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Enter Midnight at the Grove ... if you dare!

Finding Free Solutions on Your Grocery List

3/28/2024

2 Comments

 
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Artist Credit: The Fairy Market by Charles Van Sandwyk

It would be an understatement to say grocery prices have gone up. Particularly when some of these items have not only doubled in price; but tripled; over just the last couple of years. I find Springtime especially expensive. Any food items that we saved from our kitchen garden harvest, like apples and dried herbs, have mostly been used up. Preserves like canned tomatoes & relish are getting low and likely the jam is all gone. So how can we get everything we need this time of year; and also end our grocery trip having spent a little less money?

I start by looking at my shopping list. I keep mine on paper but some people use their phone or keep it in their head.

The food items are the most difficult. Sometimes you simply have to pay the price. But the best thing to do to avoid this (of course) is to buy these items on sale. I check the flyers (online & on paper) and only buy non-perishable staples at that time. If you can get your timing right (and have a few stores at your disposal), you can usually do this for perishable items as well. Some of the points programs are good too. But I'll only use them if they are truly free, offer a physical card and actually accrue enough points to offer money off, at least a few times a year. Don't forget to check the 50% off racks in the bakery, deli & frozen section at your stores. Store-made made pizzas and flat breads are often 50% off, and can be easily frozen.

But what about the other items on your list? There are actually many items we buy that can be eliminated with creative solutions. Or there are lower cost options. Here's some ideas. I can't help you with the milk though; unless you have a neigbour with a cow. Actually, I can! Most recipes will work just fine if you use 1/2 the milk and make up the difference with water.
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Shopping List:
- bread
- lettuce
- bottled water
- sugar
- chicken broth
- potatoes
- plum sauce, soy sauce, ketchup
- composting bags
- parcel paper
- saran wrap, freezer bags, ziplocs
- window cleaner
- bathroom cleaner
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Leaf lettuce regrowing from a "living lettuce"
Try these freebies or re-usable solutions instead:
Bread: Buy from bakeries & smaller grocery stores - they are often cheaper and always have a day old/50% off rack.
Lettuce: Buy a "living lettuce" with the roots attached--they really do regrow! Use it down to a small nub with a few short leaves attached, trim off any dead leaves. Re-pot it for your windowsill. The one in the picture is showing a lot of growth after only 4 days and I had trimmed it right down to the nub. In the summer, you can grow them in tubs outside. You'll get at least another full head's worth of lettuce. 2 for the price of 1!
Bottled Water: Don't buy it. Its appeal is mostly its temperature. Buy a plastic juice jug & keep it full of tap water in the fridge.
Sugar: Don't be shy to take 1 sugar packet when you buy a take-out coffee. It's part of the price. Dump it into your sugar bowl when you get home.
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Chicken Broth: Don't buy it. It's very easy to make your own. Boil up a chicken carcass or even a leg or wing saved from your last chicken meal, together with old vegetables (carrots, celery, onion) in the fridge. Add a bay leaf & pepper. Strain and freeze broth in margarine tubs. If you don't have time; save the pieces of chicken and vegetable odds & ends in separate plastic bags in the freezer and make as needed.
Potatoes: You pay almost the same now for 3 russet potatoes as for a whole 5 lb bag which usually holds a dozen or more. Keep them in a cold place. If they go soft, make mashed potatoes or slice them up for home fries. Save one or two in a dark cupboard to plant in the late Spring! Once it has a couple of roots (or even a sad looking leaf!); it's ready to plant. Potatoes will grow in a large deep pot if you don't have much garden space. Put some dirt on the bottom of the pot, plant the potato near the bottom with leaf partially exposed and place in a sunny spot and keep gently watered. Keep adding dirt on top as it grows. You'll get at least 5 potatoes for every one you plant.
Plum Sauce/Soy Sauce/Ketchup: Hey, you pay for those little packets the restaurant includes in your order when you've treated yourself to take-out! Save them in a bowl in the fridge. You only need 1 or 2 soy sauce packets to dress up rice. Plum sauce is great for dipping chicken & fries but a few packs also works nicely in a stir fry. We all know what to do with the ketchup! But it's also great on top of meatloaf mixed together with a little brown sugar & dried mustard. These little packages also work great in lunch boxes.
Composting Bags: Don't buy them. Most cities that collect "green" waste on garbage day will accept food waste in brown paper or newspaper. Wine sleeves, take-out bags & free newspaper flyers are brilliant for this use.
Parcel Paper: Cut the bottom off of grocery bags and you have a perfect flat sheet for wrapping.
Saran Wrap/Freezer Bags/Ziplocs: Use containers & crockery with lids and reuse bread, burrito and plastic vegetable bags.
Window Cleaner: A drop of dish soap or bubble bath in lots of water works great & there's no harmful ammonia smell.
Bathroom Cleaner: Save those almost empty shampoo or bubble bath bottles, add water & use to clean sinks & tubs.
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When you go over your shopping list, check each item and see if there's a free solution you hadn't thought of before. Or try and find a lower cost option.

