#the english huswife

[quotesfrommyreading]

Whatever trades or occupations women's aspirations or needs led them to, there remained also the many domestic roles that women were expected to perform. And in an age when doctors were expensive, this included proficiency in preparing medicines for their families. Indeed, this was the first virtue of 'a complete woman', considered the writer Gervaise Markham in his 1615 tract on […] The English Housewife. He provided recipes for treating a wide range of disorders, from excessive sweating to headaches and the alarmingly named 'frenzy'.

The English housewife was, contemporaries considered, almost a doctor in her own home. Were one of her household struck down with a fever, she should take spoonfuls of rosewater, aquavite (an alcoholic spirit), running water, vinegar and the fascinatingly named dragon water, as well as half a spoonful of mithridate – a semi-mythical remedy that would be rather hard for the average Tudor woman to obtain – and beat them all together before offering it to the afflicted person. If a family member were to be troubled with a sore, she could make a poultice from elder leaves soaked in milk, and then strained, before boiling the concotion until it was thick.

For the dreaded 'frenzy' or inflammation of the brain, beetroot juice should be squirted up the nose in order to 'purge and clean [the] head exceedingly'. Ale could then be drunk, to which boiled violet leaves and lettuce were added to 'suddenly bring [the patient] to a very temperate mildness, and make the passion of the frenzy forsake him'.

  —  The Lives of Tudor Women (Elizabeth Norton)

[carpe-mamilia]

It's Pancake Day!

Pancakes are a remarkably versatile foodstuff: French crêpes, Indian dosas, even Ethiopian injera, all fall under the same delightful banner. As Ken Albala, author of a gloriously comprehensive “global history” of the things explains, “any starchy batter … cooked in a small amount of fat on a flat surface” counts. But in Britain, as any schoolchild knows, modern pancakes are descended from those specifically designed to use up fat before the beginning of Lent, which means they tend to be heavier on the eggs and butter than, say, the fluffy American stack, or the squat Russian blini.

Elizabethan pancakes Interestingly, the oldest recipe for pancakes as we know them comes from an English cookery book – the Good Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchen (1594 edition) – but it’s even richer than the modern incarnation: a pint of “thicke Creame”, 5 egg yolks, “a good handful of flower” and 2 or 3 tablespoons of ale, seasoned with copious amounts of sugar, cinnamon and ginger.

Albala assures me that “the result is a horrible mess” with these proportions (“one can only imagine the author was either careless or had gargantuan hands”), but once I’ve added enough flour to make it into a more workable consistency, I manage to create a pancake, of sorts, from the mixture. It’s so meltingly rich it’s all but impossible to flip, which is clearly no good at all: tasty, but more of a chaser to some roasted peacock and a goblet of sack than one for the modern kitchen.

Puritan pancakes The 17th century ushered in more sober tastes – Gervase Markham’s 1615 recipe uses two eggs, a “pretty quantity of faire running water,” cloves, mace, cinnamon and nutmeg, all beaten together, “which done make thicke as you think food with fine wheate flower”. (No one can accuse these old-school food writers of being prescriptive.) Spice aside, they’re pretty dull things; rubbery and heavy. Cream may be taking things too far, but milk is a must.

Perfect pancakes

Makes about 8

125g plain flour Pinch of salt 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk 225ml whole or semi-skimmed milk Small knob of butter 1. Sift the flour in a large mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt. Make a well in the centre, and pour the egg and the yolk into it. Mix the milk with 2 tbsp water and then pour a little in with the egg and beat together. 2. Whisk the flour into the liquid ingredients, drawing it gradually into the middle until you have a smooth paste the consistency of double cream. Whisk the rest of the milk in until the batter is more like single cream. Cover and refrigerate for at least half an hour. 3. Heat the butter in a frying pan on a medium-high heat – you only need enough fat to just grease the bottom of the pan. It should be hot enough that the batter sizzles when it hits it. 4. Spread a small ladleful of batter across the bottom of the pan, quickly swirling to coat. Tip any excess away. When it begins to set, loosen the edges with a thin spatula or palette knife, and when it begins to colour on the bottom, flip it over with the same instrument and cook for another 30 seconds. (If you’re feeling cocky, you can also toss the pancake after loosening it: grasp the handle firmly with both hands, then jerk the pan up and slightly towards you.)

5. Pancakes are best eaten as soon as possible, before they go rubbery, but if you’re cooking for a crowd, keep them separate until you’re ready to serve by layering them up between pieces of kitchen roll.

[nobertsales]

It’s National Sponge Cake Day

One of the trickiest cakes for bakers to master, a perfect sponge stands tall. Another balancing trick for bakers includes maintaining a fine crumb while keeping the cake moist. If you enjoy layering berries and whipped cream, the sponge handles this task beautifully.

 

The sponge cake is thought to have originated in the Caribbean. However, the earliest English printed recipe for #SpongeCake comes from an English poet and author, Gervase Markham. In 1615 he published a sponge cake recipe in the book The English Huswife, Containing the Inward and Outward Virtues Which Ought to Be in a Complete Woman.

🍰 #NationalSpongeCakeDay #FoodOfTheDay #NobertSales @NobertSales #FoodConsultant #FoodService #FoodServiceSolutions #FoodSales #Food #FoodDude #WeKnowFood

[astraedax]

Historic Cooking

Nasaump

Nasaump is a traditional Wampanoag dish that is made from dried corn, local berries, and nuts. It is boiled in water until it thickens, and is similar to a porridge or oatmeal. 1 1/2 cups grits or cornmeal* 1 cup strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or a combination of all three 1/2 crushed walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds or a combination of all three 1 quart water Maple syrup or sugar to taste (optional) Combine cornmeal, berries, crushed nuts, and the optional sweetener in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes-20 mins (*cornmeal will cook faster than grits).

Samp

This recipe is the English version of Nasaump. The word samp is a simplified English version of the word nasaump.

This description comes from the 1600s book "Two Voyages to New England", by John Josselyn:

It is light of digestion, and the English make a kind of Loblolly of it to eat with Milk, which they call Sampe; they beat it in a Morter, and sift the flower out of it; the remainder they call Hominey, which they put into a Pot of two or three Gallons, with Water, and boyl it upon a gentle Fire till it be like a Hasty Puden; they put of this into Milk, and so eat it.

