Serving in the Kitchen - My New Book

  ~ Our new cookbook, brought to you by "The Legacy of Home Press." ~

After years of taking notes and formulating ideas for a cookbook, I spent this past summer writing out recipes and taking photographs of our meals and table settings. The book is full of ideas and encouragement in old fashioned, frugal living. It is designed to help bring you a sense of warmth and cheer as you work in the kitchen. 

Here are the details:

Inside these pages you will find 3 sections to help you with kitchen work using frugal, old fashioned methods.

The first section is called, "Kitchen Help" and includes a variety of encouraging tips on the following topics:

Homemade Pantry

Spreading a Bountiful Table (from a humble purse)

Portions

Keeping a Full Pantry

Scheduled Meals

Teaching Children to Help

How to Acquire Pretty Things for the Kitchen

Picnics and Journeys

Packing Children's Lunches

Taking Care of the Sick and Injured

Food Budget

Holiday Dinners

Setting up Family Recipes

Called to the Table

The Dinner Hour

The second section presents photographs from my home of a variety of ways to serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are sample menus included for each meal. These are called "house specials" and are selections you will commonly find at our house. You will be encouraged to set the table in inviting ways to bring a blessing to your family while staying within a budget.

The third section shares 16 recipes from my kitchen, along with black-and-white photographs.  There are detailed instructions for each recipe.

Throughout the book you will find a scattering of hymns, prayers, and KJV Bible verses to bring inspiration to your home.

This book is designed to help the Christian homemaker restore something very precious. It is the love of care and service in the home.

 

 

   - An Old Fashioned Cookbook -

Available in both paperback and hardcover editions.

"Serving in the Kitchen: Cookbook with Recipes, Advice, and Encouragement for the Christian Home"

152 pages, paperback.

ISBN: 978-1956616194

If you are able to help with getting the word out about the cookbook, I would appreciate it so much! Thank you!

Blessings

Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Encouraging Testimony of the Mother of D.L. Moody - Poverty in the 1800's. 

Some History of Being - Just a Housewife. 

Finding happiness at Home - Days without Spending Money.

It is an Honor - The Blessing of Homemaking.

- To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

Gracious House Keeping - My New Book

~ Our newest book, brought to you by "The Legacy of Home Press." ~



Here is a description from the back cover:

---------------------------------

 ~ A little book of cheer to inspire you in cleaning and house keeping. ~


Children are growing up in families where, it seems, there isn't anyone at home. Yet keeping house is a greatly needed occupation and I believe we just need a little encouragement and inspiration.

In this small book I will describe a basic routine for cleaning the house. Once our cleaning foundation is settled, I will share the most important part of keeping house. This is what the house keeper does with her time. It includes her cheerfulness, the peace she creates, the work she does, her gentle frugality, and the culture she is providing for her loved ones. 

Special Features include:

- KJV Bible Verses to bring comfort and peace.

- Beautiful paintings of home and family life, from the 1800's, by Currier and Ives.

-----------------------------------

The chapters include:

Part 1 - Encouragement

1. Introduction  

2. The Lived - in House Dilemma

3. The Daily Work

4. The Five Day Homemaking Plan

5. Restful Weekends

6. Manners in the Home

7. Make Home Life Pretty

8. The Work Basket

9. Hand Sewing Projects

10. Charitable Service

11. A Real Old Fashioned Home

 Part 2 - The Work Charts. (This includes both daily and weekly work.)

 

Throughout the book you will find encouraging Bible verses, and beautiful old paintings (in black and white) to inspire you in your homemaking.

 There is also some encouragement for those who are chronically ill or do not have much energy to do a lot of work. 

I hope this book cheers you along in your work as house keeper.

 

The book is now available for sale at Amazon, in both paperback and hardcover editions.

"Gracious House Keeping: Advice, Encouragement, and Cleaning Help for the Christian Housewife."

ISBN: 978-1956616187   ( 6 x 9, Paperback, 115 pages.)

ISBN: ‎ 978-1956616200    (6 x 9, Hardcover, 115 pages.)

Any help in spreading the word would be very much appreciated.  Also, if you are able to write a review on Amazon, it would be so helpful! Thank you so much! 

Blessings, 

Mrs. White

 

From the Archives - 

What Many of Us Crave - An Ordinary Life at Home.

Help for when you feel like - Neglecting the Housework.

Something We All Need  - Peace Be Upon This House.

- To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Old Fashioned Budget

~ Our newest book, brought to you by "The Legacy of Home Press." ~

Here is a description from the back cover:

---------------------------------
   It is easier to earn money than it is to save it.  We really need to remember what it was like generations ago when saving money was a common way of life.   In this book I will share many ideas and a history of old time thrift.

I will explain how to start a financial journal (or money diary) as a bookkeeping tool to carefully monitor the household spending.  I will describe, in detail, how to set up an old fashioned, modest budget without using modern categories of spending that were unheard of by humble families in previous generations.

   You will be intrigued to read how a wife can carefully manage bookkeeping for the home in a family of limited means.