Happy Shopping .. and Saving!
Meadow Sweet Grove © 2024
2 Comments

APPLE PINWHEELS

11/12/2023

2 Comments

 
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PictureLiberty Apple Tree in Grove
There are still so many apples in the Grove to make into goodies and to preserve. We had an incredible crop this year; from just our two trees. One is a Liberty and one is a Combination tree. We traded our surplus for herbs, tomatoes, beans and even a pumpkin with our neighbours. We made apple cider; apple, cucumber & havarti sandwiches; an apple pie for Thanksgiving and ate our requisite "an apple a day keeps the doctor away". Gave away many more apples to friends, family & neighbours. But still ... there are apples.

Here's an incredibly simple and delicious recipe. A nice dessert and they are also small enough for snacks and lunchboxes. I love vintage cookbooks and as I liked the ingredients in two recipes; I decided to combine them together into one. The original recipes were for Apple Pinwheels and Apple Triangles; but they look more like pinwheels to me; so I'll go with that name. 

What you need:
1 package of butter puff pastry
2 medium sized apples
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
dash nutmeg
1 egg white
drop of lemon, butter, water
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This 1969 cook book was a "side of the road" find. Near by; we have a repurposing store. Sometimes they set out free items. Very well-loved, needed taping & lots of food stains; but I can see why! It's very comprehensive and was obviously someone's trusty go-to manual.
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This 1954 cook book is comprised of a series of smaller full colour magazine style cook books. Perhaps it was a collect-as-you-go? I found it at a hospital thrift store for $2!

​3. Roll the apples chunks into the moistened sugar & spice mix and heap into little piles on the pastry squares. Sprinkle with almost all of remaining sugar & spice mix. Add a tiny pat of butter on top of the apples and fold the pastry up over the apples, pinching and sealing. Then prick the tops a couple of times with a fork. Brush the tops lightly with a bit of egg white and sprinkle with last of the dry sugar & spice mix.
What you do:
1. Follow instructions for defrosting your package of butter puff pastry. When ready, gentle unroll onto cutting board and cut into squares approximately 4 inches square.

2. Peel, core & cut the apples into small chunks. Place in a little bowl of cool water, with a drop of lemon, and set aside. Separate the egg white into a separate bowl and set aside. Mix together the sugar and spices in a separate bowl; then divide into two bowls. Add a tablespoon of water to one bowl. ​
4. Place on a non-stick baking pan (or lined with parchment paper) and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes at 350​°. Let cool on a wire rack.
​References: Cooking Magic, Culinary Arts Institute, Desserts, Chicago, Illinois, USA 1954; Nellie Lyle Pattinson's Canadian Cook Book, Helen Wattie and Elinor Donaldson, Ryerson Press, Toronto, Canada 1969.   
                                                                                                                                                                     Meadow Sweet Grove © 2023
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AN ADVENT CALENDAR OF YULETIDE DOINGS

12/2/2022

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Vintage German Advent Calendar, c1950s

The fairy folk residing in Meadow Sweet Grove have come up with some yuletide doings that you may enjoy each day, leading up to Christmas Day; as a means ​​to celebrate this magical time of the year!

Dec 1 - Take a child out for a cup of fancy hot chocolate
Dec 2 - Donate clothes, refundable bottles & household items to charity
Dec 3 - Send pretty Christmas cards to friends & family
Dec 4 - Buy Christmas Crackers for the dinner table
Dec 5 - Build a snowman ... if you have snow! Or make a bowl of
              oranges decorated with cloves

Dec 6 - Watch old movies: "A Christmas Carol" or "It's a Wonderful Life"​
Dec 7 - Attend a local Christmas display / event
Dec 8 - Trim your cedar or holly tree and leave out free trimmings
              for neighbours
Dec 9 - Decorate your front doorway with cedar boughs, holly and
              pine cones
Dec 10 - Put up and decorate your Christmas Tree
Dec 11 - Make a wreath for the front door
Dec 12 - Listen to all your favourite Christmas songs
Dec 13 - Wrap gifts (cut up old Christmas cards for tags)
Dec 14 - Buy and gather together lots of yummy food and treats
                for the big day
Dec 15 - Bake cookies and share with neighbours and friends 
Dec 16 - Clean your little abode; ready to receive guests 
Dec 17 - Watch: "A Christmas Story"
Dec 18 - Enjoy a Christmas Concert at a lovely venue such as an
                old church or hall
Dec 19 - Put together a Christmas puzzle with a child or friend
Dec 20 - Walk around the neighbourhood and look at all the bright lights

Dec 21 - Create a Winter Solstice Tree for the birds and little creatures
Dec 22 - Watch: "A Charlie Brown Christmas" or "White Christmas"
Dec 23 - Spend a quiet evening, gazing at the twinkling lights and
                enchanting ornaments on your Yule tree
Dec 24 - Hang up your stocking, sit quietly by a window at midnight,
                and feel the approach of Santa's sleigh 

Dec 25 - Yule / Christmas - Have Yourself a Very Merry Christmas!
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Make an "old shop window" with frosted snow
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Click picture for instructions to make a Winter Solstice Tree!
  







Meadow Sweet Grove © 2016- 2022

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NEW USES FOR VINTAGE SILVER PLATE - UNIQUE & PRACTICAL HOME DECOR

7/26/2022

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A polished silver plated sugar bowl beautifully displays jewellery in the romantic or shabby chic bedroom

Hide the Silver!

Silver cutlery and dishes were once coveted and included in the home for their beauty, usefulness and of course, as a status symbol. But they also represented a practical investment.

