Potato Leek Soup Recipe

"I am doing very well though, on bread & coffee -- now & then a little potato soup -- think my health is as good as ever it was -- though I am working very closely, hoping to get a respite for a few days that I may come to my own sweet nest for a few days of this rapidly passing winter. If you have not sent my eatables &c, let them rest until I write again."  

- Jedediah  Hotchkiss in a letter to his wife, Sara, December 21, 1862.

This is a good soup for letting simmer all day over a fire in camp. The potato is really the main ingredient to this soup and in the past, would probably have just been referred to as potato soup. The leek, just like the onion would only be adding more flavor to the main ingredient. It's simple but very flavorful and could be used as a base for more complex soups.

To make this soup even simpler and more period appropriate you can avoid using leeks altogether and just add a second onion or try and find some "wild leeks" or "ramps," (Allium tricoccum.) Leeks, while called for in some period recipes, never became as popular in the U.S. as they were in Europe.  

 



Potato Leek Soup Recipe:

Ingredients: 

- 3 Leeks (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced
- 1 Onion
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
- 6 Potatoes, peeled and sliced
- 4 Cups of Vegetable broth
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
- White Pepper and Salt to taste

Instructions:

Put a large soup pot on medium to high heat. Add the butter and sauté the leeks and onions until they start to brown. Add the broth and the potatoes and cook on medium heat until the potatoes are soft in the middle. Mash the potatoes in the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove pot from heat and add the cream, salt and pepper. 

In modern times, a cold version of this soup is known as vichyssoise and is largely attributed to french recipes in the 1860s. In 1917, Louis Diat, a chef at the NY Ritz-Carlton claimed to have reintroduced the soup which was based on the soups his mother and grandmother used to make.

1859 Sewn and Embroidered Reticule Pattern

This is a very labor intensive sewn reticule from Arthur's Home Magazine, from 1859. The instructions recommend velvet fabric, embroidered with red roses and white Fleurs-de-lis separated by gold flat braid. Each of the roses contains 5 gold beads.    

The instructions give an alternative pattern of gold flat braid on purple velvet with embroidered red roses and green shamrocks. 

It is a nice pattern because the purse is a little more substantial than a crocheted or knit bag and it is of a pretty decent size, especially for those of us accustomed to modern purses. In the mid-1800s, a reticule only held a few coins and a handkerchief, although a sewing machine company in 1862 advertised that they has a machine "so light and portable (weighing less than one pound) that it can be conveniently carried in the pocket or reticule."

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The top of the fabric is 5 inches at the top, 9 1/2 on the bottom and 7 1/2 inches long. The pattern recommends leaving the velvet 1 inch longer all around. This purse should be stiffened with a stiff muslin or buckram and lined with silk. This could be sewn plain, without embroidery. If you plain to embroider, do so before you cut out the fabric to save a lot of frustration from frayed edges.

As fabric is easily damaged, many original metal purse fasteners can be found online or at antique shops. If you do your research into what kind of styles and fasteners were available, you may even be able to find some modern bags with clasps at thrift stores that can be repurposed. But make sure you really research, you don't save any money if you end up buying something you can't use. 

Purse closing example from the Met.
Screw closing example from the Met.
Another Example.

For some purse  inspiration, check out this awesome Pinterest board by Muriel.

Commonplace Books

A commonplace book is a scrapbook where the author can record various important pieces of information that they want to remember. They were popular throughout the ages and were especially popular in early America, as paper and books were much scarcer than they are today.




Many commonplace books held facts, recipes, thoughts, weight conversions, important dates,letters and newspaper clippings. The act of keeping a commonplace book was called "commonplacing" and the technique was taught at Harvard so the students there would remember more. In a time before quick and easy information access, these commonplace books could be a lifesaver when a certain address, medicinal recipe or quote was needed for oneself or to share with a friend.

These weren't so much journals or scrapbooks but a mixture of both. Unlike journals, they contained some information copied from other sources. Their main value was to aid the memory of the author but are particularly interesting to historians because it gives a glimpse into what a particular author found interesting or thought was important.  

