Kristin Holt's Blog, page 6

Common Details of Western Historical Romance that are Historically INCORRECT, Part 2

Etiquette and all that is deemed "good manners" morphs over time. Behavior that our nineteenth-century ancestors would find appropriate has largely disappeared, and today's idea of a man's best actions with his hat would appall our great-granddaddies. Specifically speaking, "Common Details of Western Historical Romance that are Historically Incorrect, Part 2" entails nineteenth century hat etiquette--specifically men in the company of women--and contains more vintage citations than my earlier post titled Hat Etiquette of the Victorian Era.

National Peanut Butter Day – January 24

Today, January 24th, is the United States' National Peanut Butter Day. On March 1st, calendars declare the day National Peanut Butter Lover's Day.

Who first invented peanut butter? Doctors worried about elderly patients' nutrition, right? Sometime in the nineteenth century?

Uh, no. Not exactly.

But peanut butter--an "All American" spread--was enjoyed by our Victorian-American ancestors. Read vintage articles instructing knowledgeable housewives of the many dietary uses of the peanut, vintage recipes instructing the proper making of "peanut paste", the inclusion of pulverized peanut (paste, flour, finely chopped), and ultimately, advertised brands to buy at their grocers' markets.

March 1 – National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day

Today, January 24th, is the United States' National Peanut Butter Day. On March 1st, calendars declare the day National Peanut Butter Lover's Day.

Who first invented peanut butter? Doctors worried about elderly patients' nutrition, right? Sometime in the nineteenth century?

Uh, no. Not exactly.

But peanut butter--an "All American" spread--was enjoyed by our Victorian-American ancestors. Read vintage articles instructing knowledgeable housewives of the many dietary uses of the peanut, vintage recipes instructing the proper making of "peanut paste", the inclusion of pulverized peanut (paste, flour, finely chopped), and ultimately, advertised brands to buy at their grocers' markets.

Victorian Homemakers Present Tapioca Pudding

Victorian Americans favored many different kinds of puddings for desserts, during all seasons of the year. One type was tapioca--which hasn't changed much in the intervening hundred-plus years. See many similar recipes in vintage era cook books and newspapers; plain, apple, peach, (and early in the 20th century, caramel).

Victorian Coffee

We know coffee was an every-day commodity in the Victorian American West, but how much do you know about its availability, preparation methods, the era's tried-and-true substitutions, and where it was purchased? Come see!

A Victorian-American Thanksgiving Day, 1897

A newspaper article published on November 25, 1897 (El Dorado, KS, syndicated from NY Tribune) sheds historical light on what Thanksgiving Day was to the late Victorians in the United States. Includes: origins, thanksgiving souvenirs, thanksgiving entertainments, and thanksgiving decorations... a glimpse into Thanksgiving in 1897.

The (Victorian) Moral of the Story…

At the outset of Unmistakably Yours, Hank Murphy, proprietor of a fine new grocery emporium, is desperate to ensure adequate supplies to see his community through winter have arrived safely in Mountain Home. Much like Aesop's fables about ants and grasshoppers, the American-Victorian era is ripe with moral-rich stories urging hard work during the summer to secure safety and comfort in the winter. This vintage newspaper article from 1880 showcases an example of the era's "stories with a moral".

Victorian America’s Thanksgiving Recipes

How did our Victorian-American ancestors select a turkey? How did they roast it (without a Reynold's Oven Bag)? Were their Thanksgiving Dinner side dishes as complicated as restaurant menus made them appear?

How to Carve a Thanksgiving Turkey, 1889

This newspaper article, published in Vermont Journal of Windsor, Vermont, on November 30, 1889, instructs our Victorian ancestors (in the United States) how to properly carve a turkey. Picture the Thanksgiving table laden with fancy dishes, and the head of the household carving the bird from his place of honor at the head of the table.

Meet the Cast: Unmistakably Yours

Do you enjoy drawing mental pictures of characters in books, as you read? As an author, I find the strategy of photographs (both modern and historical) as an inspiration for my characters a helpful thing. Would you like to see who stood in for my heroes and heroines? (Unmistakably Yours has TWO romances!) How about the supporting cast?