'Condensed milk'

The final piece of the jigsaw that is avoiding Nestle products has fallen well and truly into place, so I can cock a snook at them. I have long avoided the company on ethical grounds ( Baby Milk Action and others), but the sticking point recently was condensed milk - I use it for puddings and fudge making, etc. Up until a few years ago, you got a choice of  Carnation or Fussell's - then these were both swallowed up by the evil Nestle. I confess I did keep buying the milk - some for using, other for storage for emergencies and prepping.
I scoured the internet and came up with the theory that you can indeed make your own 'condensed milk' - I use the  inverted commas as it's strictly a substitute for the real stuff- something that those who post about it don't seem to bother with, but I do. Another gripe with me is that of the recipes I've seen on the net, several have no acknowledgement of  where they came from - not an easy thing to make up a recipe for this due to getting the proportions just right. A quick copy and paste shows me that at  least one blogger has reposted a method that is not hers, with no acknowledgement, and that makes me cross.
This is the recipe I used:

http://almostbourdain.blogspot.com/2011/01/homemade-condensed-milk.html

I ma delighted to report that it is highly successful - great consistency (was my worry), tastes just like the real thing, quick and easy to make, and not too hard on the housekeeping money.  I haven't used it in making anything yet, it's in the fridge. I think I'll have an investigate into how to store it - might try freezing a little as an experiment, would be wonderful to be able to make a double batch for future use. I wills ave the next tin I open, wash it out and store, so I can get a quick and easy measure for my home made 'milk'. Give it a go, it's one of the more worthwhile things to make at home.

Frugal Friday

Frugal shopping trip to my favourite outlet this afternoon!

Turned up these:

Three  newish  handlines for crabbing/catching small fish, looked unused, complete with hooks and weights. I just need to untangle them a bit and get them stored away with my prepping bits. Cost - £1, included a lovely little antique pot and a pair of wellies..................... :)
(just seen crack in yellow one, but still good )

Sweeties

Musing on a  Curlywurly - like you do - I had a look to see when they were 'invented' - much longer ago than I thought too.
Found this, which is interesting lol (http://www.localhistories.org/sweets.html)

20th Century Sweets




In 1903 the ice cream cone was invented. Choc-ices went on sale in the USA in 1921. Meanwhile bubble gum was invented in 1906 (although it wasn't actually sold until 1928) and the first lollipops were sold about 1908. In 1922 ice cream was sold in the street for the first time from tricylces with a box on front. Sales of ice cream boomed in the 1930s.



Also in the early 20th century manufacturers began to use peppermint to flavour sweets. They also added sherbet to sweets.



Many new kinds of sweets were introduced in the 20th century. Dairy Milk was introduced in 1905. Toblerone followed it in 1908. Later came Flake (1920), Fruit and Nut (1921), Milky Way (1923 in the USA 1935 in Britain), Crunchie (1929), Snickers and Freddo (1930), Mars Bar (1932), Whole Nut (1933), Aero and Kit Kat (1935), Maltesers and Blue Riband (1936) and Smarties, Rolo and Milky Bar (1937). Later came Polo mints (1948), Bounty (1951), Munchies (1957), Picnic and Galaxy (1958), Caramac (1959), Topic (1962) Toffee Crisp (1963), Twix (1967), Curly wurly (1971), Yorkie, Double Decker and Lion Bar (1976) and Wispa (1983). Amazin Raisin bars went on sale in 1971 but they stopped making them in 1978.



Meanwhile jelly babies were invented in 1918 and the ice-lolly was invented in 1923. Black Jacks have been sold since the 1920s. Lovehearts were first made in 1933. Starburst was invented in 1960 and Spangles were sold from 1948 to 1984. Chewits were introduced in 1965. Skittles were first made in 1974.



Walnut Whip was first sold in 1910. Furthermore boxes of chocolates were introduced. Milk Tray dates from 1915. Terry's Chocolate Orange and All Gold were introduced in 1932. Black Magic was introduced in 1933. Dairy Box and Quality Street came in 1936. Cadbury's Roses date from 1938. After Eight dates from 1962.



The first ready salted crisps were sold in 1960. Flavoured crisps followed in 1962.



In Britain sweets and chocolate were rationed from 1942 to 1953. 5 February 1953 was a day of rejoicing for children!

Kettle's on...............

Managed to ignore the Rayburn sufficiently yesterday for it to go out; mixed blessing, as although it was cold, it did need a good clean on the outside, and a proper clearing out int he firebox. That's all done now, and I've finlly gt my proper kettle back on there; belonged to my great great grandmother, given to her by a woman called Alice Cooper. Now,  the whole set up in the photo may not be shiny and pristine - the stove is 40 years if it's a day, and you can guess how old the kettle is - but I've never tasted a better cup of tea than what comes of this combination, and for me, that's what counts. It's all clean, but full of love and soul and history.

Free apple rings

Donated apples, dried over a cooling Rayburn plate on a found metal rack - free lunch? lol Will do loads for the store room I think, very successful.