General

Good Morning… 

Sunday May 16,2010
Family Bibles from Germany 1875 and 1881
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
I Thessalonians 5:16-18
Have a wonderful day…ENJOY!

Family Treasures… Read More »

175 Years ago…
I found this pocket map many years ago in an old desk on the farm. It now sits in a letter holder on my desk, I have often looked at it and wondered what’s it’s story…so I decided to do some research on this unique little book and here is what I found out…

A significant map publisher of the developing United States, Samuel Augustus Mitchell (S A Mitchell) was born in 1792.

 His important Travellers’ Guide through the United States was published in 1835 and his atlas of outline maps was published in Philadelphia in 1839. His new Universal Atlas was published from 1846 in a variety of formats.

My map goes to the Missouri Territory. I’m sure this map was used when my great-great-great grandfather come from Lycoming County Pennsylvania to Whetstone Twp. Crawford County Ohio in 1835
They setteled near the town of  Bucyrus, in Crawford County Ohio 

His father, my great-great-great-great grandfather came from Germany to the Port of Philadelphia on the ship Fair America from the Port of Amsterdam in October of 1803 and settled in Hepburn Twp in Lycoming County Pa. till the family moved on west to Ohio.


Notice how BIG this little book becomes…

The index also contains some other interesting information…
The man responsible for these inovative maps: Samuel Augustus Mitchell (1792, Bristol, Connecticut – December 20, 1868, Philadelphia) was an American geographer.



Mitchell worked as a teacher before turning to publish geography textbooks and maps. Sales of his 24 works reached an annual sale of over 400,000 copies


For over 50 years, Samuel Augustus Mitchell and his successors and son were one of the most prominent publishers of maps and atlases in the United States.


Samuel Augustus Mitchell was born in Bristol, Connecticut on March 20, 1792. His father emigrated from Scotland in 1773. While little is known about his early schooling, it is know that Mitchell found the quality of early geography text books to be lacking, and determined that he would write and publish better works. This decision led him to relocate to Philadelphia in 1829 or 1830, which was then the center of commercial publishing in America.


Following publication of the New American Atlas, Mitchell began issuing the individual maps in pocket map format. Beginning in 1834, Mitchell began offering reduced sized Tourist Pocket Maps of a number of states in the United States. J.H. Young and D. Haines are listed as the engravers on these maps. In 1832, Mitchell offered the first edition of his Travellers Guide Through the United States, A Map of the Roads, Distances, Steam Boat & Canal Routes &c. By J.H. Young . . ., which would become one of his most popular and enduring, works. The map of the United States was done by steel engraving, one of the earliest uses of a steel engraving in map publishing in America. In the same year, the first edition of Mitchell’s Map of the United States, by J.H. Young was issued, bearing the copyright date of October10, 1831. This map would be revised and issued until 1844. Young also compiled A New Map of the United States in 1833. These two wall maps would come to dominate the market and their success led to several later US wall maps issued by Mitchell. This second map was also issued under the title of Mitchell’s Reference and Distance Map of the United States, which was issued until 1851.

Here are a couple of websites I found on the subject;

I think you will see that I have a valuable little piece of American history as well as a great piece of family nostalgia.

     From the Gourmet Farm Girl personal collection

Mitchell’s Travellers Guide through the United States 1835 Read More »

1939
Edition of
Thought I would share another cook book story; this book belonged to my grandmother on my dad’s side. My mother had it in her collection also.
Who was Ruth Berolzheimer, the woman behind this cookbook?

Here is an article I found on line:

An Internet search on “The American Woman’s Cookbook” – edited in 1939 by Berolzheimer and published for the Culinary Arts Institute by Consolidated Book Publishers in Chicago – led to information that shows she was a progressive woman for her era.

The search also led to the author’s 77-year-old nephew, Karl Berolzheimer, a retired lawyer from Evanston, Ill., who said his aunt (his father’s oldest sister) was “way ahead of her time.”

She did not fall into the typical role of women during the early 20th century, he explained. She never had children of her own and pursued a college education instead. She graduated with a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois in 1908, he added.

Then, Berolzheimer went on to do social work, which led to her first involvement with a cookbook. It was a project for a settlement house that helped immigrants in Milwaukee, where she worked.

From there, she moved onto other things, but eventually ended up as an editor for the American Woman’s Cookbook, which “was really her primary life’s work.”

“She came up with the idea to market her cookbooks to home economics departments,” her nephew said, explaining that she would mail-order the books for use as textbooks in their classes.

Her nephews – including Karl – remember working for her when they were in high school, packing and shipping the cookbooks. Millions of copies were sold, he said.

He added that his aunt was one the first authors to put step-by-step photographs – and color photographs at that – in cookbooks. “She was pretty innovative,” he added.
But she was not a good cook, he said with a laugh.