Cutlery and dishes were a needed item, and silver was durable, long-lasting, could be traded, pawned, handed down to the next generation; and at the end of the day ... sold to be melted down and re-used. Hence the saying "Hide the silver!" when someone was expected to visit the household with whom you weren't acquainted; or had reason to be suspicious of their poor character. It is also why many buffets and china cabinets had locks. Real silver is often very heavy and is hallmarked with various numbers and symbols which are helpful in tracing their age, place of origin and value.

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Use a vintage silver plate creamer and sugar  in the washroom for a practical accent

Wonderful for holding cotton balls and Q-tips. Elegant, unique, eclectic and, unlike their ceramic counterparts ... these won't break if they fall or get knocked over. A real bonus in the bathroom!

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Affordable Silver Plate

Silver plate became popular as a cost-effective alternative to silver and made it more widely available for the common public to attain. It is physically lighter than solid silver (though can be heavy if it has an encased lead plug for weight and stability). Silver plate items range from unmarked to marked with country of origin, a declaration of lead mounts/plug and can also be hallmarked or include the company name. I am not an expert, but to the best of my knowledge the lead content is not considered dangerous as it is not exposed at all. The lead is a contained "plug" fully encased within the item (usually within copper with the silver plate over top).

I have found multiples uses for vintage silver plate other than serving food anyway. A few are shown here ... and I keep finding more inspiration with each piece I add! You can polish away the tarnish, which looks nice in the shabby chic, romantic home ... or leave the patina for the more eclectic, bohemian, dark or magically witchy home.
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For the boho deck or porch; use any silver plated dish for a collection of natural items such as pine cones, small rocks, seashells or nuts
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Dried rose petals add subtle fragrance
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Use a tarnished vintage silver plate creamer to grow succulents and create a darker look
Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan, 2022
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Chicken Cheddar Casserole

1/20/2021

1 Comment

 
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This is a wonderfully easy and yummy meal to make for dinner inspired by a soup recipe that I have altered somewhat to turn into a casserole. It uses up left-over cooked chicken and requires few ingredients. Reduce wet ingredients for a "dryer" pasta meal or increase for a "soupy" casserole. Adjust cooking time accordingly. It's all up to you!

What you need:
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup chopped green onion
2 tablespoons butter
1 to 1/2 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 cup flour
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 to 1 cup cooked chicken; shredded, cubed or ground
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups cooked pasta
What you do:

Add the carrot and green onion to melted butter and cook slightly in frying pan. Combine and whisk milk, chicken broth, flour, Worchestershire sauce and pepper in a separate bowl. Add to frying pan. Cook and stir over medium heat under thickened and bubbly. Stir in cooked chicken and 1/2 cheese. Pour over cooked and drained pasta in casserole dish. Cover with remaining cheese.

Bake uncovered at 325° for approximately 1/2 hour.

When I made this meal ... I realized I didn't have any carrots. Then I remembered that I still had some out on the front brick patio (mid-January!) in a suspended iron planter. I had grown some in pots, elevated, away from the slugs which had ravaged our garden this year. Anyway - they were just enough to complete this meal. These winter carrots were lovely, fragrant, crisp and sweet.
You can always scrape a meal together somehow!

Bibliography: Fix It Fast Cookbook, Better Homes and Gardens, 1979                                    
                                                                                                                                                                 Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2021

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Quick and Easy Rose Petal and Witch Hazel Toner

9/29/2020

1 Comment

 
PictureRosebush in Meadow Sweet Grove


Though we are into Fall now; the roses are still blooming here in the Grove, so I thought I would try my hand at some cheap and cheerful, homemade skin care. Here is my recipe for "Quick and Easy Rose Petal & Witch Hazel Toner":

You will need:
2 handfuls of fresh rose petals
boiling water
1 covered dish
metal tea strainer and funnel
witch hazel
2 same size containers
1 dark glass bottle

Step 1.  Collect two handfuls of perfect petals from your most beautifully scented rose bush.  Rinse lightly with cool water, place in a covered dish and pour boiling water over; just covering petals. Cover and steep for 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 2.  Strain water and petals through a metal tea strainer; to catch petal debris. Press down slightly with a clean spoon to extract rose water.  Pour collected rosewater into a container, using a clean funnel.
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Step 3.  Measure out an equal amount of pure witch hazel to your rosewater.  Pour both the witch hazel and rosewater together into a dark glass bottle, cap tightly and shake gently or rotate bottle to mix. Store in a dark, cool cupboard. Apply to skin with a cotton ball.
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Rosewater is anti-inflammatory and has anti-bacterial qualities and so soothes irritated or acne-prone skin. As a natural astringent; it tones skins and tightens pores as well as reducing the appearance of wrinkles. It is also used to hydrate, revitalize and moisture all skin types as it balances the serum of the skin. Witch hazel has similar benefits as it pertains to toning, tightening and cleansing the skin.

And since the beautiful Queen Cleopatra is said to have washed her face in rosewater and indulged in milk baths heavily laced with rose petals; as part of her beauty regime ... I think that is good enough for me to incorporate some rosewater into my daily skin care routine!
Bibliography: Magical Powers of Rosewater for Glowing Skin, Read & Digest, 2020
    Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2020
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Shabby Chic to Edwardian Charm - A Vintage Rescue

8/26/2019

1 Comment

 
Hollyhocks
Summer is flying by and we can already feel Fall in the air!