Modern Version

2 cups coarse corn grits 4 cups water 1 cup milk ¼ cup sugar

Bring water to a boil in large saucepan with a heavy bottom. Add the corn grits and stir. Simmer until they are soft, about 10 minutes, and the water has been absorbed. Serve with milk and sugar.

Curd Fritters

Curds are a soft cheese like cottage cheese or ricotta. These fritters are a lot like thin pancakes or crepes. This recipe is from the 1594 cookbook "The Good Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchin" (pp. 47-48):

Take the yolks of ten Egs, and breake them in a pan, and put to them one handful Curdes and one handful of fine flower, and sttraine them all together, and make a batter, and if it be not thicke ynough, put more Curdes in it, and salt to it. Then set it on the fyre in a frying pan, with such stuffe as ye will frie them with, and when it is hot, with a ladle take part of your batter, and put of it into the panne, and let it run as smal as you can, and stir then with a sticke, and turne them with a scummer, and when they be fair and yellow fryed, take them out, and cast Sugar upon them, and serve them foorth.

Modern Version

5 eggs curds (ricotta, cottage or other soft cheese) wheat or corn flour salt cooking oil or butter sugar

Make a thin batter with the eggs and equal amounts of curds and flour. Season with salt. Heat a small amount of cooking oil in your frying pan. When the oil is hot, pour in the batter and tip the pan to make the batter spread very thin (that’s what “let it run as small as you can” in the recipe means). They should be like crepes. When brown on one side, use your knife to flip them over or slide them onto a plate and flip them over into the pan. Add more oil to the pan when needed. Serve with sugar sprinkled on the top if you wish.

Turkey Sobaheg

Sobaheg is the Wampanoag word for stew. Like most stews, this dish is easily adapted to seasonal ingredients. The ground nuts help to thicken the sobaheg. Variations of this dish are still made in Wampanoag country today.

1/2 pound dry beans (white, red, brown or spotted kidney-shaped beans) 1/2 pound white hominy corn or yellow samp or coarse grits 1 pound turkey meat (legs or breast, with bone and skin) 3 quarts cold water 1/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch-lengths 1/2 pound winter squash, trimmed and cubed 1/2 cup raw sunflower seed meats, pounded to a course flour (or pounded walnuts) Dried onion and/or garlic to taste Clam juice or salt to taste (optional)

Combine dried beans, corn, turkey, seasonings and water in a large pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, turn down to a very low simmer, and cook for about 2 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally to be certain bottom is not sticking. When dried beans are tender, but not mushy, break up turkey meat, removing skin and bones. Add green beans and squash, and simmer very gently until they are tender.

Add sunflower or nut flour, stirring until thoroughly blended.

Boiled Bread

Boiled bread is a small patty made mostly of cornmeal with crushed nuts and berries added in. It is dropped in a pot of boiling water and when done, rises to the top. 1 quart slightly boiled water 1/2 cup cornmeal 1/2 cup corn flour 1/2 cup dried cranberries, blueberries, and/or currants 1/2 cup crushed nuts or seeds (walnuts, hazelnuts or sunflower seeds) Maple syrup or sugar to taste (optional) Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix thoroughly. After mixing, slowly add a spoonful at a time of slightly boiled water. When the mix is thick enough to be sticky, shape round patties (about 3 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick). Return water to slight rolling boil and drop in 1 or 2 patties, carefully making sure they do not stick to the bottom. Remove breads when they begin to float.

Stewed Pompion

This is a delicious recipe for pumpkin, known as "pompions" to English people in the 17th century, as were all squash. It is one of the earliest written recipes from New England, from a book written by John Josselyn, a traveler to New England in the 1600's. (John Josselyn, "Two Voyages to New England").

John Josselyn called this recipe a “standing dish” suggesting that this sort of pumpkin dish was eaten everyday or even at every meal. He called it “ancient” because English housewives had cooked this recipe in New England for a long time.

The Ancient New England standing dish. But the Housewives manner is to slice them when ripe, and cut them into dice, and so fill a pot with them of two or three Gallons, and stew them upon a gentle fire a whole day, and as they sink, they fill again with fresh Pompions, not putting any liquor to them; and when it is stew'd enough, it will look like bak'd Apples; this they Dish, putting Butter to it, and a little Vinegar, (with some Spice, as Ginger) which makes it tart like an Apple, and so serve it up to be eaten with Fish or Flesh: It provokes Urine extreamly and is very windy.

Modern Version

4 cups of cooked (boiled, steamed or baked) squash, roughly mashed 3 tablespoons butter 2 to 3 teaspoons cider vinegar 1 or 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt

In a saucepan over medium heat, stir and heat all the ingredients together. Adjust seasonings to taste, and serve hot.

[dwellordream]

“The ideological redefinition of the home as a sphere of consumption rather than production, and of the husband and housewife as getter and keeper respectively, clearly did not correspond to the lived reality of every English housewife; most women continued to work productively, both within and outside the home, throughout the early modern period. Housework did not simply disappear with the rise of capitalism; rather, it was devalued in ways and for reasons that I shall discuss in the following chapter. Nevertheless, it is important to stress that both the material form and cultural function of housework were profoundly transformed with the development of the commodity form. 

This process of transformation, and the contradictions to which it gave rise, may be glimpsed in Gervase Markham's The English Huswife (1615), which seeks to offer a comprehensive account of the material practices of huswifery. Markham's treatise is of interest in that, unlike the treatises discussed in the previous section, it is more concerned with the housewife's practical than with her theoretical role. Addressed to the "gentle and general reader," it is designed to instruct wives of the country gentry, yeomanry, and perhaps of agricultural wage-earners, in all "the inward and outward vertues which ought to be in a compleate Woman: as her Physicke, Cookery, Banquetingstuffe, Distillation, Perfumes, Wooll, Hemp, Flax, Dairies, Brewing, Baking, and all other things belonging to an Houshold." 

