"Indian Summer" is here!

image from AntiqueClipArt.com 

How did the Victorians survive hot weather, wearing 3 or more layers of clothing year-round?  They had their ways, which are just as helpful now as in 1852.  Unsurprisingly, Godey's Lady's Book has suggestions that are useful for this time of year.  Here is one tip for making cut flowers last longer:

“To Preserve Flowers in Water.—Mix a little carbonate of soda with the water, and it will preserve the flowers for a fortnight.”

September 11: memorial events in the Bay Area

from AntiqueClipArt.com

Everyone over the age of 15 remembers the horrific events of September 11, 2001.  The United States was affected in a way we have not been since the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but the attack that happened 10 years ago came from an enemy we were not actively at war with, and for religious, more than political, reasons.  There are many lessons that we are still learning from the events of September 11th, and while the 10-year anniversary marks a time period that has seen some advances in security, there is still a long way to go in the cause of safety and freedom.

Many people blame all religions for the war, but the real culprit is selfishness, the devaluing of human life, and the desire for power at all cost, which can be expressed through atheism as well as organized (or dis-organized) religion.  Many people also blame God for the tragedy, but if you or I went out and robbed a bank today, would we have the right to blame it on God and weasel out of taking responsibility for our own actions?  God has given everyone the same choice; it's the ultimate "equal opportunity."

from http://clipart.edigg.com

Every minute of every day, we all face the same choice again and again: to know what is good and to do it, or to have it our own way.  We are in the middle of a world where the overwhelming majority choose their own way instead of the right way, and this is the anniversary of one dramatic, wide-reaching consequence, which has sucked innocent people into its whirlpool of torment.  God allows us our own way, but He also allows the natural consequences to occur because He is fair.  He is not sitting up on a cloud with a thunderbolt in His hand, just waiting to punish people.

Making strawberry ice cream the Victorian way: without a freezer!

image from BryBackManor.com

I got 3 pints of strawberries at the farmer's market last week, and they've been sitting in the fridge since I brought the home!  A bunch of great strawberries that will go bad if I don't do something with them *right now* is a great motivator to get into the kitchen!  But the house is too hot to make jam, and berries this ripe shouldn't be cooked (much) anyway, I think.  Ice cream sounds good, but I don't have an ice cream maker.  There is a popular recipe for making ice cream without a machine, but it involves cooking an egg custard, and taking the mixture out of the freezer to stir it around every 30 minutes for 2 to 3 hours.  I think I have a better idea (although it will make more of a semifreddo instead of a soft ice cream texture)!

"Strawberry Ice Cream.--Mix one pound of strawberry juice, strained and sweetened, with one pint of whipped cream; if to be frozen in a mould, add a little isinglass, melted and strained.  If to be eaten in glasses, isinglass is not necessary."  From The Good Housekeeper, by Lydia Maria Child, 1841.

Now, I am not going to do this exactly as Mrs. Child directs (I can't leave well enough alone).  I'm not using isinglass (a kind of gelatin) for one thing.  I'm also not using strained strawberry juice; I'm going to mash the strawberries with the sugar, and fold them into the whipped cream.  Then I'm going to line a baking dish with plastic wrap, pour the mixture in, and just freeze it.  I also inherited some fancy Jello-molds from my grandma so I may line some of them with plastic and make little molded ice creams for fun!  

A tea-related contest put on by Oregon Chai.

Photo: Elizabeth Urbach

This post has been sponsored by Oregon Chai.

There is a new Facebook contest happening, called Chai-brary, which highlights reading and enjoying chai as the "ideal Me Time moment."

One lucky entry will receive $1,000 to buy whatever is needed to make their reading more enjoyable. We’re also giving 1,000 runners up a $5 Amazon gift card, and all entrants will receive $1 toward any Oregon Chai product just for entering. 

also ...

Additionally, one tweet will be selected every week during the sweepstakes to receive a free Oregon Chai Tea Latte Concentrate. Please feel free to tweet often from August 25 to Tuesday, September 6 at 5 p.m. CT for your chance to win!"  Tweet #Chaibrary to @OregonChai
 to participate. 

