Sunday, September 20, 2009

So much for a quiet Sunday....

Posted by Picasa10.30 pm and the day still isn't over, a funeral in another town tomorrow and a Church meeting here tomorrow night mean I really have to clean!
Day started early with Church cleaning and flowers before Church, with Sunday School teaching thrown in, then bought a friend home for the kids, helped Dh cut up and pack two sheep for shearing,then performed the Dalek operation on 9 unwanted and ugliest looking roosters. You see I did a census last night and found I had 29!!! I probably only need 4 or 5!
After that clean out the kids and I went and bought a trio of pekin bantams...working on the one in, one out theory!! Takeaway tea and choosing videos, then home to work!!
Cleaned up things I seem to have ended up with from my DMIL's kitchen. Thought you may be interested in some...
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I actually know the story of these cooking slides. i wish I knew more of the stories, but you unfortunately don't always ask. Grandma always fed the workers until about 20 years ago when they werent living on the property any more, Between 50 and 60 years ago one of her workers loved her kuchen and fashioned these slides with 3 flat sides and just a lip, and with the holes, to help with the elaborate kuchen process. I asked grandma to teach me kuchen last year but I think i left it too late, she said it was too hard, too time consuming and I should forget about it! My German grandma was well into alzheimers and Parkinson's by the time i was a teen, so she never taught me either. But I am glad I have the slides, fabulous for my bulk cooking.
These extra long spreading knives have come my way as well. They aren't pearl handled, not quite sure what you call them. You can see the top two are discoloured, I have some more like that, does anyone know any maintenance techniques or anything I can do to improve them?
These seem to be some kind of pearl handled set. Don't quite know what the wide one is for, any ideas?
Now I really need your help... Any ideas what these would be for? They are wooden, they were in the retired shelf, so not been used for a long time. Are they a kuchen thing? They are definitely kitchen related.
I think my Dh may feel they should all be going to the tip, but I can't get rid of my stuff, let alone my Dear MIL's! What do you think? And any help?
Have a good day, Tracey

17 comments:

  1. I have a feeling they're used to make butter - butter paddles or pats or something like that. I could be wrong but I definitely think everything should be kept. Lovely stuff.

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  2. I'm with Andrea on the wooden paddles, they look butter related.

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  3. Yep - I was going to say just the same - definitely look like butter pats to me too

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  4. Oh no, you can't discard that stuff! Well, at least I couldn't. As for the knives, I have ONE just like those of yours. My great-grandfather brought a set home from England 100 years ago. I don't know what happened to the rest of them, but my grandmother had one and now I have it. I have wondered what the handle is made of also. Funny little treasures we keep!

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  5. Pretty sure the cutlery is bone-handled and Mr. Google may have some info on how to clean them. If it is bone that's pretty porous so don't hold your breath waiting.

    The wooden paddles sure look like butter ones from over here.

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  6. Yes, definitely butter pats. They were used to shape "pat" the freshly made butter into blocks.

    The knives are bone handled. Don't immerse the handles in hot water and never put them in the dishwasher. Treat the pearl handles the same.

    I also have recently been given one of the wide bladed forks and don't know what it is for.

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  7. I'm going to be watching for the answers on the paddles. I've neve seen butter paddles with slots, only solid, but the shape is similar. And my butter paddle is rounded, not so flat. mmm ???

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  8. Yep...definitely wooden butter pats for shaping butter when it is made (we did this with the kids at school!) and I'm sure the wider fork is for holding the meat while you carve it????
    I remember the bone handled knives when we were young...I hated them! But I'd love to have them now!!
    You can't throw out any of it...so valuable in so many ways!
    ;o) Wendy B

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  9. Hey Tracey, butter pats in that last photo for sure!
    What kitchen treasures you have!

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  10. They are definitely butter pats.....I have some exactly the same.

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  11. You don't need anyone else to tell you but, yes they are butter pats and the handles are bone and I think ruined once they are discoloured like that. ( but hope someone tells you they can be bleached or something)

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  12. I have some butter paddles like that, only much smaller for making individual butter balls. Crazy Thanksgiving tradition usually assigned to a kid not quite old enough to be actual "help" in the kitchen.

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  13. Am late but yes butter pats used for squaring off the butter into squares or rectangles after much washing in salty water until clear.
    Made pounds of it in my life and Mum was a master at it. The washing goes on for a longer time than you would think as it must be clear after you move your hands around the end mass of butter.
    That way it lasts and does not go rancid.

    Yes I still have ours...in a bit better condition. We made all our butter by hand rather than by churn.

    Yes I have a set of the bone handled cutlery. Doubt you will do much with the first two.
    I have Mum's original set.

    Good to be home after 2 weeks in hospital but could use more air and lung efficiency.

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  14. OMGosh Tracey, they are butter paddles! They are not easy to find either, as we have my mils old set but they are rather worn out and dh is after some newer ones, when we find them.
    Keep them, even more so if you love old stuff. You won't regret keeping them but you may regret getting rid of them.....
    Have a great day! Bec xxx

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  15. Oh my gosh, I've seen knives like that before, I'm sure we had them growing up.

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  16. hummmm, my guess is that they are sheep sheering making wool related.

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  17. If the handles were ivory, they could be whitened by putting them in the sun for a few days. You might try it with bone too....Good luck.

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