Its focus, it would seem, is thus on production, rather than consumption. Yet the first chapter of Markham's treatise, which aims to describe the housewife's character or subjectivity ("the inward and outward vertues which ought to be in a compleate Woman"), introduces the term "consumption," if only as something to be shunned. The housewife's corpus of domestic skills is organized around the chief virtue of temperance, which is defined first "inwardly," covering "her behaviour and cariage towards her Husband," and then "outwardly," charting "her apparrell and dyet" (3). The inwardly temperate wife, we are told, is able to govern her own temper, shunning "all violence of rage, passion and humour" and "appearing ... pleasant, amiable and delightfull" to her husband, even in the face of his own "misgovernment" (3). 

If his bad behavior induces her "to contrarie thoughts," she is instructed "vertuously to suppresse them" (3). Opposed to this image of contained choler is the figure of the intemperate wife or shrew, who gives in to the temptation to express her violent, "contrarie" thoughts in words. The shrew's "evill and uncomely language," Markham warns, is "deformed though uttered even to servants, but most monstrous and ugly when it appeares before the presence of a husband" (3). The housewife's inward temperance would thus appear to be primarily a matter of outward show. If the good housewife's inward temperance concerns what comes out of her mouth, her outward temperance centers on what goes into it—on what and how she consumes. 

She is instructed to "proportion" her "apparrell and dyet ... according to the competency of her husbands estate and calling, making her circle rather straight then large, for it is a rule if we extend to the uttermost we take awaie increase, if we goe a hayre breadth beyond we enter into consumption" (3). The intemperate housewife's "consumption" is here implicitly linked, through the figure of the enlarged circle, at once to the shrew's big mouth, to the wantonness or "want" of female sexuality ("circle" being a cant term for the female genitals), and to the threat of an unbridled, unproductive expenditure that is cast at once in sexual and economic terms. Her domestic "circle" likewise evokes her role as keeper; it functions as a container or vessel which saves, preserves, and nourishes whatever her husband puts into it. 

The prodigal wife who spends beyond her husband's means, whose "circle" is enlarged beyond the scope of his "competency," usurps his position as phallic extender/expender within the gendered economy of the household. Female "consumption," like female sexual incontinence, threatens the integrity of the home. The intemperate wife's "lavish prodigality" is excoriated as "brutish," and her "miserable covetousnes" as "hellish" (3). Markham casts the shrew's appetite for strange and rare commodities as an insatiable, denaturing craving that threatens to spoil her "natural" inclination for familiar and familial, home-grown goods. 

To counter this craving, Markham exhorts the housewife to dress "altogether without toiish garnishes" and "farre from the vanity of new and fantastique fashions" and to temper her appetite for costly, edible "garnishes" (3): let her dyet... be rather to satisfie nature than our affections, and apter to kill hunger than revive new appetites, let it proceede more from the provision of her owne yarde, then the furniture of the markets; and let it be rather esteemed for the familiar acquaintance shee hath with it, then for the strangenesse and raritie it bringeth from other Countries (4) Markham exhorts the housewife to make do with the "provision of her own yard," to feed only wholesome, natural appetites that are produced by, and therefore satiable within, the domestic economy of the household. 

The market commodity is figured as that which introduces, lack into domestic economy; its consumption produces not satiety, but only renewed want— making a famine where abundance lies. Markham's ideal, domestic economy is portrayed as a closed circle that knows no lack because its bounds extend no farther than what is produced within the home; the "strangenesse and raritie" of market goods, and especially those brought "from other Countries," open the housewife's circle, inciting "new appetites" that extend beyond the bounds of the domestic sphere and her husband's sexual and economic "competency." This portrait of a totally self-sufficient household economy is curiously contradicted, however, by the practical advice Markham gives in his own manual.

In the chapter on weaving, for example, we find that the housewife's skill is put to use not as a producer, but rather as a consumer of goods: Now as touching the warping of cloth, which is both the skill and action of the Weaver, yet must not our English Housewife be ignorant therein, but though the doing of the thing be not proper unto her, yet what is done must not be beyond her knowledge, both to bridle the falshood of unconscionable workemen, and for her owne satisfaction when shee is rid of the doubt of anothers evill doing. (89-90) During this period, in which household production was gradually being replaced by nascent capitalist industry, it was becoming more economical for the housewife to purchase what she had once produced. 

By the early seventeenth century, textile production had begun to shift outside the home, becoming the province of dyers, weavers, fullers, and shearmen. This shift away from home-industry transformed the domestic know-how imparted by manuals such as Markham's into advice that the housewife would thenceforth take with her to the marketplace: "Now after your cloth is thus warped and delivered up into the hands of the Weaver," Markham instructs, the Hus-wife hath finisht her labour: for in the weaving, walking, and dressing thereof shee can challenge no propertie more then to intreate them severallie to discharge their duties with a good conscience; that is to say that the Weaver weave it close, strong and true, that the Walker or Fuller Mill it carefullie,... and that the Clothworker or Shereman burle and dresse it sufficientlie, whereby the cloth may weare rough, nor two low least it appeare thrid bare ere it come out of the hands of the Tailor. (90)

Notwithstanding Markham's agoraphobic injunction to abjure the "furniture of the markets," his treatise clearly caters not only to the gentry's growing dependence on nascent capitalist industry, but its appetite for "strangenesse and raritie" as well. This appetite is apparent in Markham's chapter on cookery, which displays a marked preference for small, delicate, and costly dishes. Almost all of the recipes he records require exotic, imported spices and seasonings. Indeed, the ingredients of some of the dishes seem almost to have been chosen for their expense and rarity alone, such as the "strange Sallats," which, Markham instructs, "are both good and daintie" and serve to satisfy the "curiositie," and for "the finer adorning of the table" (42).58 Other sallats are described as "for shewe only" (42), and are designed not to "satisfie nature" or "kill hunger," but rather to satiate the "new appetites" for rarities he had earlier warned the housewife to shun; such dishes, we are told, are "of great request and estimation in Frounce, Spaine, and Italy, and the most curious Nations" (43). 

The early modern break with medieval cookery was itself linked to the growing commercial economy and expansion of trade. With the shift from sheer quantitative display at the medieval banqueting table to the qualitative refinement of "conceited" dishes, Stephen Mennell argues, "knowledgeability and a sense of delicacy in matters of food" had come to function as markers of elite status. It was precisely this new emphasis on styles of cooking and serving that created a demand for domestic manuals such as Markham's. Created to furnish the demand for such delicacies, The English Huswife is in a sense itself a kind of conceited dish or newfangled commodity, engendered by and for the marketplace; it teaches the housewife not only how to produce goods, but how to be a good consumer, redefining her role within a household economy that was itself being redefined by an expanding market of consumer goods. 

