Sarah Lamb

How about a 1800s beverage recipe, perfect for hot days?

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I don’t know what the weather is like where you are, but we are finally, finally getting a few hot days mixed in with the cooler ones. Summer is enroute! And, so is the desire for something tasty to drink on those hot days. While we all know water is healthy and important, does anyone else feel like it sometimes sits so heavy in your stomach? Especially when you are outside?

Enter in, the perfect 1800s beverage. Haymaker’s Punch! Popularized in the 18th-century American Colonies as the drink of choice for workers in the field, it’s also called Switchel or ginger water or swizzy. It’s said that in the early days of Congress, there was an enormous bowl of this refreshing and cooling drink that they’d help themselves to liberally, though theirs was quite heavily laced with Jamaican rum.

So, just what is this drink? It’s one that’s easy to make, and was designed to keep a person hydrated while working in hot conditions, like in the fields. It was commonly made for laborers of all trades, or even at home. In fact, if you ever read the Little House on the Prairie books, you’ll remember that Ma made some ginger water while Pa was out working in the fields, and the girls took it to him.

It might be most known as Haymaker’s Punch, however, as it was commonly served during those hot summer days, when the hay was being cut in the fields. I know around here, they have at least two cuttings during the summer. I can’t imagine doing that by hand! The drink was sorely needed, I am sure.

 

1890 PG 90, Clifford M. Ott Collection, University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives, http://www.lib.uidaho.edu/special-collections/%5B/caption%5D

Want to try your own hand at it? It’s quite simple. Just mix the following ingredients:

1 gallon of water

1 to 1 1/2 cups of molasses or maple syrup

1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger

After all of the ingredients are mixed together, allow it to sit for 2-4 hours. We have the luxury of refrigeration, and this drink can be refrigerated while all of the flavors blossom.

When it’s ready, you’ll have a wonderful thirst quenching beverage, and you’ll also have filled your cup with a bit of history!

Speaking of history, I’d love to do a giveaway! This month, I’m giving one reader an ebook copy of Elizabeth, Shenandoah National Park Bride. This book is chock full of romance, suspense, danger, and history! Here’s a little more about it.

 

Elizabeth Lawrence is ready for her trip to Shenandoah National Park with its cascading waterfalls, fields of colorful wildflowers, and wooded hollows with trees that stretch to the sky. Sketchbook in hand, she expects to capture the park’s serene beauty, never imagining the hidden dangers that lurk within its depths—or the unexpected jolt her heart will experience.

Counting down his final weeks as a park ranger, Kyle Struggs expects to deal with the usual threats of the rugged terrain, not the whims of privileged visitors he’ll be serving as a private guide. Yet, as he gets to know the inquisitive Elizabeth, he realizes she’s nothing like he’d anticipated, and he quickly can’t imagine life without her.

But when a vengeful poacher kidnaps Elizabeth, their blossoming relationship is threatened. Now, Elizabeth must depend on her wits to buy time to survive, while Kyle searches the vast park to save her from the very dangers he swore to protect her against.

You can click here to learn more, and, if you’d like to enter to win an ebook copy, just answer my question: What’s your favorite drink on a hot summer day?

Victorian Flirtations and Silent Communication

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I’ll be the first to admit, I was never good at flirting. And, a few years ago when I ran across the way that entire conversations or flirtations could be done, silently, I laughed. Not because they aren’t clever. Oh, yes, they are. Though, if everyone knew what was being said, I guess it wasn’t completely discreet? I laughed because I would never be clever enough to remember all of these. With my luck (and clumsiness!) I’d be saying the very, very wrong things! Take a look at what I mean!

 

 

 

Aren’t these terribly clever? So much could be said! Now, while many people swear this existed, and it’s likely that it did in some fashion, others have claimed it was a marketing ploy or a myth, something that only a few did or pretended to do to be mysterious. Still…can you imagine the fun a couple might have had with this?

Fans and gloves served as more than a beautiful accessory for a woman or man. There was an incredible practical side as well.

Gloves acted as a barrier against germs in public spaces, and not only kept the hands clean, but for women, protected them from the sun, keeping them soft and pale, and proving that they were a woman of leisure, not one who had to work. However, wearing gloves as a woman was mandatory, as a women without them would be consisted inappropriately undressed! And, did you know that they were different gloves for different activities? One would not wear the same gloves to ride, to go church, or attend a party. 

For fans, they served multiple purposes as well. As electric fans and air conditioners didn’t exist, a fan was the only way to get a welcome breeze and to find a bit of relief on hot days. In a crowded place, they also helped provide air flow, to decrease unpleasant odors. A fan could protect the face from sunlight, protecting it, and a woman could hide behind it or be distracted by it in uncomfortable social situations.

I have also heard that there were secret languages created with hankies, others with parasols, and I think we are all familiar with flowers or herbs having meanings. I wonder what other things might have been used to create a secret language and communicate or flirt in silence.

Did you have a favorite way to communicate from those lists? Or one you might do by accident, just out of habit with that gesture? If so, drop it here and tell me! 

 

 

What kind of western hero are you?

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We’ve all got a favorite hero, be it the lawman or the outlaw, the cowboy, or the doctor, or something else. But ever wondered which you are most like? I’ve always loved a “Who are you” style quiz, so I thought you might like one too! There are four questions and four heroes!

Play along, and tell me which western hero you are.

 

Question 1: You ride into a new town. What’s your first move?

A) Head straight to the saloon and let the trouble come to you.

B) Find the sheriff and offer your skills.

C) Slip in quietly. 

D) Survey the land. You’re here to build something, not just pass through.

 

Question 2: When it comes to your past, you…

A) Don’t talk about it. Some stories are better left buried in the dust.

B) Carry it with you. Every scar made you who you are today.

