Over the years, I’ve shared a lot of pictures of treasures I found in my Oma and Opa’s attic and some things I got from their house after my Opa died. A few months ago, I went with my mom to clean their house and prepare it to sell. After all of my years of treasure hunting (with permission, of course), I left the house with my last finds. It was a little sad that the days of poking through bug-eaten boxes with the hopes of finding something cool were over. There would be no more discoveries made.
As I was cleaning out my basement this past week, I found a paper bag of things I brought home from his house that I never unpacked. It was a little taste of the joy felt when finding something in the attic. To add to that feeling, I had totally forgotten what was in the bag. There were a couple of genealogy books (I come from the Cary-Estes line), an old metal flashlight, some silver pieces and a glass mixing bowl with a spout.
I had always wanted one of these. I remember my mom mixing pancakes and cake batter in her brown tupperware one (it was the 1970’s…). When I found the glass one in my Oma’s kitchen, I claimed it immediately. So, I pulled it out this morning to make pancakes for my older son…and for myself, too, to be honest. I don’t eat a lot of bread these days, but I love breakfast food and a good pancake or bagel now and then is called for.
I tried a recipe I found through Pinterest on Oh Sweet Basil. Carrian sold these pancakes as “melt-in-your-mouth” and “award winning”, so I was expecting a lot. And I was still blown away.
I followed her recipe, except I added a splash of vanilla and the batter was a little thick for me, so I added about 1/4 cup of 2% milk to thin it out. (The picture above was before I added the milk to thin the batter.) I was a little concerned that with 2T of sugar to 2 cups of buttermilk that the pancakes would be sour, but they weren’t at all. (I don’t care for syrup on my pancakes, so I want them to be able to stand on their own with just a little butter.)
Mixing the batter in the glass bowl made me happy. It’s just one of those little things…seeing a wooden spoon sticking out of it, batter coating the sides.
I had no self-control whatsoever with the pancakes. I ate five of them. Yes, I did. I fess up. They were on the smaller side, but I could still feel that I would probably need to do 60 minutes of cardio to balance out those calories. Relax, Marian. It’s a once-in-a-while thing.
Sometimes I’ll eat something that’s a splurge and then kick myself for it later, but not for these. They were totally worth it.
Also, in the paper bag from my Opa’s house, I found a plastic baggie of old skeleton keys…
There were some really neat ones in the bunch. My Opa was a builder and he renovated a lot of old homes, so these were probably keys he picked up along the way.
I have them in an ironstone bowl at the moment, but I think they’re just begging to hang on a Christmas tree branch from a pretty velvet ribbon.
If these are the last finds from my grandparent’s house, at least they were good ones.
33 Responses
I collect skeleton keys and your picture just about gave me a heart attack! It’s very hard to find those down in South Texas so I rely on vacations to find them. I like them so much I have started a full sleeve of skeleton key tattoos on my left arm. I started at my wrist and have only gotten as far as my elbow, but it’s a work in progress 🙂 I say I’m doing them Johnny Cash style, “one piece at a time”. I display my skeleton keys in a typeset box hung on my living room wall, surrounded by replica keys from decor stores. Anyway more info than you wanted, but just had to share my love of keys like your love of ironstone!
What a special way to make pancakes for yourself and the boys! I love the simplicity of the glass mixing bowl – I’d love to have one like that! And 5 pancakes aren’t that bad, Marian. Occasional splurge is good for you 🙂 Happy Sunday xx
Now I think you’ll have me making pancakes this morning! If you want a really simple recipe try Trader Joe’s buttermilk pancake mix. I don’t usually buy premade mixes, but this one is really good – I follow the recipe but add a little real vanilla and add some fresh blueberries – heaven! Love your glass bowl – the best size for mixing.
The keys are beautiful and wonderful story from where they came. I have a small collection and as a jewelry designer have used them as focals in necklace designs. They always make for great conversation. I like your idea of using them as ornaments – maybe with a little of your glass glitter? If you knew where each came from, the name stamped in metal would be a neat addition.