A downwardly mobile member of the nobility, Markham had himself sought unsuccessfully for much of his life to make a living off the land. Unable to eke out an existence through husbandry, he decided to gain extra income by writing books on the subject. His dependence on the book-trade to prop up his own domestic economy seems to have extended, however, beyond the scope of his "competency," for it appears that he flooded the market with such books, and in 1617 was required to sign a memorandum by the Stationers, stating, "I Gervase Markham of London, gent., do promise hereafter never to write any more book or books to be printed of the diseases or cures of any cattle, as horse, ox, cow, sheep, swine, goats, etc."

During the long period of transition from feudal to nascent capitalist modes of production, the residual ideal of the self-sufficient housewife who produces what she consumes competed with the emergent ideal of the passive and obedient keeper who mothers the goods her husband provides. The former was frequently deployed in an effort to resolve the contradictions posed by the latter through a nostalgic return to the past. The latter presented an image of the wife as idle consumer that certainly contradicted the reality of ordinary women's lives; yet this image exerted an influence even on ordinary women, insofar as its acceptance became for them the "price of upward social mobility."”

- Natasha Korda, “Housekeeping and Household Stuff.” in Shakespeare's Domestic Economies: Gender and Property in Early Modern England

[calamity-bean]

A baking project inspired by spare ingredients from another recipe and my enduring affection for fictional human Hamish Goames — BEHOLD: 

Ye Olde 17th Century Prune Tart!

I know I’m not the first Barkskins fan to be inspired to make one of these, and I’m sure I won’t be the last; I loved seeing others’, and I wish I could send everyone in the fandom a slice of my own attempt. As I looked around at recipes, searching foremost for something that resembled what we see of Mathilde’s but also hoping for one that would be reasonably authentic to her background, I was delighted to find this modern reconstruction inspired by a recipe published in Gervase Markham’s 1615 book The English Huswife. It is, of course, an English recipe rather than a French one, but it seemed visually similar to Mathilde’s tarts, and I was just thrilled to be using something adapted from the correct century!

It doesn’t entirely match Mathilde’s, of course. We see in the show that hers are small, individual tarts where the pastry holds the filling in a little well. Since I was using store-bought pastry already in a tin, though, and thus forming one large pie, I went for a lattice, egg washed and sprinkled with a bit of white sugar. Perhaps it might’ve been a closer visual match to leave it lidless, but much like my friend Hamish, I like crust. I realized belatedly it would also have been more like Mathilde’s to leave the prunes as intact as possible, as we see Hamish scoop up a pretty whole-looking one at one point... but oh well.

Inaccuracies aside... It’s pretty delicious! I altered the recipe slightly to my own tastes while simmering down the filling, adding more lemon juice than was called for, a little bit of salt, and more than a little black pepper. I think that all worked quite nicely; next time, however, I think I’ll give the prunes less time with the cinnamon stick. Cinnamon’s not my favorite anyway, and right now I think it’s overwhelming the other flavors a bit. But all in all I think it turned out rather scrumptious... and now I have all the culinary skills necessary to win dear Hamish’s heart. :’)

[sabrinasgrimoire]

Yule Logs

The Yule Log is a long-standing Yule tradition. This tradition has evolved over time and has been represented in many ways, including the traditional French and Dutch desert cake (“bûche de Noël” or Kerststronk). In this entry, I will cover different traditions, the history of the Yule Log, and ideas so you can make your own this holiday season!

A. HISTORY

The Yule Log has its roots in the Nordic tradition, where Yule was celebrated as one of the two solstice festivals. It was originally an entire tree! The tree would be carefully chosen for the ceremony and taken into the home. Then, the thickest end of the tree would be placed into the hearth while, quite comically, the rest of the tree stuck out into the living room. The Yule Log would then be lit with the remains of the previous year’s Yule Log, which had been carefully stored in the home during the year. It was strictly stated that the person relighting the fire must have clean hands. The old Yule Log was then slowly fed into the hearth fire over the 12 Days of Christmas (Christmas Day – 5th of January). The Norse believed that the sun was in fact a massive fiery wheel that rolled away from the earth and began its journey back to earth at the winter solstice.

The French Yule Log tradition stipulates that the whole family must help cut the Yule Log. They would burn a little bit of the log each night, and if there was any log left after the 12th night, they would store it in the house because it was said to protect the home from

lightning. The Netherlandish tradition said that the log must instead be stored under the bed to bring protection. Other Eastern European countries waited and cut down a tree on the morning of Christmas Eve. The people of Cornwall, United Kingdom called the Yule Log “The Mock”, and the bark is taken off before it enters the home.

As Christianity became more of a presence, the tradition of the Yule Log melded with the Christmas Eve traditions. The log was sprinkled with libations of mead, oil, and salt by the head of the household. The ashes of the Yule Log would then be tossed into corners of the house to protect it from evil spirits.

As for the kind of wood used for the Yule Log, different countries have different traditions. The English use Oak, the Scottish use Birch, and the French use Cherry. Some traditions say to use Ash twigs instead of a log! This comes from the Christian tale of Christ’s birth, where the shepherds gave Mary and Joseph twigs of Ash to burn so they could keep baby Jesus Warm.

B. BUCHE DE NOEL

This take on the Yule Log tradition is a cake that is made up of sponge cake and chocolate buttercream covered in wonderful little sugar decorations. When I talked to my mom about baking one this year, she told me I was on my own because they are very hard to make! I guess one too many of her Yuletide bakes went terribly wrong...

The Tradition of the Yule Log cake stretches back to the Iron Age. After the Christian religion took over, it was becoming more and more impractical to have large trees in one’s home, especially when the hearths were also getting smaller and smaller. Because of this, it seems, the advent of a cake version of a Yule Log was created. This fit much more nicely into the hearth of Iron Age Europeans, and was also very delicious. Sponge cake, the base of the Yule Log, is one of the oldest forms of cake! The first appearance of sponge cake is in

1615 in a tome called “The English Huswife”. It wasn’t until the 19th century when Parisian bakers popularized the Yule Log, and used it as a vehicle to show off their decorating skills.

