“Laura always wondered why bread made of corn meal was called johnny-cake. It wasn’t cake. Ma didn’t know, unless the Northern soldiers called it johnny-cake because the people in the South, where they fought, ate so much of it. They called the Southern soldiers Johnny Rebs. Maybe they called the Southern bread, cake, just for…
Tomato Ginger Preserves Recipe
“All day long while the girls were in school, Ma made preserves of the red tomatoes, of the purple husk tomatoes, and of the golden ground-cherries. She made pickles of the green tomatoes that would not have time to ripen before it froze. The house was full of the syrupy scent of preserves and the…
Old-Fashioned Creamed Corn Recipe
“Thanksgiving dinner was good. Pa had shot a wild goose for it. Ma had to stew the goose because there was no fireplace, and no oven in the little stove. But she made dumplings in the gravy. There were corn dodgers and mashed potatoes. There were butter, and milk, and stewed dried plums. And three…
Fall Popcorn Balls
“Laura kept popping corn and Ma made it into balls until the large dishpan was heaped with their sweet crispness.” These Happy Golden Years Popcorn has been an irresistible snack for kids since the 19th century, and a food the Ingalls family could grow in their home garden. While there are many kinds of feed…
Old-Fashioned Farmer Boy Ice Cream Recipe (With Blueberry Variation)
“‘Let’s make ice-cream!’ Royal shouted. Eliza Jane loved ice-cream….They set the pail in a tub and packed the snowy crushed ice around it, with salt, and they covered it all with a blanket. Every few minutes they took off the blanket and uncovered the pail, and stirred the freezing ice-cream.” Farmer Boy If you’ve ever…
Old-Fashioned Homemade Peppermint Candy DIYs
“Then they plunged their hands into the stockings again. And they pulled out two long, long, sticks of candy. It was peppermint candy, striped red and white. They looked and looked at the beautiful candy, and Laura licked her stick, just one lick.” Little House on the Prairie While the peppermint sticks that Mr. Edwards…