“At last, as Grandma stirred, the syrup in the saucer turned into little grains like sand, and Grandma called: ‘Quick girls! It’s graining!’ Aunt Ruby and Aunt Docia and Ma left the dance and came running. They set out pans, big pans, and little pans, and as fast as Grandma filled them with the syrup,…
Cornbread Stuffing Inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder
“We would have roast goose for Thanksgiving dinner! ‘Roast goose and dressing seasoned with sage,’ said sister Mary.” Laura Ingalls Wilder in These Happy Golden Years As we get ready for the holiday season, it’s time to start thinking about our holiday dinner menu. Will you serve a Christmas ham, wild turkey or a juicy game…
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…
Homemade Apple Turnovers
“Eliza Jane opened the dinner-pail on her desk. It held…four delicious apple turnovers, their plump crusts filled with melting slices of apple and spicy brown juice.” Farmer Boy Apples were a popular fruit for many pioneers because they stored well and could be used in a variety of ways. Every respectable pioneer garden would have…
Little House on the Prairie Johnny-Cake Recipe
“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…
Plum Preserves Inspired by Little House on the Prairie
“When they came to a plum thicket they set down their big pails. They filled their little pails with plums and emptied them into the big pails till they were full.” On the Banks of Plum Creek Laura loved exploring the plum thickets with her sister Mary and would carefully shake the trees so that…