There are many modern budgets for the middle and upper classes.  Here you will find financial help for those living simply on a small income.
 ---------------------------------

Details:

 Every business has its own bookkeeper.  In like manner, every home ought to have a designated person to manage the household income. This slim volume is intended to inspire you to want to do your own bookkeeping for the home.

The chapters include:

1. Introduction  (Why we need a budget and bookkeeping method for families living on a small income.)

2. The Chosen (Will it be the husband or the wife who will keep the books?)

3. A Simple Budget  (An old fashioned, thrifty budget without modern categories of spending.)

4. We'll Get By  (Ideas and explanation for managing on a small income.)

5.  Yankee Thrift  (Old time thinking about saving money and practical living.)

6. Bookkeeping for the Home  (Fictitious Families are introduced to describe how this works.)

7. Money Diary  (Several Questions are answered to describe how to keep track of spending.)

8. The Writing Desk  (Inspired by the photograph on the front cover of the book - gives old time ideas of managing the house accounts, with practical suggestions.  - The picture was taken a few months ago by Mrs. White. It is the writing desk in the sitting room of Mrs. Robert Lincoln at her historic summer mansion in Vermont.)

9. The Old Fashioned Budget  (Detailed explanation of how to do this, along with an example from our fictitious family. Includes practical ways of really saving money.)

10.  A Trusted and Diligent Bookkeeper  (Full of helpful ideas on saving money and living on a small income. This can be accomplished with a trusted wife as she diligently manages the finances.)

The Appendix includes photographs of a handwritten budget and a sample spending diary.

I explain exactly what tools I use to do my bookkeeping (in a simple, old fashioned way).  I have been using this method for more than 30 years as a housewife. Like all families, we have had our share of mistakes. But the principles contained in this book have helped our family get through the good times and the bad.


This slim, 77 page, paperback book is now available:

An Old Fashioned Budget: Humble Financial Management for the Christian Housewife.








Any help in spreading the word would be very much appreciated.  Also, if you are able to write a review on Amazon, it would be so helpful! Thank you so much!

 Blessings,

 Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Gratefully Living on a Small Income - Standard of Living.

The Reality - Retirement Planning for the Poor.

Old Time Wisdom from Colonial Days - To Earn and Not to Spend.


 - To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

Feeding the Family

Mrs.White shopping with one of her Grandchildren in Vermont


 

Home Economics training for young ladies used to be essential, especially when it came to feeding a family.  Girls studied nutrition, cooking, baking, and careful shopping.  We need to start focusing on this again.

There was a wonderful market in my hometown in Massachusetts.  It was called, "The Fruit Center." It was a beautiful store and contained the freshest quality produce you could find. (Across the street you could see the harbor with a little public beach, and, off in the distance, was a view of the city of Boston!)  The prices were affordable, and the displays were inviting.  Quite a few homes had small gardens in this suburban area, but when we needed to supplement the harvest, or buy things out of season, we went to "The Fruit Center."

Here in rural Vermont I am finding it harder and harder to find delicious fresh foods all year round.  I can understand why many grow their own food and preserve it for the winter season.  However, I did manage to freeze some of the strawberries and blueberries from my tiny gardens this summer.

My Mother did a marvelous job feeding us nourishing foods throughout our childhood.  We always had milk and orange juice.  She cooked wonderful, comforting suppers for us every single night. Breakfast was always nourishing and our lunches were mostly eaten at work or school. She was very careful with her grocery budget and made sure we had quality food to eat.  She would not buy junk food.  If we wanted something foolish like that, we had to use our own money. 

There is a sort of laid back attitude these days when it comes to providing food for our kitchens.  I see a lot of young adults buying mostly processed foods, frozen convenience dinners, and lots of pizza.  They are buying what is easy and not necessarily what is healthy.

I remember watching an old episode of "Happy Days." After all the family sat down for dinner, the youngest child grimaced when looking at her plate.  Mom had made liver.  (shudder)  It was more common for homemakers to serve nourishment for the evening meal, rather than what everyone wanted.  I don't remember my mother asking any of us what we wanted to eat.  She just made the food and we ate it.  Of course, she would notice when we enjoyed something more than usual - such as her spaghetti and meatballs!   But always, there were fresh vegetables along with a good, hot, homemade meal.

I once read of Rose Kennedy ordering her dinners at home by telling her servants what she wanted.  In the morning at breakfast time, she would go over her plan for the evening meal with the paid staff.  It was up to them to make sure any shopping or cooking was done in plenty of time to serve the food. 

In the instance of a wealthy family with a hired cook or a homemaker doing her own work, there is a requirement of planning, budgeting, and overseeing the work of providing good, nutritious food for one's household. 

This should not be taken lightly.  It will take hours of work each week to shop, write lists, plan meals, and then to actually prepare food each and every day of the week. 

To make this work more pleasant, we ought to find ways to enjoy the shopping and the kitchen duties.

