Peanut Butter in Victorian America

Peanut Butter in Victorian America

Today, January 24th, is the United States’ National Peanut Butter Day. On March 1st, calendars declare the day National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day.

Who first invented peanut butter? Doctors worried about elderly patients’ nutrition, right? Sometime in the nineteenth century?

Uh, no. Not exactly.

But peanut butter–an “All American” spread–was enjoyed by our Victorian-American ancestors. Read vintage articles instructing knowledgeable housewives of the many dietary uses of the peanut, vintage recipes instructing the proper making of “peanut paste”, the inclusion of pulverized peanut (paste, flour, finely chopped), and ultimately, advertised brands to buy at their grocers’ markets.

SODA SPRINGS, Sweet Romantic Fiction by Carolyn Steele

SODA SPRINGS, Sweet Romantic Fiction by Carolyn Steele

I had the pleasure of reading an ARC (advance review copy) of SODA SPRINGS by the author Carolyn Steele. This article provides my review of this charming western historical novel and an interview with the author. I share insights about this coming-of-age novel, recommend the book to more than one type of reader, and am pleased to be one stop along the new release’s Blog Tour journey.