In This Edition Of Our Somewhat Weekly Magazine:
- Time Capsule: Food Trends of The 1910 Decade
- Spiderweb Cookie Pizza and Other Seasonal Treats
- The Varnum Food Fare
Our Favorite Quote Of The Week ~ “Autumn repays the earth the leaves which summer lent it.” – Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
Time Capsule: Food Trends of The 1910 Decade ~ The processed food industry expanded remarkably during the 1910 – 1920 decade, even as we found ourselves in the middle of WWI by 1917. Inevitably, this resulted in a sort of domestic war at the table as people from different nationalities took sides and turned away from each other’s food delicacies. For instance, many Americans refused to eat hot dogs and sauerkraut, turning instead to American-made “Liberty dogs” and “Liberty cabbage.”
A key turning point in the history of American food occurs in 1912 with the opening of the first self-serve grocery stores. This had a remarkable impact on the food packaging and processing industry, but it was also a result of innovations in these areas. Prior to this, it was common practice to provide a list to the local grocer who would then assemble the required items from a private, back room and shelves behind the shop counter. The average weight seemed to increase as customers became free to shop the aisles for themselves. Health professionals took notice and the first diet book was published in 1918. The first bathroom scale would arrive one year later. The most popular processed foods of the time: Oreo Cookies (clearly a winner), Hellman’s Mayonnaise, Crisco and Marshmallow Fluff.
Spiderweb Cookie Pizza and Other Seasonal Treats ~ Alright, so the kids may indulge in a bit more sugar than usual (hmm, a lot more) in the weeks to come, and the temptation for adults is undeniable. How many give in? Raise your hand. We just raise ours! Well, it does not hurt to look after all, so we went “window shopping” for fun seasonal treat ideas for kids and kids at heart. Here are three of our favorite finds… with a familiar theme:
Pumpkin Spice Spiderweb Cookie Pizza from Crazy For Crust
Leftover Halloween Candy Peanut Butter Cookie Pizza from Miss Information
Candy Bar Brownie Pizza by Garnish With Lemon
The Varnum Food Fare ~ Maple Sugarin’ in Vermont: A Sweet History, by Betty Ann Lockhart. So we’re about to “fall back” to normal time and to celebrate Thanksgiving, and the maple are going to sleep, if they can. We worry about the climate and how this affects them. The colors are coming slowly this year. Or was it the same last year? Will there be a good sugaring season? One thing is certain, sugaring is a solidly grounded tradition. It will endure and the sweet sap will find its way to our tables as long as the human spirit runs through our veins, in one fashion or another. This story began long ago.
“Come along for a trip through maple time in Vermont, from the 1600’s to the mid-twentieth century. Betty Ann Lockhart introduces the origins of the ‘Flavor of Vermont’, the tools of the sugaring trade and the personalities who launched maple sugar to world fame… Enriched with maple-inspired songs, recipes and legends, Maple Sugarin’ in Vermont illuminates the industry and the culture of maple sugar in the Green Mountain State.” – Source: New England Historical Society.
Explore at The Varnum Memorial Library, or at your own local library.
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