Laura saw hazel bushes in bloom on her way to Pepin.
There are 11,000 kinds of flowering grass in the world. I wonder which kind Laura saw?
I think this shade of turkey red is actually quite pretty. (Photo credit: ColorCombos.com)
And during this holiday season, there is nothing like being home with your loved ones for the holidays!
Here is a YouTube video of a Revolutionary War re-enactor making hasty pudding over a campfire.
One of the songs danced to was “Buffalo Gals (Won’t You Come Out Tonight?)”
And while Grandma and Uncle George were getting jiggy, here is “The Irish Washerwoman,” which Pa played on his trusty fiddle.
Here is a recipe for salt-rising bread. It is from the King Arthur Baking Company:
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/classic-american-salt-rising-bread-recipe
As mentioned in today’s episode, here is an excellent video about maple syrup production in Vermont. Of course it’s more automated than in Laura’s time, but it gives you a good idea about syrup production in the 21st century.
The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies has a very informative article about the science of making maple syrup, including the need to boil away the bacteria and how you want to avoid niter.
https://www.caryinstitute.org/news-insights/feature/learn-about-science-maple-syrup
For a history of corsetmaking (this includes whalebone stays), please check out this informative article I found on Slate.com
https://slate.com/culture/2010/11/a-short-history-of-corsetry-from-whalebone-to-lycra.html
And thank you to Sheet Music Singer for this rendition of “I’m Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines”.
To see an example of a door latch like the one Laura describes, check out this short YouTube video:
Here is an example of willoware china. Is this the shade of blue Laura referred to?:
Here is an example of a nine-patch quilt like Mary worked on, albeit more elaborate than what she did:
Here are two types of samplers I sewed myself (ignore my cat modeling the second one LOL):
A beautiful arrangement of “Am I a Solider of the Cross?” by Isaac Watts, 1762.
Finally, I love this video of babies reacting to “Pop! Goes the Weasel” from jack-in-the-boxes:
How icicles are formed:
Here are some examples of what Pa may have made Ma for Christmas in the wooden bracket she put her china shepherdess on:
carved wooden bracket
Recipe for rye bread with cornmeal that Laura mentioned:
https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=327994
Link to a recipe for the not-crispy Swedish crackers:
http://littlehouseclub.blogspot.com/2012/06/swedish-crackers.html
Want a recipe for vinegar pie for the holidays?
https://www.wildercompanion.com/2020/04/vinegar-pie-recipe.html
Here is the beautiful and sad song “Nelly Gray” (1856).
And finally, here is a link to Pa’s big green book (The Polar and Tropical Worlds by Dr. Georg Hartwig, available on Google Books.
Here is a demonstration of a muzzle loader. and what Pa would have done when cleaning, maintaining, and shooting his rifle.
Churning butter in Ireland:
Why did Ma put red flannel in her kerosene lamps? Find out more about this topic in this excellent blog post:
https://risashome.blogspot.com/2010/01/and-they-did.html
Are there really still black panthers in Wisconsin? Follow the discussion of it here:
Welcome back to the first official episode of the “Wilder on the Prairie” Podcast!
Thank you for coming to check out this week’s shownotes. For our very first one, let’s celebrate Laura (who writes about muskrats) through The Captain & Tennille’s “Muskrat Love” from 1980.
Here are two examples of brindle dogs. Both photos taken from Wikimedia Commons.
Lake Pepin on the Minnesota side near Lake City
Pig bladder from the Pepin Museum
