Even though I've thoroughly distanced colonial cooking from its original hearth application, I thought it would be useful to look at some of the tools used in hearth cooking. You know, in case you had a hankering to put your fireplace to good use.1. Of course, you couldn't get anywhere without your fireplace. Technically, this… Continue reading How to keep your own hearth fires burning
Author: Abby Murphy
I'm a writer and a history teacher, and I blog about (no surprise here) history, books, and writing.
To butter shrimps
Last weekend it felt like summer. 80 degrees, not too humid (so, more of an ideal summer than a real one), sunny. I spent Saturday afternoon setting up my tomato and pea plants outside, in a sheltered spot with plenty of sun. Josh and I took our time at the farmers' market, grilled some corn… Continue reading To butter shrimps
Mount Vernon
About a month ago, I chaperoned my tenth-grade class to Washington, D.C. on their annual five-day field trip. Not only did I lead the trip, but I also had spent the entire year planning and preparing for this adventure. Therefore, the trip entailed:33 teenage girls4 chaperones (including me)1 long-suffering bus driver1 viewing of National Treasure and… Continue reading Mount Vernon
Supposedly delicious
Every now and then I flip through the Williamsburg cookbook, looking for my next culinary adventure, and one of those recipes jumps out at me. You know, the ones that are a little, well, too adventurous.After the steak and kidney pie disaster, I've become much more hesitant about leaping into the unknown. I'll consider a recipe… Continue reading Supposedly delicious
Cheese biscuits
Yesterday Josh and I had a simple night in. Cooking dinner, watching the latest New Girl episode, talking about our days. As part of our goal to become more mindful, healthful eaters, Josh made a delicious vegetarian chili, chock-full of sauteed veggies, onions, and spicy peppers, ladled over brown rice.Before he started cooking, I thought about what… Continue reading Cheese biscuits
History 101: Colonial Virginia
This little blog has always been something of an experiment; heck, it's even in the name! And like the way my students pepper me with questions when I haven't taught a lesson clearly enough, for some time now this space has been nagging me (in my own mind) for more clarity. I jump from cookbook to… Continue reading History 101: Colonial Virginia
Kitchen garden (I)
I've thought about starting my own little garden for a while now. My front windows are filled with plants, sure, but of the amaryllis and African violet variety rather than the edible kind.When I graduated from college and first started living on my own, my parents gave me a set of lucky bamboo as a… Continue reading Kitchen garden (I)
When cleaning house
Ah, spring! The daffodils are blooming, the grass is green, the air is crisp, the snow is falling...Yes. Although it's the end of March, New England thinks it's still time to throw down a healthy mix of snow and rain. What a dirty trick, after 70-degree weather a few weeks back.No matter. Spring has a… Continue reading When cleaning house
Williamsburg veal partridges
Some days are just full of questions. Like, why aren't there more movies like Back to the Future? Why do my students all wear feather extensions in their hair? If I walk around a lot while I teach, does that count as the day's exercise? Why is my dwarf hamster still afraid of everything that moves? And… Continue reading Williamsburg veal partridges
Old Virginia batter cakes
Language is such a powerful tool. You can learn so much about the writer, about a different culture, or about a past time just through the words the writer chooses. As a history teacher, I end up thinking about this a lot, especially when we're looking at primary sources in class. Of course, it's hard… Continue reading Old Virginia batter cakes
Abby Murphy 