2018 In Review

What a year! I know it has been quiet here lately and for many reasons. I have not been doing as many events this, and most of them have been 18th Century. One this is for sure though, I've been able to spend this year with some of the greatest people I know!!

In January I get to spend a weekend at Ft. Fisher for work. I feel close to Ft. Fisher because many of my Civil War ancestors served here.

It's nice to have a partner in crime! 

March is a busy busy month. My sweet girl turned three, my site hosted a timeline for the first time in almost 15 years, and I camped out for the first time in years (in the sleet no less!)

Three was a perfect birthday! 

End of the day laughs

Women served too! 

Peas Francoise! 

Squirrels are in the house! 

April was less busy but brought me to Halifax, serving as a Tavern mistress. 

I love him! 

Tavern lunch

More fun was had in May- at the 1860's Civilian Celebration and Alamance and a celebration for St. Phillips Church in Brunswick Town.

See, I can dress up nice! 

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Gov. Tryon and his militia

Multi-Era birthday party for St. Phillips! 

For the first time in year, our Summer months were full of fun- and not all in silly clothes. Trips to the beach, Colonial Williamsburg, and Busch Gardens. 

Summer carriage ride

A nice pier walk

Look- a bird! 

August was another busy, but fun month. Starting with the Corsets & Cravats Conference, and WWII day at Ft. Fisher. 

Helping teach 19th Century hair techniques 

She really wants me to be a WAC

1940's beach fun

October took us Edenton and Camden. 

Edenton in matching outfits! 

It was beautiful, cold weekend! 

In November I managed to cook 10 gallons of soup with no good firewood (no I never blogged this but it was my go-to beef stew) 

Fun day at the Caswell site! 

Stay tuned for an exciting 2019- my calendar is already filling up!

Let them eat dirt! -or-How I’m Raising a Reenactor

Let them eat dirt! Well- not really. But let them experience it. At events (both 18th & 19th Century) I often hear how well our daughter behaves and interacts with the environment full of visitors, fires, and loud guns. I often attribute it to the fact that she is being raised going to events. Her first outing was at seven weeks old when we day tripped to an event where she slept most of the day- even through the battle. Now, that she is three, my husband and I have learned a lot and are usually armed with tactics to keep her entertained at events.

Use Familiar Items

We have a small basket trunk that is filled with various items depending on the period of the interpretation. These items range from simple pasteboard boxes, to a china tea-set. Our daughter plays with these items in her daily life, not just in reenacting scenarios. On an average Civil War weekend, her trunk will contain: a cloth doll, doll quilt, slate & pencil, copper measuring cups, wooden spoons, wooden bowl, small sword, and a tea cup. We include her wooden kitchen items with her play kitchen at home so that she uses them often, just like many of the items in my own kitchen which play double-duty. She discovered her cloth doll at about eight-months old and would drag her all over the house with her. Her chosen souvenir on a recent vacation was a wooden spoon that she chose herself. She drinks tea, yes, hot black tea, almost every day and even has her own reproduction tea set that sits on our kitchen shelf (this we did splurge on).

Another familiar item, dirt and water. I have entertained my child for hours with a bucket of water and a towel or spoon. Extra points if you are near dirt. She daily wants to go play outside, mostly because there is a spot in our yard where the grass does not grow, and she can “garden” as she calls it, bringing up clumps of black earth with her hands. Don’t be afraid to let them get dirty. They can be washed off, and so can their clothes (this is why multiple pinafores are our friends).

Use real items

            Our daughter is one who usually wants to have the same thing you have and to help with the task at hand, so we provide her with her own versions of what we have, mostly. She does not have many reproduction toys in the traditional sense. You will not usually her with a yo-yo or expensive reproduction games, she will usually be digging in the dirt. In that dirt with her you will find wooden spoons, copper measuring cups, and a small stoneware pitcher (we do keep her actual eating utensils clean).  She can look up from her pile of dirt and see me using the same items, just in larger form, and that makes her happy.

Bowls & wooden spoon with leftover mud

            I find myself not wanting to lay down many dollars for something that will not last. We often find pottery, baskets, and other pieces at discount prices from local shops and we snag it up. Since we usually portray a working-class family in North Carolina, I think having multiple “fancy” toys would be a little odd for our impression. So, by handing my child a duplicate item like the one I have in my hand (ie. Wooden bowl) it makes her feel more included in what we are doing. She knows which items are hers too! She has her own basket which often gets filled with wildflowers or a rock collection on weekends.

Keep them Involved in Interpretation

The cutest flower seller! 

            One recommendation I make above almost everything else, is to keep children involved. Years ago, before I had my own child, we brought my niece to events with us. I would lay down a blanket and hand her some toys and other items, and left her there. We always use the “see you” rule- we must maintain site of each other regardless of what we are doing. Soon, we over heard her talking about using items as substitutes and how children would help on the farm. It made me smile to realize how much she had listened to myself and others around her. From that moment, I promised myself to not shuffle the children off from a demonstration. Look at period images of women performing their daily tasks such as laundry, cooking, etc. many of these images include children playing at their mother’s feet or climbed up in chairs to have a closer look.