But last month was hot and dry and my husband decided to take advantage of the weather and finally apply varnish to an old vintage plant stand ... that he had been diligently sanding and preparing for the better part of the year! 

By far the largest part of the job was painstakingly removing the white paint from all the little crevices -- and all without damaging the detailed woodwork.  Lots of delicate sanding was involved but the Grumpy Old Gnome in the Grove stuck with the task.

Here's the backstory ...


Shabby Chic Planter
BEFORE - Vintage plant stand outdoors with last year's tomatoes
This fantastically funky plant stand was gifted to us by my sister-in-law.  It had a great distressed look as someone had once painted it white; with much of the paint flaking off, giving it this awesome distressed look.  The paint was falling off in big chunks so using this piece of furniture inside was not an option.  Instead, we had it first outside on our little covered deck, and then moved it to the top of our front stairs ... last year saw tomatoes growing in it!
Restored Furniture
AFTER - Vintage plant stand completely refurbished and ready for its new indoor life
While I liked the "shabby chic" look of the planter before (and being able to use it outside without guilt) - I think it looks just beautiful as a restored piece and will make a wonderful addition to our front living room!

The next task is to build, or have built, a glass atrium for the top ... so that maybe we can transplant many of our little succulents into it.  I know it would be perfect for growing some kitchen herbs too ... but we have far too many of those in the Grove already!!

Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2019
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Rose Petal Jam

8/19/2018

9 Comments

 
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Summer is almost over.  Did I just say that?  No worries - capture the essence and feeling of summer by making rose petal jam!

This jam is really easy to make.  I am continually astounded by how much our small city garden gives in the Grove.  Our roses have been really abundant this year and I discovered that there are many recipes with which you can use or include rose petals such as:  rose petal jam or jelly, garnishments for salads, rose vinegar dressing and more! 

Collect rose petals and make some jam now with this simple recipe!
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You will need:
- equal parts rose petals and berry sugar
- juice of one lemon
- water
- canning jars


... and a little pectin (if required)

Step 1:  Collect the rose petals
Pick petals from your loveliest roses and choose only those free from blemish.  For this recipe, I used approximately 250g / 8 ounces of petals.

Step 2:  Wash rose petals, dust with sugar and chill
Rinse the rose petals with cool water, discarding any with blemish.  Drain well and crush lightly in your hands with a bit of berry sugar, making sure to bruise each petal slightly.  Place in bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.
Step 3:  Making the jam
Pour 1/2 litre of water into a saucepan, together with 250 g berry sugar and the juice of one lemon.  Bring to a boil, stirring all the time.  Add the crushed rose petals, reduce heat, and continue at medium heat, stirring constantly until jam consistency and setting point is reached.  Add 1/2 package of powdered pectin if necessary.
Step 4:  Preparing the jam for storage
Properly sterilize your canning equipment.  I usually achieve this by boiling jars, rims, seals and any utensils I will be using.  Spoon the jam into jars and seal tightly.  Store as appropriate for the canning method you use.  Enjoy with toast, croissants or scones on a rainy day when you are dreaming of summer ...
Meadow Sweet Grove Â© V. Buchanan 2018
9 Comments

Attracting Garden Fairies

5/14/2018

3 Comments

 
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May is such a magical month that the appearance of fairies in your garden should come as no surprise!  Even the staunchest disbeliever must do a double take when ... apple, pear or cherry blossoms float and swirl though the air, fresh new leaves rustle in the wind or the sun shimmers and gleams in nooks and crannies in the garden.  All these subtle happenings can be evidence of fairy activity ...

Here are 3 simple ways to attract fairies to your garden:
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1.  Foliage
This is a biggie because fairies are like songbirds.  They love trees as this gives them little branches to cling to, or big branches for swinging and leaves to hide behind.  Not to mention that their older cousins, the Dryads, will often tell them stories at night about ancient times and places.  Plant lots of perennial flowers that will magically sprout up in the Spring, year after year, without any extra work on your part - bluebells, tulips, daffodils, forget-me-nots, Jack Frost, Lily-of-the-Valley, foxgloves - your garden will be alive with colour and sweet scents that attract the birds, bees, butterflies ... and fairies!

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2.  Music
With all the greenery you have added to your garden, hopefully the birds will be providing you with their many varied chirps, trills and calls.  But to add a little bit more magic, definitely include a wind chime ... or two or three!  The calming melodies, resulting from the slightest breeze, will manage to slow down the pace in your space and literally "make the world go away".  This is important as fairies belong to another dimension, where time plays out differently to our own.  The music from birds, wind chimes, flutes or even gentle songs on the radio or other device will alert the fairies that your garden belongs to people that understand and welcome them.
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Wind chimes can be made out of so many different items. This one is made from old bike gears!
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3.  Trinkets
Fairies appreciate offerings from the human world.  The food they most often prefer is bread, honey and milk.  But in the Spring and Summer, so much more can be offered.  Leave out some pretty polished stones or gems, light tealights or candles and place glass marbles, orbs and prisms in various parts of your garden.  Tuck cunning little statues of their kin folk everywhere you can - this lets the wee folk know that you are a kindred spirit who believes in fairies and will take care of your garden in a fashion that does not disturb or control nature too rigidly.

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And for some fun, blow some bubbles from a bubble wand!  There is something magical about bubbles floating gently on the breeze ... and the fairies will be sure to notice.