“In fact, my brother and I can’t remember her ever cooking at all,” he said. “It was more a scientific interest to her than actually cooking.”Berolzheimer stayed in the cookbook industry until her retirement. She died about 40 years ago, he added.
Her nephew’s oldest son is a historian and did his dissertation at the University of Virginia on consumerism between 1920 and 1940. He used the cookbook’s table of contents in his work because it is “such a snapshot of our culture at the time,” he said. After handling so many of those cookbooks in his lifetime, Karl Berolzheimer has only about six copies left, he said.Every now and then, someone just like you stumbles onto one,” he said. “It happens every once in awhile.”
(End of story)
  I found a few on E-Bay from 1.99- 24.99

The picture’s are beautiful…
I think I will keep my copy!
From the The Gourmet Farm Girl personal collection

The American Woman’s Cook Book by Ruth Berolzheimer Read More »

I picked some radishes today…matter of fact I picked a lot of radishes today…so my next project is to come up with a recipe to use these distinctive pungent little root veggies…

Did you know the leaves can be used as a leaf vegetable, try some in your salad.


Radishes are rich in ascorbic acid, folic acid, and potassium. They are a good source of vitamin B6, riboflavin, magnesium, copper, and calcium. One cup of sliced red radish bulbs provides approximately 20 calories, largely from carbohydrates.
Visit again…I hope to have a new a unique idea for radishes…
The Gourmet Farm Girl  

The Spring Garden keeps on giving… Read More »

This cook book belonged to my children’s grandmother on their father’s side. She gave it to me many years ago. I have always treasured it (as I do most vintage items) it was printed and published by the Buckeye Publishing Company, Minneapolis Minn. 1880.

This is what I found out about it online; Originally published in 1877, this facsimile edition of Ohio’s premier cookbook from the 19th century covers all facets of cooking and housekeeping including bread making, cake making, confectionary, canning fruits, catsups and sauces, ices and ice cream, pastry, puddings, preserves, soups, management of help, carving, curing meats, hints for the well and sick, and medical and floral advice.

Biography

Estelle Woods Wilcox grew up in Marysville, Ohio (colloquially known as the Buckeye State.) In 1870 she graduated from the Female College of Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, giving a graduation speech on woman suffrage. After working as a cashier in the Marysville bank for several years, she was married in 1874 to Alfred Gould Wilcox, a newspaperman. Before moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota that same year, where her husband managed the Minneapolis Daily Tribune, Wilcox had agreed to compile a charity cookbook for the women of the Marysville First Congregational Church. Working from Minneapolis, Wilcox organized and edited the recipes that Marysville women sent her, and also wrote the introductory essays to the chapters. The book was published in 1876, appropriately titled The Centennial Buckeye Cook Book. Though J.H. Shearer and Son of Marysville were the first publishers, the actual printing was done by the Daily Tribune’s outfit, the Tribune Printers, Engravers and Binders of Minneapolis. The book raised two thousand dollars, which helped the First Congregational Church build a new parsonage.

Estelle Wilcox saw an opportunity to capitalize on her efforts and her situation, and bought the copyright to the book. She and husband formed the Buckeye Publishing Company, and published a second edition in 1877, retitled Buckeye Cookery and Practical Housekeeping (included in this collection.) They also arranged for a concurrent edition to be published in Ohio by the United Brethren Publishing House in Dayton, and the combined sales of both books reached twenty-two thousand. The same year, the Buckeye Publishing Company started a new illustrated monthly magazine entitled The Housekeeper. A domestic advice magazine, it not only addressed typical household concerns, but also encouraged women to earn income outside the home. It wrote about employment opportunities for women, and both the cookbook and the magazine employed women as salespeople. Within a decade, The Housekeeper reached a circulation of 120,000. It succeeded in reinforcing sales of the cookbook by accepting recipes from readers, which were used to update Buckeye Cookery and generate publicity for the new editions. Wilcox worked at the magazine until 1913, when it merged with Ladies’ World to form Ladies’ World and Housekeeper.

Buckeye Cookery went through thirty-two editions, the last in 1905, by which time sales totaled over one million copies. Wilcox published a German edition, a revised version for Southern readers, entitled The Dixie Cookbook, and two other revisions – The New Practical Housekeeping (1890) and The Housekeeper Cook Book (1894). Wilcox, who lived well into the twentieth century, was responsible for one of the most popular cookbooks of the nineteenth century. She passed away in 1943, at nearly ninety-five years old.

Take a look at the newspaper clippings that were tucked away inside. You can definitely tell this book is very old. (Notice the sizing of the pattern for the dress)
 

 

This book will belong to my daughter one day…I know she will treasure it too.

To Jenna with love…mom!