Little Laundry Helper! 

Last year, during a school day, there was a photo taken of me with my toddler on my hip, a laundry paddle in one hand, and boiling kettle in front of me talking to school children. In that one photo, I found a sense of real. I did not stop what I was doing, instead, I hoisted my sleepy child up in my arms and kept moving. She was there, in the middle of everything, just as she is every other day. Moments later she would be in the middle of a crowd of student playing hoop-and-stick with them, her laugh ringing out over the hum of play.

These learning experiences are what I strive for. To get her hands dirty while going knee-deep in history, though to her she is just playing. I hope that one day, she will look back and be thankful for the days that I let her eat dirt. 

Leave plenty of time for exploration, free play, and rest! 

A Womans War at Cowpens

This past weekend was amazing! It was the first time in YEARS I had camped the whole weekend at an event, and I was a little nervous going into an event at a site I had never visited with a shaky forecast. It turned out to be a fantastic weekend!
The past few years have involved me developing my 18th Century impression of that of a petty sutler, following the British Army. I had planned to bring that impression back out, but the items never made it to display. I ended up helping in the "kitchen" and assist with some laundry. All in all it was a great weekend full of laughs, a new gown, and some hail! Enjoy some photos, as well as some recipes from Sunday's Dinner!

Home Sweet Home! Includes 4 down comforters, 5 wool blankets, and 2 groundcloths. 

End of the day laughs

Laundresses 

Sunday Dinner- French Salad, Peas Francois, Sweet potatoes and apples

French Sallad (Chicken Salad)

Chop three anchovies, a shalot, and some parsley small ; put them in a bowl with two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, one of oil, a little mustard,and salt. When well mixed, add by degrees some cold roast or boiled meat in the very thinest slices; put in a few at a time, they being small, not exceeding two or three inches long ; shake thcm in the seasoning, and then put more : cover the bowl close; and let the sallad be prepared three hours before it be eaten. Garnish with parsley, and a few slices of the Fat. - “A New System of Domestic Cookery”, Maria Rundell, 1808

Peas Francoise

Take a quart of shelled peas, cut a large Spanish onion or two middling ones small, and two cabbage lettuces cut small put them into a sauce pan with half a pint of water; season them well with a little salt, a little beaten pepper and a little mace and nutmeg. Cover them close and let them stew a quarter of an hour then put in a quarter of a pound of fresh butter rolled in a little flour, a spoonful of catsup a little piece of burnt butter as big as a walnut; cover them close and let them simmer softly for an hour often shaking the pan when it is enough serve it for a side dish. -Hannah Glasse 1797

"Friendsgiving" 2017

On Saturday, Nov. 18 I ventured to a program that used to be a regular on my yearly schedule. The CSS Neuse Civil War Days program had not occurred in 5 years, but was brought back this year! I was excited to hear that the event had been brought back to the site that used to house the remains of the CSS Neuse ironclad. This year I was asked to cook lunch for the staff and volunteers, and of course I said yes!

The menu was ample in order to feed 50 people- selections included Chicken & Rice, Carrots Stewed in Cream, Macaroni & Cheese, Sweet Potato pudding, pound cake and Queen Cake.

The Carolina Housewife, Sarah Rutledge, 1851

The day started with a 10-gallon pot full of water, salt, and five whole chickens- and a lot of friends! My favorite cook (and friend) joined me for the day,-we cooked and laughed, and sieved sweet potatoes, and laughed, and peeled carrots, and laughed, and burnt noodles, and laughed some more- something we had not done in a while.

A busy table- chickens cooling before getting de-boned. 

In a surprising turn of events, we actually had lunch ready on time! Which almost never happens, I guess I was very focused this year. We laid the table with food and called for lunch to be served- this is may favorite part of the day.

Serving table Left to Right - Cake, sweet potato pudding, stewed carrots, macaroni & cheese, chicken & rice in large pot over the fire. 

Enjoying some great food with friends! 

Two cooks enjoying their bounty.

After a filling lunch of food and friendship, and a brief rest from the morning's rush, we decided to make pie! With the leftover sweet potatoes we added eggs and spices (ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg) to create a wonderful pie filling, that will probably never be replicated.

Working sweet potato magic!

We placed two pies in two different ovens and waited.

Pie ready to bake in the oven. 

. Learning to control your oven heat and monitor your food while it is cooking is  a skill that is learned- and something that cannot really be taught. We had two different sized pies in two different sized oven- in two different types of pie plates (one tin, one stoneware). It was monitoring game on these pies, the smaller one in the tin pan was done in about 20 minutes, the larger one took about 10 minutes more.

Beautiful Pie! 

We did have a TON of food left over, mostly chicken and rice- there were 9 plastic containers sent home with people full of leftovers. 

