Most of our past generations that we know of were fur traders, blacksmith, and most all of them were farmers all the way down to one and two generations back. Life was rough on the farm, a lot depended on weather and where your land was located. You could have a great crop and a hail storm or grasshopper plague hit your land and in a short time all crops gone.
If your crops made it through to harvest then a whole new set of problems arose. One of which was getting the crop harvested and to market. You may have to hire workers and that was an expense not only in wages but in feeding them.
Women had the job of feeding all those hired hands and still keep up the laundry and the kids and all the regular things they had to do. They had to be prepared to cook big meals. There may be around 20 very hungry extra mouths to feed for a week or two. So most farm women were experts at whipping up big batches.
My Dearest Hubby's mom was one of these experts. She was known for her good cooking.
This is one of the spoons she used for stirring up big batches... and it has been well used. I remember her mixing up a huge bowl of potato salad with this spoon. And, boy, she made the greatest potato salad!
If your crops made it through to harvest then a whole new set of problems arose. One of which was getting the crop harvested and to market. You may have to hire workers and that was an expense not only in wages but in feeding them.
Women had the job of feeding all those hired hands and still keep up the laundry and the kids and all the regular things they had to do. They had to be prepared to cook big meals. There may be around 20 very hungry extra mouths to feed for a week or two. So most farm women were experts at whipping up big batches.
My Dearest Hubby's mom was one of these experts. She was known for her good cooking.
This is one of the spoons she used for stirring up big batches... and it has been well used. I remember her mixing up a huge bowl of potato salad with this spoon. And, boy, she made the greatest potato salad!
I would love to taste that potato salad Mmmm
ReplyDeleteWhat would they cook the hired hands ... stew maybe. I bet they had some big pots!
Well, there goes my story.....I have been corrected. Your Dad's mom was an expert cook but that was because she did cook for a large group....every day, her own family. They were usually not well off enough to hire people to help them and they had lots of boys to help with the harvesting. During harvest time the favorite meal consisted of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, home-made rolls, corn-on-the-cob and the rest of the fixins...everything from the farm! And of course, home-made pie!
ReplyDeleteAh Yes, Children, the cheapest hired hands. LOL
ReplyDeleteWell, it's help or die of starvation.
ReplyDelete