 I try to shop in my favorite stores when they are not very busy. That way I can take my time. Sometimes I have grandchildren with me. At other times I might have a grown son who will help me with the unloading of groceries.  Rarely, though, do I shop alone.  I find it more fun to have company when I do necessary errands.

Our kitchen ought to be inviting and pretty. It should be the place we will enjoy spending a great deal of time.  My old time cabinets are painted a light purple.  It is a cheery kitchen which makes me smile.  I enjoy baking and cooking while sitting on a tall kitchen chair.  I have my radio nearby so I can listen to old time gospel singing or sermons on CD.  My parlour table is in sight as I work. I try to make it all clean and pretty so I can work in a happy, pleasant environment.

Feeding our guests and family good quality food does not have to be expensive.  It does not have to be fancy.  Basic, recurring menus are perfectly okay and used to be common in households.  There are ways to keep costs down.  Here are a few of my posts, from the archives, that might help:


Why the High Cost of Food?

The Thrifty Kitchen

How the Old Time Mothers Survived Poverty


I am planning to stock up on several items over the next few months for our long, cold winters.  I will have to reorganize my shelves and cabinets to make room.  I will also make a list of basic "inventory" items so we can avoid running out of things in case I forget.  I am just about to make a weekly menu, something I haven't done for quite some time.  I have been slacking on being efficient and wise in my kitchen work.  Lately, I have not been taking it seriously. I have fallen into the common ways of being too laid back. 

I have to say this.... I believe part of the sliding of kitchen values has to do with the lack of a supper table.  People are eating on the couch in front of the television more now than ever before.  I have even heard of many people who never even use their table.   Let's bring back the old time family meal at mother's table!

This effort is just another adventure in homemaking.  It is something we can do with a smile. We can take care of ourselves and our families by doing the necessary work of shopping and baking and cooking.

I am off to bring a revival to my kitchen!

Blessings
Mrs. White

From the Archives - 

It is all I ever want to be - Secretary to the Master. 

Peaceful, quiet Living - Sunday Driver. 

Ration Books from 1942 and helpful advice - Adapting to the High Cost of Living.

 

 - To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

Mrs. White's special book for Homemakers -

 "Mother's Book of Home Economics."

312 pages, paperback.

Poor and Pretty Living

Library of Congress: Baking bread using 1920 Potomac Electric Appliances

The lower my income gets, the harder I work to live on my reduced resources. It is a challenge to make home look pretty without any money. There is tremendous labor in preparing homemade food when you cannot afford the convenience or take - out version.

We can bring homemade touches to our humble homes. It is so nice to have a beautiful environment at home. It makes cooking and cleaning more pleasant.

I have a full length white curtain in one of my doorways.  It adds charm to a spot where there is no door in this old 1800's house.  When some of our shades, on a few of our windows, became unusable, we put up some panel curtains found in an old box. This was a way to give us some privacy in the evenings without spending any money.

Over the weekend, I visited one of my grown sons at his job. He works at a beautiful Vermont Inn and Restaurant. On his break, he walked the grounds with me.  He showed me beautiful varieties of roses growing by a large arbor.  They looked lovely on the Vermont landscape.  The owner suggested he cut some of the flowers for me. I was delighted.  I took home a pretty pink rose and a bright red one.  It was as if someone had given me a priceless treasure.  These now sit in a small white vase on my kitchen window sill.  It is a touch of class and beauty because of the story behind them.

I have often seen homes of the wealthy.  They have landscapers do marvelous things with their property.  There are often amazing designs and lush gardens.  I have also seen homes of the middle and lower classes who have beautiful flower gardens.  I have never had such things on my property because, frankly, I do not have the money for mulch, soil, plants or seeds.  A solution for the poor, I have found, is to enjoy wildflowers that cost nothing! (It is also possible to buy seeds for these on clearance at the end of the season for as little as a quarter. Using expired seeds the following spring often works just as well.)  This makes one's property look what is commonly called, "Shabby Chic."  The beauty is in the words and the attitude! This helps one to love what one has and to be content.

I have a few old aprons that have been worn down from years of use. I need to make a new one with some charming fabric I bought some time ago for a special occasion.  The work in making the apron provides me with a happy satisfaction.  Wearing a homemade, pretty apron is a lovely way to keep house.

With recent health trials, I have gotten out of the habit of wearing a nice necklace and doing a bit of dressing up as I do my homemaking duties.  As we face living in poverty, I want to do a better job of presenting my home with class and style using what I already have in my wardrobe. This reminds me of something I recently read about American patriotism in war time.  Many families of means did not buy new clothes even though they had plenty of money. They were told to save resources for the war effort by using what they already had or making things over with what was at home.  These mothers and girls were used to buying a new dress for every social event that came along. They would have a full season of invitations in society and had to dress the part.  How wonderful for them to take their current clothes and do a little sewing to remake them into something new without spending any money!

These days we can take the time to repair our clothes such as sewing up a little rip in a sleeve, or tightening a button on a sweater.  We can make our clothes stay pretty and nice with our own hands.  This costs nothing.

