Have you ever been to a Homemaker’s Swap? Oh my gosh, what fun they are! So far I’ve only been to two, one in Stratford, and one in Bairnsdale, and this week there is one in my hometown of Maffra, and, yes, I am going.
On the table in Bairnsdale
For the uninitiated, to participate in a Homemaker’s Swap, you bring along five of the same, labeled, homegrown, handmade, repurposed or home baked items to swap, place them on the table, and you leave with your basket of five new items – all different! All with the added bonus of being among like minded community…. Oh and remember what you take is homegrown, handmade, repurposed or hand baked, so no stressing if they are not perfect.
Some ideas of what can be placed on the table: Baked goods Fresh eggs Fresh homegrown produce - fruit, veg, herbs Home sewn, knitted, crocheted, crafts Homemade candles Homemade cheese Homemade Jewellery Homegrown Plants & Seedlings Honey Infused oils Preserves Sauerkraut Seeds that you've saved from your patch Succulents Tallow, soap or balms
The concept began a couple of years ago, when Kaya Elliot asked the question, on Instagram, to see if there was anyone on the Sunshine Coast interested in swapping homemade goods? (Deguara, 2026) That simple question has led to Homemaker Swaps becoming regular community activities throughout the country, and as the word spreads, they are becoming more and more popular. We now have three in our area – Bairnsdale, Maffra and Stratford! How lucky are we?
“The core value of the homemaker’s swap iswhat a blessing it is to have enough to share.”(Kaya Elliot)
Remember, no money is involved, there is no bartering, everything is homemade or homegrown, and the items on the table have not been purchased from a shop. When you arrive, you simply register, writing your name, phone number and what you have brought along, you then place your items on the table and begin browsing, mingling and chatting. When you hear the bell it’s time to make your first selection, politely – no snatching or fighting please, then it’s back to chatting and mingling, and maybe deciding which item you would like to select next – oh the decisions! When the bell sounds again, you select your item, and so on.
I’ve been to two so far, and for the first one I took jars of homemade pickles tied up with bunches of fresh herbs from my garden. For the second, I had a good quantity of mint and coriander on hand, so made a quinoa salad and packaged it up into environmentally friendly disposable bowls.
And in return for my salad, I received
As I said there is another tomorrow, in my hometown of Maffra, and I have made a batch of my Crunchy Gluten Free Granola which will be packaged in recycled glass jars to place on the table. I cannot wait, it is so much fun!
- 110 g quinoa
- 200 ml water
- 400 g broccoli florets
- 1 can of chickpeas or 250g dried chickpeas cooked
- 1 corn cobs
- 60 g snow peas julienned
- 1 Royal Gala apples cut into julienne
- 1 cup seedless red grapes quartered or halved
- 1 spring onions finely chopped
- 3/4 cup coriander leaves loosely packed
- 3/4 cup fresh mint loosely packed, shredded
- 20 g goji berries or dried cranberries
- 35 g slivered almonds
- 20 g sesame seeds
- 20 g sunflower seeds
- 20 g pepitas
- 1/2 lemon rind zested and juiced
- 1/2 orange rind zested and juiced
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes or to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
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Cook the quinoa
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Quickly blanch the broccoli and then cool in iced water, drain and set aside.
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Cook the corn and then remove the kernels from the corn cobs and set aside.
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Toast the seeds and almonds in a frying pan over medium heat, stirring to ensure that they do not burn.
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Place all of the salad ingredients into a large bowl and toss to combine.
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Place all of the dressing ingredients into a jar and shake well.
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Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to dress well.
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Serve on a large platter sprinkled with a little extra sumac.
Until next time
Follow your dreams, pursue your passions, share your knowledge, and find your nearest Homemaker Swap, or even start up your own…
Bon appétit!
Links:
- Crunchy Gluten Free Granola
- East Gippsland Homemaker Swap
- Maffra Homemakers Swap – Gippsland
- Quinoa Salad with Broccoli, Apples and Grapes
- Stratford Homemaker Swap
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The mother of Australia’s viral (and wholesome) homemaker swaps
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With many thanks and kindness,
Julie.
