Hearts of Iron

FOR HEARTS OF IRON :

VENUE: If you live near Boston, check out the Saugus Iron Works and see how iron was produced. If you aren’t fortunate enough to have an iron works near you, visit a site such as Sturbridge Village, which portrays life in the 1800’s. Take a trip to a farm and do some berry picking or apple picking to experience the farm work Lucy might have done. Don’t have a farm or historical site nearby? Create your own! Dress up in period costumes, skirts, aprons, and hats. Cook your meal over a fire and see just how difficult that can be!

FOOD: Start with a spitted and roasted beef. Be sure to make gravy and Yorkshire Pudding to accompany your beef. (I’ve included my Grandmother’s recipe for you) Green beans would make a nice addition and finish it off with a pumpkin pudding. (That old recipe is below, too.)

Yorkshire Pudding:

1 cup flour, 1 egg, 1 cup milk, 1 tsp. baking powder, 2tsp. shortening – Heat oven to 500 degrees. Place shortening in a pie pan. Melt until shortening is very, very hot. Mix other ingredients together. Pour into hot pie pan and bake 20-30 minutes until brown and crisp.

Pompkin Pudding:

One quart of milk, 1 pint pompkin, 4 eggs, molasses, allspice and ginger in a crust, bake 1 hour.

ONLINE RESOURCE: http://www.memorialhall.mass.edu/turns/theme.jsp?x=2&y=1

SPECIAL GUESTS: Because iron making is no longer being done the way it was in HEARTS OF IRON nor is the navy the same, finding a special guest is a bit of a challenge. Do you have a computer? I’d be happy to be your special guest for a book club meeting. Email me and we can figure out a way to skype during your get together!