Update!

I haven't died. I did go to an event and planned to give a detailed, photo heavy account of the action. Unfortunately, I was stuck in the parking lot the whole weekend directing cars. We had some horrible thunderstorms and we were trying to keep the cars from getting stuck as they were parking on very wet grass.

I was surprised at the number of people who arrived 10 minutes after the battle started and expected a parking spot right up front. In fact, during the battle, we were already in the second overflow lot. Many complained of the long walk. In all honesty, the walk was about 1/4 of a mile. Many ignored the staffers parking cars are parked anywhere they pleased. A few declared that they had "four-wheel drive," in which we responded "but not all of the cars who will be driving after you, do."

So what was supposed to be fun ended up in a conversation about the degradation of American society. Since when can't we walk 1/4 of a mile (note: it would have been a much shorter walk had they shown up an hour or two before the battle) and feel entitled to park anywhere we feel despite the mess we would leave behind to everyone else at the event?

During the event, my camera died, so unfortunately this post has to be without pictures. Despite the cranky people, we still kept high spirits and had fun. It was a very boring job.  

 

Day Trip: the Philadelphia Zoo

As a child I remember skipping in the zoo, holding my elephant-shaped "storybook key." The key was my mothers from when she was little. You inserted the key into "storybook boxes" around the zoo and the box would play a recording which told information and fun facts about the animal it was in front of. As a child it was a big deal to be able to turn the key for a group of people, especially if they didn't have a key of their own. 

I used to love the elephants, the otters and the peacocks that wandered freely. The large foreign plants seemed gargantuan, their leaves being feet above my head, but it didn't stop me from trying to touch them. There was a man-made "tree house", that is a tree with a pathway through it, where children would race their siblings and relish in the labyrinth of pathways and secret nooks.

We went to the Philadelphia Zoo yesterday and it was much different than I remembered it as a child and growing up had little to do with it. The elephants had been sent to other zoos and the "storybook" boxes removed. Many of the exhibit had been updated such as the big cat exhibit which, thankfully, no longer involves lions in barred cages.       

The Philadelphia Zoo was founded in 1859  and is the oldest zoo in the United States. Due to the Civil War, the zoo was not finished until 1874. The land is home to John Penn Jr.'s "Solitude." John Penn Jr. was the grandson of Pennsylvania's founder, William Penn. 

His home "The Solitude" was erected in 1785 on the banks of the Schuylkill River. The house is one of the first neoclassical homes in America. John Penn was the son of Thomas Penn, one of the men involved in the infamous "Walking Purchase." He was known for being a quiet man who liked to write poetry  and stroll through his gardens which later became the land for the zoo. For those of you that like the show, "the Solitude" and surrounding buildings was featured on Ghost Hunters.

The zoo holds more than 1,300 animals including many endangered species. It includes an aviary where the birds fly freely. 

 I have yet to go on the newer balloon ride. It has always been closed when I went before. This time it was open but Andy is very afraid of heights so we didn't go on. :(

Many people do not like zoos as they take animals out of their natural habitats and keeping animals in zoos really does not improve their endangered situation. I do like zoos because they showcase animals that I would never get to see otherwise. I hate that the animals are out of their natural habitats but I think the animals in captivity do a lot to educate and interest people in preserving the natural habitats of the animals. 

It is apparent that the zoo is trying to fix many problems in the exhibits by combining animals, giving the animals more space to roam while surrounding them with animals that they would encounter in their natural habitats. The elephants were recently sent to other zoos as the zoo did not have enough space to care for them properly and in 1995, the zoo had a fire and 23 animals died from carbon monoxide poisoning.  So zoos aren’t perfect but they do give animal lovers a chance to see many rare animals and are good educational tools.

We had a lot of fun and really enjoyed seeing the animals. Our favorites this time were a new family of orangutans. The mother was covered in a blanket, cuddling her new baby, who didn't want to lay still. The mother looked exhausted as if she hadn't slept in days and the father took a nap on the floor. It was such a cute little family.

 

Civil War Era Purse Knit-Along!!

Many people expressed an interest in a knitted Civil War Era purse knit-along. Many thought that June would be the best month for it. I have changed the pattern since I have started planning this, if anyone wants the original pattern, feel free to e-mail me. I found that the "honeycomb" pattern was a little too difficult for some knitters and is almost impossible to fix if a stitch is dropped. I found this simple pattern and am happy that it makes a pretty purse that I think a lot of my readers will be happy with. As with the sontag knit-along, I will put a widget on my blog that allows participating knitters to post their progress every Friday. I understand that June is a reenactment month so will leave the widgets up until the next Wednesday.

 



The pattern I have chosen is from 1858 is simple and makes a pretty purse. A sample swatch is shown at the left. The purse is pretty on both sides. 






I will be posting the instructions today. I tried to make them easy to print. If you would rather have a PDF copy of them, please send an e-mail to TheSailorsWifeSa@Aim.com.

Let me know what you think! I think we'll keep this one going until the end of July. Although it is a tiny purse, there is a lot of knitting to do. The result is very pretty and I can't wait to make one to hold all of my ball items. The cost of the purse should only be $4.00 unless you have to buy needles in which case the total will be close to $9.00. I wanted to make a purse that was affordable for everyone and within the ability of the majority of knitters.