I don’t have a reliable Yule Log recipe because this is the first year I will be attempting to make one! There are plenty of recipes online, so make sure to share which ones work for you!

C. WHY A YULE LOG?

Yule or The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, and therefore the darkest day of the year. If we look at other traditions, we see many of them bringing forth light in the darkness. The Jewish tradition lights the Menorah, Kwanza is celebrated with the lighting of candles, and the Christian tradition as well as secular traditions see the lighting of a Christmas Tree. Yule is a celebration of the death and rebirth of the God and the return of his light as the days get longer once more. The Yule Log has become a very easy way to celebrate this return of the light.

D. CELEBRATING WITH YOUR YULE LOG

There are a few different ways of celebrating with a Yule Log, and all of them are entirely up to you! For a Kitchen Witch, you can use your Yule Log as a centerpiece for your Yuletide feast. This can be especially effective when surrounded by candles and in dim lighting.

One Yule Log ritual I came across in my research very meaningfully connects us to our ancestors. Write a few wishes or resolutions for the next year on a piece of paper and attach them to the Yule Log. Place the Log into the fire and meditate on all those who have come before you who followed this tradition. Ask them to aid you in fulfilling your wishes and resolutions during the next year.

E. IDEAS

Wood Correspondences: make your Yule Log from wood that corresponds with your intent! Aspen may be used for spiritual understanding and Oak may be used to symbolize the strength of the God. These are only a few suggestions, and I would recommend taking the Correspondences Series where you will learn more about Tree Magick! We also have a Tree Magick series at the school.

Decorations: this is up to you and your own correspondences! Traditionally, pine cones, mistletoe, holly , pine, and cinnamon are used. It is also traditional to decorate with candles to represent the return of the God. You can easily attach these with a glue gun, or by melting some of the candle wax on the log and sticking the end of the candle to the wax until it hardens. You can also tie a festive colored ribbon on your log to complete the look!

Location: sure, you can burn your Yule Log inside, but it would also be fun to burn outside! If you have a fire pit it might be fun to bundle up, bring a few cups of hot chocolate, and watch your Yule Log burn in the fire pit while surrounded by your friends and family.

Colored Flames: certain chemicals, when sprinkled on wood, will cause the fire to turn different colors! Perhaps you could correspond the flame color with a ritual or spell intention on the night of Yule. Make sure to take proper precautions and be careful!

Barium Nitrate: Apple Green                                                                          Borax: Vivid Green                                                                                       Copper Sulphate: Blue                                                                            Potassium Nitrate: Violet                                                                                  Table Salt: Bright Red

Disposal: you can follow any of the traditions stated above or make your own! It is important to also note that ashes from a Yule Log are also wonderful fertilizer for plants, so keep that in mind if you have a garden.

! Be very careful when disposing of the ashes of a Yule Log. It is considered very unlucky to throw the ashes out on Christmas Day, so wait before disposal.

F. WORKS CITED

James Cooper (2000-2019), T he H istory of the Y ule Log, Why Christmas?, https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/yulelog.shtml

Patti Wigington (October 14th 2019), Make a Yule Log, Learn Religions, https://www.learnreligions.com/make-a-yule-log-2563006

Stephanie Butler (August 31st 2018), T he Delicious H istory of the Y ule Log, History Channel,https://www.history.com/news/the-delicious-history-of-the-yule-log

Catherine Boeckmann (December 12th 2018), What is a Yule Log?, The Old Farmer’s Almanac,https://www.almanac.com/content/what-yule-log-christmas-traditions

[whyyyyyyyyyy3]

Thx!!

1. I played clarinet pre-covid but I've forgotten almost everything (⁠T⁠-T⁠)

2. Idk uhhh,,, maybe Cinna from the hunger games??

3. Pisces ♓

4. Either something with purples and blues or blues and like sea green-ish colors?

5. Only English (+ a handful of words in very few others but nothing enough to effectively communicate)

6. Hmmmmm. End up as a dog groomer??

7. I like having short hair but I've been growing it out since like October. That is solely because I had a fuckton of dreams about it.

8. Probably tea? I really like sweet tea.

9. I'm not sure. If I had to choose I'd choose to go into a fictional world? Idk. Probably similar to the "invisible omniscient way"

Tagging: @fuyumi-todorokis-huswife

Let's play a game! 🌿☺️

🍃 1. Do you play an instrument?

🍃 2. Favorite book characters?

🍃 3. What's your star sign?

🍃 4. Favorite color scheme?

🍃 5. What languages do you speak?

🍃 6. Dream - aspiration?

🍃 7. Are you for long or short hair?

🍃 8. Tea or coffe?

🍃 9. Bring your favorite book character to real life or will you go into fictional world?

🟢 1. No.

🟢 2. It's Mitth'raw'nuruodo. But his core name Thrawn is known better. He is brilliant character 🤍

🟢 3. I don't believe in star sign. I'm batman🤣

🟢 4. Royal blue-gold

🟢 5. Slovak, Czech, Polish, English and little bit Russian language.

🟢 6. Move to Iceland 🤍.

🟢 7. Both but now I'm more for long.

🟢 8. Both. These are my life-giving fluids.

🟢 9. The second options. I never, ever came back to earth. 🤣

Tagging: @eredins-wife @gharashambuns @challengeofthedark

[currently-ok]

It is my second life's mission to make English culinary tradition good. He may have saved lives but I'll never forgive Frederick Marquis for his systemic destruction of spices. Every man will be made to read a copy of the English huswife. Beans will be outlawed

[r8evangelinelillyhot82]

The Best Way To Prepare The Perfect Pancake

With hot cross buns presently staling on shelves, along with mince pies absolutely mere weeks off, plum sausage and pancakes will be the only two foods I could consider that combine the state for but one afternoon a year. Pancakes really are a remarkably versatile foodstuff: French crêpes, Indian dosas, even Ethiopian injera, all collapse under the very same beautiful banner.

Elizabethan pancakes

Interestingly, the recipe for pancakes as we understand today comes in a English cookery publication -- that the Great Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchen -- although it richer compared to present day incarnation: a spoonful of"thicke Creame", 5 egg yolk,"a very good handful of blossom" along with a couple tablespoons of ale, seasoned with copious amounts of sugarcinnamon and ginger.

