I'm not sure if I can pin point just one single reason why I love a 'Clearing Sale'... Seeing rows upon rows of rusty old goodies, sheds filled with generations of farming wives treasures, furniture that oozes stories from a time long ago when money was tight and 'thrifting' was necessity (depression era furniture is my absolute favourite - seeing meat safes made from old wooden boxes, cupboards for kerosene tins, I love it!!!), catching up with friends,
seeing my littlest people form new friendships - even if they're only for the day, the thrill of buying that special little (and big sometimes too) something that just can't be found in a shop, gorgeous food cooked by gorgeous women - slices and cakes and sandwiches, fresh picked fruit and the like!!!
We're lucky enough to be able to attend at least 1 Clearing Sale a month out here - some see us travelling for a good 1/2 a day to get there, while others can be just down the road.... I can safely say that over 75% of my home has been furnished and filled thanks to purchases I've made at Clearing Sales and each and every purchase has been remembered fondly!!
Preserves are a constant staple in the pantry of my home and over the past couple of months the shift towards sweet over savoury has seen me producing jam and marmalade over relish and pickles... My cumquat tree is a prolific producer and after gifting several kilo's to family and friends I picked 1 last big bucket for my family and set to making the cumquat marmalade recipe with my girls that I found over here!
I loved the slowness of this recipe! Usually - in my kitchen anyway, it's all hands on deck as we slice and chop and cook up a storm to preserve what ever is in season on the farm at any particular time. But with this recipe you take it slow; an afternoon spent slicing, an afternoon soaking and simmering, and an afternoon finishing it all off... This recipe is now a new favourite and has been added to my trusty old 'cookbook' and I can't wait to revisit it when my cumquat's are in season again... I've also made a batch of strawberry jam - a real favourite!!
In my garden, hidden in a corner nearly forgotten about are a dozen potted plants... I'm not sure if you can remember, but back here I struck some cuttings of a tree call 'rose of sharon' in a pot of water on the window sill in my kitchen... About a month ago I potted them all up and left them in a sheltered spot in my garden, hoping for the best, and now they're nearly ready to be planted out - awesome!!!!
Lastly, don't forget, sign-ups for my 'Spring Washer Swap' close on Tuesday so if you'd like to join pop on over to this post and leave a comment...
Here's the Washer I made for the Swap I currently have running on my Facebook page...
I loved making this!!! This is a new crochet stitch/pattern to me and it was so nice learning something new for a change...
So....
Have you ever been to a Clearing Sale??? Where? When? What did you buy?
Do you preserve?? What have you been making of late? Sweet? Savoury?
What's new in your garden this week??
