Victorian Jelly: Molds

Victorian Jelly: Molds

Fancy jellies graced 19th century tables, molded in dishes made of tin, zinc, copper, and various ceramics. Photographs of antiques, together with vintage advertisements, illustrate this Victorian kitchen staple.

Victorian Coffee

Victorian Coffee

We know coffee was an every-day commodity in the Victorian American West, but how much do you know about its availability, preparation methods, the era’s tried-and-true substitutions, and where it was purchased? Come see!

Vintage Coffee Cake

Vintage Coffee Cake

Coffee Cake… Yummm! Today, April 7th, is National Coffee Cake Day! Do you like the crumble-topped kind, varieties with coffee in the cake, or simply cake meant to be enjoyed with a cup (or five) of coffee? Come see the recipes and methods our Victorian ancestors found tasty enough to keep.

Ladies Fashions: Huge Sleeves of the 1890s

Ladies Fashions: Huge Sleeves of the 1890s

19th Century Ladies Fashions included gigantic sleeves known by many names: Leg of Mutton, Marquise, Balloon, etc. Highly fashionable, women wore them to work at home, to “walk out”, to sit for photographs, and on their wedding days. Highly fashionable for a period of time in the 1890s (through the turn of the century), they’ve returned at least twice: mid 1980s and in 2016. A favorite? You decide.

Victorian Cake: Tins, Pans, Moulds

Victorian Cake: Tins, Pans, Moulds

Cake tins are often mentioned in Victorian-era Cook Books (as spelled in nineteenth century publications). This post provides historic images of this era’s baking pans from both newspaper advertisements and catalog ads (such as Sears and Montgomery Ward’s catalogs).

Many of the shapes and sizes are familiar to today’s baker’s options, and several have disappeared in the intervening years. My greatest surprise is the SIZE of Victorian cake pans. Compare to today’s, and see what I mean!