Puritan pancakes

Even the seventeenth century ushered in several more sober tastes -- Gervase Markham's 1615 recipe employs two eggsand also a"pretty number of faire flowing water," cloves, mace, cinnamon and nutmeg, all beaten together,"which make thicke as you think food together with fine wheate blossom". Spice aside, they're pretty dull points; heavy and laborious. Cream could possibly be taking things too far, however, milk is essential.

Coffee batter?

Telegraph foods author Xanthe Clay utilizes melted butter in her batter to compensate for any loss of flavour occasioned by ingesting them in vegetable oil. BBC Good meals, however, provides a tot of vegetable oil. The initial gives a better-tasting pancake, however, simply since I like the nutty flavour of browned butterand the little crispness of a plainer batter I decide to comprise neither. Let me take one tip from Xanthe however, utilizing an extra yolk to give the pancakes a thickness of flavour with no little toughness that egg white imparts.

Stand or send?

Resting batter, such as bathing rice, or washing mushrooms, is just one of those ideas that I've always dreamed opted to discount -- in the end, what kind of busy thrusting form of govt has the opportunity to make their pancake blend half an hour till they plan to eat?

The heat

Even though Hugh and Great Food magazine counsel cooking the pancakes around a medium warmth, I like to follow Professor Peter Barham, physicist and advisor to Heston Blumenthal, in finding the pan very hot, due to the fact I like mine thin and crispy -- you may turn down it before cooking should you would rather a milder end. Distribute the batter as thin as possible for delicately lacy borders -- and then care for the very first pancake as a test; nevertheless, it goes wrong, and it can be a superior explanation to take care of it like an cook's match.

Best pancakes

Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and then add a pinch of salt. Produce a well in the centre, and put the egg and the yolk into it. Blend the milk 2 tbsp water and then pour just a little in with all the egg and then beat .

Whisk the flour into the liquid ingredients, then drawing it into the middle until you have a easy paste the consistency of cream. Whisk the remaining portion of the milk until the batter is a lot more like single cream. Cover and refrigerate for at least half an hour.

Heat the egg into a skillet on the medium-high heat -- you only need plenty of excess body fat to wash the base of the pan. It should be hot enough the batter sizzles if it hits . Check out https://palacinky.org/ website for effective information on pancake recipes right now.

Distribute a small ladleful of batter on the other side of the base of the pan, then immediately trapping to coating. Suggestion any extra off. If it begins to set, loosen the edges using a thin spatula or palette knifeand when it commences to shade on the bottomthen flip it with precisely exactly the very same tool and cook for another thirty seconds.

Pancakes are best eaten once you can, before they proceed rubbery, but if you're buying crowd, keep them separate until you are ready to function by putting them up between pieces of roll.

Why not we try to eat more pancakes within this state -- which recipes really are adequate to improve our minds? Which are the favorites, and have you got some top methods for fool-proof flipping?

[roleplayingfaces]

The Way To Cook The Perfect Pancake

With hot cross buns by now staling on shelves, along with mince pies undoubtedly mere weeks away, plum sausage and pancakes would be the just two foods that I will consider which combine the nation for one day a year.

Elizabethan pancakes

Interestingly, the earliest recipe for pancakes since we understand them comes out of an English cookery novel -- the Great Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchen -- but it's even richer than the modern incarnation: a pint of"thicke Creame", 5 egg yolks,"a great handful of flower" along with two or three tbsp of ale, experienced with copious amounts of sugar, cinnamon and ginger.

Puritan pancakes

The seventeenth century ushered in more sober tastes -- Gervase Markham's 1615 recipe uses just two eggs, a"reasonably number of faire running water," cloves, mace, cinnamon and nutmeg, all beaten together,"which done make thicke as you presume food together with nice wheate blossom". Spice aside, they are pretty uninteresting things; heavy and laborious. Cream could be carrying things a lot, but milk is vital. Click here: https://palacinky.org/ for more information.

Coffee batter?

Telegraph food author Xanthe Clay makes use of peanut butter in her batter to compensate for some lack of flavour occasioned by cooking them in vegetable oil. BBC Good meals, meanwhile, provides a tot of vegetable acrylic. The initial provides better tasting pancake, but simply since I like the nutty flavour of browned butter, and the small crispness of some plainer batter I decide to comprise neither. Let me choose one tip from Xanthe however, using more yolk to provide the pancakes a depth of flavour without that slight toughness that egg whitened imparts.

Stand or deliver?

Resting batter, like bathing rice, or washing walnut, is just one of the ideas which I've always lazily chosen to ignore -- afterall, what type of chaotic thrusting form of executive has got the opportunity to earn their pancake mix half one hour or so till they plan to consume?

The warmth

Even though Hugh and Great foods magazine counsel cooking the pancakes around a moderate heat, '' I like to trace Professor Peter Barham, physicist and advisor to Heston Blumenthal, at obtaining the pan very hot, mainly since I enjoy mine lean and crisp -- you can transform it down until cooking if you would rather have a milder end. Pass on the batter as thin as possible for delicately lacy edges -- and see to the first pancake within a test; nevertheless, it usually goes wrong, and it is a very superb excuse to treat it as an cook's perk.

Excellent pancakes

Sift the bread in a big mixing bowl and then add a pinch of salt. Produce a well in the center and pour the egg and the yolk into it. Mix the milk 2 tbsp water then pour just a bit into all the egg and beat together.

Whisk the flour to the liquid ingredients, then drawing it into the centre until you have a clean paste the consistency of double cream. Whisk the remaining part of the milk in until the batter is much more like sole cream. Cover and refrigerate for half an houror two.

Heat the egg into a frying pan on a medium-high heating -- you only need plenty of extra fat to just grease the base of the pan. It should be hot enough the batter sizzles when it strikes it.

Distribute a little ladleful of batter across the bottom of the pan, quickly trapping to coating. Tip any excess away. If it starts to set, loosen the edges with a thin spatula or palette knife, and when it begins to colour in the bottom, flip it over with exactly the same device and cook for an additional thirty seconds.

