idea that storage box is. We use boring plastic tubs but so many handier than myriad carrier bags.
Hi Ella, I think I would have used the tablecloth. The cloth bread bags are really good. The bread never goes mouldy. In summer though it does get a bit dry if you leave it too long.
Such a productive kitchen. Love the chilli jam. I’ve just picked the last of the chillies we had in the garden so your recipe is perfect timing. Lovely IMK post.
Thanks Jennifer. The chilli jam recipe is a keeper, give it a go.
What a wonderful post 🙂 I love the story of the table cloth, it is so beautiful! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi Elizabeth, it is a lovely story. Thanks again for the chilli jam recipe.
I made 4 batches today with the last of my red chillies…. That should do me now till next season… PS you should only get 4-5 small jars if you want jam consistency 🙂 but it would still be like delicious sweet chilli sauce! Liz x
Hi Elizabeth – oh well they all sold. 🙂 The jars were about 150 mils.
That’s great!!!! 🙂 I’m sure they will still be fantastic 🙂
Glenda, you always have the most wonderful IMK posts! One of my favourites to read. Love your crochet heirloom. I lovely to crochet but usually stick to blankets with a chain of what ever length I think will be right for a baby and then either do boring rows or trebble or half trebble. To keep it interesting, I make sugar bowl doilies in between with patterns which belonged to my gran.
Have a wonderful day.
🙂 Mandy xo
Hi Mandy, your blankets sound fab. 🙂
G’day and thank you for brightening my day! Your mum’s tablecloth is priceless and brought back heaps of wonderful childhood memories!
Thanks for this month’s kitchen view too!
Cheers! Joanne
Thanks Joanne
Nice to see what’s been happening in your kitchen Glenda, it always seems a hive of activity. Heirlooms are precious, I don’t have a crochet tablescloth but embroidery that my Grandmother made me as a wedding gift. I think she must have started years before the event. There is a trick to knowing when jam is cooked enough, put a dob on a plate and pop it in the fridge. When it’s cold run your finger through it. If the jam doesn’t ooze back into your finger track, it’s done. I find this foolproof. I help this helps…
Hi Sandra, thanks for the tip. How lovely to have gifts from your grand mother. That really is a heirloom.
Glenda, you always blow me away with your IMK posts… always such interesting stuff, much like Celia’s… do tell me more about that vinegar mother… is there a link you can send to me please? A friend was asking me about that the other day… re the crochet… that’s so beautiful… my mother crocheted and I have heirloom pieces of all her handiwork, ranging from the smallest circle to a large tablecloth she made me for. Thank you for the memories xo
Hi Liz, I love to have things from my mum – it keeps the memories alive. I have sent you a link re vinegar mothers.
So many wonderful things in your kitchen. i am a big fan of filet crochet and have quite a few pieces ( although I lack the patience to do any myself) . Love the fennel salad. I think everyone needs a handy Maus!!! But For me, it is those lovely linen bread bags that really caught my eye.
Hi Francesca, thanks for stopping by. I really do think bread is best stored in paper or cotton bags. Mine never goes mouldy and we often take more than a week to eat a loaf.