I have a lovely blue sofa in my parlour that needs recovering.  That is simply impossible. Instead, I have placed a beautiful delicate sheet, which I inherited from my mother, over it. It looks homey and sweet. This is part of living poor and pretty.

Setting an elegant table can be done by using regular place settings at the kitchen table, rather than having everyone eat at a coffee table in front of television.  If a formal style dinner can be done at least for the evening meal, it will boost morale among those families living in poverty and cheer them along.  These formal dinners can be simple foods like cornbread, fried potatoes and beans. It does not have to be fancy, but the setting of the table, and the use of dinner napkins, saying grace, and sitting all together is what makes it precious and special.

Many more people than we realize, these days, are living poor. We can make it pretty and almost fun with creativity in our days and the use of our time.

Blessings
Mrs. White


From the Archives -

Please be one of these - A Wife Who Does Not Complain.

Have you Joined the Group? - Mother's Benevolent Society.

Happy Times - Walking the Gardens with Baby.



  - To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

Mrs. White's special book for homemakers:

 "Introduction to Home Economics:  Gentle Instruction to Find Joy in Christian Homemaking."

 Paperback, 200 pages. 

Happy Home Keeper

 Maureen O'Hara with her Mother in 1948.

It is so nice to be in charge of a home.  It is like being a hostess to all who enter.  We are responsible for many things. We do our best to keep the home nicely decorated and clean. We keep a watch on the kitchen pantry to ensure there is plenty of nutritious, economical food. We do our best to avoid waste and are inventive with our resources.

How nice it is to take a break from overseeing the many facets of home keeping to sit and visit with guests - family and friends who stop in from time to time!

One of the most important things I've found to do is to get up a little earlier than all the rest to get dressed and ready for the day.  I have more patience and kindness when I have some quiet moments to prepare for the day. Then I am ready to face whatever comes, with a cheerful attitude.

Yesterday I had spent a few hours doing paperwork, paying bills, and sorting the mail.  I also had to make phone calls about different matters of insurance and bills.  A few times, as I worked, I was anxious and upset. But I prayed and was able to quickly regain my composure. Bills and other such stresses are normal parts of our lives and there is nothing whatsoever to panic about.  All is well, while we do the paperwork. And all is well, when it is finished.

I had on a pretty apron and was all dressed up to stay home.  I baked and cooked and cleaned. I was delighted when company stopped by, and an outside project was started.  My boys were busy putting up a screened - in tent back by the river. It is delightful!

It is nice to take down the bedding, get it washed, and put fresh sheets on the beds.  It is also pleasant to wash curtains and freshen up the windows.  These are some of the pleasant jobs of home keeping.

I have hand-sewing projects put aside for those idle moments when I want to keep busy while resting at the same time.   Soon I hope to get an old sewing machine working so I can make little dresses for one of my granddaughters.

I have a wooden tray for lovely hospitality.  When guests are here (even if it is just extended family), I can use the tray to serve iced tea and brownies.  The tray is just a special way to add a touch of class to our lives.

We dress and act in a classy way regardless of the noise and antics of a busy household. This bring an example of calmness and peace to those around us.  . .  We are the anchors of gentleness and grace in the home.

Whenever we have to go out, it is always nice to put on a pretty dress and a nice necklace.  This helps bring a bit of formality and elegance to our demeanor.  I recently heard of a sweet comment spoken by a butler who was in charge of young children in the home. This was in the 1960's.  They were getting ready to go out.  The Butler said (in his British accent), "One does not venture out into public dressed like a ragamuffin." (gentle smiles). Sometimes we just have to be reminded of good manners.

Of course, our clothing doesn't have to be expensive;  But clean and neat and decent is certainly necessary.  Just like our homes!  We don't need rich furnishings or rich foods. A homemade home is much more charming because it is made with creativity, love, and dedication!  A Home keeper ought to take pride in her home and the work she does there.

 A job worth doing ought to be done with all our might.

Blessings
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

As Lovely as This - The Cultured Society of Home.

A Simple Life - Living Without Credit Cards.

Passing it on to the Next Generation - Building a Strong Work Ethic in Our Children.

 - To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

 

Find Home-keeping Inspiration, in Mrs.White's book -Mother's Book of Home Economics .  Paperback, 312 pages.

Nobody Wants to Clean a Messy House

Library of Congress: Heath Family in the Kitchen, 1942 Connecticut.

Cleaning to me is part of decorating. I go through the house and tidy things up and make them look pleasant to the eyes.  Home decorating is a way to create a nice atmosphere for the family.  This is done without money. It is done everyday when the chairs are made neat and pillows are fluffed. It is when furniture polish makes surfaces bright and gleaming in the afternoon sun.  It creates an ambiance.

I clean throughout the day, or else things will get out of control. I clean whenever I see something out of place, as I walk by the way. (Of course, stopping at a certain hour to end the day's work and enjoy some leisurely rest.)  I clean a neat home, but of course the work is a little harder at mealtime when the most work is needed to be done.

But nobody wants to clean a mess.