Accept the magical world around you and welcome it into your garden.  It doesn't matter how big or small it is.  Whether you are charmed with a "back 40", a fantastically witch-y cottage garden, a "postage stamp" city plot or even an apartment balcony; you can always add in a little bit of nature - usually more than you think once you get started!  Prepare to be amazed at how special life becomes when your home becomes a safe haven for fairies to congregate and play.

Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2018 / edited 2020
3 Comments

It's Almost May, Hurray!  Summer's on the Way!

4/27/2018

2 Comments

 
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The beginning of May marks the beginning of Summer in old English tradition.  The year was divided into two halves -- with Summer beginning on May 1st and Winter beginning on October 31st.  Of course, the weather doesn't always conform to these dates! 



This year, however, the Grove has seen a lovely hot week of sunshine - after the usual amount of copious April showers of rain and hail.  Hopefully, it will continue for a wonderful and warm May Day on May 1st.


The garden is certainly responding to the heat and all sorts of plants are bursting forth with leaves and blossoms.  Here are just a few that my camera caught today!

Grape Hyacinth
Jack Frost & Bluebells
Apple Blossoms
Leopard's Bane

Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 
2018
2 Comments

January: TIME TO GO THRIFTING & SOME THRIFTY TIPS!

1/25/2018

2 Comments

 
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Time to Go Thrifting

Many people may have made a New Year's Resolution this January 1st to "clear the clutter" and get organized.  When taking those unwanted items in for donation to your local thrift store or charity stop - do make sure you check inside the store to see what's on offer.

Many people donate unwanted Christmas presents in January or donate the items that those gifts replaced.  Sometimes they donate better quality items than the new replacements they received!

For example, someone might donate their "out-dated" English bone china dishes or funky 70s Japanese stoneware. For the lover of antique, retro, quality or just plain eclectic dishware -- your local thrift store becomes a treasure trove!

Charity shops often have promotions too, like any other retailer, at this time of the year, to make up for low sales - so make a note of those dates and bring your donations in on those discount days.
PictureA Yorkshireman's Advice to His Son - "See All, Hear All, Say Nowt, Eat All, Drink All, Pay Nowt .. And If Ever Tha Does Owt for Nowt, Allus Do It For Thisen"
Some Thrifty Tips

January is also a time of year when many people are cutting back on their expenses.  For some, there is more tax deducted off the pay cheque starting in January.  Others overspent at Christmas, or feel the need to take a holiday somewhere warm.  Whatever the reason for a light wallet in January - there are many thrifty ways to stretch your dollars.

~ Reuse food containers in your kitchen ~
Isn't it silly that we buy containers to freeze or store our food in - when we throw perfectly good containers into the recycling bin every day?  Containers that are already bought and paid for.  Recent news has led me to believe that many of the items we faithfully recycle are not being recycled at all - but shipped to other countries for disposal in their landfills and even oceans.  This, of course, defeats the purpose of recycling which is to keep the items out of Mother Nature's belly!

Here's a number of re-uses for those many containers that make their way into your home:

Glass Jars
The best!  Use for dry beans and lentils, pasta, popcorn and rice.  Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water and freeze homemade applesauce and crushed tomatoes (make sure you leave a good inch or so at the top for expansion).  Use for non-food items like:  nails, screws, tacks, beads, paper clips, seed pods and any other small items that need organization.

Plastic Tubs
Yogurt, margarine, sour cream, cream cheese, and those funky plastic take-away/delivery containers - anything that is packaged in an opaque plastic tub can be re-used.  Use them to freeze left-overs, extra tomato sauce and chicken broth.  Keep them handy to send guests home with left-overs, children to school with cut veggies, cookies and cupcakes for school parties and for numerous other non-food uses like:  crayons, craft/painting supplies, pet food - just don't get the two mixed up!    


Bread Bags & Cereal Boxes

Those many bread bags basically replace plastic wraps!  Okay, they don't "cling", but many food items we wrap up don't need that feature.  Use them to wrap cheese and to freeze extra portions of raw meat like ground beef and chicken.  Cut them in half and use them to wrap sandwiches and snacks for lunches.  Collect dry seed pods in the summer or fall and shake the bag.  All the seeds will collect beautifully in the bottom of the bag (I learned this trick from a wonderful old Yorkshireman).  Talk about thrifty!  He even cut up his empty cereal boxes for a re-use as shopping lists.





~ Join a Local "Buy Nothing" or "Gifting" Group ~

If you are on Facebook, do a search for a "buy nothing" or "gifting" group in your local area. The premise is usually that everyone posts pictures of items that they are willing to give away for free. Read the rules carefully as each group is different, but usually, you are required to post a picture and short description of an item you no longer need. People express interest by commenting on the post and you pick a recipient and leave the item on your doorstep for them to collect at a pre-arranged time. You likewise comment on posts of items that others are gifting in the hopes that you will be the lucky winner. I have met some wonderful people this way and have received many amazing household items ... and helped to de-clutter my own home in the bargain!
One man's trash is another man's treasure.
         
Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 
2018 / edited 2019 & 2023

2 Comments

January:  Time for the Apple Wassail

1/6/2018

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Apple tree in the Grove
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Apple Tree Man, Illustration by Sandy Nightingale, 1996

The Apple Tree Man, the spirit of your orchard, lives in the oldest tree.  Here's an old rhyme which I believe is meant for him:
 
Huzza, Huzza, in our good town
The bread shall be white, and the liquor be brown
So here my old fellow I drink to thee
And the very health of each other tree.
Well may ye blow, well may ye bear
Blossom and fruit both apple and pear.
So that every bough and every twig
May bend with a burden both fair and big
May ye bear us and yield us fruit such a stors
That the bags and chambers and house run o'er.

— Cornworthy, Devon, 1805

January is the time of year, whilst your apple trees are resting, to practice the Apple Wassail ritual, and thus encourage a good crop for next year!

We have incorporated this English custom into the Grove for the last couple of years for our apple trees ... hey, a little bit of magic never hurts!


Here's what you do:

On an evening in January, take your last mug of cider from last year's crop, add a bit of cinnamon, a few cloves and some honey and then simmer gently in a pot on the stove.  (Your home will smell wonderful!) Pour the wassail mix at the base of the oldest tree (or all of them if you are so inclined or able); so it seeps down to the roots.  Wish the tree well with an apple wassail song or rhyme to encourage good growth.

~ Note:   If you don't make cider with your apples, you could substitute applesauce or piece of leftover apple or apple peels - the point here is to include a physical representation of the literal "fruits" you wish to bring forth - it is a form of sympathetic magic ~

Incidentally, sympathetic magic is used the world over.  Recently I learned a Native Canadian tradition of returning the bones and a little flesh from your communal salmon meal back to the stream, in order to encourage more salmon to spawn.

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Apple tree in the Grove
Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2018 / edited 2019 & 2020 & 2023
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Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe

12/29/2017

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The fairies at Meadow Sweet Grove just love fruitcake ...

If you research fruit cake recipes, you will find literally dozens and dozens of versions.
Here's one that I used for the single-layer cake featured here, inspired by a recipe in
"The Victorian Kitchen Book of Cakes and Cookies", but altered to suit our taste. 
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Picture

Ingredients for cake:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
4 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 cup gold raisins
1 cup currants
1 cup mixed peel (glace mix)
about 1/4 cup milk

Ingredients for topping:
2 to 3 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup butter
milk
vanilla
Instructions:
Cream butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each egg.  Sift the flour and baking powder together in a separate bowl.  Add to the wet mixture, a bit at a time, blending well.  Fold in all the fruit.  Add enough milk to create a very thick, but also very sticky mixture. 

Grease two 8 inch cakes tins very well.  Fold in the cake mixture and press down into sides.  Slap and press the top of the mixture until you create a tight fit in the pans. 

Bake at 300° for 1 1/2 hours. Remove, cover with parchment paper (to prevent burning) and bake for an additional 1 1/2 hours.
Picture of brandied cake
Absolutely essential extras:
Brandy, cheesecloth, tinfoil and a sealed container.

Instructions:
Pour brandy into a small mixing bowl. Soak cheesecloth until saturated.  Lift cheesecloth and gently wrap around cake, stretching to fit and turning to cover well.  When completely covered, wrap in tin foil and seal in container.  Repeat process, once a week, for up to 6 weeks.

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We are fortunate enough to have a holly tree living with us in the Grove and he kindly provided a sprig for the Christmas Fruit Cake.  The sprig of holly is non-essential but incredibly traditional and gives a wonderfully earthy feel; so nice if you can get your hands on a piece to top your cake! 

                                                                     Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2017/edited 2019 & 2020
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Blustery Days and Rain, Rain, Rain #blusteryday #winniethepooh

10/19/2017

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Picture
The Grove is certainly having its share of blustery days and lots of rain.  So much wind that everything - hummingbird feeders, bead curtains, candle holders and even wind chimes have had to be taken down - or be blown down!  So much rain that you can hear it literally pounding on the roof!

But we did have warning - a couple of beautiful sunny days absolutely full of the sounds and sight of crows, hummingbirds, chickadees, juncos, bushtits, flickers, blue jays and robins, robins, robins ... all looking for food.  Now that the wind and rain is here, only the crows have remained steady visitors - hunched on the telephone wires, awaiting a hand-out and then back off to relative dry in the cedar trees.

The combination of bright sun and swaying branches create dancing shadows everywhere.  The rustling of leaves in the wind produces a magical song.  Clouds move quickly and cause dramatic changes of sudden dark and then sudden light.  And the rain pounds relentlessly on the poor plants.  And amazingly, the ethereal and fleeting appearance of a gorgeous rainbow!  Well, with all this funky weather going on, coupled with cold mornings, there can be no doubt that Fall has a firm foothold and winter is definitely on the way.

Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2017                                        Pounding rain!  Make sure to turn your sound up!
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Pecks and Bushels of Apples

9/30/2017

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Apple tree
This week we took a break from restoring our vintage dollie because the apples were in desperate need of rescuing.  It's been a hard year for our apple trees.  Too much heat and too many bugs!  Many of the apples fell off during the summer, others were cored through by bugs, and still others rotted right on the branches!  But, all said and done, we were amazed to get quite a few pecks of perfect "eaters", at least a bushel full of "bakers", a number left behind on the tree for hopeful ripening and still many more left over for cider!  Ah, the cider....

