tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post7501237222383073906..comments2024-03-25T12:21:56.752-05:00Comments on Sweethearts Of The West: Cooking on the Western TrailCaroline Clemmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914658854159456335noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-69734774670519932092012-02-18T14:37:58.279-06:002012-02-18T14:37:58.279-06:00Fascinating post! Hearty food for hearty souls!Fascinating post! Hearty food for hearty souls!Virginia Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09960370038323930029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-4054800924127902692012-02-15T19:00:15.279-06:002012-02-15T19:00:15.279-06:00Wow, lots of new comments since I stopped by. Than...Wow, lots of new comments since I stopped by. Thanks to everyone who did leave a comment. I find the period very interesting. It was really hard work. Keturah's diary was very interesting. Cheryl, I'm not sure what book you're talking about, but Time-Life did a whole series on the 'Old West.' I found my books at antique shops. I don't have the whole set, but I have at least three of them, Pioneer Women is one, and The Pioneers is another. Very interesting reading.Anna Kathryn Lanierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10607469543348819190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-79428140262602058732012-02-15T17:48:16.041-06:002012-02-15T17:48:16.041-06:00Wow, that was interesting. I don't like cookin...Wow, that was interesting. I don't like cooking now, but in those conditions, I think the family would hve starved. Like Caroline, I would have been a very bad pioneer.<br /><br />Cheers<br /><br />MargaretMargaret Tannerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07123830410502520003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-7411532713097565182012-02-15T16:08:25.536-06:002012-02-15T16:08:25.536-06:00Well, I didn't like cooking before I read this...Well, I didn't like cooking before I read this delightfully informative article but I can tell you right now that I would have really hated cooking on the trail. I'd rather wash the dishes all day.<br />My grandmother used to cook on a coal burning stove and I thought that was hard. Whew!<br />Great blog.Sarah J. McNealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-86996113624661488232012-02-15T11:06:11.983-06:002012-02-15T11:06:11.983-06:00Wow, and we think WE'VE got it hard! I can'...Wow, and we think WE'VE got it hard! I can't imagine that! But I'm glad you blogged on this, because I'm working on a book that is about a wagon train and this looks like a great research book. I'll have to lay my hands on a copy of it. Very interesting blog, Anna--I loved this. So informative and it really made me appreciate my life as I was reading it. LOL<br />CherylCheryl Piersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18116526340220274282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-84890885902708649602012-02-15T04:52:20.302-06:002012-02-15T04:52:20.302-06:00And a lot of those women were pregnant. I'm w...And a lot of those women were pregnant. I'm way too much of a pansy to be a pioneer woman. Caroline and I can camp out at Super 8.Jacquie Rogershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17361793932364487636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-61917015916928245132012-02-14T21:20:30.873-06:002012-02-14T21:20:30.873-06:00I found this article very interesting. I like that...I found this article very interesting. I like that I can actually make some of those recipies in this day and age. Thanks for sharing.Debby Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10803946967534915248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-27708463855296878212012-02-14T21:10:12.337-06:002012-02-14T21:10:12.337-06:00I enjoy cooking over the fire when we go camping, ...I enjoy cooking over the fire when we go camping, but a few days of it is more than enough!Ally Broadfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00089318102030393586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-47902141374601217402012-02-14T18:23:21.841-06:002012-02-14T18:23:21.841-06:00I did a lot of camping cooking where our kids were...I did a lot of camping cooking where our kids were in Scouts. I can cook a full meal (roast, potatoes, carrots and onions) in a Dutch oven. Acutally had two ovens so I made bread or biscuits in the other. <br /><br />I've read many books where the heroine cooks over an open fire, and they never have the smoke blow in their eyes like I always did.Terry Irene Blainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09636885312840994080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-42124966757280276722012-02-14T15:00:45.374-06:002012-02-14T15:00:45.374-06:00Hi, everyone! Thanks for stopping by. I do not env...Hi, everyone! Thanks for stopping by. I do not envy the women on the trail. They had a really tough time. One diary I read spoke of cooking in the rain. Not fun.<br /><br />I have camped with my girl scout troops and we cooked on the can stove, Ashley, as well as a roast in a hole and on an open flame. Fun, but not something I want to do every day, twice a day.Anna Kathryn Lanierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10607469543348819190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-28487958291797324502012-02-14T14:36:11.823-06:002012-02-14T14:36:11.823-06:00I wanted so bad to be a pioneer when I was little....I wanted so bad to be a pioneer when I was little. We got a little taste of it on our wagon train trip around the Tetons. As a kid, I guess the closest I got was making a one-pot dinner in a coffee can at a Girl Scout Campout.Tanya Hansonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08580821680629254085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-17714098748260388712012-02-14T12:55:48.860-06:002012-02-14T12:55:48.860-06:00Loved