We have all walked into an unattended kitchen and seen spills and crumbs and dishes all over the place.  This is a messy mess and no one wants to go in there.  Very often this happens when it has been left to the care of children or teenagers.  They just don't have the experience to keep things nice and keep messes decent.

We have also seen a child's bedroom that looked like a tornado had been there.   No housekeeper would walk in there without sighing.  This is not a pleasant type of cleaning!  So we call in the child and we put them through a training session. I love to make these humorous.  I will say to the child, "I wonder what happened in here?"  To which the child will shrug and look around to survey the damage. It is almost like the child was oblivious to the mess until mother pointed it out.  I smile and say, "Well, let's clean this together."  Do you know why I don't demand the child do it alone? Because that would be unfair and too much. It is obvious that help is needed to get things under control.  I also use this time to re-teach how to do the work.  And lecture about cleanliness. This not only gets the message through, but sometimes bores the child so much they would rather have the room kept clean than have mother talk about cleaning for hours! (gentle smiles)

I will show the child how to make the bed by taking all the bedding and throw it on the floor. I will put on a sheet, arrange the pillow and make the bed.  I will talk while I do it, as if I am sharing how to make a meal from a recipe.  When it looks nice and neat, I will say something like, "See? Doesn't that look better?"  When the child's face brightens (probably because he thinks he got out of making his own bed), I will say, "Now it's your turn." I will take all the bedding and throw it back on the floor. Then I will watch and direct while the child remakes his own bed. 

Next we go to the bureau drawers. I start with one drawer.  We sort the junk from the clothes and fold and make things neat. Then I take it all back out and put it on the floor. The child redoes each drawer on his own, just like we made the bed. 

We go on to the bookcase, the floor, and all through the room until I have shown how to clean it all, and the child has redone my work. 

Granted, I must have time to do all this, and it only happens a couple of times a year.  But once the training session is done, that child does not want to hear me say, on another day, "Hey, do you want me to help you clean your room?"  (smiles)  Because now they have learned that it is quicker and easier to just do it on their own.

We can do this with any room in the house - the kitchen, the living room. We can re-do jobs with the children until they are ready to take on the chores responsibly and on their own.  Children should be taught to spend between one and two hours a day in personal cleanliness and chores. This is something they will have to do all through their lives.

However, sometimes when we mothers are too overwhelmed, sick, or tired, we might just walk into one of those messy rooms, sigh, and say we will work on it later.  We will just have to make that mess look pretty, rest up, and then get the help from the family to retrain and make the home look nice again.

This, of course, is the training ground for children to gain an excellent work ethic.  These skills we teach, to have a clean home where their own labor made it happen, is what helps build character.

Blessings
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Joyful Days - Gracious Homemaking.

Financial Adventure - Living in Reduced Circumstances. 

- To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

Find Home-keeping Inspiration, in Mrs. White's book - For The Love of Christian Homemaking.  Paperback, 274 pages.

Surviving Financially

LOC: Noah Garland's barns and home on the hillside, Appalachian Kentucky, 1940.

Many of us are struggling financially. The culture around us is debt-ridden and debt - dependent. This brings about an illusion of suffering. What do I mean by that? Well, if we live in America, "wealth" (compared to third world countries), our standard of living, our standard of "need" becomes distorted.   We think that if we don't have a new vehicle, we are poor.  We think that if we don't have a nice house to live in, we are poor.  We think that if we don't have enough money to go on vacation, or that we don't have enough gas money to go out for a drive, we are poor.  We think that if we can't buy junk food today, we are poor.  This has taken away a great deal of our courage in financial survival.

We have become weak, and pampered, when it comes to standard of living.

Last summer, I wrote about how my car died.  I have not driven at all since then. It has now been 6 months.  I have been mostly home-bound, other than an occasional ride I get to the market.   Shortly after this happened, my husband's van needed repairs that we couldn't afford. So he started "Yankee - style" repairs on his old Cadillac and got it to barely run.   It has failed him repeatedly in the last few months and is on the verge of dying.  He is now getting rides to and from work from co-workers.  We have old cars.  We obviously need a new one.  We have no debt, and little savings, so we must save and scrimp until we have the money for one.  We have suffered for the last 6 months, but we know that we are going to be okay.

It used to be that people had to walk many miles each day.  They had to work much harder to grow, gather and preserve food.  Today, we have buses and cars and large supermarkets. We don't have to make clothes for our entire family, we can buy them inexpensively.  There is less worry and less work.  We have it much easier.   Yet, when hard times come, when it takes more effort to pay the heating bill, or make food from scratch because we cannot afford the high costs, we have to bravely face each day and know that we are going to be okay.  We need a good outlook and a good attitude.  We need cheerful courage.

This is the Pioneer Spirit. It is the Immigrant Spirit.  We work very hard, we take on the task at hand, live the lot we've been given to our very best, and we wait until the blessing comes.  We work on through the dark, dreary days, waiting for the Spring, or the Rainbow of reward.  Good things will come.  The fruit of our patience and hard work will happen if we don't give up.

In the meantime, we keep praying and making do.  God is with us. Praise Him in all things. We can do this!

