Eating in Regency & Victorian England Part 1

Have you been watching SBS (Australia) lately? They are showing re-runs of their series Supersizers Go… I’ll admit some of it made me a little queasy, but never the less it is very interesting.

My sources are from: Mrs. Beeton’s Household Management, Domestic Cookery by Elizabeth E. Lea, The Cook’s Oracle: and Housekeeper’s Manual by William Kitchiner and English Housewifery by Elizabeth Moxon and a couple of others.

The information below was sourced from:

The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches by Mary Eaton. If you would like to have a copy of this book you can down load it free from The Project Gutenberg.

Before we start with recipes and other cooking related posys lets look at what is in season and when.

BILLS OF FARE, or list of various articles in season in different months.
January.—
Poultry. Game, pheasants, partridges, hares, rabbits, woodcocks, snipes, turkeys, capons, pullets, fowls, chickens, tame pigeons.

Fish. Carp, tench, perch, eels, lampreys, crayfish, cod, soles, flounders, plaice, turbot, skate, thornback, sturgeon, smelts, whitings, crabs, lobsters, prawns, oysters.
Vegetables. Cabbage, savoys, coleworts, sprouts, brocoli, leeks, onions, beet, sorrel, chervil, endive, spinach, celery, garlic, potatoes, parsnips, turnips, shalots, lettuces, cresses, mustard, rape, salsify, herbs dry and green.
Fruit. Apples, pears, nuts, walnuts, medlars, grapes.
February, March.—
Meat, fowls and game, as in January, with the addition of ducklings and chickens.
Fish. As the last two months, except that cod is not thought so good, from February to July.
Vegetables. The same as the former months, with the addition of kidney beans.
Fruit. Apples, pears, forced strawberries.
April, May, June.—
Meat. Beef, mutton, veal, lamb, venison in June.—
Poultry. Pullets, fowls, chickens, ducklings, pigeons, rabbits, leverets.
Fish. Carp, tench, soles, smelts, eels, trout, turbot, lobsters, chub, salmon, herrings, crayfish, mackarel, crabs, prawns, shrimps.
Vegetables. As before, and in May, early potatoes, peas, radishes, kidney beans, carrots, turnips, early cabbages, cauliflowers, asparagus, artichokes, all sorts of forced sallads.
Fruit. In June, strawberries, cherries, melons, green apricots, gooseberries and currants for tarts. In July, cherries, strawberries, pears, melons, gooseberries, currants, apricots, grapes, nectarines, peaches; but most of these are forced.
July, August, September.
Meat as before.
Poultry. Pullets, fowls, chickens, rabbits, pigeons, green geese, leverets, turkey poults, plovers, wheatears, and geese in September.
Fish. Cod, haddock, flounders, plaice, skate, thornback, mullets, pike, carp, eels, shellfish, except oysters; mackarel the first two months, but are not good in August.

Vegetables. Beans, peas, French beans, and various others.
Fruit. In July, strawberries, gooseberries, pineapples, plums, cherries, apricots, raspberries, melons, currants, damsons. In August and September, peaches, plums, filberts, figs, mulberries, cherries, apples, pears, nectarines, grapes, pines, melons, strawberries, medlars, quinces, morella cherries, damsons, and various plums.
October.—
Meat as before, and doe-venison.
Poultry. Game, pheasants, fowls, partridges, larks, hares, dotterels, wild ducks, teal, snipes, widgeon, grouse.
Fish. Dories, smelts, pike, perch, holibets, brills, carp, salmon trout, barbel, gudgeons, tench, shellfish.
Vegetables. As in January, French beans, runners, windsor beans.
Fruit. Peaches, pears, figs, bullace, grapes, apples, medlars, damsons, filberts, nuts, walnuts, quinces, services.
November.—
Meat. Beef, mutton, veal, pork, house lamb, doe venison, poultry and game.
Fish as the last month.
Vegetables. Carrots, turnips, parsnips, potatoes, skirrets, onions, leeks, shalots, cabbage, savoys, colewort, spinach, cardoons, cresses, endive, celery, lettuces, salad, herbs.
Fruit. Pears, apples, nuts, walnuts, bullace, chesnuts, medlars, grapes.
December.
Meat. Beef, mutton, veal, house lamb, pork and venison.
Poultry. Game, turkeys, geese, pullets, pigeons, capons, fowls, chickens, rabbits, hares, snipes, woodcocks, larks, pheasants, partridges, sea-fowls, guinea-fowls, wild ducks, teal, widgeon, dotterels, dunbirds, grouse.
Fish. Turbot, cod, holibets, soles, gurnets, sturgeon, carp, gudgeons, codlings, eels, dories, shellfish.
Vegetables. As in the last month; asparagus forced.
Fruit. As the last, except bullace.