Cool last finds, Marian. I think the keys on a Christmas tree is a great idea. I don’t eat syrup on my pancakes either! Never have cared for the taste of maple, and never cared to drown the taste of the bready good flavor of the stacks. 🙂
I think the idea of making those keys ornaments is AWESOME!!! As you can see from my tree http://beckwithstreasures.com/journal/2013/12/3/the-traditional-tree I think ornaments should have special meaning…trust me, no matter where I look on my tree, there is a story that has great meaning! Those keys would be ideal!
Love those keys! I think they would look beautiful in a rectangular frame matted with vintage lace. I see them on your future gallery wall next to a photo of your Oma and Opa. They tell such a story….
Great post Marian. I am currently going through my mother’s house clearing it out as we ready it for the market, and like you, the treasures I have uncovered along with my mom are amazing. I found her baby doll that she used to let me play with as a child… brought back such memories.
I agree with Tracy, you should mount those keys in a shadowbox, but I’d use your sack material instead, and have Oma and Opa in the shadowbox and display them so you see them everyday and your boys get to know Oma and Opa and carry them into the next generation.
Lovely post… how’s the sale of the house coming along? Are you being driven nuts by people who set up appointments at the most inappropriate times then don’t show? Thinking of you during this stressful time.
What a wonderful combination . . . those keys are so precious. Enjoy them
Love from South Africa
Looking at your keys reminds me of my son’s key collection- started when he was about 4 years old and we lived in Izmir, Turkey. I had my hard sought list of favorite ‘junk’ shops there, and many times I had him in tow. He was a good kid, but would get antsy, like little kids do; a wonderful shop owner took pity on me and gave him his first skeleton key to keep him occupied while Mom shopped. From then on we had to go on a search for them whenever we went out, and I think that most of his old keys were just given to him then. The sizes varied from a few inches long to about 8 inches long. I have added a half dozen through the years, and have them all displayed on a piece of ribbon and hung on the wall. My son is 25 now, and I still have his collection- it waits for the day when he makes his own real, first home. BTW- your keys with the fancy tops are most likely from pieces of furniture, I have a few similar ones that I got in Germany in some pieces of furniture.
Regards-
Susan
The way you feel about ironstone is the way I feel about old skeleton keys. I love to collect them and wonder what their “story” is. I have one that I’ve thrown onto a long antique brass chain with one or two charms, and they make a beautiful piece of jewelry. I’ve also put them on ribbon and hung /pinned them in shadow boxes after covering the backing of the box with burlap. Thanks for sharing these!
I love your keys! My 14 year old daughter has been collecting them since she about 5 years old. We don’t see many like that here in southern California, so we always look for them in our travels to the midwest. We even have a regular stop at a small town in IN, and the shop owner always remembers my daughter. It’s a sweet memory-in-th-making. When I make pancakes these days, I use 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 regular flour and add about 3 tablespoons of sour cream to the mix to lighten it up. It’s delicious.
Could be that those pancakes tasted just a tad bit sweeter because they were whipped up in Grandma’s bowl!
I love your key collection and I think your ornament idea is outstanding!!…especially since they have special meaning to you. I have collected old keys for years, especially small or ornate one. And I have a little one on our key chain from our first visit to Cape Cod as a couple. Then I’m took a handful of them and put them on a bracelet when I became a B&B owner. Keys and small brass metal bells have always spoken to me. Your key layout looks frameable…each their own story!
Those are the pancakes I’ve been making for 35 years, originally from a Gourmet magazine recipe that called for a lot more butter (4 tbs to a cup of flour). It also called for a mix of flours–oat, corn, and whole wheat. I made them like that for many years, substituting pure maple syrup for the sugar and reducing the butter to 1 T per cup of flour. The recipe works with almost any flour. I always use whole grains, so my pancakes are not ethereal, but they are very tender and very delicious. The latest is half and half buckwheat and heritage whole wheat.