Blessings
Mrs. White


From the Archives:

Remembering my Childhood - When Television was Special.

The beauty of a formal morning table - Breakfast at Home.

Mother's work - The Pleasant Task of Cleaning. 

 

 - To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

 

For happiness and cheer in the kitchen:

Mrs. White's old fashioned cookbook focuses on serving meals and setting the table in a humble home.

"Serving in the Kitchen: Cookbook with Recipes, Advice, and Encouragement for the Christian Home"

152 pages, paperback

 

 

 

Mother's Book of Home Economics

Title:  Mother's Book of Home Economics: Remembrances, Letters and Essays from a New England Housewife

by Mrs. White


6" x 9" Paperback, 312 pages.






Description from the Back Cover:

------------------------------------------------- 

"There are many Home Economics books that will teach you important facts, such as how to get out a stain; how to clean your oven; or how to read food labels. This is all valuable information. We should certainly have those kinds of books in our homes. Nonetheless, did you ever just want to enter someone's home and observe how it all works in daily life? Did you ever want to learn about how a family used to keep house, or how it is working today?

   "Mother's Book of Home Economics" will give you that personal touch of Homemaking. It covers subjects like Marriage, Cleaning, Child Care, Manners, Simple Living, Motherhood, Thrift and Holiness. Here you will find a variety of letters, essays and memories about Home Economics. This was written by a New England Housewife, who has been married for more than 25 years."
----------------------------------------------------

There are 121 short chapters, compiled from 4 years of blog writing.

The Index in the back of the book loosely categorizes everything by the following topics:

1. Child Care
2. Cleaning
3. Etiquette
4. Finances
5. Holiness
6. Homemaking
7. Hospitality
8. Kitchen
9. Marriage

Some of the chapter titles include:

1. Chalkboard Prayers
2. How to Teach a 2 - Year old To Clean
3. Mother's Benevolent Society
4. Bossy Wives
5. Saturday Morning Chores
6. How the Old Time Mothers Survived Poverty
7. Home as a Little Christian School
8. Cooking for Mister
9. The Housewife Contract
10. Walking the Gardens with Baby

"The writings are designed to encourage the Christian housewife.  You will feel supported in your decision to stay home and care for your family.  You will also notice a gentle nudging to live the old paths, and find peace there."

- Mother's Book of Home Economics 

312 pages, paperback. 

 

 

I hope you enjoy the book!

blessings
Mrs. White

Basic Cookery

Library of Congress: Setting the table in home economics class,South Carolina, 1939.

 

 

I studied cooking in Home Economics classes when I was a teenager. My mother also gave me freedom in her kitchen. I would look through her cookbook and bake special treats when the pantry ran low.  While Mom did most of the cooking, I was happy cleaning and cooking whenever I got the chance.

In my first home, I enjoyed making meals for my husband.  I still remember our first trip to the local supermarket.  We were so excited to pick out our own groceries, together.  I made his breakfast, packed his lunch, and made his dinner each night.  With a small household, and a decent income from his job, we didn't have much to worry about financially.

As more and more children came into the home, I had to learn to make many things from scratch, with the ingredients I had on hand.  I remember going to the local library and finding all kinds of old cookbooks.  I borrowed them, and found recipes that would work well for my family.   Many of these recipes (like breads and stews) were made so many times that I memorized them.  If I really loved a borrowed cookbook, I would save up and buy my own copy.

Frugal, or thrifty, cooking is a valuable skill for the housewife.  People often share recipes, which is good.  However, many families have different tastes.  Some have allergies.  We also live in different climates and have a different cultural basis for what we eat.   In the Boston area, fresh lobster and clam chowder is common, whereas, they may not be staple menu items in a little town in Idaho.    Restaurants in Florida serve the most delicious fresh orange juice you could ever taste!  They are known for their oranges and have them in abundance.   We have to make use of what is available and low cost, in our area.  It is important to learn how to adjust recipes to work in our own kitchens.

It is a common cliché for mothers to save money by serving "rice and beans."   This might work for many, but not in my house.  One cannot always save money by doing what the masses suggest.  We have to remember to serve foods that our own family will enjoy.  Cooking basic foods from scratch will save money.  Serving carefully portioned- sized- meals and storing leftovers will also save money.  

To learn basic cooking skills my favorite book is The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook.  It boasts 1,400 recipes!  The pictures are stunning and are set up almost encyclopedia - like.   My children used to love to look at all the pictures and say, "Let's make this one!"   You will learn to make easy breads, muffins, meats, and all kinds of dinners and desserts.  Once you learn the basics of these foundational recipes, you can start adjusting ingredients to meet the needs of your family. 

Basic cooking also means you have freedom from the supermarket sales ads.  Certainly buy hamburger or chicken only when they are priced reasonably.  But you can make so many different things with them. The store will recommend processed foods to go with the meats. Cooking from scratch means we don't need those items. You will no longer be a slave to what is on sale.

