Children at the Hearth: 19th Century Cooking, Manners & Games [Paperback]

Barbara Swell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1999

Eat your way back in time and enter the world of American children as they lived 150 years ago. Sample foods, folklore and games found in the parlors of the wealthy, the boarding houses of the working class, and the cabins on the western frontier. Includes over 60 vintage photos plus historic recipes like cathead biscuits, sugar plums and hobo mulligan stew. Learn to make snow candles and snow taffy, tell Appalachian ghost stories and play "roley hole" and "jack straws."

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Barbara Swell has been hanging around kitchens since she was old enough to eat! Growing up in West Virginia, she learned to cook country, Southern, and international foods from the older women in her family. Barbara lives and works in Asheville, North Carolina as a Child Counselor with her husband, Wayne, and their three children Annie, Wes and Rita. Other titles Barbara has written: Log Cabin Cooking and Take Two & Butter 'Em While They're Hot!

Product Details

• Paperback: 72 pages
• Publisher: Native Ground Music (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883206340
• ISBN-13: 978-1883206345
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #871,193 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Regional & International > U.S. Regional > General

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Funny, Historical and good reading., July 19, 2001

By 

Michelle Johnson "JoyfulKeeping" (Denver, Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Children at the Hearth: 19th Century Cooking, Manners & Games (Paperback)

An amusing, historical and informative book about 19th century cooking, manners and games.

Chock full of recipes like Hobo Mulligan Stew, Sweet Potato Cobbler and Pioneer Sausage and Apples.

Grand pioneer tales and whimsical bits about table setting and manners. Read a crazy 'Stubborn Child Law' of 1646.Squirm at the items depicted in Weird and Disgusting Food.

Old time pictures flow throughout with people from Lincoln to Tom Thumb, native americans to poor slave children.

A useful bibliography appears at the end of the book along with old time music and record listings.

This would be an excellent addition to a cook or history buff's library. Simply enlightening and enjoyable!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great vintage photos, November 27, 2008

By 

Sun Set (Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Children at the Hearth: 19th Century Cooking, Manners & Games (Paperback)

Very interesting and entraining 19 century recipes, remedies, and folk lore. Some of the unique recipes include; hard tack, pickled glazed tongue, meat hash, persimmon pudding, ash cake, and corn oysters. This wonderful child friendly read filled with old photos of pioneers, and Smokey Mountain settlers. There are also forgotten superstitions like; how to find a lost object, how to prevent ugliness, and what to eat on New Year's Day for wealth. This is a good read for all ages because this is a taste of how our ancestors lived and should not be forgotten.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true picture, September 6, 2009

By 

H. J. Fyfe - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Children at the Hearth: 19th Century Cooking, Manners & Games (Paperback)

This book is by one of my favorite authors who writes about the 19th century. She obviously spends a great deal of time researching home life, cooking and the raising of children in that era. Without the modern day conveniences of today, which would not be a bad thing, children were imaginative about entertaining themselves during the time their mothers were going about the home chores also without the modern day conveniences. It makes for very interesting reading and I am sure some of the activities would be interesting to youngsters of today and would be something totally new to most of them. A great learning tool about pioneer times and a wonderful book to share with your children and to let them know how life was in the 1800s. I highly recommend it for a great way to pass the time on a cold rainy or snowy day with your children. Other books by this author are as equally interesting and great reads.