This last week has been spent nursing a well earned cold. My dad used to shout, “close the door”, over and over again, often to no avail. As kids we never did, as cold wasn’t something we felt. In fact we were always warm and running. Dad was the keeper of our warmth in winter and felt it his duty to keep living areas warm. He was the stoker of fires. It is strange how men are drawn to fire much more than women. In the period between post WW2 and pre our migration period, heating by dad was done with the help of coal in ornately decorated cast iron combustion heaters. The coal was taken up two flights of stairs in jute bags carried on the back of strong Dutch coal carriers. Mum used to put drop- sheets down from the bottom of the stairs all the way to the top and leading through a corridor to the back balcony were the coal was dumped in a small coal shed. The jute bags would be taken back empty. It was one of those yearly events in early autumn for the coming winter. My mother’s job would be to make the amount of coal last as heating was expensive. A severe winter was never welcome.
These were some of my limpid flu inspired thoughts trying to make the best of the situation as well as having two of our grandchildren for a couple of days giving their mum a break. She had to work and school holidays are not easy on working mums. Both grandsons have a father born in Australia but from Croatian background. No need to dwell on its history but most will agree that the eating of chevatis always played a big role not just with Croatia but also Serbia and surrounding States, that vacillated between bloody endless wars with each other, yet never forgetting that sharing the cevaps also held promise of peace between neighbours. With that in mind and a promised barbeque made inescapable by gloriously warm weather I made my way to Woollies with grandsons hopping behind and around me, busy on IPhonic mania of which I have long given into and surrendered.
I love the Super market’s somewhat hidden counter proudly displaying the items ‘close to out of date’ and spotted a packet of twelve cevaps for just $ 5.75 reduced from $7.85 and still two days left till being be a bit off or rotten. I bought them quickly and after buying a loaf of white sandwich bread rushed home. The kids were ravenous and probably ready to eat anything irrespective of any dates. The rugged Croatian blood line and the frugal Dutch a perfect combination. I pointed out to grandsons that we should be so happy to have rescued those almost out of date cevaps from getting thrown out. Many in this world go hungry, why waste food at all?
Thomas looked a bit serious after that little sermon. He could well end up telling his mum to go and loiter around the ‘out of date’ food items, which might be a good thing apart from saving money. I lit the barbeque and all twelve but one of the cevaps were packet between the white bread and eaten quickly. My flu symptoms were pushed in the background by the show of grandsons concentrated enthusiasm for their, no doubt inherited love, for the Croatian cevaps. It was a joy to watch. Next morning it was always going to be pancakes. I mentioned many posts ago about having an inscription; ‘Here rests a good Opa, he made very fine pan-cakes and loved bargains.’ For those that wondered about the twelfth cevaps, that was given to Milo.
April 16, 2015 at 12:26 pm |
So I looked up chevati and couldn’t find it. What is it? Lovely sunny garden pic btw.
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April 16, 2015 at 12:37 pm |
Sorry, I could not find it either. It is Cevapcici or Cevaps, a kind of sausage very popular in Croatia, Serbia and in this family.
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April 16, 2015 at 12:43 pm |
I too buy chevapis when I feel like sausages, didn’t know they were from Croatia.
I also love your pancakes.
Love Dorothy
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April 16, 2015 at 12:54 pm |
Yes, the cevaps are really nice. There is a saying in Croatia; In times of need I would rather have a good cevaps sausage than a hopeless husband or wife’.
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April 16, 2015 at 1:13 pm |
We called them Cevapcici (skinless sausages) and ate them with Djuvec rice and Ajvar. Oh my Gosh, great Gerhard…no I have to make them for the weekend. Thanks a lot lol
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April 16, 2015 at 10:38 pm |
Yes, people that gave up smoking are now compensating the addiction by an equal increase in eating lots of Cevapcici with cabbage soup.
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April 17, 2015 at 1:22 pm
How do you know about my cabbage soup?
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April 17, 2015 at 11:05 pm
Most ex smokers are drawn to cabbages. Just notice how many people on trains carry cabbages under their arms. It gives great comfort and relief to ex smokers, soothes nerves and as the craving gets really bad they can peel a leaf and eat it.