 When we buy hamburger in a "family sized" package, I take it home and divide it up into smaller portions.  I then put each meal's serving in a gallon Ziploc bag and freeze it.   Even though we have a lot of people in this house, I only cook with that small amount of meat. It is the ingredients that go with it, that make the meal stretch - the vegetables, the bread, etc.   I love the older cookbooks from the 1960's that have old menus that go along with the recipes. This was from a time when portion sizes were much smaller than those of today.  The fun in the dinners had a lot to do with the beverages, the way the vegetables were prepared, and the lovely way in which it was all presented. 

Nourishment was key, and homemade was the most nourishing of all.

I realize we mothers have days of being exhausted and can't do as much as we would like.  But when you are in the habit of cutting and washing vegetables for stew, or whipping up a quick batch of muffins, making food from scratch can be a valuable part of the daily routine.  When all my children were little, I had lots of helpers.  We set to work at the big kitchen table.  I had children rolling out dough, or peeling vegetables.   The bigger children were at the counter or stove stirring sauces, or handling the hot foods, while the safe work was done at the table. Meal preparation was a happy, pleasant way to pass the time with small children.   To them, it was playing!  It got the work done, and the children enjoyed it.  They also loved taking turns serving the food and giggling and visiting at the table.

These days,  I have a barstool in my kitchen. I often sit near the counter to wash dishes, or to make biscuits.  I also have my kitchen radio nearby to hear CDs of gospel music or sermons.  Often my grandbaby is in the highchair watching me work. He plays with bowls and lids and has a wonderful time.  The kitchen can be a happy place to be, making frugal cooking a pleasant part of life.


Blessings
Mrs. White

From the Archives:

Remembering my Childhood - When Television was Special.

The beauty of a formal morning table - Breakfast at Home.

Mother's work - The Pleasant Task of Cleaning.

  - To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

Find Home-keeping Inspiration, in Mrs.White's book

 - For The Love of Christian Homemaking.  

Paperback, 274 pages.

Home Shopping (History and Warning)

Ordering from the Sears Catalog, 1940 (LOC).

 
It used to be that every home had a Sears Roebuck Catalog.  This was a large book containing every kind of item you could possibly need.  It was a published mercantile for the home.   We would fill out order forms and mail in our order; Then eagerly wait for the postal delivery!   We children were often seen with the catalog, dreaming about the clothes, toys, and decorations we wanted.

Years later, they stopped publishing.  New ways of shopping were coming into fashion, and perhaps mothers at home were becoming more mobile - more able to go out to the stores. Mass shopping, for fun and recreation, was gaining popularity.   One of the saddest days in American family history, was the day Sears stopped printing their catalog. 

In the late 1980's cable television started appearing in homes.  This also brought a home shopping channel.  We were able to sit under constant sales pitches, and put under pressure, to order within the next 5 minutes or the item would be "gone."   Many bought jewelry, decorations and clothing through the telephone.  The panic of the ending sale played with the emotions and made us feel like we had to have it now.  . . This was the beginning of brainwashing (or brain-training) to turn the culture into a shopping- focused society, rather than a home- and- family focused society. Prudence, diligence, patience and hard work were being slowly eroded from our characters.

Today, we have Internet sales, and online shopping options.  This is certainly helpful for those who are generally homebound, or unable to get out much.  But we are still seeing the "buy now," and the "sale ending tonight" pressure that we never saw in the old Sears Catalog.  If we are not aware of these sales gimmicks, and are not armed with knowledge to fight off the fear of not "getting that sale price,"  we will be sucked into the lure of shopping for recreation; buying things we don't need, and of shopping without hesitation or prudence. 

Shopping from the comfort of one's home, with seed catalogs and Lehman's catalogs, while gathered around the kitchen table, are good ways of slowing down the spending process.  We may dream over the items, plan what we will do with them, and carefully come up with a wise shopping decision.  This is one way to counteract the consumer craze that has taken over our nation.

Blessings
Mrs. White


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Overcoming Hard Times with Grace

A Summer view of one of the lakes near our home in Vermont.

In this economy, many of us are struggling. There is a confusion added to this, about standard of living.  We see magazine covers at supermarkets of beautiful homes and elaborately prepared foods.  We see television programs about rehabbing houses, and making them "livable" with the latest upgrades.  This is like an upgrade in standards, and it costs far more money than most of us can manage.

It used to be that thrift stores and churches had decent clothes available for free, or for a meager cost.  Many mothers used to talk about the missionary barrel.  When times were hard, they would find clothes and remake them with what they had at home.  They made lovely things with their own efforts, out of cast-offs.   

Mothers were able to create recipes based on what was left in the pantry, rather than what was for sale in the store.

Home repairs and maintenance was done to survive, with scrounged supplies, or inexpensive parts to make-do, for those with little money.

I realize we need certain skills to create out of little, but we can certainly learn. 

Money used to mean something different than it does today.  Money was for basic housing and basic needs, and an occasional treat, rather than for splurging and spending on what we want right now.  [Or what we think we need in this confusing, consumerist, culture.]