Apple ciderOlde Man Buchanan Grumpy Apple Cider
Rainbow Dash is one gal who truly loves her cider.  To the uninitiated, Rainbow Dash is one of the My Little Ponies who lives in Ponyville.  (And just between you, me and the Grand Piano, I think it's a bit of an obsession with her) .  Her friend Apple Jack runs the local apple orchard and the whole "Apple Family", from Apple Jack to Big Mac to Granny Smith and even little Apple Bloom, are responsible for providing the town with its yearly supply of apple cider.  I'm glad she can't see the state of our apple trees this year ... but hopefully, we'll be able to "squeeze" out a small supply!  The brew last year (featured above) was truly magical!


Okay, she REALLY likes cider!
There's going to be cider??             Well, our trees kinda look like this so ....    No, don't cry!  We'll try!

Meadow Sweet Groves claims no rights or ownership to the above YouTube videos.
                                                                                                                                                              
Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2017 ​
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Flowers and Folk Names

7/5/2017

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Picture of Roses & Woodpecker
Country Roses

​​Flowers are good friends and neighbours to the fairies. So it makes sense that the wee folk have given them names to suit their personalities.  It makes it so much easier to have a conversation when you can remember their names ... and flowers like it when you talk to them.

​Latin names are important for classification (and safety) purposes, since so many flowers have multiple folk names and sometimes even share the same name with a completely different plant! 
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Picture of Willow Herb
Willowherb or Fireweed

But the fairies, who live in a separate realm, don't worry about these little things and intuitively know with whom they are sharing their garden space. For this reason, we have let the many folk names for flowers prevail in the Grove.
Pansies & Sweet Williams
Willowherb or Fireweed
Loosestrife
Bindweed or Rogue Morning Glory
Jasmine or Moonlight on the Grove
Tea Rose

Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2017
/edited 2021                                                                               ​(gif courtesy of animatedimages.org)
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A Fairy Ring for Summer Solstice

6/21/2017

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GIF of Tinkebell
Picture
Midsummer Eve by Edward Robert Hughes
Picture of fairy ring (mushrooms)Fairy ring at Meadow Sweet Grove

​​​What an incredible Summer Solstice we are having here at Meadow Sweet Grove! Bright, beautiful sun, strong warm breezes - perfect for drying laundry and . . .  the magical appearance of a fairy ring in the garden!  This is a really grand compliment as fairy rings (rings of mushrooms) only appear in places that the fairies themselves have chosen as a desirable place for their evening revels and dancing.  In fact, the little toadstools are evidence that a merry dance has already taken place.  For wherever the fairies dance; the mushrooms are said to appear.  

The fairy ring marks a special, distinct space from the human world.  It is often seen as a gateway to fairyland or another dimension where the fairies will keep you for a year and a day.  We can't usually see what (or who) is inside the fairy circle ... when we look in from the outside.  And if a fey beckons us to join in the dance - do we dare go in?

Poem If you see a Fairy Ring William Shakespeare
Picture of Fairy Dance Hans Zatzka
Fairy Dance by Hans Zatzka
Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2017 ​/ edited 2021
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Vivacious Violets

5/24/2017

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Image of Victorian postcard violetsVintage Victorian Violets

Picture of Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle, c 1891
Image of VioletsImage Courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

​



​Violets were favoured most particularly by Queen Victoria.  In fact, so deep was her admiration for this purple posy, that she referenced them over one hundred times in her diaries!

Unlike her public image, Queen Victoria must have had (and was reputed to have) an extremely passionate soul.

See my "Blog - Folklore & Magic" for a much more flattering image of this incredible lady!

​Or click here:  even-queen-victoria-can-be-queen-of-the-may-queenvictoria2969612.html
Drawing of Dog-Violet Fairy Cicely Mary Barker
The Song of the Dog-Violet Fairy by Cicely Mary Barker

​Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2017 / edited 2022​​​​​​​​
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Finding Fairies

5/17/2017

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Meadow Sweet Grove has experienced a record downfall of rain this Spring.  Most of the fairies are probably sitting by their little stoves and looking out longingly at their gardens. When they do go out, I imagine they dart for cover, hiding under handy toadstools along the way.  Still, May is the perfect month to search for fairies that might be starting to play in the garden after those long winter months.
Tulip Fairy by Cicely Mary Barker
I took my favourite "fairy spotter" with me and she pointed out many fairies and woodland creatures in the Grove.  I had to be quick with the camera ...
Image:  Cicely Mary Barker
An absolute abundance of froggies!  Well, it has​ been raining an awful lot ...
​And even Robin Goodfellow, or Puck - as some know him - was found amongst the new growth and greenery, where he is always the happiest ...
Finally, a gnome atop his new wishing well home (dry as a bone) and a fairy, trapped under ice all winter, has been returned to the Grove.
​Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2017 ​​​​​​​/ edited 2021
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For the Spring is Flying and the Month is May

5/8/2017

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Picture of bleeding heart
​For the spring is flying and the month is May. 
 Mary N. Prescott

​That's the last line penned in a poem by Mary N. Prescott (reproduced below) from "Rhymes from Mother Goose";  an absolutely enchanting children's book printed in 1903 by the W.B. Conkey Company, with the promise: "arranged to please the boys and girls" and "with pictures that will amuse the children".
Picture of poem
Antique child's book, "Rhymes from Mother Goose", 1903, Meadow Sweet Grove Collection
Picture of apple blossoms
Sweet fragrant apple blossoms

​April showers did indeed bring May flowers to the Grove.  Not quite as stunning as last year's spring but as promised by Margaret Elizabeth Sangster, "Never yet was a springtime, when the buds forgot to bloom."
​
Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 
2017 / edited 2021
​​​​​​​
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Clovers & Shamrocks & Cookies

3/17/2017

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Picture"The dear little, Sweet little Shamrock of Ireland", Vintage St. Patrick's Day Postcard
St. Patrick's Day is on its way in Meadow Sweet Grove and the fairies are celebrating! There's lots of singing, dancing, green mead and shamrock sugar cookies to go around.  Of course, the hunt is also on to find those lucky four-leaf clovers before the mortals stumble across them.  We have a special incentive to do so - it is said if you find a four-leaf clover, you will be gifted with the power to see fairies ....


