We're safe and sound here in Providence. The hurricane swept through yesterday and we stayed snug in the apartment, catching up on schoolwork and relaxing. There were several hours of Diablo III (Josh) and of baking cheesy pull-apart bread (me). There was an evening of catching up on our favorite shows and watching The Adventures… Continue reading Canning: Apple butter
Category: adventure
This meal brought to you by Christopher Columbus
Ah, Columbus Day. I'm not sure there's any other secular holiday more filled with angst and mixed feelings than this one.When I was little, we learned the basics of Columbus Day. We sang that catchy song, the one that goes, "In Fourteen Hundred and Ninety-Two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue..." and read picture books about… Continue reading This meal brought to you by Christopher Columbus
Canning fruit (II)
Yesterday I recounted how my friend Nina and I decided to can 40 lbs of tomatoes. When I left off, we had just realized how much time (and patience) this project required.Nevertheless, we persevered. Once the crushed tomatoes had boiled, we started ladling them into our sterilized Mason jars (prepped with lemon juice to prevent… Continue reading Canning fruit (II)
Canning fruit (I)
Last Sunday, over dinner at our local Ethiopian restaurant, my friend Nina said, "When can we can?" And thus began a rather silly and ultimately fruitful (heh) endeavor of canning 40 lbs of tomatoes. And making lots of canning jokes. ("Yes, we can" is Nina's favorite.)Canning is a fascinating process. Before refrigeration, it was one… Continue reading Canning fruit (I)
To make ice cream
It's been a busy summer, one full of transitions: family milestones, a move ten minutes down the road, exotic travel, a new school. This week I've been focusing on that last one, a new school, as we get ready for classes to start next week. There's a new commute to learn, a new curriculum to… Continue reading To make ice cream
Supposedly delicious (II)
As I mentioned earlier, I love perusing the old cookbooks at the cottage to see what earlier generations enjoyed eating. People of my great-grandparents’ generation apparently cooked with quite a lot of lard in the 1930s, while those of my grandparents’ generation liked to cook entire meals in casserole dishes. (The 1950s and 1960s were… Continue reading Supposedly delicious (II)
Mint julep
Now that summer (with all its heat and humidity) is in full swing, my sister Lissa has been contemplating what would make the weather more bearable. There's swimming, long afternoons in Starbucks, evenings at the air-conditioned movie theater.* There's also the tried-and-true tradition of iced mixed drinks. Every few days, she sighs wistfully, "Wouldn't it… Continue reading Mint julep
Frontier House (II)
A few days ago I gave an overview of PBS' miniseries Frontier House, where three modern families live for five months on Montana homesteads as though it were 1883. Here are just a few things that were fascinating about the series:the historically accurate division of labor. The men build the houses, sheds, and fences, while… Continue reading Frontier House (II)
Frontier House
It's 1883. You've arrived in a desolate part of Montana with your family and all your worldly belongings, ready to create a homestead and start your new life as a farmer. You have only the woods and the tools you brought with you to build your house. You have only the animals you brought with… Continue reading Frontier House
Tips for housekeeping in the 18th century
1. Save all your wood ashes. You can gather them in a barrel and pour water over them to create lye. (See no. 2.)2. Save all your cooking fat. You can boil it with the lye to make soap! Yes, people really got clean with this kind of soap.3. Dip the hem of your skirt in… Continue reading Tips for housekeeping in the 18th century
Abby Murphy 