Tomorrow I’m going to look at some of the cooking terms used, then on Sunday we kick start a week of recipes.

Sandie

A Mother's Day Wish

I've Returned to Blogging

Okay, I’m back. For how long? Only time will tell. I’m not going to make excuses, because if I was honest with myself I could have posted sooner. I will however tell you what I have been up to while I’ve been off the bloggersphere.

I’ve spent time editing the first three chapter’s of my Regency Romance. I won a fantastic critique from, Michelle Styles, of three chapters and synopsis through an online auction. So I’ve been busy whipping that into shape.

I entered the RWAus Emerald Contest for the first time and was pleased with my result. Of course I was also very, very pleased my good friend, Suzanne Hamilton, reached the top three. YAY, Suz. I also entered the RWAus Valerie Parv Contest and waiting the results to come in for that one. Plus, I entered my first ever overseas contest with the Royal Ascot, again waiting for results. But that’s cool I can wait.

I’ve put writing my Contemporary romance on hold for the time being to concentrate on my Regency, I think my voice suits that era better.

Have you ever done a workshop and thought where was this before now? Or why didn’t I know about this? I had that when I did the fabulous Angela James’s ‘Self-editing Workshop’. I cannot rave about this enough it was brilliant. Angela, was brilliant. My head was swimming by the end, but in a good way. The best part is, Angela, is going to have the workshop published. So keep an eye out for that book to hit the shelves.

That’s it for today, hopefully I’ll be back soon.

Sandie

Sunday Shout Out ~ Hannah Bananna

I don’t normally say much about my life away from my writing. Well that’s my other life, the one I’d like to say is not as crazy as talking to characters and coming up with a good reason to keep them apart. If I’m honest both lives are crazy or is it just me?

However, this post is not about me, my writing, or my life, it is about one of my nieces whom I am so proud of. Last year Lee-anne decided to start making clothes for little girls to help out with finances. Nothing too big she thought just a bit of pocket money. Well her little project  Hannah Bananna is going in leaps and bounds. She has even expanded out into making clothes for boys.

She is very lucky to have her own ready made models with 4yr old twins Hannah and Jack and I think 6yr old Jayden (sorry Jayden if I’ve got your age wrong Great Auntie's memory is failing). Lee-anne also has a teenage son Zac, but I won’t embarrass him by posting a photo.

Anyway, I love this little pants suit Lee-anne made a week ago and Hannah looks just so cute in it. Very much the model pose.

I know this isn’t one of Lee-anne’s outfits but I had to show off young Jack skateboarding. LOL how he managed to carry that board is beyond me, it looks like it is bigger than him.

If you know of anyone looking for fresh, not to be seen on every child you pass clothes tell them about

Hannah Bananna Blog or get them to visit one of Hannah Bananna’s Online Shops.

Hannah Bananna Made It Store

Hannah Bananna Etsy Store

Oh and check out the books Lee-anne made up for Hannah and Jack so cute. What a talented niece I have. LOL.    

I’ll be back doing regular posts again soon.

Sandie

RWA Flooded Communities Book Appeal

We’ve all seen the devastation the recent Queensland floods have wrought and have wondered how we can help. We know that for many affected families, books will not be high on their priorities list for some time to come.

But…

We also know how valuable books can be in providing time out when reality gets tough.