Sounds like an interesting contest, with some fun prizes.  Let us know if you win! 

A picnic with the Pre-Raphaelites.

Pre-Raphaelite Tea Picnic table.
Photo: Elizabeth and Virginia Urbach

The South Bay Ladies' Tea Guild enjoyed almost perfect weather and surroundings at the Pre-Raphaelite Tea Picnic and Artistic Salon.  The popular Japanese Friendship Garden was full of families -- and even a wedding party taking photos -- but the Guild was fortunate in securing a shady picnic table near the back entrance to the garden (and more importantly, near the restrooms!).

another view of the table.
Photo: Elizabeth and Virginia Urbach

The table was set with a green cloth, with a bunch of roses for a centerpiece, and fresh rose petals scattered around.  Plain white plates and clear glasses, along with a few colorful platters, were the serving and eating utensils, with the addition of fly-proof food covers!  Five lovely ladies attended in colorful summer dress, three of them in costume appropriate to the theme and occasion.  The artistic and literary world was represented by two antique books -- one full of poetry and quotations -- as well as period fashion illustrations and a book about traditions and customs from the past that should be brought back into style.  This is the menu:

Pomegranite tea punch

The ladies in attendance. 
Photo: Elizabeth Urbach.

Blueberry scones
Homemade Meyer lemon curd
Homemade fig jam
Imported Devon cream

Pear-cardamom chutney and water crackers
Cucumber sandwiches with fresh mint and rose petals
Chicken salad sandwiches with garden tomatoes
Pastry bunches filled with spinach and cheese

Brown sugar spice cookies
Sugared raspberries and cream

It was a relaxing afternoon tea in the garden, a perfect way to spend a late-summer day! 

Displaying my grandma's wedding dress.

The dress on display at History Park. 
Photo: Elizabeth Urbach.

I was allowed to put my grandma's wedding dress on display this weekend for a special event at the museum where I work.  In preparation for the event, I had to design the exhibit, arrange for items like a dress form and other display props,  and do my own set up and take down.  I also discovered that the gown and veil needed some TLC. before it would survive the display!  Even though they were only made in 1945 (and there are many things from the '40s that are in such good condition they can still be used), the gown and veil were literally falling apart in places.  I researched what it would take to restore them and found that I had neither the tools nor the money to do so properly ($80 per yard museum-quality silk crepeline for a support lining, anyone?).  The rayon satin of the gown, and the nylon (or rayon?) net of the veil were badly ripped in places, and the gown fabric was literally breaking off into bits at the edges of the torn areas.  The best I could do was to baste strips of well-washed cotton muslin from seam to seam across the torn areas, to take pressure off of the fabric, and then baste the edges of the tears to the muslin.

Ca. 1945 wedding cake topper made of icing sugar.
Photo: Elizabeth Urbach.

Re-creating Pre-Raphaelite costume.

"Miranda: The Tempest"
by Waterhouse

According to Consuelo Rockliff-Stein, one of the founders of The Ladies’ Tea and Rhetoric Society, “Artistic gowns ... were never intended to be exact replicas of the clothing worn by models in Pre-Raphaelite paintings, nor were they intended to replicate clothing of the classical and medieval eras. These gowns borrowed design elements from all these sources, but were distinctly Victorian in overall effect.”  This led to vaguely historic-looking clothing, mixing elements from totally different periods in the same garment.  “Medieval”

"Venetian Ladies Listen To The Seranade"
by Frank C. Cowper

sleeves, “Elizabethan” ruffs and “Grecian” drapery could be found on the same dress.  The Watteau-back dress, a princess-line dress that had a fitted bodicein front, but a large section of loosely-pleated fabric from the shoulders to the floor in back, was inspired by 18th century French sacques, and was one way that Pre-Raphaelite ideas were absorbed into mainstream fashion.  It became a favorite look for the “tea gown”, which became popular in the 1880s as informal daytime social dress.