A blast from the past

ROBYN EDIE /The Southland Times

Yummy: Peanut brownies.

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While standing waiting to check a few items I grabbed in a hurry at the supermarket last week I could not get past how much of a chore this has become. Getting groceries has changed so much since the time I was a little whipper snapper.

The kids' daily after-school chore roster in our family included a trip to Mr Griffin's store in Tanner St to pick up the loaf of steam pan bread each day. The weekly grocery list of requirements was delivered to Mr Griffin in writing (usually on a used brown paper bag) each Thursday with the order then delivered to our home on the Friday morning – in time for mum to start the weekly baking ritual and filling the many tins through a craft that has somewhat disappeared looking at the trolleys around me.

There is not a lot to do while you are waiting in the queue other than nose at the many trolleys and I noted the number of people who were purchasing milk, cream and many other dairy products – another change. Back when we were rostered to walk to Mr Griffin's, the milk was delivered in pint glass bottles to the house, six bottles a day. This was way before yoghurt, sour cream, cream cheese (or maybe there was Philly), mascarpone, cottage cheese and so on.

Still waiting in the queue to check myself through I noted the different deli lines such as smoked salmon, pate, salami and all the varieties of bacon. Mr Griffin had a two-door Kelvinator refrigerator in his store which housed the mixed (shoulder) and loin bacon. These were dry cured and the bacon was sliced as required. There may also have been some sausages and savs in that fridge but that would be all there was in the meat line.

If we needed any other meat it was over the road to the Grasmere Butchery (this was prior to Cundall's opening in the top end of Tanner St). Mind you Mr Griffin did have Horse's neck, Screwdriver and Gimlet along with ports and sherries on the shelf. Something the supermarkets of today still can't sell in Invercargill.

From memory Griffin's store was under the IGA banner with a second store, Denniston's, opening some years later in the top end of Tanner St as a 4 Square.

Still waiting, I continued to nose at what others had in their trolleys along with the goodies going through the checkout. All sorts of meat from the butchery and all sorts of frozen foods as well. Back in the time I remember we might have bought frozen peas, but that would have been all that ever came out of the freezer. In fact I'm not so sure we had a freezer at that time.

Chickens – well our chooks came from the fowl house, once they had passed their laying days. Ah the crowd in front is thinning – my turn can't be far away. Message to mind don't be stupid in future, 5pm is not a great time if you are in a hurry to race into the supermarket. Lots of vegetables and fruits going through the checkouts.

Well our veggies came from the garden so certainly weren't bought with the exception of onions. Fruits were purchased from Jack North who would arrive in his Volkswagen Kombi van two days a week. From memory Tuesdays and Fridays were fruit and veggie days and Mr North was regular as clockwork with those deliveries. And like Pat and Vespa Griffin, Jack North knew all his customers and their families well.

Ah my turn next and I note the last item from the lady in front is a packet of peanut brownies – well that's really got the reminiscing going. Firstly they are not anything like a brownie. That aside mum's "peanut joys" were just the best and they were on mum's Friday baking list every week.

So perhaps standing in the queue at the supermarket wasn't such a waste of time after all. It has motivated me into making some of mum's fabulous peanut joys, which I will share with you today.

Peanut Joys

Ingredients:
• 100g butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tsp cocoa
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 250g peanuts

Method:
• Cream the butter and the sugar until it is light and fluffy.
• Now add the lightly beaten egg and mix thoroughly.
• Next, mix in the dry ingredients with lastly the peanuts.
• Roll into balls and place on cold trays then lightly press down with two fingers.
• Once completed, bake in the oven at about 180degC. Bon appetit

- © Fairfax NZ News