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A very, very old shamrock in the Grove
PictureShamrock Sugar Cookies
Shamrock Sugar Cookies

2 cups sifted flour                        
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter​
1 cup sugar
1 beaten egg
1 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

Combine dry ingredients.  Cream the butter and sugar together in a separate bowl.  Beat the egg, milk and vanilla into the wet ingredients.  Sift and add dry mixture a bit at a time and mix well.  Shape dough into a ball, cover bowl and chill until firm.

​Meanwhile, grease or line cookie sheets.  Preheat oven to 375
°.  Roll out chilled dough to about 1/8 inch thickness.  Cut with shamrock or clover shaped cookie cutters and place on cookie sheets.

Bake for about 7 minutes until edges are a very light brown.


​​                                                                                                                                         Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2017 / edited 2020 & 2021 & 2022
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The Dark Time of the Year

11/15/2016

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PictureJapanese Maple on Rail Fence
The leaves are almost gone as we enter the dark time of the year. The fairies in the Grove reluctantly set their clocks to "fall back", and now daylight savings time has abruptly ended each day that little bit earlier, and made the evenings seem a lot longer, but ultimately cozier!

There were some gorgeous colours this year and a frenzy of birds and squirrels collecting what they could to prepare themselves for the coming winter.

Here are a few snaps of Mother Nature's autumn palette and visitors to the Grove.                                                        


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Squirrel with a Hazelnut
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Woodpecker in the Zinnias
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Cosmos in the Lane
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Robin in the Rowan
Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2016
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Making Green Tomato Relish After Samhain (Hallowe'en)

11/1/2016

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Samhain
(Oct 31/Nov 1)


​
the old Celtic end of
summertime and harvest

Long ago, the ancient Celtic people divided the year into two seasons.  May 1st was the beginning of summer, with October 31st the beginning of winter.  It certainly is the end of summer here at Meadow Sweet Grove!
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Fairy celebration on All Hallow's Eve (Artist Unknown)

After a very successful All Hallow's Eve celebration last night, the fairies are now diligently searching the Grove for the very last bit of goods from the garden to preserve. It's been a very rainy October, which made it difficult to see all the lovely reds, yellows and oranges of the changing leaves, but harder still to see all your lovely tomato vines wither and droop in the wet and cold - especially if you had visions of ripe, red tomatoes!  But here is a wonderful recipe to salvage and savour those green tomatoes - Green Tomato ​Relish - yum! yum!  Good on sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers and a nice treat as a chutney with crackers and sharp cheese.

After being unable to find a recipe that I liked, I decided to mix together about 3 different recipes for green tomato pickles / green tomato relish, removing some items I didn't like and adding others.  I'm very pleased with the result and hope you will be too.  Also, if you are low on green tomatoes, you can add more apple or pepper to make up the difference.  Enjoy!
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1st place in the chutneys & relishes category of "WVCCS 8th Annual PumpkinFest, Home & Harvest Competition, 2018 & 2019".
Chop tomatoes very fine and sprinkle with salt.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes.  Hang in cheesecloth overnight to drain.  Next day add onion, pepper, apple, celery - all very finely chopped.  Add vinegar, sugars and water.  Put most of the pickling spice mix in spice bag, tie and add to mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining (or additional) mustard and dill seeds.  Stir over low heat for approx 3 hrs (until water is reduced).  Seal in sterilized canning jars.  ​Makes 3 to 4 mid-size jars.
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Green Tomato Relish  
© Meadow Sweet Grove / V. Buchanan, 2016
​​
4 lb green tomatoes  
    (approx
 one large mixing bowl)
1 granny smith apple
1 large white onion
1/2 large red pepper
1 1/2 celery stalks with
    leaves

1 1/4 c white vinegar
2/3 c brown sugar  
2/3 c white sugar    
1/3 c water                      

also need:
1
/3 cup canning/rock
salt (for salting tomatoes) 
cheesecloth (for draining tomatoes)
spice bag
pickling spice mix:
1 crumbled bay leaf                            
1 tsp mustard seeds    
1 tsp dill seeds                    

1 tsp whole cloves   
© Meadow Sweet Grove / V. Buchanan,  2016 edited 2021
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Disclaimer: Many of the items sold are vintage or pre-loved. Quality of vintage items vary with the manufacturing methods available at the time of production. They are not made to current standards of manufacturing ... and in my opinion, that is usually a good thing! They tend to be higher quality, last longer and include more attention to detail than today's products. However, safety standards do change over time, items do deteriorate with age, and it is up to the customer to decide how they will use each product.
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