by B.L. Unkel | Jan 16, 2021 | Baking
Normally, I’d say following directions is a good thing. But without context, sometimes following directions, especially in a recipe, can be as much of a problem as not following them. Dad tells the story about the first time he cooked ducks. It was in the early 1930s,...
by B.L. Unkel | Dec 26, 2020 | Holidays
How many of you have heard of Boxing Day? It began in Britain during the Victorian era. The original purpose of the day was to give to the less fortunate. Servants had to work on Christmas Day, so they were given time off to visit their families the next day, December...
by B.L. Unkel | Dec 25, 2020 | Holidays
Before 1223, people mainly celebrated Christmas by going to church. However, priests told the Christmas story in Latin, a language normal people didn’t speak. St. Francis of Assisi wanted a better way to share the miracle of Christ’s birth. With the Pope’s...
by B.L. Unkel | Nov 21, 2020 | History
Although it’s only a myth, you’ve heard the story of how George Washington chopped down the cherry tree, right? Well, according to one of my nieces—who, admittedly, was very young at the time—ol’ George was not the culprit. I don’t recall the reason why we questioned...
by B.L. Unkel | Nov 11, 2020 | Holidays
Private Robert Shurtleff enlisted in the Continental Army in 1782. He served for over a year, during which time he suffered first a saber wound and later a gunshot wound. He treated both injuries himself, then returned to the fighting. Although surely in great pain,...