It was an incredible one-day event, which I feel like I am still recovering from (in good ways). I can't wait to do it again! 

Minced Pie of Beef

While preparing for an 18th Century event last week, I knew the weekend was going to be hot, but we needed to eat. I pre-planned a basic menu of fruit, bread, and cheese. While planning I thought of all the wonderful meat pies that the 18th Century has to offer, and how many of them are served cold. I landed in Amelia Simmon's American Cookery, since it is not a large book, it was easy to find what I wanted to cook- Minced Pie of Beef, and it didn't require a lot of ingredients.

This makes a very large pie, so I quartered the recipe, boiling a little over a pound of chopped beef ( I did cheat a little here and used "beef bites" instead of chopping the beef myself). While the beef was boiling, I peeled and chopped two apples (pink lady ones this time) and mixed the raisins in along with about a 1/4 tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace. Since I do not have a local source for suet, and did not have time to order any, I used the best alternative I could find- frozen butter. I grated one stick of frozen butter over the apples. raisin, spices.

Frozen butter in with the apples & raisins.

After most of the filling was mixed together, I added the liquid. While the recipe asks for wine of cyder, I didn't have either on hand, however, I did have port! Being perfectly period appropriate, I added what I had- using about 1/2 cup of port over the mixture.

Port ready to add to the mix.

By this point the beef had been drained and cooled off a little. I sprinkled a little kitchen pepper over the beef to give it a little flavor. All of this (beef & apple mixture) was folded together and placed into a dish.

Pie filling ready for the crust!

While the recipe calls for the mix to be placed in "Paste No. 3", I used a store bought crust (yes, I know, but it was the night before the event, and I still had stuff to sew). All in the dish, top crust added, vented, and placed in 350* oven. It backed for close to an hour. 

Pie ready for the oven. 

I realized that I had absolutely no pictures of the finished pie or of it being eaten. It was eaten for lunch on Saturday. It was a very hot day and I had placed the pie in the refrigerator in the office the day before. It was good & cold, and tasted great cold. It was nice to share the pie with friends gathered around our sutler booth. Overall response was that it tasted great! Next time, mince the meat a little finer. 

*This post is made in memory of the fabulous deep pie dish I made this pie in, upon unpacking the car fell to it's end & broke when it landed on the driveway*

Where have I been?

First off, why have I not blogged since November? Well, there are many reasons and the simple answer is- life.  I have been to events, but very little period cooking has taken place, but in a field or at home.  Here is a run-down of most of what I have done since November-

Historic Weapons School

Every four years I get certified to handle, inspect, and shoot 19th Century black powder weapons, it is one of the perks of my job. We got through two days of training, learning how to clean, assemble, and fire historic weapons. The final day of class we get to live fire our weapons in order to better interpret the firing of such weapons to the public (blanks are shot during demonstrations). This year I brought the site's M1842 .69cal smooth-bore and shot a dead bulls-eye! 

Right off the range- I was surprised that I even hit the target! 

Battle of Black River

This event was set to remember the Battle of Averasboro. I only went on Sunday,mostly walked around and spoke with friends.  The event is hosted at the historic Oak Grove Plantation. 

Daddy & daughter cross the bridge to the Federal Camp. 

North Carolina Day- Yorktown

In April, members of NC Historic Sites were honored to participate in North Carolina Day as part of the Yorktown Museum of the American Revolution grand opening. It was great day, full of visitors, interpretation, and an amazing museum! This was the first time I debuted my full "petty sutler" set up for 18th Century, the response was overwhelming! There will be a bit more about this (and other similar setups) on the blog soon! 

Selling produce, liquor, and other goods to soldiers! 

War For Empire- Ft. Dobbs

Later in April, I participated in Ft. Dobbs largest program "War for Empire" Ft. Dobbs is a French & Indian era fort. The fort itself is currently being reconstructed! 

Acquiring sutler licences. 

Selling some goodsd

Members of the garrison drill. 

Garrison laundresses. 

1860's Civilian Celebration

The first weekend of May brought the long anticipated 1860's Civilian Celebration! This conference is hosted by the staff of the Homefront Herald, of which I am a part of. The conference was wonderful! We were hosted at the wonderful Capon Springs & Farms, nestled in the mountains of West Virginia. 

Saturday outfit! Old faithful dress made it out again! 

Group tintype by John Milleker

DH won this tiara in the door prize drawing and decided to give it to me in front of everyone.
But at least he had on a spiffy jacket! 

Fight for the Backcountry- Alamance Battleground

This is the second year I have attended this event at Alamance. I was only there for Sunday though. It is always a nice site to visit! This year, our daughter joined us and thoroughly enjoyed herself! 

P had enough fun for the day! 

Family portrait! 

One of the greatest images taken of our daughter! 

 

So, there it is, months of un-blogged activity. I promise there will be more recipes up soon! I am planning one this week. There are a few events lined up on my schedule- British Occupation of Halifax this weekend as well as Cause & Country in September.