Commonplace books exist for many historical figures such as Henry David Thoreau, Thomas Jefferson,  Even as books became more prevalent and cheaper, many people still kept commonplace books because of their advantages. 

Commonplace books facilitated memory and the sharing of ideas. In modern times, the use of a commonplace book has been compared to sites like Pinterest, where users can "clip" different websites, pin them on a virtual pin board and share them with their friends.

Even in modern times, a commonplace book is an interesting idea because you can see how your interests change over the years. It's harder to keep track of the changes that occur in ones interests using the internet and it is also not something you can keep in the family. Commonplace books are one of those things that have value to the people close to you but would be seen as pointless to anyone who didn't know the author. I think it is still important to create physical records especially as we create more and more digital records. Digital records are great but there is something special about being able to to hold a family keepsake.  

1861 Ladies' Wool Tie Pattern

It's a bit late for New Year's but here's a quick knitting pattern from 1861. The knitted tie is bordered with imitation, knitted ermine which was popular at the time. It has fallen out of fashion in modern times to give New Year's gifts but it's still a neat idea.

All of my period knitting items use the conversion table and information written by Collen Formby. If you haven't read that article, it's a lifesaver when trying to create period knitting projects.

I like that this tie would create a bit of warmth around the neck without adding a lot of bulk. It would also be a way to add a bit of color to an otherwise plain dress. The full pattern in the book includes a set of matching cuffs.

One thing about 1850s clothing that looks really strange to our modern eyes is the use of matching which looks excessive to us. For instance, it was popular for women to wear two identical bracelets, one on each wrist. Women might also wear a large "show piece" necklace with equally large matching earrings.Today we would consider the looks gaudy.

Unfortunately every once in a while, my historical wardrobe will sneak into my modern one and I'll find myself over-jeweled in a way that looks almost sarcastic today. Only one of the few problems with trying to be stylish in multiple centuries. :)     

The Dressmaker's Guide 1840-1865: A Review

I have been meaning to review the Dressmaker's Guide 1840-1865 by Elizabeth Stewart Clark since I got it last year at the Cedar Creek reenactment. I had been meaning to buy it for ages, but with the little time I had for sewing and reading this past year, it had to be put off. I was really looking forward to getting a hold of a copy because the writings of Elizabeth Stewart Clark and the Sewing Academy are very helpful.

The biggest reason that I am reviewing this book is the price. Like with many books written for a niche, the price is a little steep and at $30 I was hesitant to buy a copy until I had one in my hands to look at. It only took a 30 second look over before I was checking out with it, purely for the patterns contained therein, if nothing else.


Patterns in the Book include:

-Basic Chemise
-Corset
-Split Drawers
-Varying Petticoats
-Corded Petticoats
-Simple Cage
-Bodices and bodice variations
-Skirts
 
Pretty much a full wardrobe! 

Not only are there patterns but tips for fitting and measuring. I have never attempted to draft complicated patterns but this book gives you all the necessary information to do so. The patterns are tailored to your measurements and not the "small size pattern, enlarge it yourself" kind. This has actually become more important to me. When I started reenacting, I could make those small, teenage sized garments with few adjustments but as I got curvier, those patterns started needing more and more adjusting to the point that the patterns were virtually useless. Many women can attest to this same problem. If you've had some sewing experience, the patterns in this book are not out of your reach.

The Dressmaker's Guide is also full of textile and fashion knowledge. Clark breaks down different types of fabric and their appropriate uses as well as covers tools, techniques and clothing related aspects of 19th century living.  

 I had high expectations of this book, but the book surpassed even my highest expectations. Very rarely am I completely happy with an expensive book purchase because I am very frugal by nature, but this book is completely worth it. There's nothing worse than buying a book only to realize that it has nothing new to add that your current book collection doesn't already offer.

This book should be on bookshelf of every lady reenactor.