Pancakes are eaten as soon as you can, before they proceed awry, however if you're buying crowd, maintain them separate until you are all set to function by putting up them between bits of roll.

Why not we take in more pancakes in this nation -- which recipes really are good enough to change our minds? Which are the favourite toppings, also do you have any top methods for foolproof flipping?

[mexoone]

The Best Way To Cook The Perfect Pancake

Along with hot cross buns already staling on shelves, and mince pies definitely mere weeks away, plum sausage and pancakes are the just two foods that I will consider that combine the nation for but one day a year. Pancakes are an astonishingly versatile foodstuff: French crêpes, Indian dosas, even Ethiopian injera, all fall under exactly the identical lovely bannerad.

Elizabethan pancakes

Interestingly, the recipe for pancakes since we know them stems in an English cookery publication -- the Great Huswifes Handmaide for your kitchen -- although it richer compared to current incarnation: a spoonful of"thicke Creame", 5 egg yolks,"a superior handful of flower" plus two or three tbsp of ale, seasoned with copious amounts of sugarcinnamon and ginger.

Puritan pancakes

The 17th century ushered in several more sober tastes -- Gervase Markham's 1615 recipe uses just two eggs, a"pretty number of faire running drinking water," cloves, mace, cinnamon and nutmeg, all beaten together,"that done make thicke because you presume food together with nice wheate flower". Spice a side, they're pretty dull points; heavy and laborious. Cream may be taking matters too far, however milk is a must.

Butter batter?

Telegraph meals writer Xanthe Clay makes use of melted butter within her batter to compensate for any loss of flavour occasioned by cooking them in vegetable oil. BBC Good foods, meanwhile, adds a tot of vegetable acrylic. The first gives a better tasting pancake, however due to the fact I like the nutty flavour of browned butterand the slight crispness of some plainer batter I would rather comprise neither. Let me take 1 tip from Xanthe however, employing an extra yolk to provide the pancakes a thickness of flavour without that slight toughness that egg white imparts.

Stand or send?

Resting batter, such as grilling rice, or washing walnut, is just one of those ideas which I've consistently lazily chosen to discount -- after all, what type of busy thrusting form of executive has the opportunity to earn their pancake blend half one hour before they plan to consume?

The heat

Although Hugh and Great Food magazine counselor cooking the pancakes around a moderate heat, I prefer to follow Professor Peter Barham, physicist and advisor to Heston Blumenthal, in having the pan extremely hot, simply mainly since I enjoy mine thin and crispy -- you may turn it down until cooking if you would rather have a milder complete. Pass on the batter as quickly as you can finely lacy borders -- and care for the first pancake as an experiment; nonetheless, it usually goes wrong, and it is a excellent excuse to take care of it as an cook's match. Going here: https://palacinky.org/ for details.

Best pancakes

Sift the flour in a large mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt. Produce a well in the centreand put the egg and the yolk right into it. Combine the milk with 2 tablespoons water and then pour a bit in with all the egg and then beat together.

Whisk the flour into the liquid ingredients, then drawing it gently into the middle until you are in possession of a easy paste the consistency of double cream. Whisk the remainder of the milk in until the batter is more like sole lotion. Cover and refrigerate for at least half an houror two.

Heat the egg into a skillet on the medium-high heat -- you only need ample excess fat to wash the bottom of the pan. It ought to be hot enough the batter sizzles as it strikes it.

Spread a little ladleful of batter throughout the bottom of the pan, immediately swirling to coat. Tip any extra off. If it begins to set, loosen the edges with a thin spatula or palette knife, and when it starts to shade in the ground then flip it over with precisely the exact instrument and prepare for an additional 30 minutes.

Pancakes are eaten once you can, until they move rubbery, but if you are buying bunch, keep them separate and soon you are ready to serve by layering them up between bits of roll.

Why don't we take in a lot more pancakes within this country -- which recipes are sufficient to change our heads? Which are your favorites, also have you got some top tips for fool proof Placing?

[nobertsales]

Happy National Sponge Cake Day! The earliest known recipe for sponge cake (or biscuit bread) from Gervase Markham's The English Huswife (1615) is prepared by mixing flour and sugar into eggs, then seasoning with anise and coriander seeds. 19th century descriptions of avral vary from place to place but it sometimes described as "sponge biscuits" or a "crisp sponge" with a light dusting of sugar. Traditional American sponge recipes diverged from earlier methods of preparation, adding ingredients like vinegar, baking powder, hot water or milk. #NationalSpongeCakeDay 🎂 #FoodSales #WeKnowFood #NonFoodSolutions #FoodConsultant #DisposableSolutions #FoodDude #FoodService #Food #FoodServiceSolutions #NobertSales @NobertSales (at Germantown, Tennessee) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEPclh0AzNd/?igshid=i2jsv1hquyxc

[mikesmithrhythmandrhyme]

Tuesday, 16th January, 2018

Nearly 200 years on from John Clare's writing of 'January': it had two parts - so mine does! John Clare, an English poet (1793-1864). I write this to try and get close to why I like John Clare’s poetry.

~

This is VERY LONG - with lots of John Clare lines and phrases, including three longer passages, marked by inverted commas.

~

JANUARY - A WINTERS DAY

~

January!

Truly what you’d call A Winters Day!

Two hundred years ago,

A winter weather world away -

~

“Withering and keen the winter comes

While comfort flyes to close shut rooms

And sees the snow in feathers pass

Winnowing by the window glass ...”

~

Whilst threshers first, then foddering boys,

Brave bitter frost and snow,

To start their work in darkness deep -

The only life they know.

~

The shepherd, with his plodding dog,

Dreaming warmth and sleep,

In the rough and smooth of winter weather

Check and count the sheep.

~

The early-morning farm-yard’s

Soon alive with noise again;

Horses rub and lunge,

Whilst old hens scrat for seed and grain …

~

Cats and birds and huddling geese,

Lively barking dogs ...

And roaring round the kitchen door -

The hungry, whining hogs …

~

A foddering boy climbs up

The stack of wood at maids desire,

To throw down faggots

So that she can feed the cottage fire …

~

And everywhere the winter birds -

Starling, rook and crow,

Jackdaw, pigeon, snipe - and robin:

‘Here I am. Hello!’

