I’ve been visiting friends in Sydney, and today I was treated to scones by an old friend I met in my University days.
I arrived a little early, and while I was taken by her husband on a tour of the new house renovations, she put the scones in the oven.
Then we went to buy the cream. We visited three corner stores, none of which had any cream, but the fourth shop had two containers right at the back of the fridge.
The man behind the counter shook his head and said look at the Use By Date. One was 20 December – obviously well past it. But the second was dated 29 December. Hmm – maybe that one will be alright?
The man shrugged his shoulders and said, “I’ll sell it to you for $1. They’re usually $2.50.” I’m not sure that’s exactly legal, but my friend took out a $1 coin and we walked home with our cream.
After sniffing the cream and deeming it to be safe, she took out an old handbeater, not an electric one. One of the old ones with the handle on the top, not the side. I actually bought one the same in Levin near Wellington for $4. They’re just weighted so much better. And after beating it for 5 minutes, we had whipped cream. Fresh scones straight out of the oven, with a bit of strawberry jam, and whipped cream…is there anything better?
retroquo 
is your friend naturally thrifty or is it the last pot of cream anywhere in sydney and she had to buy it if she wants to have whipped cream for the scones?
It was the last cream in walking distance of her house. But she is also naturally thrifty, which is one of the reasons I am her friend!