Thank you for all your lovely comments last week. I didn't particularly like school and don't have too many happy memories of those days. I was bullied a fare bit both in primary and secondary school. Well 4ft nothing, red hair and glasses I was a bit of a sitting duck. Anyway enough of that, the memory the comments did spark was around domestic science or home economics depending which title your school chose to use.
Essentially this lesson was supposed to prepare you for life's rich tapestry teaching you about needlework, knitting in case you ever needed to knit socks and yes this was where I made my first pair, cookery, child care and how to run a home economically, and most importantly how to look after your husband, I think I must have been off sick that day. Oh how times have changed.
The first thing I can remember making in needlework was a little fold over needle case, I'm sure there are those of you out there that still have one of these tucked away somewhere. The second thing you made was your apron with your name embroidered onto it. I still remember mine it was bright yellow check with my name embroidered in red and I can still remember Mrs Gray the teacher telling me that I hadn't inherited my mothers skills with a sewing machine and I have to say she was right about that, however I could knit and crochet albeit basic so I did have an advantage over others there.
Once you had made your apron you moved onto cookery. We had several teachers over the years but Mrs White stands out the most to me, even if your cake was a total disaster she would still find something nice to say about it.
One thing I was good at making was scones whether they be plain, fruit or cheese and I still make my scones the same way now as I did back then. Sadly I am not like Mary Berry who still possesses the first set of metal cutters she bought, mine are plastic and the sizes have long since warn off the sides but are about 30 years old and still kept in their little plastic container and all present and correct.
Yesterday the boys were off out for the day and I had the house to myself, just me and the furry paws. My intention was to spend the day working on D's birthday gift but I got a little side tracked and spent the day baking instead. Once a week we take it in turns to bring a treat to the office and this coming week it's my turn. My grandmother's iced tea bread is always a favorite but I thought I would also make some cheese scones. They are very quick and easy and only take about half an hour to prep and cook.
If you fancy having a go you will need
225g/8oz self raising flour
55g/2oz butter
25g/1oz of grated mature cheddar cheese
pinch of salt
150ml of milk
If you fancy having a go you will need
225g/8oz self raising flour
55g/2oz butter
25g/1oz of grated mature cheddar cheese
pinch of salt
150ml of milk
- Preheat your oven to 220c/gas mark 7, grease your baking tray or like me cheat and line it with non-stick baking paper.
- Mix together the flour, salt and rub in the butter till it looks like fine breadcrumbs.
- Add the cheese and stir and then add the milk and pull together until you have a soft dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and lightly knead.
- Roll out until about 2cm thick.
- Dip your cutter into a little flour so that the dough won't stick and cut out your scones and place onto your baking tray. Depending how big you like your scones you should get 6-8 medium sized or 8-10 small.
- Brush to tops with a little milk and bake in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes until well risen and golden brown.
- Cool on a wire rack
Once cooled they are lovely with cheese and a little chutney on the top. Now I just have to hope they don't all disappear before tomorrow or I could find myself making another batch for the office.
Enjoy
Mx
Gosh this post brought back memories - not all of them good as I didn't exactly excel in our 'domestic science' lessons. I made a blue checked apron and the teacher held it up in front of the class as an example of what not to do - I'd managed to sew my handkerchief which had been on my lap to it! My mum was hardly a domestic goddess and my main memory of baking lessons is the motley selection of ingredients that I had to take in, all rescued from the back of the kitchen cupboard - grey, out of date spices, weevily flour etc. I can feel the shame even now. Your scones look delicious though and my mouth is watering. xx
ReplyDeleteThere were two things you didn’t do to my mum. One was not to tell her you needed your PE kit the next day at 8pm and then confess it was still at the bottom of your PE bag covered in last weeks mud from hockey or cross country running or walking in my case as I never ran it and two announce that you needed a whole raft of ingredients by the morning for cookery and you always needed something she didn’t have and in those days you dudn’t have 24 hour supermarkets so then you were phoning around your friends to see what they’d got that you could trade if not have out their mums cupboard.
DeleteMx
My only memory of something I cooked at school is macoroni cheese. It was considered too exotic for our household and my mother gave it to next door's dog!
ReplyDeleteThe biggest problem I had was getting anything I made home as I had to get two buses and if you didn’t time it right you would be standing all the way, not great for anything in a casserole dish. I think we made macaroni cheese too but by the time it had made the journey home I not sure anyone would of been brave enough to eat it. Did the next door neighbours dog survive?
DeleteMx
I loved cooking at school but really I think you learn best with your family at home. I remember it all being a bit scientific rather than for actual eating as an adult. Your crumble cake looks wonderful. Jo xx
ReplyDeleteI can remember the walk of shame in needlework because my hemming stitch wasn't as good as my two older sisters who were both excellent (apparently) and the teacher also knew both my mother and grandmother were seamstresses so not being very good at using a sewing machine didn't go down well. That is one thing I regret not paying more attention to with my mother. I wasn't that interested in cooking at school as I had spent years at my grandmother's knee so they weren't showing me anything I didn't already know and I hated being centre of attention when the teacher would make you show everyone what you had made.
DeleteMx
School days are a mixed bag of enjoyment or misery, I'm sad that yours wasn't better. Mine was ok but being the tallest with glasses was never going to be great. Overall school for me was ok, I loved needlework lessons best, though I wasn't a great seamstress. It was an enjoyable lesson with a good teacher, if a little sharp at times. I always said to my boys that the primary school can be the best days of school life, the rest is hard work with constant tests and exams, hormones and enormous pressures on you for your future decisions. Unfortunately your exam results follow you everywhere eg application forms but there's always further education. The important thing is that your schooling doesn't define you. The person inside you does that - who are you... Kind hearted, compassionate, confident with a capacity to be cheerful and create works of art eg your blanket and delicious food to feed family and friends. All those things and more make you amazing. Cx
ReplyDeleteThank you for such lovely comments. Thankfully my own children didn’t have the same issues and although they would tell you they didn’t like school I think there were elements of it that they did.
DeleteMx