Dinner at 1800: Nana’s Cornbread

Welcome to a special edition episode of Dinner at 1800: On The Trail! Today, we are going to borrow my friend’s fire pit out in the country and attempt to cook cornbread just as they did on the trail. Leslie J. Whipple’s The Oregon Trail Cookbook is a compilation of recipes mostly used on theContinueContinue reading “Dinner at 1800: Nana’s Cornbread”

Genesis Award Winner

I had some exciting news to share! For those of you who haven’t seen it on social media (and based on the incredible number of kind congratulations I got, I have to believe there aren’t many of you left), I WON the Genesis award in the historical category! Like, actually won. Out of everyone whoContinueContinue reading “Genesis Award Winner”

Dinner at 1800: Alamode Beef

And we’re back! This time with a recipe from The American Frugal Housewife by Lydia Maria Child published in 1832. And this one was fascinating. And also kind of long, so feel free to jump over to Instagram for the 45 second version! As always, many thanks to my sister Tianna for recording my experiment!ContinueContinue reading “Dinner at 1800: Alamode Beef”

Just a Hobby

Earlier this month, someone I respect called my writing a hobby. He/She gave a little smile when I tried to clarify it was a calling rather than a hobby, repeating the word “hobby” in response, and I retreated, more hurt than I even realized until later. To have something I’ve worked on tirelessly for hoursContinueContinue reading “Just a Hobby”

On the Trail: Wagons

The most common misunderstanding when it comes to wagons is the type. The type of covered wagon used is a misconception that is addressed in almost any book talking about the trail, yet is so widespread that most people still think of Conestoga wagons when thinking about the Oregon/California Trail. I even recently saw anContinueContinue reading “On the Trail: Wagons”

Dinner at 1800: A Beautiful Flavoured Punch

This month, we are going simple with a punch. I think my favorite part of this recipe is the title: To Make a Beautiful Flavoured Punch. I love it so much. Actually, my favorite might be the background. Taken from The House Servant’s Directory, the book (and therefore recipe) was written by Robert Roberts, aContinueContinue reading “Dinner at 1800: A Beautiful Flavoured Punch”

A Blessed Month

What a month it has been! I keep wanting to say so busy, but I’ve developed a dislike for the word busy ever since reading that one article that pointed out it is basically a cop-out and we should actually tell people what we’ve been up to instead of sounding self-important by covering it allContinueContinue reading “A Blessed Month”

On the Trail: Jumping Off Towns

In any search regarding the Oregon/California trails, you’ll probably come across the term “Jumping off place” or town or city, or you know, something similar – the key part being “jumping off”. It’s such a commonplace term for anyone looking at the overland trail, that it took me awhile to realize not everyone knew whatContinueContinue reading “On the Trail: Jumping Off Towns”

19th Century Fashion: Part Two

See? I told you I’d come back to it! I know how you’ve been waiting with bated breath, so I’ll start right up where I left off: Super Quick Overview Part 2 1850ish – 1860ish Huge skirts with multiple petticoats, eventually replaced by cage crinolines (hoopskirts) Bright colors and silk favored Natural waistline High necklinesContinueContinue reading “19th Century Fashion: Part Two”

Podcasts and Conferences

There’s a country song that has been going over and over in my head this month, called Sounds Like Life to Me by Darryl Worley. Essentially the song talks about how crazy life is and how no matter how much we want life to be predictable and/or fairytale-ish, it’s actually unpredictable with lots of upsContinueContinue reading “Podcasts and Conferences”