So…

With the aid of some wonderful volunteers, we’ve put together a Romance Writers of Australia Flooded Communities Book Appeal.

What we need?

FICTION BOOKS! Romance books, children’s books, young adult books, genre books, whatever – either new or in sparkling condition.

Please send them to:

RWA Flooded Communities Book Appeal
PO Box 1717
Noosaville Post Office
Noosaville BC
Queensland 4566
When to send them?

Now! And any time over the next few months. The books will be boxed and delivered to the appropriate libraries/schools/neighbourhood centres/community centres in batches as soon as the communities are ready to receive them. We’ll be liaising with councils, libraries and schools to ensure this is done appropriately. Feel free to pop a note inside, or if you’re an author, sign it.
Questions:
If you have a question about donations, email Jess Anastasi: Jess@jessanastasi.com

If you work in a library / council / community centre / school in a flood affected area, email Rachel Bailey: rachel@rachelbailey.com.au

Monday's Male ~ Do you tailor your Heroes after anyone?

Have you had days where you know you should have done something but can’t for the life of you remember what that something was? I’ve had a couple of those days. Yesterday and again today, a little niggle at the back of my brain saying, ‘What have you forgot to do? Your there is something? Think woman.’ Yes well I’ve remembered. My Blog! So much for being organized. LOL.

So I’m going to talk briefly because I quickly running out of time to post my ‘Monday’s Male’ and I can’t have ‘Monday’s Male on Tuesday’. This month I’m looking at the physical aspects of our heroes.

At one of our NewMait Writers meeting last year we talked about tailoring our heroes after people we know like family and friends. I don’t do this normally as I prefer to keep my writing and personal life separate. Do you tailor your hero after anyone?

The closes I’ve come is with eye colour, most of the time my heroes either have blue or brown eyes, and I think that is because my husband and son have blue eyes and my dad had brown eyes. With that in mind, here are a few of the sets of blue and brown eyes that have caught my attention when looking for a likeness to my hero.

Aren’t these the most beautiful blue eyes you have ever seen on a man? These ones I think I will use as one of my shapeshifter stories, along with these. Plotting - sort of.

Patrick is my hero in one of my partially written stories, ‘His Surprised Fiancée’. Again I started with the eyes and built from there. On hold.




  

 Rob Lowe, his eyes were the ones I envisioned when I started to write ‘Rich Man’. All I had were a set of vivid blue eyes, then I saw a photo of Rob and knew he was the one I wanted. In the editing mode.

Eric like my ‘Mr. Beautiful Blue Eyes’ is tagged for a shapeshifter.
Plotting - sort of.

Orlando is my hero in my first Regency Romance. A current WIP.

While Johnny is the hero in ‘By Her Father’s Design’. Another one being edited.

See you Wednesday with ‘Women who touched my life’.

Sandie

Frantic Friday ~ Finding Time

I started the year with good intentions, so far they are not working. I have on a few occasions opened my current MS folder, added a couple of words, looked at my research, my plot notes then started at the screen waiting hoping by some small miracle the movie in my head would start playing again. So is this a case of plotting once again blocker my creative vibe? Now here lies the problem you see, because I really enjoyed doing the plotting, the planning, working out the scenes etc. I know one thing for sure, I have to come up with a solution to this problem and fast.

On another note, today is my Dad’s anniversary, as with everyone who has lost a parent it’s not easy. This year seems extra hard as my Mum seems to be having more bad times than good at the moment. God love her, she looks like an innocent small child when she tells us she is trying to be good and not get out of bed during the night. Lately I’ve been thinking about what Dad would want us to do, there is one thing I know it would break his heart to see Mum as she is now. I also know he would be pleased to know we are all here for Mum and being one of six does have its plus sides at these times.

I also have to go to a funeral today, one of my uncles passed away earlier this week. Actually, he was my last surviving uncle. He was an uncle who had a lot of influence on my younger life and always had a joke or funny anecdote to share. I know that no matter when I think of Uncle Don, I’ll always do so with a smile.

Sandie