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Back in Merry Ol' England--and hence in the Colonies that celebrated the holidays in English fashion like the mid-Atlantic--wassailing was an age-old tradition. It was a time for the poor to make the rounds in the wealthy neighborhoods and earn a few pence. They would concoct a batch of wassail and sell it door-to-door. Though oftentimes the wassail wasn't the tastiest thing to pass the lips, the wealthy bought it as a matter of course, as a way to give alms without offending the pride.
But who wants to share a not-so-tasty recipe? ;-) This version is more a mulled cider that will make your house smell delightful and will be a true toast to health and happiness in this blessed Yuletide season.
Ingredients:
Place in a cheesecloth or mesh sack:
- 1 gallon apple cider
- 1 large can pineapple juice (unsweetened)
- 3/4 cup tea
Instructions: This is great cooked in a crock pot. Let it simmer very slowly for 4 to 6 hours. You can add water if it evaporates too much. Your home will smell wonderful, and this is a great way to set the tone for a holiday party!
- 1 Tablespoon whole cloves
- 1 Tablespoon whole allspice
- 2 sticks cinnamon
Submitted by Roseanna White
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation….For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.Also with II Corinthians 5:17:
Thus he began his role as a Godly magistrate, a man bent on having a right fellowship with God. A few years later he was asked to join the Massachusetts Bay Company. This seemed agreeable to him since he had interest in carrying the gospel and the culture of England to different countries. In preparation for the trip across the Atlantic to New England, men gathered in the Church of the Holy Rood and sermons were given. An assumption is that John Winthrop’s famous A Modell of Christian Charity was given at this time, which contained the phrase “City upon a Hill.”
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1Perhaps we judge the Puritans so harshly because we do not understand their passion to remove themselves from evil. Yes, there were extremists. Isn’t there in every movement, whether political or religious or social? But for those who love God, who seek to please Him, and who long to one day go to their heavenly home, we can have empathy for their desire for good and not evil to reign. Perhaps we cannot agree with their methods, but we should be able to agree with their desire for purity and holiness and their longing for their heavenly home.
To Make Sause for Foule (Turkey Gravy)
For turkeys…take gravie (presumably the drippings) & strong broth & leamon, minc’d, & grated bread, a spoonefull or 2 of claret wine & a little butter & if you have an anchovie. Give all a boyle together.
From Martha Washington’s Booke of Cookery
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Servants preparing a Thanksgiving meal. One can only wish! |
Enjoy these links that have some great authentic Colonial Thanksgiving Recipes:
Colonial American Thanksgiving
Create an Authentic New England Thanksgiving
Colonial Boston Thanksgiving
Submitted by Carla Gade
Shrewsbury Cakes (Cookies, pronounced Shrows-bree)
1 pound Sugar
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
3 pounds Flour
Rosewater
3 Eggs
melted Butter
Instructions:
Sift one pound of sugar, some pounded cinnamon, and a nutmeg grated, into three pounds of flour, the finest sort; add a little rose-water to three eggs, well-beaten, and mix these with the flour, etc. then pour into it as much butter melted as will make it a good thickness to roll out. Mold it well, and roll thin, and cut it into such shapes as you like. Bake in light oven.
Taken from: A new system of domestic cookery: formed upon principles of economy: and adapted to the use of private families throughout the United States by Maria Eliza Ketelby Rundell, 1814
A modern version:
1/4 c. unsalted butter
1/4 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1-1/2 tsp. of grated orange peel
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
3 Tbl. milk
2 c. sifted all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cream or tartar
Directions:
Cream the butter, shortening and sugar. Add the orange peel and vanilla extract. Add the egg and milk. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar and add to the creamed mixture. Mix well. Roll into 1-inch balls and roll the balls in sugar. Arrange the balls 1-1/2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten the balls gently with a small glass. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until very light golden brown.
Submitted by Carla Gade
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Midshipman Henry G. Taylor |
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Peale’s portrait John Paul Jones |
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Painted scene of the Great White Fleet from Silk Banner |
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John Paul Jones’ Crypt at the U.S. Naval Academy Photo courtesy of Travelbeat.net |
Basic Apple or Crab Apple Jelly
Porters or MacIntosh will make a sweet jelly; Gravensteins or Greenings will make a spicier jelly.
- tart (underripe) apples or crab apples
- water
- 3/4 cup sugar for every cup of juice
You will need enough apples to fill a large kettle. Wipe the apples and remove the stems and the blossom ends and cut in quarters (do not pare—a large amount of the natural pectin is lodged in and just under the skin). Cut crab apples in halves. Put prepared apples in a large stainless steel or enameled kettle. Add cold water to almost cover the fruit—there should be about an inch of apples out of the water, but you should be able to see the water level in the kettle. Cover and cook slowly over low heat until the apples are soft.
Mash the fruit slightly while it is still in the kettle. Suspend over a large bowl a damp jelly bag or colander lined with wet cheesecloth. The juice will drip through the bag or colander into the bowl. Pour the kettle contents, fruit and liquid, into the bag or colander and allow the juice to drip through into the bowl overnight.
Meanwhile, do something else so that you will not be tempted to squeeze the bag to hurry things along.
Squeezing (or pushing through the colander) will not hurt the flavor of the jelly, but it will cloud it as minute particles of pulp will come through into the juice.
When the juice has dripped through, measure out 4 cups (leave the rest for another batch). Heat the sugar in a double boiler; with 4 cups of juice, you'll need 3 cups of sugar. Bring the juice to a full rolling boil, then add the heated sugar and bring the mixture back to a full rolling boil. Boil quickly, stirring, until the candy thermometer reads 8 degrees above the boiling point (about 220°F) or until the jelly sheets off the spoon. Skim and pour into jelly glasses and seal.
From Farmer's Almanac: Colonial Cookbook