From the personal collection of the Gourmet Farm Girl

The Buckeye Cookery, Cook Books of the Past Read More »

Picture of the local Church where my grandparents attended

I found a pamphlet about the Fortieth Anniversary of the Dedication of the St. John’s Evangelical and Reformed Church
Whetstone Township, Crawford Co. Ohio Sunday June 17, 1945
This is the same church where I went to summer Bible school… it was only a few miles from the farm.


From the county land records, my father discovered that this is also the section of land our ancestors purchase when they first came to Ohio; they sold this parcel and purchased the land where the farm remains yet today. This old church is still there too…it has however changed, as all things do…

Sixty-five years ago… Read More »

If life today were as simple as it seemed so many years ago…? What would we do?
How would we react? No fast coffee, no fast food…just the pure fact that the TIME it takes to make what you desire is what is most important! 

Think about it!

Enjoy your life!

Post ad from the personal collection by The Gourmet Farm Girl

ACME COFFEE AD Read More »

 
I’m home from my Spring Break!
 Had a great time and it was wonderful to visit some of the local eateries of the Florida coast. I am looking forward to trying some of the great recipes and dishes I discovered.  I was given some great ideas from the owners and chefs and as soon as I purchase what is needed…your lookin at some great dinners and suppers; Gourmet Farm Girl Style!!!Spent 6 days looking at this! 
SMILE!
Good night, and God Bless…

I’m back… Read More »

Old Advertising Piece for Farm Equipment
By the Shunk Plow Co, Bucyrus Ohio
from the Gourmet Farm Girl’s personal collection
 
My research on this piece is interesting; Mr. Shunk was born in 1797 and died 1892
He was born in Somerset Co. Pa. and started building his own carpenter tools and his first wagon by the age of eight.
In 1843 he purchaed a patent to manufacture a certain kind of plow and opened his first plant in Xenia Ohio.
In 1854, Mr. Shunk came to Bucyrus and built a brick shop to manufacture his plows along with the Handy Steel Farm Wagons, steel plows, combination plows, contractors’ plows, single shovel plows, potato
diggers, steel plow shapes and steel plow beams made to pattern, gas engine trucks, steel scraper blades, corn harvesters and other steel implements.
I found this picture online from the: List of Photos in the booklet “Beautiful Bucyrus”

“Views in Bucyrus 1911”

Little Bit of History… Read More »

Grilled Rib Steaks with Basil Sautéed Mushrooms
The Gourmet Farm Girl

I picked up my freezer beef today and filled the freezer full of some great looking cuts of beef.

My oldest son not only milks cows but raises beef for this particular reason…

 You can certainly buy great cuts of meat at your local market. I just like having the freshness of the beef that is locally butchered with no color or additives.
Just a couple of tips I have learned over the years when it comes to grilling steak.
Choose a steak that has even marbling throughout. Such good cuts are top loin, which are Rib Steaks, Fillet Mignon or T-Bone.

An hour before grilling, baste with extra virgin olive oil or my Italian Flavored Infused Oil and season the steak with your favorite seasoning or my Farm Girl’s House Seasoning Blend. You can also do this the day before, but I don’t really think you gain much by doing so, unless you are getting into 2-inch thickness or more. If you are adding salt and pepper be sure to add a bit more since it tends to fall off when you place on the grill.
The grill temperature is important; if using charcoal, create two areas on the grill: one area of hotter coals for searing the meat, and a cooler one for cooking and keeping the meat warm. For a gas grill, have the heat medium to high range to sear the steak when you place on the grill; but you will want to lower the heat for the cooking portion.

If you have grilled steaks over the years you most likely have your own techniques and you know by looking at it when it’s time to turn it or remove it. But if you want to be more accurate on the doneness of the meat use a small meat thermometer; 140-145 degrees is rare, 155-160 degrees is medium and over 165 to 170 is well.
 If you don’t have a meat thermometer; another technique is to insert a small metal skewer into the center of the steak and when you remove it place it on the tip of your tongue; if it is just warm you have a rare to medium steak; if it is hot your steak is cooked through and well done. Remember to turn only once for each side or you will lose too much juice.

Remove the steak from the grill when it’s done, and let it cool for about 5-6 minutes. The cooling process allows the juices to seep out and you will a have a steak with juice and a nice brown crust.
1983
He started young…

Basil Sautéed Mushrooms
The Gourmet Farm Girl

8-10 oz’s of fresh Portabella or White Mushrooms       

3-4 T Butter
2-3 cloves of chopped garlic

1 t dried basil or 2-3 Tablespoons fresh chopped basil
1-2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or Italian Flavored Infused oil
Cracked black pepper to taste
Heat the butter and oil in sauté pan over medium to high heat add the seasonings and mushrooms and sauté till tender.
  
Enjoy!

The Freezer Beef is here… Read More »