Valley Forge? Broken Cars and Asbestos

I won't go into detail, but I will say that our day trip to Valley Forge didn't go as planned. And yes, we did get the lecture on "what it costs to fix this could be a down payment on a new car." :D Valley Forge was the winter encampment site of George Washington's army in 1777. Andy and I like to go there on picnics and to take pictures. This is the only picture I got to take that day. 

As goods get cheaper to make and buy, we are constantly deciding whether or not we should get something fixed, or buy a new one. I think currently we have to take into consideration the amount of waste that buying new creates. Many people throw out their old things and never think twice about them; but these things create heaping piles of waste. Cell phones are constantly being updated and everyone probably knows one person at least who insists on having the newest cell phone or computer. This electronic waste can be recycled to a point, but many people just stick it in the trashcan. It also produces toxic chemicals when it is burned. Did you know that a lot of our outdated electronics (even those collected back by the manufacturers) are dumped in third world countries, where children melt them down (despite toxic gasses) to extract the metals to sell to foreigners for a few cents? There is a good photograph with this article on e-waste.

Waste wasn't such an issue in the 1700s because goods were relatively expensive. Things were normally cheaper to fix, so people fixed things until they were useless. People even fixed broken pottery that they used to cook with and eat with. Most products were made naturally and reacted naturally in the soil when they were discarded. The industrial revolution and the scientific chemicals created in the mid 1800s was the start of chemical waste. The 1870s started the mass destruction of natural resources which still continues today. People continued to get their electronics repaired up until the 90s, only recently has it been cheaper to buy new. 

Excerpt from the American Agriculturist (1870):

Mending Broken China, Etc.

              In the first place, take excellent care of the pieces of any broken dish or vase. Do not handle the broken edges, or allow them to become dusty or greasy, but lay them carefully away, and do the mending as soon as possible after the breaking. The best cements often fail because the parts united by them are not clean.

            Another general rule for all kinds of cement or glue is this: Make the layer of cement between the parts as thin as it can possibly be, and yet entirely cover the edges. A very thin layer is much stronger than a thick one. Where the shape of the pieces will allow, rub the edges together after each has been smeared with the cement, so as to even and work it well together. Press very closely, and keep up this pressure (usually by tying the parts together) until the cement is dry. Those cements dry most quickly which are applied hot. If the directions with your cement say “hot,” do not fall short of it and only warm the pieces.

            An old and well-tried way of mending broken glass and crockery still remains in excellent favor, and is well worth trying by housekeepers who can get plenty of milk. Dishes badly cracked should be set away until they can be boiled in milk. Those broken apart should be tied firmly together, and boiled gently in carefully skimmed milk for an hour or so, Leave them together for several days before using, and they will be found almost good as new. The milk should be cold when the dishes are put in to boil, (145.)

*Note: The photo of the fox was taken last time we went to Valley Forge--we didn't get there this time. Valley forge has a lot of wildlife (most of it not so wild) deer practically walk up to your car and foxes normally aren't out during the day, but it does offer a place for beautiful photography and has a very nice museum and park rangers will give you free tours. George Washington's headquarters is a beautiful house, if you can get out there, it is worth a visit. Valley forge is also plagued with asbestos due to the chemical waste from an insulation manufacturing plant that was there from the 1890s the the 1970s. The infected areas are currently off limits but will reopen despite the threat due to the lack of funds to remove the contamination. You can see these danger signs all over the park.

A good article on this is Officials Explore Asbestos Clean-Up
More on Valley Forge National Historical Park 

Snow and Biscotti

All of our beautiful snow is gone. We had a huge storm on the 19th, just in time for Christmas (over 9 inches of snow.) During the cold my Grandmom and I baked biscotti.

Biscotti has become very popular in recent years especially in posh coffee shops. Biscotti, the plural of Biscotto (although my Grandmom says it like "bih-scoat"), are a twice baked cookie, originally meant to give the cookie a very long shelf life. 


The shelf life of a Biscotto is naturally about 4 months. Biscotti has been served in Italy for centuries and was a staple food in the Roman military. Some historians say that Christopher Columbus is likely the first person to bring biscotti to the New World.


Grandmom's Biscotti Recipe:

1 Cup Sugar
1 stick of Butter (1/2 cup)
2 Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 teaspoons Orange Peel
2 Cups Flour
1 +1/2  teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Powdered Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Sift the flour with the baking powder.








Grate the orange peel. Jodi has a trick on her blog, Curious Acorn for this. My Grandmother's tip: use clementines, they are smaller and work out to about 2 teaspoons. 


 In mixing bowl, beat the sugar with the butter. Add eggs, vanilla, and orange peel. Slowly add the flour/baking powder mix, cinnamon and salt. Mix until fully blended, it should form a soft dough.

Grease 2 small cookie sheets or 1 large one. (Yes, my Grandmom is using her hands! She said she would have used the butter wrappers but our butter was already on a butter dish.)


Divide batter in half and form two loaves on the greased baking sheet. Try to make loaves 3 inches wide and 3/4 of an inch high. Bake in oven for 35 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack until it is cool enough to handle (about 10 minutes.)

 Slice loaves on an angle, about an inch wide. Be sure to slice off a little bit on each end so there is no "end" pieces.

