Sandra Merville Hart's Blog, page 98

Land of My Dreams by Norma Gail

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The author drew me into this contemporary romance right away.

To escape from painful losses, college professor Bonnie Bryant accepts a position to teach in Scotland. She meets Professor Kieran MacDonnell, a grieving widower and sheep farmer. She soon falls in love with him.

Though Kieran loves Bonnie, he feels guilty for loving her. He still grieves his wife’s passing.

To make matters worse, Bonnie’s former boyfriend keeps trying to contact her. He wants to make amends.

There are plenty of obstacles in Bonnie and Kieran’s way. Just when I thought I knew what would happen next, a twist came. There are many unexpected twists and turns in this novel that kept me guessing until the end.

I also fell in love with a land I’ve never seen—Scotland. The author’s descriptions brought the beautiful land alive in my imagination. I’d love to visit there someday.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas     Use coupon code SandraMHart for a 20% discount on Lighthouse Publishing books!

Filed under: Review Tagged: Book Review, Contemporary romance, Norma Gail, Sandra Merville Hart

Crust Coffee Recipe

[image error]Not a drop of coffee in this recipe for Crust Coffee!It was found in an 1877 cookbook under “Food for the Sick.”

The ingredients make this an easy recipe for cooks and nurses to give to patients. It was probably given to wounded soldiers during Civil War.

The first ingredient is toasted bread, which was heartier 150 years ago than white bread readily available on grocery store shelves. I made a loaf of white bread in my bread machine and baked it in the oven. This gave me bread slices with denser consistency.

[image error]I toasted sliced bread “very brown” under the oven broiler. It felt more authentic than sliding them into a toaster.

I boiled water and poured a couple of tablespoons of it on the toasted bread. (Sounds very unappetizing—I agree. That’s one reason a denser bread is necessary.) Drain the excess.

Stir 1 teaspoon of sugar into 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. Pour the mixture over the bread.

Sprinkle on some nutmeg and enjoy.

It was actually pretty tasty.

I had followed a historical recipe for Baked Milk.  I wanted to try Crust Coffee with baked milk.

I made the Crust Coffee again, exchanging heavy cream for baked milk. Not bad. I liked the familiar flavor of heavy cream better, but the other is also good.

I’ve often given my daughter toast when she was ill. I can definitely understand why this was given to convalescing patients. It seems like a treat with the sugar and nutmeg.

I’d love to hear from you if you try this dish. Enjoy!

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

Compiled from Original Recipes. Buckeye Cookery and Practical Housekeeping, Applewood Books, 1877.

 

Filed under: Historical Nibbles Tagged: Baked Milk, Baked Milk recipe, Civil War, Civil War cooking, Civil War food, Crust Coffee, Crust Coffee recipe, historical cooking, historical cooking for patients, historical meals for patients, Historical Nibbles, Sandra Merville Hart

World War II Correspondents

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Today’s post is written by fellow historical author, Linda Shenton Matchett. I’m especially excited to read her novel after reading the historical background. Thanks for sharing, Linda!

WWII changed the world, changed America, and changed every person who lived during that time. Cultural and social mores were turned upside down as men went into combat and women filled the void their absences left, taking on roles few had experienced until then.

Most of us have heard of Rosie the Riveter, the USO clubmobiles, and the Red Cross facilities, but were you aware that women were also war correspondents? Even after Nellie Bly’s illustrious history as an investigative journalist, most newspapers relegated their female staff to covering society events and columns aimed at the “fairer sex” such as cooking, sewing, and homemaking.

Then Germany invaded Poland and women demanded an opportunity to cover the war. In order to do that they had to receive accreditation. Once obtained, accreditation served as a contract. The Army or Navy would transport the individual into the war zone, provide shelter and food, and send their dispatches back to the U.S. In return, reporters would follow military law and censorship. The process to get certified was lengthy, and as Life photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White said, “By the time you are accredited, you have no secrets from the War Department and neither do your ancestors.”

Of the 1,600 journalists who received the status to wear the coveted armband with a “C,” only 127 were women. The military refused to take these ladies into combat, but a few still managed to experience it. Sometimes the front shifted. Sometimes female reporters managed to get permission to enter the war zone. Sometimes they defied the rules and went to the front by hook or by crook. Successful in the face of opposition, these women fought red tape, condescension, hostility, and vulgarity to research, write, and submit their stories, paving the way for future generations of female journalists.

-Linda Shenton Matchett

 

[image error]Bio: Linda Shenton Matchett is a journalist, blogger, and author. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry, Linda has lived in historical places most of her life. She is a volunteer docent at the Wright Museum of WWII and as a Trustee for the Wolfeboro Public Library. Active in her church, Linda serves as treasurer, usher, choir member, and Bible study leader.