We need a good does of the history of the family during hard times.  We need to read about the depression-era mothers, the pilgrims, and the pioneers to find a way to overcome the culture of today, with dignity and grace.


Blessings
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Peaceful living From the Old Days - Sunday Driver. 

Old Time Manners - Waiting for the Door to Be Opened.  

Living on a Small Income - Standard of Living. 

 

  - To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

 

Find Home-keeping Inspiration, in Mrs.White's book - For The Love of Christian Homemaking.  

 

Paperback, 274 pages.


 

 

Writing Out the Old Home Recipes

Some of my grown children are asking me for our family recipes, so they can cook and bake in their own kitchens.  It would be very easy for me to write them out on index cards and ship them off in the mail.  But how much more fun would it be to make a little handmade booklet of family recipes, cooking hints, and little family remembrances to go with it?

I have some pretty green heavy stock paper. I can use this as a cover.  I will fold it in half, to make it resemble a little booklet. Inside will be plain white paper, folded as well.  I can staple this in the center to "bind" the book.

To have a little fun, I can title it something like, "Recipes from The White House,"  or "The Little Book of Cookery from The White House."  [One must find ways of enjoying one's name when the situation arises.]

I have 12 common dinner recipes, several lunches, and a few breakfasts.   To this, I will add some baking recipes, and economical snack ideas.  I will also write an estimate of how much each recipe will cost.

Yesterday, I had full charge of my kitchen. (In other words, I did all the work alone.)  I made my boys a nice lunch of homemade pizza.  I cleaned the kitchen throughout the day.  As the sun began to set, I asked one of them, "Will you be needing a baked good this evening?"  He didn't know what I meant by that (smiles).  So I translated, "Do you want me to bake something for you?" Well, of course He did!  I made peanut butter, chocolate chip muffins.  Then I told the boys I was off duty for the night and they were to have sandwiches or leftovers if they got hungry later.  I walked out of that very clean kitchen, with the dim lamplight shining on those delicious muffins.  . . These are the kinds of memories of home that my grown children miss.

I think it is more precious to take one's time creating things of lasting value that will be cherished.  My book of family cookery will be humbly made with humble recipes.   But it will take me a few weeks, as I sit by the window, in great-grandmother's rocking chair, and write out the history of our kitchen for the next generation.

Blessings
Mrs. White


From the Archives -

Good advice from Colonial Days - To Earn and Not to Spend.

The Way it is for Many - Retirement Planning for the Poor.

How Nice it is to Be - Just a Housewife.

- To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

 

For happiness and cheer in the kitchen:

Mrs. White's old fashioned cookbook (published in 2023) focuses on serving meals and setting the table in a humble home.

"Serving in the Kitchen: Cookbook with Recipes, Advice, and Encouragement for the Christian Home"

152 pages, paperback

Mother's Home Cooking

Library of Congress: Sunday dinner on the McLelland homestead, 1942.

 

In my shopping bag were familiar name brands of groceries. I had Campbells soup, Tony's Pizza, Keebler cookies, and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.  I was waiting for someone, and just thinking.  Then I realized that I had just bought convenience foods that took little effort to make.  While this is common in this modern day, it takes away the joy of enjoying Mother's home cooking.  If I had just bought some flour, sauce, cheese, chocolate chips, pasta and vegetables, I could have most of the ingredients I needed to make these foods myself.  

Something is missing in my home, when my husband and children are more excited to see a grocery bag full of name brand foods, rather than being excited when I serve them a delicious homemade supper.

Have I really paid the convenience food industry to take away one of the most precious jobs of motherhood and wifehood? That of being the one to bring joy to the home by my home cooking?

Have you ever heard of travellers who eat in restaurants and diners, yet dream about sitting in the kitchen of a traditional home and just having a good home cooked meal? Can that even be found anymore in this day?

In my old cookbooks from the 1960's, there are sections with wonderful advice for the home cook.  There are tips and tricks and detailed instructions which teach any aspiring cook how to make a good meal herself.    With practice and time and a lot of patience, most homemakers can get back to the old arts of cooking.  These homemakers can Take Back the Kitchen! 

This will bring better health to our families, joy to their hearts, and a better quality of life.  This will also create a bond and tighten the love and happiness at home.  Much money will be saved when mother cooks her own foods.  Children and husband will also have appreciation and gratefulness for the sweet lady in the kitchen who  (gladly and willingly) takes time and effort to prepare their food. 

Many years ago, when frozen dinners and convenience foods were introduced to the general public, skilled housewives thought it was an insult and refused to buy such things!  How lovely it would be to have that same pride and capableness of taking on the joyous task of doing our own home cooking!

Blessings
Mrs. White


 

From the Archives -

Simple and Frugal Living with a Waltons' Budget - Old Time Homemaking.

Homemaking Help - Pacing Oneself to Keep House. 

Lovely Days at Home - A Home to Keep.

Mrs. White's special book for homemakers:"Introduction to Home Economics:  Gentle Instruction to Find Joy in Christian Homemaking." Paperback, 200 pages. 

 

 

 

  - To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -