This Edwardian peach pie tastes fruity, sweet and sour – it just tastes of summer!
This recipe for homemade peach pie from scratch is from the Edwardian era, it was published in ‘Best Recipes For Baking. A Book For The Home’ in 1907. Like most old recipes from the Victorian and Edwardian era, it’s not very specific! Old recipes usually are like: Make a pie crust, add enough fruit or custard and bake in a moderately warm oven! 😉 Continue reading Edwardian Peach Pie
In the Victorian era, hay was made by hand with a scythe. But even today, a scythe is often used to cut grass and make hay. I love making hay with a scythe – it’s the best full body workout! Every summer, I make hay for our rabbits by hand with a scythe. Besides haymaking, the scythe is also perfect to cut grass on a hill in our garden that is too steep for a lawn mower.
‘Now, whilst the mowers are whetting their scythes, and the fragrant smell of the hay fills the summer air, let us sit on the haycock, and glance at the flowers around us.’ (English Wild Flowers, 1868)
Continue reading How To Make Hay With A Scythe – History Of Haymaking
Doesn’t everybody want beautiful hair? How to make your hair grow … in the Victorian and Edwardian era!
Victorian and Edwardian women prided themselves on their long, luxuriant hair. But not all women (and men) had beautiful hair. Read on to find out what was recommended in the Edwardian era to make your hair grow! Continue reading How To Make Your Hair Grow – Victorian And Edwardian Hair Care
For years I wanted to candy whole fruit and finally I candied whole mandarin oranges, kiwis, pears and cherries! It takes at least 5 days to candy whole fruit but it’s totally worth it!
In the past, I candied watermelon rind, orange slices, cherries and lemon and orange peel. However, I couldn’t find a modern recipe for whole candied fruit. But I finally found historical recipes for whole candied fruit. Yay!
Whole candied fruit – also called crystallized fruit or glaze fruit – were popular in the Victorian and Edwardian era Continue reading Victorian Whole Candied Fruit – Recipe
Edwardian walking dresses: What Edwardian women wore in cold and rainy winter weather and for summer hiking vacations.
‘The very best form of exercise, all doctors agree, is walking. It brings into action every muscle of the body, stimulates the organs and circulation, and provides an interesting amusement, because it is enjoyable. It induces health because it does not overstrain any part of the body, and it brings beauty of form because it gets rid of superfluous tissue, and, at the same time, develops the muscles, thus filling out the hollows and thin places.’ (Every Woman’s Encyclopaedia, 1910-2a)
Edwardians were fond of walking. Even rain didn’t stop them: They believed a walk through rain was an excellent skin toner! But the clothing had to be light and warm so as not to catch cold. Edwardian walking dresses usually consisted of a short leather-lined wool skirt, a wool jacket or sweater, walking boots and a soft felt cap or hat. Continue reading Edwardian Walking Dresses
9 free antique knit and crochet patterns for Edwardian & WW1 tam o’shanter hats!
‘It is often difficult to know what Christmas presents to give […] A warm hat is always serviceable.’ (Marin Journal, 1902)
The Edwardian tam o’shanter or tam hat – a soft knitted or crocheted wool hat – was the everday hat of Edwardian girls and sports hat of Edwardian women. ‘A small woollen cap […] which only needs two hairpins to keep it in place, is extremely becoming, and suitable either for summer or winter.’ Continue reading Edwardian & WW1 Tam O’Shanter Hats – Free Knit & Crochet Patterns
Indoor and outdoor ice skating was a popular pastime in the Edwardian era. Edwardian women wore specially made skating costumes. Edwardian skating costumes were made out of wool or velvet with short skirts and matching jackets. ‘The correct skating costume is of a rough material, with skirt shorter than the ordinary and a half fitted jacket of three-quarter length, while the hat should be small and should fit snugly on the head.’ (Los Angeles Herald, 3 January 1909)
‘The Winter Girl is seen at her best muffled in her velvets and furs, gliding like a true queen over the ice.’ (Los Angeles Herald, 1907)
‘With laughter and delighted greetings and in the highest of high spirits San Francisco’s young people met on Monday night for the first of the season’s skating parties. They were unfeignedly glad to be together again […] From 8:30 o’clock until nearly midnight the enthusiasm lasted without an instant’s break, and perfect music and a perfect floor did their share to make the evening pleasant. It was a large meeting, more than 200 persons were there’ (San Francisco Call, 1907). Continue reading Edwardian Skating Costumes
Roasted salted almonds – an easy, satisfying snack – were already popular in the Victorian and Edwardian era.
‘At intervals about the center were cut glass and fancy china dishes of pimolas, salted almonds, and pecans, and pink and green confections, with little fancy Venetian salt dishes conveniently near the plates.’ (The Home Science Cook Book, 1902)
In the Victorian and Edwardian era, salted almonds were served at formal dinners, such as at Christmas dinners: ‘Salted almonds make a nourishing side dish at luncheon, or for dessert.’ (Meals Medicinal, 1905) Continue reading Salted Almonds – Historical Recipes
Knit and crochet sweaters were an everyday garment for active Edwardian girls and women. Edwardian sweaters are still in style today. So knit, crochet or sew your own Edwardian sweater this winter following one of the 25 free antique Edwardian sweater patterns. Winter is coming! 😉
‘There is a proper and improper time to wear a sweater […] For country wear and sports it is frequently worn as the only outside garment […] For wear in cities and towns a contrary etiquette prevails. Continue reading The Edwardian Sweater Girl + 25 Free Edwardian Sweater Patterns
This Edwardian spice marble cake is so delicious – a perfect Christmas cake!
The traditional marble cake wasn’t the vanilla and chocolate marble cake. In the Victorian and Edwardian era, marble cakes were usually flavored with spices and colored with brown sugar and molasses. This Edwardian spice cake recipe was published in Three Meals A Day in 1902. Continue reading Edwardian Spice Marble Cake