~

The schoolboy, in his leisure hours,

Skaits on meadow lake,

At hunters speed and careless of

Just where the ice might break ….

~

Plays football oer the frozen ground …

Rolls snow in giant mounds …

Until - friends gone -

A winter darkened silence …

Not a sound …

~

As the leathern coated shepherd *

Walks from distant fields alone,

Knocks the caking snow from shoes

And opes the welcome door …

He’s home.

~

JANUARY - A COTTAGE EVENING

~

“The shutter closd the lamp alight

The faggot chopped and blazing bright

The shepherd from his labour free

Dancing his children on his knee

Or toasting sloe boughs sputtering ripe

Or smoaking glad his puthering pipe

While underneath his masters seat

The tird dog lies in slumbers sweet

Startling and whimpering in his sleep

Chasing still the straying sheep”

~

Then supper things are cleared away,

And down the huswife sits,

Knits or sews ** and tells her tales

In teasing starts and fits …

~

As children listen silently

And quake wi chills of fear,

Trembling at these stories

Which they always love to hear,

~ Trusting in their mother’s

Story-telling expertise,

But crushed for reassurance

Tween their shepherd fathers knees …

~

Of boys who tested ice and drowned …

Of shepherd, lost and late -

When ne’er a star bestowd its light -

And murdered by the gate …

~

How witches powers and fairey feats

Now haunt that dreaded spot,

Where the hill-top gibbet stood -

With murderer’s body left to rot ...

~

Tales of midnight witches -

How they turn to cats or hares

In the blinking of an eye

If you should meet them unawares ...

~

The huswife’s tales are endless -

Of glow worms …

Stones ...

And shells ...

Of beetles …

Mice …

Of midges, moths ...

And canterbury bells …

~

We recognise these stories

On our television screens:

The more things change the more

Things stay the same - or so it seems:

~

With news of fatal accidents ...

Police-led murder mysteries ...

Wonders of the natural world …

Gruesome local histories ...

~ She tells of Cinderella,

And her special faery friend,

Who changed her favourites’s world

To make her happy in the end …

~ She tells how Magic Fountain

Turns to King and lover too,

As the startld maid draws water -

Which her mistress bade her do.

~

She tells them of the boy

Who gave his mothers cows away

For magic beans that travelld high ...

Up the sky …***

So he could a jiant slay.

~

At which there is

An overwhelming sadness in John Clare,

For the world in which these tales were told -

A man in near despair ….

~

Knowing how they’ve lost their power

To enthral and to deceive:

The adult knows such stories

Can no longer be believed ….

~

“O spirit of the days gone bye

Sweet childhoods fearful extacy

The witching spells of winter nights

Where are they fled wi their delights

When listning on the corner seat

The winter evenings length to cheat

I heard my mothers memory tell

Tales superstition loves so well

Things said or sung a thousand times

In simple prose or simpler rhymes …..

The fairey feats that once prevaild

Told to delight and never faild

Where are they now their fears and sighs

And tears from childhood’s **** happy eyes”

~

Here is why I like John Clare,

Whose sense of loss and sadness

Would have been so very central

To his later - so-called - madness:

~

Such honesty of feeling ...

Such tenderness  …

Such yearning ...

A young man sharing winter thoughts …

Aware there’s no returning

~

To the beating heart of childhood -

Knowing all that’s left behind

Is the memory of those stories -

And a real world doubting mind ...

~

This labouring man, who writes

Such vibrant, detailed country scenes:

So loving, so respectful -

Every line he writes redeems.

~

Yes, other poets wrote about

The rural, working day:

“But my work’s real!

I’m of this world!”

I’m sure …

I hear …

Him say …..

~

Meanwhile, in taverns, farmers read

The news and price of grain -

Puffing at their pipes -

And old moores almanack …

Again!

~

* John Clare’s word is ‘hedger’ - and he was a hedger, amongst other things - but I’ve used ’shepherd’ so that it carries through to the second poem, ‘A Cottage Evening’, about the shepherd’s family.

~ ** John Clare’s spelling is ‘sues’.

~

*** I created this double rhyme, and necessarily extended rhythm, to create the feeling of fantastical growth.

~ **** John Clare wrote ‘founts of’ where I have written ‘childhood’s’.

[jackospice]

So i am busy reading medieval cookbooks to check their spice usage and cookery methodologies. Here's an interesting entry from the 1615 book The English Huswife by Gervase Markham. given that only 5-10% of women at that time were literate, one wonders...

[circe-poetica]

Sage from my garden

Salvia officinalis has been used since ancient times for warding off evil, snakebites, increasing women's fertility, and more. Theophrastus wrote about two different sages, a wild undershrub he called sphakos, and a similar cultivated plant he called elelisphakos. Pliny the Elder said the latter plant was called salvia by the Romans, and used as a diuretic, a local anesthetic for the skin, a styptic, and for other uses. Charlemagne recommended the plant for cultivation in the early Middle Ages, and during the Carolingian Empire, it was cultivated in monastery gardens.[6] Walafrid Strabo described it in his poem Hortulus as having a sweet scent and being useful for many human ailments—he went back to the Greek root for the name and called it lelifagus.[7]

The plant had a high reputation throughout the Middle Ages, with many sayings referring to its healing properties and value.[8] It was sometimes called S. salvatrix (sage the savior). Dioscorides, Pliny, and Galen all recommended sage as a diuretic, hemostatic, emmenagogue, and tonic.[7] Le Menagier de Paris, in addition to recommending cold sage soup and sage sauce for poultry, recommends infusion of sage for washing hands at table.[9] John Gerard's Herball (1597) states that sage "is singularly good for the head and brain, it quickeneth the senses and memory, strengtheneth the sinews, restoreth health to those that have the palsy, and taketh away shakey trembling of the members."[10] Gervase Markham's The English Huswife (1615) gives a recipe for a tooth-powder of sage and salt.[11] It appears in recipes for Four Thieves Vinegar, a blend of herbs which was supposed to ward off the plague. In past centuries, it was also used for hair care, insect bites and wasp stings, nervous conditions, mental conditions, oral preparations for inflammation of the mouth, tongue and throat, and also to reduce fevers.[7]

https://gardentherapy.ca/healing-herb-sage/

https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-504/sage