 

[image error]Under Fire Blurb: Journalist Ruth Brown’s sister Jane is pronounced dead after a boating accident in April 1942. Because Jane’s body is missing, Ruth is convinced her sister is still alive. During her investigation, Ruth becomes suspicious about Jane’s job. Eventually Ruth follows clues to war-torn London. By the time she uncovers the truth about Jane’s disappearance, she has stumbled on black marketers, resistance fighters and the IRA—all of whom may want her dead. Available from www.electiopublishing.com or your local bookstore.

 

Filed under: From Our Past Tagged: historical novel, Linda Shenton Matchett, Sandra Merville Hart, women in World War II, World War II, World War II correspondents, WWII

Designing a Business Plan by Rebecca Waters

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This book was written specifically to help writers develop a business plan.

The author spends a whole chapter addressing identifying strength and weaknesses and another on establishing goals and objectives.

Find out how to set SMART goals. This is helpful for new and experienced writers to learn and put into practice.

A chapter on crafting your mission statement also helps writers hone in on their brand.

Read the chapter on Budgeting Your Time and Money to discover the secret to a productive life. In fact, the book is filled with inspirational gems throughout.

The former college professor gives assignments designed to help writers practice what they’ve just learned. You will know how to create a business plan by the end of the book.

Insightful book written for authors. Recommend!

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

 

Filed under: Review Tagged: Book Review, Rebecca Waters, Sandra Merville Hart, Writing help book

Baked Milk

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“Weak persons” can drink baked milk, according to a recipe in an 1877 cookbook under “Food for the Sick.”

Nurses probably gave this beverage to wounded soldiers during Civil War. As a historical novelist, I love to add authentic details like this when a story requires it.

Since this was totally new to me, the brief recipe instructions left me wondering. I did an Internet search. According to Wikipedia, room temperature storage for baked milk is safe up to 40 hours.

[image error]The 1877 recipe called for baking 2 quart jars of milk for 8 to 10 hours. I used 2 pint jars. Early cooks tied writing paper over the mouth of the jars.

I experimented. One Mason pint jar opening was covered with copier paper fastened by a rubber band. I closed the other with a Mason jar lid.

To allow room for the milk to boil, I added only 1 ½ cups of milk to each jar. These were placed inside a dish with about 2 inches of cold water.

[image error]I placed this inside the oven and then turned it on, setting the temperature to 350 degrees.

The liquid slowly reduced. A layer of brown grew around the rim. After 4 hours, a burning smell alerted me. They were removed from the oven.

[image error]Milk in the lidded jar had burned and tasted burned. I removed a layer of brown crust in the papered jar—missing from the lidded jar—and tasted the now beige liquid. Not bad, but it wasn’t “thick as cream” as the recipe suggested.

I tried again. I used the same amount of milk—12 ounces—and used another paper covering. This time I tied it on with string. (Not surprisingly, the rubber band melted on the first one. It was quicker to put on, but not the best idea.)

[image error]I cooked it for 8 hours in a 350-degree oven. It was baked inside a dish half-filled with water. As the water level receded, it was slowly refilled with water almost boiling hot.

Turn off oven after 8 hours. Allow the jar to cool.

The milk reduced to about half in that time, with the same brown rings and layer as previously. The tan liquid wasn’t as thick as expected, but tasted surprisingly good. I’m not a fan of white milk, but I liked it prepared this way.

[image error]It’s been sitting on my kitchen counter for 40 hours and still looks good. I refrigerated the beverage and liked it even better.

Milk was baked for weak persons. Convalescing patients. I’m not a health professional, but that suggests that baked milk is easier to digest.

[image error]I’d love to hear from you if you try this dish. Enjoy!

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

“Baked Milk,” Wikipedia, 2017/05/09 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baked_milk.

Compiled from Original Recipes. Buckeye Cookery and Practical Housekeeping, Applewood Books, 1877.

 

 

Filed under: Historical Nibbles Tagged: American Civil War, Baked Milk, Baked Milk recipe, Civil War, Civil War food, Early American Cookery, historical cooking, historical cooking for patients, Historical Nibbles, Sandra Merville Hart

Blog Tour Continues with a Personal Interview

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This week I am a guest on the blog of Nan Jones. She is a fellow author and we share the same publisher–Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas.

Nan is also a pastor’s wife. She asked me to share an experience where answers were hard to find … when my mother’s Alzheimer’s took a dark turn. Read about here.

 

Filed under: On Another Blog Tagged: Alzheimers, Nan Jones, Sandra Merville Hart

Civil War Camp Letterman: Caring for Gettyburg’s Wounded

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Railroad cut, Gettysburg battle, July 1, 1863

Medical Director Jonathan Letterman shipped tents, supplies, and provisions to Adams County—where Gettysburg resides—on the evening of July 1, 1863, the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg. He ordered that a general hospital be established there on July 5th. Confederate and Union wounded would be provided transportation to the hospital for treatment.

The army erected tents on George Wolf’s farm on York pike approximately one and a half miles east of Gettysburg. Railroad tracks adjacent to the property made it easy to deliver supplies and transport patients to Washington, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.

Surgeons, nurses, supply clerks, quartermasters, and cooks staffed the general hospital, known as Camp Letterman, when it was ready in mid-July. Infantry guarded Confederate patients and supplies.

Almost forty folding cots each with mattresses and linens fit in rows of tents. Camp Letterman held five hundred white tents with only ground as the floor. Trains brought supplies to warehouse tents set up near the railroad. A large cookhouse in the middle of camp gave cooks a place to prepare nutritious meals such as soup and bread.

Wounded from both sides arrived at camp in ambulances where they were assigned beds. The hospital camp was filled by late July. It housed over 1,600 wounded soldiers. Hundreds more continued to receive medical care in temporary hospitals in Gettysburg.

A morgue and cemetery near camp were established by the army. An army chaplain gave them a Christian burial.

Yet most of Camp Letterman’s patients survived. Surgeons worked around the clock while treating the seriously wounded. When patients recovered enough to travel to city hospitals, Sanitary Commission workers assisted the army in transporting them to the railroad depot. They waited a long time for the single Gettysburg railroad line.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

Sheldon, George. When the Smoke Cleared at Gettysburg: The Tragic Aftermath of the Bloodiest Battle of the Civil War, Cumberland House, 2003.

 

Filed under: From Our Past Tagged: American Civil War, American history, Battle of Gettysburg, Camp Letterman, Camp Letterman at Gettysburg, Civil War, Civil War hospital, Gettysburg, Sandra Merville Hart

Blog Tour Stop – Lena Nelson Dooley’s Blog

 

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I am so happy to be a guest on Lena Nelson Dooley’s award-winning blog today. Find out more about me and my newly-released Civil War novel, set during the Battle of Gettysburg, in her interview.

For a limited time, leave a comment on her blog  for a chance to win a book!

Filed under: On Another Blog Tagged: author interview, Lena Nelson Dooley, Sandra Merville Hart

Gettysburg Remembers President Lincoln by Linda Giberson Black

The full title of this book is Gettysburg Remembers President Lincoln: Eyewitness Accounts of November 1863.

This nonfiction book shows what the citizens of Gettysburg did to bring about a national cemetery in the town in the aftermath of the horrific battle. David Wills, a Gettysburg attorney, was instrumental in planning the cemetery.

The ceremony to dedicate the cemetery took place in November of 1863. President Lincoln delivered his famous “Gettysburg Address” but was not the event’s main speaker. This book shows the fascinating details of the whole day and Lincoln’s hours in the town.

Great book for anyone interested in learning the background of the Gettysburg Address and history lovers.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

Filed under: Review Tagged: Book Review, Civil War history, Gettysburg Address, Sandra Merville Hart

Buttermilk Stew

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A recipe in an 1877 cookbook for Buttermilk Stew was included in a section titled “Food for the Sick.”

Research involves a lot of reading for historical novelists, but I don’t remember reading about this type of stew. Civil War nurses and cooks likely fed it to wounded soldiers. I love learning about our history. It’s fun to add authentic details like this when a story requires it.

[image error]Boil one pint of buttermilk over a medium high heat. I allowed it to boil less than a minute before removing from the heat. The consistency of the milk completely changed. The thick, creamy liquid thinned to a grainy consistency of water.

A “small lump of butter” called for in the original recipe became a tablespoon of butter to this modern cook.

When that melted, I added 2 tablespoons of sugar—a complete guess as the recipe said to “sweeten to taste.” I added more because adding ginger was an option. Ginger has such a strong flavor.

[image error]I added ¼ teaspoon ground ginger. Cooks may substitute honey for sugar.

The consistency remained like water as it cooled. It had a very strange flavor. It tasted like buttermilk though different. The sugar overpowered the ginger, so I’d suggest decreasing it to only a tablespoon. Ginger is optional.

After only a couple of sips, I pushed it aside. It wasn’t terrible. I can understand that thinning out the buttermilk made it easier for ailing patients to digest.

Good luck! I’d love to hear if you try this recipe.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

Compiled from Original Recipes. Buckeye Cookery and Practical Housekeeping, Applewood Books, 1877.

Filed under: Historical Nibbles Tagged: American Civil War, American history, buttermilk recipe, Buttermilk Stew, Civil War, historical cooking, historical cooking for patients, historical meals for patients, Historical Nibbles, Sandra Merville Hart