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April 16, 2015 at 2:37 pm |
I admit I had to look up what cevaps were. Though I don’t really eat sausage, it does look tasty. But I’m always happy for a pancake or two…
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April 16, 2015 at 10:41 pm |
Yes, cevaps are gaining market share over the ‘normal’ sausage. Some claim that there is no such thing as a ‘normal’ sausage. I looked at the sausage division at a super market and there is a bewildering choice in sausages.
Pancakes are still simple and honest. I wish I could give readers a sample of my pancakes with golden syrup. No doubt that will be made possible in the future.
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April 16, 2015 at 10:50 pm
Haha, I’ll be first in line for the sample.
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April 16, 2015 at 3:01 pm |
This post has made me hungry! I hope you are feeling better. 🙂
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April 16, 2015 at 10:43 pm |
Thank you Jackie. I still feel as crook as Rookwood but an aspirine is all I am taking. Glad the post had made you hungry.
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April 16, 2015 at 3:12 pm |
I think that would be a mighty fine inscription on your grave stone! Does Milo have some Croatian blood, do you think?
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April 16, 2015 at 10:44 pm |
Milo could well have CRoatian blood. He certainly liked the twelfth cervapicci while wagging his tail in gratitude.
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April 17, 2015 at 6:25 am
I saw another Milo lookalike in Florence today, very alert and energetic. 🙂
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April 17, 2015 at 6:39 am
Ah, that is so lovely. I told Milo the good news. He wagged his tale.
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April 17, 2015 at 3:44 am |
So good to hear you have been enjoying the grand children.
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April 17, 2015 at 3:48 am |
Yes, they are very enjoyable to be with and good company. They went back to their mum yesterday and school begins Monday or Tuesday. They both had a hair cut while here and an IPone fitted with a new screen.
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April 17, 2015 at 8:49 am |
You can turn anything into an occasion to make a good yarn out of it.
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April 17, 2015 at 9:56 am |
Thank you Peter. We do our best. Laughter is better than crying.
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April 17, 2015 at 8:51 am |
There is nothing better than to enjoy the “spring” of your off spring. I’m thinking that you regale them with lots of humorous stories. And it is nice that each boy got a new iPhone screen.
Poor Milo, you gave your trusty little dog only one sausage? 🙂 Well at least you did not forget him.
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April 17, 2015 at 9:59 am |
Thank you Yivonne. You are spot on with the grandsons giving us a ‘spring’ in more ways than one.Only the grandson who dropped his IPhone got a new screen. The other one got a magazine and we promised a couple of books if he can find some that he likes.
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April 17, 2015 at 4:00 pm |
Next time I am in the grocery store, I have to check to see if there are any sausages labeled Cevaps or Cevapcici. New to me as well. If there are I will buy some and probably eat Milo’s share. 🙂 –Curt
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April 18, 2015 at 3:31 am |
Surely the Cevaps are available in the US? I am surprised Big Makka’s hasn’t cottoned onto this.
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April 18, 2015 at 6:23 pm
Maybe, Gerard. Probably in the big cities like SF and Portland. Or maybe I am just blind.:) –Curt
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April 17, 2015 at 7:20 pm |
Something new in my vocabulary. I will no doubt see them when I next go to the supermarket!
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April 18, 2015 at 3:31 am |
I am sure they would be there. I always thought the English invented the sausage.
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April 18, 2015 at 3:16 am |
Charlie is jealous; he would like a pancake too. Get well quick Gerard.
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April 18, 2015 at 3:35 am |
Thank you Kayti. We had booked our yearly flu shot when both of us got a cold on that very day.
We are both on the mend and get our shot this week. Charlie will get a pancake provided he has been a good boy. Has he?
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April 20, 2015 at 2:11 am |
Looks like happy times with you all Gerard, whatever the sausage, and what lovely memories your grandsons are banking!
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April 20, 2015 at 3:20 am |
Yes, I do hope they will regale tales of pancakes with golden syrup.
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