Tips for New Civil War Reenactors: Be a Bit of a Farb

Soldiers at Neshaminy State Park 2014

I get a lot of emails from budding reenactors about to go to their first reenactment. They ask me for all sorts of advice but most of them want to know if what they have is "okay." Generally, most of them have a basic reenacting kit that will most likely soon be updated but is a decent enough starting point. We all know, authenticity is a personal journey and most will attain good enough, soon enough. This is a post to tell new reenactors what I wish someone told me: It's okay to be a little bit of a farb and here's why.

At my first event, I wanted to go super-hardcore. I thought that's what I was supposed to do as there is so much emphasis on it in the hobby. I didn't know anything about the rule of hiding non-period items so I just did without any of them, including things I really should have had with me, like a cell phone. I didn't bring a hairbrush, a toothbrush or a change of clothes. I did not know what I was in for!

Little did anyone tell me but my first event was in the mountains in the fall. I had no extra clothing to keep warm and only one blanket. I fell in a stream and had no way to dry off. I went to bed wet, cold and frozen and honestly could have gotten very sick. I was hours away from home and had no way of contacting anyone. It was very unsafe and I will always tell beginning reenactors that it's okay to start out as a bit of a farb. Safety is first. As experience grows, so will authenticity. As your kit grows, your use of non period items will dwindle. But until you reach that point. Do what you need to do to be safe.
 
Whenever I recieve an e-mail from a new reenactor about what to bring to their first event, I always tell them to add these items. they take up very little space and can make the difference between a horrible event and a great one. These can be very useful, even if you just keep them in the car.   

Stephanie Ann's (Farby but Important) Reenactor Survival Kit

Items:

- Sunscreen- You might not always need it, but it's good if you have it. There are even sunscreen wipes for sale that take up very little space.
- Lip Balm
- Nail Clippers- Not only are nail issues a pain at events, but these are tiny and can be used to cut thread and string.
- Trash bag- In the event of a downpour, it's good to be able to have something to throw all of your stuff in it. Also these are helpful at the end of events for trash or dirty equipment. 
- Small sewing kit (if there isn't one as part of your period kit.)
-Twine- You better believe I've found a use for twine at almost every event. From replacement canteen cork holders to tent pole lashings.
-Tissues and/or wet wipes. You'll thank me when you end up in a depleted portable toilet at 1 am.  
- Washcloth or small towel. 
- Hand Sanitizer
-Any medicines you may need.
-Bandages-Helpful for blisters. 

Everything Loose.

Emergency Items:

-Spare money
-Phone numbers, addresses in case you lose your phone or it dies.
-Spare phone battery. 
-Spare car key
-Gatorade Powder, chews or other electrolyte supplement. A recipe for a cheap one made from things in your kitchen can be found here.

Optional:

-Spare change of clothing or at least undies and socks.

For ladies:

 -Feminine products- You never know who will need them. Maybe I should have put this under the general section, as these are now the newest thing in manly survival.
- Extra hairpins

For gentlemen:

-Extra canteen cork
-Extra clothing patches
-Spare gun cleaning equipment

All Packed Away

For a long time, I kept my emergency items in a decent sized poke sack but a small box can be used with good results and locked up. Also, some of these items can be kept on your person if you think it would be helpful, such as tissues or lip balm.

Any reenactors have some advice for new recruits? Also, if you know any new reenactors, please forward this post!

Secret Life of Bloggers Blog Party: Post 17

This week had beautiful weather and I was lucky enough to get to enjoy a lot of it. I had time to take lots of photos since the weather was cooperating. I hope everyone is spending a lot of time outdoors. 


5-2-2014

5-3-2014

Andy and I took his new car out for the first time and saw this awesome rainbow!

5-4-2014

Some of the millions of Pineapple Upside Down Cakes that I helped make.

5-5-2014

Still one more baby yet to be born.

5-6-2014

Tadpoles swimming in all of the newly formed ponds thanks to last week's rainstorms.

5-7-2014 

The trees are raining flower petals.


5-8-2014

Helped out at the Art4MS Art show. This takes two photos so you can see what was going on a few minutes before the event began.

5-9-2014

The pigs are getting big but are still running around with their ears flapping in the wind.

5-10-14

Bizarre bubbles in my dish water today.

The Mysteries of Pineapple Upside Down Cake and Recipe

I made a million Pineapple Upside Down Cakes at work today. Okay, maybe it wasn't a million, but it certainly felt like a million. During baking I realized that I really had very little experience with the cake. I don't think I ever had it before and I hadn't ever seen anyone make it.

I asked one of the other girls in the bakery how old they thought the recipe was.

"It's old, old because I mother made it since before i can remember and my grandma made it too."

It was really a curious cake as the concept of baking something and flipping it out once it was finished is a very old concept, as is putting fruit in such confectioneries. Another girl mentioned that she would guess it originated around WWII because of the canned goods. I agreed and thought it might even be earlier than that. Probably around WWI as I had read a lot of recipes that included canned pineapple around that time period.  After a lot of conjecture we (read: my coworker) decided that I should "Go home and google it. You're giving me a headache. You ask too many questions."

So I asked her what they did before google, but I digress.

It turns out that there are many recipes for cakes baked and flipped upside down, as you would do with any cake or pudding baked in a mold. Elizabeth Smith Miller includes a recipe for a similarly baked "Orange Cake" with fruit icing in her 1875 book, In the Kitchen. 

By the 1890s, there were many recipes for apple cakes that were served flipped upside down but many of these had the fruit toppings added after the cake had been flipped out of the pan, and therefore not exactly the same as a modern upside down cake.

Upside down cakes in their modern form seem to have become very popular in the 1920s. In 1925, The Hawaiian Pineapple Company (now Dole) held a recipe contest to help popularize their pineapple. 2,500 people entered recipes for pineapple upside down cakes. This indicates that it was already a popular dish or at least similar enough to dishes already made that numerous cooks made the connection. So, Pineapple Upside Down Cake became immensely popular all at once and historians have yet to find the missing link.


Here's a post WWII recipe for Pinapple Upside Down Cake which is almost identical to the recipe we were using. 

It's surprisingly tasty for being so simple. I am thinking of trying to make one that has pineapple and walnut flavored cake with  the pineapple and cherries on top. 

Sources:

Miller, Elizabeth Smith. In the kitchen ... Boston: Lee and Shepard;, 1875.

Olver, Lynn. "The Food Timeline: cake history notes." The Food Timeline: cake history notes. http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodcakes.html#pineapple (accessed May 5, 2014).

Schlosser, Georgia. Recipes for quantity service. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 1953.

Secret Life of Bloggers Blog Party: Post 16

What a crazy week. Hot, cold, torrential rains. Those of you not living here, might think we've become very picky about our weather. It's not true. We have had the most bizarre weather this year. This week had a little bit of everything, except snow. But we have had enough of that for a lifetime.

4-25-14

4-26-14

4-27-14

It was so nice out, I had to find a little patch of grass and eat my lunch outside. Being inside all day drives me nuts. I love the outdoors.


4-28-14

The newest baby lamb at work takes a nap with its mum. The mother wasn't doing too well after the birth but seems to have recovered. I hear there is one more little baby on the way.


4-29-14

4-30-14

Went to visit Jodi at curiousacorn.blogspot.com but met with this newly formed river crossing the road.

5-1-14 

At some point soon, I'm hoping to attempt sourdough breads using this nice starter that Jodi gave me.

5-2-14

Dried veggies from last year.

Hopefully everyone kept out of the rain and wind.

Secret Life of Bloggers Blog Party: Super Huge Post

“Speak little, do much.”  

- Poor Richard's Almanack

Please forgive me for such a huge post. This past month was hectic. I was still taking daily photos but found myself with very little time because I was, as Ben Franklin says, "doing much."

Spring is finally here! Don't waste it. Enjoy the new life.


3-29-14

I can't wait for ducklings to start swimming around.

3-30-14

3-31-14

Went for a walk with a coworker after work to a neat old abandoned house in the woods.

4-1-14

Lots of rain at work created quagmire where a small stream normally is.

4-2-14

Cakes, cakes and more cakes. Cakes and animals might be a theme in this post.

4-3-14

4-4-14

Taking a class on digital media marketing.

4-5-14

4-6-14

I went to Neshaminy today but was more excited to see that the Philadelphia Zoo Balloon got fixed after it was damaged this winter. I've never been up in it. It's never been flying when I've been there. 


4-7-14

Pre-making icing flowers for the spring cakes. 


4-8-14

My sister made me make her a Doctor Who cake for her birthday. Then didn't let anyone eat it. 

4-9-14

Caught a shooting star while trying to shoot photos of Mars while it was very bright.

4-10-14

I like funny labels. :)

4-11-14

Mars is the bright spot behind the branches of the center tree.

4-12-14

Was second shooter at the wedding of a very fun couple. 

4-13-14

Decorated cakes and cookies for Easter.

4-14-14

The 3 little pigs who aren't so little anymore. When pigs are born, they are the size of a soda can.

4-15-14

Bread baking. 

4-16-14

Saw Andy's kitty for the first time in about a year. The kitty still loves me.

4-17-14

Andy was in a bad car accident. He is okay but unable to do a lot due to soreness and head pain. We spent the day tracking his car down and filling out paperwork.

4-18-14

4-19-14

 A feral kitten showed up at work very scarred. One of the guys tried to see if it could be socialized but it is probably too old.

4-20-14

Went for a walk then edited wedding photos.


4-21-14

4-22-14

New lamb at work, born on Saturday. It's so cute we follow it around and "Awwww" every time it bahs. We have 3 new baby pigs and a calf on the way.

4-23-14

Storm clouds coming.

4-24-14

Harvest so far.


This post way way too long! but at least I posted it on a Friday. :) I'm hoping everything is well with everyone and that you are making the best of spring.