Boiler used to make maple syrup. (Photo credit: Wikipedia). Note the vintage gallon milk jug in the foreground.

The Pioneer women had to work very hard to cook and keep their families fed.  Although proper cookstoves were available, although uncommon, back East fairly early in the 19^th century, there was certainly no room on a Conestoga wagon to trek one across the wilderness to the New Frontier.  Cooking over an open fire was the method used by most people, and had been for generations.  Young women learned the techniques and collected receipts (recipes) from their mothers and grandmothers.

This method of cookery is referred to as Open Hearth cookery.  The fireplace, or hearth, is best equipped with at least a pair of andirons and a swinging crane.  The andirons provide a base on which to build a fire, and allow for air circulation.  The crane, which is built into the side of the fireplace, is a flexible method for suspending the pots, while allowing for them to be adjusted closer or further from the flames. Trammels (adjustable hooks) are used to control the height of the pot over the flame.

Cast iron cookware, in a variety of sizes and shapes, proved to be excellent for hearth cooking.  Although they are prone to rusting, keeping them properly seasoned and dry when not being used, extends their usefulness for many years.

Hardwoods are best for hearth cooking.  They burn cleaner and with less smoke.  The amount of firewood and the way the fire is built will determine the heat of the fire.  A moderate fire is required for boiling and stewing, while a slow fire is needed for slow cooking and soup stocks.  During cooking, the heat can be controlled by where the cookware is placed, along with controlling the fire itself.

A favorite dish, especially well-suited to open hearth cooking is Hasty Pudding. Most settlers had a supply of cornmeal, and this dish was quickly and easily prepared.  It was often served at every meal, in one form or another.

HASTY PUDDING (or Indian Pudding)

1 cup sifted cornmeal

4 ¼ cups water

½ teaspoon salt

Molasses or maple syrup

Milk

Butter

Stir 3 Tablespoons cornmeal into ¼ cup water.  Boil remaining water in a small hanging pot.  Pull crane and pot from the high heat.  Stir in cornmeal and water mixture; return to the fire and bring to a boil.  Add salt.  Pull crane and pot toward hearth.  Add remaining cornmeal ¼ cup at a time, stirring to blend and returning to fire until mixture boils after each addition.  This will take about ½ hour.

Serve pudding hot with molasses and milk.

When cold, cut leftovers into slices to fry in butter or lard.  Melt butter in a hanging griddle over moderate fire.  Pull away from heat to put slices into pan and then return to heat, until browned  and ready to be turned.  Serve for breakfast with butter and maple syrup or molasses.  Serves 10-12

If the pioneer woman had spices available, she would also occasionally add cinnamon or cloves to the pudding to add to the flavor.

Like about a bazillion other people, I was told and believed that blogging is the answer. To marketing, to reaching out to others, to making $1 million. Hey, I saw Julie and Julia.

Anyway, I’m not sure if I really believed that blogging would make me $1 million. I don’t actually believe anything will make me $1 million. But I did assume that while blogging may not reach the masses of potential readers that I would like, it would at least be an easy way to connect with a few.  After all, I’ve written five books. How hard could it be to slap down 300 to 700 words two or three times a week? I generate more words than that in Facebook statuses and texts to my daughters about dinner.

And I’m the boss! I can write whatever I want. I can even persuade Permelia to write about research topics that I need and use those as blogs.

In the past six months, I have dropped just about every ball in my care. I have been every bit the mess that you all would have predicted. I have procrastinated on many things, but none more consistently than this blog.

300 and to 700 words, my right ankle! Three times a week?

Sure, it sounds easy enough. But you try it.

I found this photo, which I'm pretty sure is of a pen and an instrument for harakiri. Which basically means: Time to write your blog. Make a choice.

It's all about eating bon-bons and watching my stories in the afternoon. Image via Wikipedia

Why did women so often agree to be part of the frequently treacherous journey to settle an untamed part of the country?  The obvious answer is that their husbands had an adventurous spirit and, being male, made the decisions.  Of course, there were undoubtedly some women who were in favor of the move.  However, in that time and place, women really had few rights and little say-so.  If they didn’t want to leave hearth and home for the unknown wilderness, their duty to their husbands demanded that they support his decisions.

Females were taught from infancy that they were relatively incompetent and their purpose in life was to prepare to be a proper homemaker. After she attracted a husband, she must  serve him and make him happy.  There were many rules and expectations for female behavior, and few had any relationship to what that female wanted.  An author of the day stated that a female must understand that there was an inequality in the sexes.  Men were to be the guardians and lawgivers , and also had the greater share of reason and resolution.  It naturally follows that the man would know the best choices for his family – i.e. whatever he wants.  And again, there were some men who were fair, loving, and considerate.  But if not, society and the law did not protect the women.

So, the women went West, either with their husbands or following after.  The journey was inevitably difficult and frequently dangerous.  Upon arrival, their lives were more challenging that they ever could have imagined, and their brave husbands were applauded in the history books for settling the West.

Given those rules of life, is it any wonder that 11% of women born between 1860 and 1880 never married?  This was the highest rate of unmarried women in American history.  It was thought to be due to the growing number of women attaining college educations and the male view that college grads made poor homemakers, according to historical research.  Apparently, the men simply couldn’t deal with acknowledging that a prospective bride had a functing brain and could still scrub a floor.

Head over to Homestead Revival to read the review and enter the giveaway.

Make sure to check back on Thursday, as she will be hosting a detailed interview with me. You won’t want to miss it!