Civil War Era Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Macaroni and cheese is a new receipt that my Civil War reenacting group is considering trying this year. We try to find something decent that I can eat as many period meals are meat heavy and I am a vegetarian. 

Most recipes for "Maccaroni Cheese" from the period call for "pipe maccaroni" and Parmesan cheese. The closest thing to "pipe maccaroni" today is Bucatini. Ziti or Penne Rigate are more widely available but a bit thicker.  In the Hand-book of the Useful Arts published in 1852, "MACARONI is a dough made of the flour of superfine wheat made into a pipe form, as thick as a goose-quill." In a pinch, the noodles from packaged macaroni and cheese today will work, just discard the cheese packet.
 

Period recipes recommend that the macaroni be boiled in water, milk or a meat broth and the spices for the dish frequently include white pepper, salt, cayenne pepper, mace, and mustard  It could also be made in a puff paste and baked or mixed with bits of cooked ham or bacon. It is different from modern "mac and cheese" because it was more of a seasoned butter cream sauce with cheese added instead of the entire noodle being saturated in cheese.

 

"Maccaroni and Cheese" Recipe from Godey's Lady's Book, 1861

Ingredients:

- 6 ounces Bucatini / Perciatelli Noodles ect.(2 Cups)

- 1/4 Pound of Parmesan Cheese ( 1 Cup)

- 1/2 Cup Milk or Cream

- 1 Tablespoon Butter

- Salt to taste

- 2 dashes White Pepper

Boil your noodles in water with a pinch of salt according to the directions on the box. It normally takes about 9-12 minutes. Once the noodles are soft, strain them in a colander and cut the noodles into pieces about 1 inch long. Place a layer of noodles in the bottom of a small casserole dish. Add  layers of cheese and  layers of noodles making sure that you end with layer of cheese on top. Add salt and pepper to milk. Pour milk mixture over the noodles, cut up the butter in small pieces and place over the noodles. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. If you want you can add breadcrumbs over the top before baking.     

**Note: White pepper was not included in the recipe from the book but is included in a similar recipe in The United States Cook Book which was published in 1856. Also keep in mind that macaroni was an imported good then and definitely not army fare.

There is a receipt for it in Mary and John Spaulding's Civil War Recipes: Receipts from the Pages of Godey's Lady's Book which dates the recipe to 1861. The recipe is for "Maccaroni Cheese" and reads as follows "Boil the maccaroni in milk; put in the stewpan butter, cheese, and seasoning; when melted, pour into the maccaroni, putting breadcrums over, which brown before the fire all together."

I have not found the recipe in the 1861 magazine but have found  it in the October issue of 1863. This doesn't mean it was not in the 1861 magazine, because sometimes receipts in the magazine were repeated after a few years. I did find a different recipe for "Maccaroni Cheese" in the 1861 issue which I will include here.

This is the recipe I used above.

Why is this distinction important? Because the recipe has hit the internet for the "150 anniversary" and has been cloned and promoted on other sites as being from 1861. (This recipe is so popular it even has its own facebook page.) :D This is a good example how an error in a secondary source can become multiple errors in the history field. Does this mean that the book is horrible and no one should read it? No. It's a great book that brings a lot of great recipes together for people who can't access the real thing. It is one of my favorite books. But it does point out that you should always check your secondary sources against the real thing before you label something as fact. Everyone makes mistakes, just check to make sure you aren't amplifying a mistake.

Does it mean that the online recipe is not good? Not at all and the recipe clearly states that the author took it directly from the book implying that they did not check an actual copy of Godey's Lady's Book. Their intent was clearly to provide a period recipe for the masses to make and they succeeded. It's a recipe I would make in my kitchen but not in the field. We have to be careful: stating that they "had Mac and Cheese" during the Civil War may mislead the public or new reenactors into thinking it was the same as is today.

Watermelon, Yum!

The watermelon in the local produce stores is now fully ripe and delicious! 

Watermelon is native to Africa and appears to have reached America in the 1600s. The plants were grown by Native Americans and grew wild. A French explorer in the Louisiana territory described watermelon to the people of France: "The space within that is filled with a light and sparkling substance, that may be called for its properties a rose-coloured snow. It melts in the mouth as if it were actually snow, and leaves a relish like that of the water prepared for sick people from gooseberry jelly."

Not many people eat the rind, but in the mid 1800s, the rinds were flavored and preserved. The rind is actually much more nutritious than the pink flesh but the flavor is so bitter, many people are put off by it. The leaves in the recipes are to dye the rind a yellowish-green color. The preserved rinds were used to decorate the tops of baked goods. 

In China, salted watermelon seeds are a yummy treat. They prefer watermelons with seeds much larger than we import into the states. They are available commercially in bags much like sunflower seeds and are eaten much the same way: The seeds are opened with the teeth, and spit out and the inside seed is eaten. They are a popular snack to eat during movies. (If you want to watch some Chinese movies while you eat these, "Blind Shaft" and "Raise the Red Lanterns" are the movies we watched while being adopted Chinese for a weekend.) 

 

 
It really makes you think about how much is really edible that we don't eat and how cultural influences really have a strong impact on what people deem food.I've been enjoying my favorite watermelon dish "watermelon balls" which is just watermelon scooped in little balls.