The best part of this story….someone else that likes only butter on their pancakes !! 🙂
Everyone has always thought I was weird because I don’t like syrup !
Woohoo! I know! I see people drowning their pancakes in syrup and I think it’s just a sweet, sticky mess. Just give me a little butter and I’m a happy girl.
I like syrup but more often than not I just love a plain buttered pancake. yum!
Just curious why you call your grandparents Oma and Opa. I enjoy reading your blogs. The keys bring back memories of my grandparents’ home.
It’s German for grandma and grandpa. My brother was born in Germany, so his baby sitter, who was German, referred to them as Oma & Opa. My Opa felt like he was too young to be called “Grandpa” and it was a way to differentiate my mom’s parents from my dad’s. Now my parents are Oma & Opa to my boys. 🙂
It’s Dutch too!!! My Opa and Oma live in The Netherlands, as well as my parents who are Opa and Oma to my kids of course! I always love it when you mention your Opa and Oma! What precious memories you have.
I have the glass bowl of my mother’s just like yours and I use it only for pancakes! Perfect, isn’t It? I also have my father’s key collection and what a treasure I have. Enjoy yours.
So sweet and sentimental!
What treasures you have from your Oma and Opa. Enjoy the memories!
I would frame a few of those keys in a nice shadow box-type frame and mount them on grain sack cloth. It would be a great look and a nice reminder of your grandfather, Marian.
Deborah
Lovely finds to go along with your sweet memories. We bought a 1933 home 4 years ago and as I was cleaning the basement one day…. I found a pair of skeleton keys tucked up high on a ledge and close by was an empty whiskey bottle. We have had a good chuckle over this mystery. I made a special Christmas arrangement for my front door using the keys. It has been such a special treasure to me in this journey of renovating our old house.
Marilyn
So sweet! I have quite a few things from my grandparents and enjoy the memories that come with using them. Love your idea for the skeleton keys!
The pancakes look delicious and there are some pretty cute looking keys there.
Lee 🙂
I found lots of skeleton keys in my grandma’s house when she died. I mounted quite a few of them in a linen-backed shadow box using long pins. They make a wonderful display. Other, larger ones are in a row above a doorway. I really love keys and your collection made my mouth water!
I have been having much difficulty reading the code that one must type in to post a comment.
I must have tried at least six times…………..the print is okay but the cursive part is difficult.
Anyway, I have seen a bunch of keys hung on a chain on a nail in just the right spot as an accent piece. I have lived in two places that had very interesting house keys.
I had a lovely filagree key that belonged to a family piece that belong to my mother. We inherrited a slant top Winthrup Desk from my husband’s family and the key fit perfectly.
Made my husband very happy and it looks pretty.
I have much difficulty with the codes also- but if you hit the icon with the sound picture it will speak it to you. ;0)
Good lord those pancakes look yummy. I love that glass mixing bowl with the spout too. Glass is just the best, and that’s such a perfect hand me down treasure. It’s such a simple thing, but i bet you’ll use it a thousand times, just as your grandparents did. Cool skeleton keys too!
Cindy
Marian, what sweet memories! I have the old keys to my parent’s house, the house in which I grew up. They are only “modern” ones, but they still tug at my heart. My parents are both dead. I also have the keys to my first house and my second house, as well as the tiny key to my American Tourister suitcase that I had as a child (don’t have the suitcase any more, drat!). For some reason, these keys “speak” to me, and I can’t throw them away!
I, too, have a plastic mixing bowl with a spout, but I want a glass one! I like “real” things, not plastic.
Count me in the “butter only club”!
I am certainly going to try these pancakes! They look and sound absolutely delicious! Thanks for the recipe! I love the idea of putting the keys on satin ribbon for a Christmas tree. That sounds very charming!