Lay peices on their sides on the same cookie sheet. Cook for 12 more minutes (no more.) Remove from oven, flip the peices with tongs and replace back in the oven for another 12 minutes. They will harden out of the oven.

Let cool on a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Harper's Weekly: How to Be Beautiful

This excerpt is from Harper's Weekly in 1861. It has a very beautiful message, especially in a time when luxuries were starting to be impossible to get. A Lady's Toilet was her collection of beautifying agents and also included her clothing and family medicines. Sentiments like the ones in the clipping were common when women had to start to do without luxiouries, men are reported to have complimented the ladies at the time, saying that they were prettier than ever.  

Otto of Rose: The essential oil of rose petals used as a perfume.
Lip-Salve: There were lots of period recipes that contained, wax, oils and fats like many do today; however, Lydia Marie Child, in The American Frugal Housewife suggested earwax for chapped lips!
Sal Volatile: This was ammonium carbonate mixed with ammonia water or alcohol used as smelling salts. Smelling salts were used to relieve headaches and revive the fainted.
Pomade Divine: A cream for bruises, swelling, and chapped skin which commonly used rosewater, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. 
Sticking Plaster: Was silk that had an adhesive brushed on one side, it was used like a modern sticky bandage.
Simple Anodynes: Were sedatives, bromide of
potassium (a salt,) and store-bought medicines (often just alcohol) were commonly used.  

 Many middle class and upper class women had their own "toilets" in their rooms. Toilets as we have today were nonexistent, people still used chamber pots and outdoor toilets. During the war, southern women were asked to save the contents of their chamberpots to produce nitre for gunpowder.  

*Note: Engraving from London Society By James Hogg, Florence Marryat (1860):

Colonial Pockets

 My goal this year is to outfit myself with a full Colonial ensemble, I am tired of having to borrow items when I do living histories. I started sewing my shift ( I am attempting to hand sew it--we'll see how long that lasts.) Hopefully, I will get started on a petticoat or two, some stays and a nice shortgown. I will be starting pockets soon.   

Colonial pockets were not sewn into ladies clothing as is done today. In colonial times, pockets were two pouches strung on a waistband and tied around the waist, under the petticoat (skirt) or on top of it. Skirts were sewn with side slits to access the pockets.

Pockets are an easily hand sewn item that give you a reason to show off your embroidering skills. They are also very useful while reenacting or interpreting. (Make sure you always have a few period items in them, because kids will always want to know whats in there.) If you are interested in making your own, I have included a simple pattern below. 


 Cut 2 pieces of fabric out, these measurements are just a suggestion. Pockets were made a range of different sizes. If you wish to embroider the pocket, do so before you cut the pieces out. Patchwork, embroidery and quilted pockets were all common. Look at original pockets for inspiration.  Slit one piece down the middle.

Sew twill tape around the slit.










Place both pocket pieces with the right sides of the fabric together and sew around the  outside edge of the pocket. Turn the pocket inside out, iron it flat and sew thin twill tape to the top. 



Pockets of History is an online exhibit of pockets from the 1700s to the 1800s.
More pockets.

Preserving Skills and Knowledge for Future Generations

 Sometimes it may seem that our generation is reinventing the wheel by learning traditional skills and learning from historical sources. Sometimes when I try to learn something, older people will say things like "We used to have to do that," or " Why do you want to do that? We used to do that when we were kids for play." It's hard to explain. Yes, I know other people have learned and done the things I like to learn; but, most of them are older and will not be around forever.

If there is one thing I learned from studying history, it is that you never know what to expect. Not that I think we need to train for apocalyptic war, but I think a few life skills would not hurt us. We never know what to expect. Some "advances" are actually making us stupider and leaving the new generation without critical thinking skills. How many of us know people who can not use a map and must rely on GPS and Mapquest? When I had my first job, I worked with a girl who couldn’t tie her shoes; her mother would tie them for her (at 16!) Only half of the employees there could tell time on an analog clock. My sister's friend repeatedly runs out of gas because she relys on an automatic gauge in her car that says " X miles until empty," and cannot do the math to figure out if she has enough gas to get to a gas station. One time, my sister and her friend called me in the middle of the night to pick them up because they ran out of gas and her father ran out of gas on the way to pick them up. It is unfortunate. I wish more people took an interest in real life skills and not “job” and “society” skills.

We know from history what happens when people do not have the required skills to feed, clothe and protect themselves. At Jamestown, many men did not know how to do anything but be “men of society.” Many of these men died, the others were at the mercy of the Native Americans. The “Pilgrims” had to steal food from the Native Americans and loot graves—a grisly scenario. Could you imagine being hungry enough to dig food and pots out of graves?

I am not saying we should all be crazy survivalists, I only think that working with our hands is the natural way of things. When we get disconnected with directly receiving the fruits of our labor, not important things seem really important when they shouldn’t. Industrial production of goods has made all manufactured goods cheaper than they can be made at home—but is this really a good thing?

An Article on GPS: Steered Wrong
A Death said to Be Caused by GPS: Boy Dies
These People are Very into Real Life Skills(I think this is fascinating although I am not a survivalist) : Primitive Ways 

*Note: The second picture is me learning to blacksmith with leading blacksmith Kelly Smyth.