this post! Some of my favorite childhood mem...Loved this post! Some of my favorite childhood memories are camping out with my family, and waking to the smell of coffee brewing in a speckled tin coffee pot, and bacon being cooked by my mom. I can still see her standing there, smiling and surrounded by nature. And I can also remember making an impromptu stove out of a big Maxwell House coffee can in the Girl Scouts. The bottom of the can was used as your cooking surface, and we had cut an opening around the rim that (when you turned the can upside down) became your fire pit inside. Real sense of accomplishment as a little girl building a little fire and cooking bacon and egg on that!:)<br /><br />However, I can certainly appreciate how must more difficult it was for our pioneer matriarchs. Just building the fire (as you noted), and problems with inclement weather -- would make it stressful. I'd like to think the menfolk helped and did that! But, I come from pioneer stock and think I could have done it. haha!<br /><br />I think many of us can also relate (even in our modern times) to the pioneer bride who stated by the time you are done cooking, cleaned up and put away the dishes and pots, then perhaps set-up what you will need for the morning, everyone is ready for bed. Or, what about by the time we finally sit down to eat our breakfast, everyone is done, especially when you've been making pancakes and different style eggs for different tastes. Plus, this happens every Thanksgiving (or holiday) for me. By the time the prep work, cooking, serving, and kitchen is cleaned, all anyone wants to do is sleep -- especially me. LOL We may have modern stoves, ovens, a dishwasher, or still have to wash dishes by hand, etc., but I think anyone who cares for a family and prepares meals can understand and appreciate how much MORE difficult it was for these women on the western trail or even in a log cabin where they often cooked on an open hearth or, if they were lucky, a wood-burning stove. <br /><br />Anyway, GREAT topic. I LOVED THIS!!! Can you tell? :))) ~ AshleyAshley Kath-Bilskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14073164133698225798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-88011878167466457092012-02-14T12:20:06.186-06:002012-02-14T12:20:06.186-06:00We live in the mountains and during the winter we ...We live in the mountains and during the winter we lose power for days if a tree falls through the power lines. We do have a woodstove to cook on and we have gotten creative to cook. A few years back we got smart and changed the electric stove to gas so now can at least cook without power. <br /><br />Interesting blog.Paisley Kirkpatrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06401039126457210324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-44975837445004774202012-02-14T12:06:27.974-06:002012-02-14T12:06:27.974-06:00I'd like to think I could've cooked or don...I'd like to think I could've cooked or done whatever else was required of the pioneer woman. We all do what we have to do in our particular situation; I just wouldn't have wanted to! That tells a tale on me!! Great post, Anna, Thanks!Carra Copelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18372247844024839006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-58123522429926075052012-02-14T11:58:53.362-06:002012-02-14T11:58:53.362-06:00No wonder pioneer women didn't live to a ripe ...No wonder pioneer women didn't live to a ripe old age, what with all the work, and having so many children, sometimes without doctors how could they. But you gotta give them credit, they tried and if not for them we would not be here. So I salute them, they must have worked from sun up to sun down and then some...<br />Rita HestandRedameterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16610276663492366325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-90170750542110428062012-02-14T10:52:15.981-06:002012-02-14T10:52:15.981-06:00As much as I fantasize how fun it would be to go b...As much as I fantasize how fun it would be to go back in time and cross in a covered wagon... I don't think I would have enjoyed the chores those women faced. Great post!Paty Jagerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03257614436422105729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-33660453852932737512012-02-14T09:55:26.601-06:002012-02-14T09:55:26.601-06:00I've cooked over an open fire when camping. W...I've cooked over an open fire when camping. We went on a three day pack trip last summer, and three days was enough. Those women were amazing.D'Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05333880627045486088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-87936528476005475672012-02-14T09:08:24.692-06:002012-02-14T09:08:24.692-06:00LOL, Caroline. Now you'd make a bad pioneer, ...LOL, Caroline. Now you'd make a bad pioneer, but back then, you most likely would have been used to cooking in, at least, a fireplace. One pioneer I've blog about, Keturah Belknap, stated in her diary she'd never cooked on a stove. She used the fireplace in their house.<br /><br />It was the upper class I feel sorry for. They usually had cooks back home and most likely didn't know how to cook on a stove or fireplace, let alone on a campfire. I've read at least one diary where the writer was commenting on another woman who had trouble cooking, as she'd never done it before.Anna Kathryn Lanierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10607469543348819190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-34075100452953823082012-02-14T08:42:50.347-06:002012-02-14T08:42:50.347-06:00I am so glad I don't have to cook over a campf...I am so glad I don't have to cook over a campfire or in a fireplace. I would have been a bad pioneer.Caroline Clemmonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14914658854159456335noreply@blogger.com