C) Use it. You’ve learned lessons most folks will never know.

D) Let it go. The future’s what matters.

 

Question 3: Your idea of a perfect evening on the frontier is…

A) Alone under a sky full of stars, just you and your horse.

B) Around a fire with the people you’d do anything for.

C) Playing cards and reading everyone at the table.

D) Sitting on your porch, watching the sun go down over land you’ve worked.

 

Question 4: When love comes riding in, you…

A) Fight it, then fall completely and without warning.

B) Protect them first, then fall in love.

C) You’ve seen enough of the world to know something rare when you find it.

D) You want to build a life together, not just ride off into the sunset.

 

Now…add up your answers, and then scroll down to read about your hero type! 

 

Mostly A’s — The Lone Gunslinger

Mostly B’s — The Lawman

Mostly C’s — The Outlaw with a Code

Mostly D’s — The Homesteader

 

THE LONE GUNSLINGER You ride alone by choice, not circumstance, and you like it that way. Until someone comes along who sees right through that carefully constructed distance. You’ll resist falling hard, and then fall harder than anyone expected. The lonelier the hero, the sweeter the surrender.

THE LAWMAN You stand for something, and that’s rarer than gold out here. You’re the one people ride hard to find when everything goes sideways — steady, principled, and brave in the quiet way that matters most. Your love is the same: loyal, sure, and once given, never taken back. You don’t just protect the ones you love. You show up for them, every single day.

THE OUTLAW WITH A CODE  You’ve lived outside the law long enough to write your own rules — and yours are surprisingly honorable. You’re sharp, perceptive, and three steps ahead of everyone in the room. People underestimate you until they can’t anymore. When you love someone, you love them fiercely and loyally. The world made you complicated. The right person makes you whole.

THE HOMESTEADER You’re not here for the drama of a fast draw — you’re here for the long game. You want roots, a future, something real. There’s a quiet strength in that kind of vision that others find deeply appealing. You’re the hero who’s already imagining a life together before the first kiss, and that steadfast, hopeful love is exactly what the frontier — and a good romance — is made of.

What did you get? I was mostly C, the Outlaw! Drop your answer below, I’d love to hear it.

And, for playing along, one of you will win an ebook copy of either Mail-Order Gambler or Asher’s Secret, your choice!

Mail-Order Gambler: He lives life on a roll of the dice, betting on everything except love. Click here to read more

Asher’s Secret: The plan? Pretend he’s her betrothed and try not to fall in love. Click here to read more

 

Western Slang

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Welcome everyone to a little bit different of a blog post today! It’s a mite chilly, what with the snowcrete that has no signs of thawing, and the shockingly high electricity bill, so it’s got me pining for the days of the past, though I don’t know if they were really all that warm in the winter. 

Since I write mostly historical, I’m a stickler for my research. I love to learn new things, and I bet you do too. Today I decided to share a few interesting phrases with you! 

These were all common words or phrases in language in the 1800s, like our modern day slang. I really don’t know how in the world they came up with these. That would make for an interesting story. 

Ready to learn a few new words? Maybe you can work them into a conversation this week! 

Pudding Foot – This was the “cowboy talk” for a horse with big feet

Dinah – This was one of the names miners and loggers used for dynamite. 

Loma – A Southwestern term used for a rise or a low hill. It was borrowed from the Spanish, and was often used to name places.

Long Sweetening – Molasses! How about that? I’d have never guessed! Molasses had other names too, sich as blackstrap, larrup, lick, long lick, and long-tailed sugar. And, sugar itself? It was called short sweetening. 

Grama – Any species of the Boutelou grass that was common in the West. Early explorers and pioneers were surprised that it was as nutritious when tried and brown as it was fresh and green in spring and summer. 

Corral Dust – Cowboy talk for a yarn, or a tall tale

Cart Wheel – A big coin, like a silver dollar

Book Count – A bit different than I’d have guessed! This means the number of cows the tally book says are on there. 

Tedra – Adapted from the Spanish word heidra, which  means ivy, yedra means poison ivy or poison oak. 

Bridal Chamber – Among miners, the far end of a narrow tunnel where work is being moved forward

Owl Hoot – An outlaw

Mail-Order Cowboy – A tenderfoot decked out fancy-like in what he hopes is cowboy gear. This was also called mail-order catalog on foot. 

Goosey – A man or a horse that’s jumpy

Doctor – This was the logger’s name for their camp cook

Weren’t those some fun words? Now that the learning for the day is done, how about a giveaway? I think an eBook of my Mail-Order Teacher would be a fun one! 

Here’s a little look at what that one’s about. 

He thought he was heading to a teaching job, not that of a husband. Now what?

Samuel Donner, an experienced schoolteacher with a steely gaze and a firm grip on his principles, arrives in the dusty town of Cottonwood Falls answering their call for help. He’s determined to bring order to chaos and transform the unruly children into well-educated citizens. His first target: the blatant disregard for attendance.

Abigail Lees, a single mother of three, struggles to keep her head above water. When Samuel visits, warning that her eldest son, Thomas, needs to attend school more often, she’s surprised. Unbeknownst to her, Thomas has taken on the responsibility of providing for the family, sacrificing his education in the process.

Torn between his duty to the town and his growing affection for Abigail, and the fact another woman insists he’s her mail-order husband, Samuel finds himself in a difficult position. He wants to help Thomas and Abigail, but adhering to his promise to the school board, and fending off unwanted advances, proves increasingly challenging.

Then Thomas is accused of a serious crime, and Samuel must reach a decision. Will he stand by the boy, even if it means jeopardizing his reputation and potentially betraying the trust of the community? And can his love for Abigail survive the storm of doubt and suspicion that threatens to engulf them all?

If you’d like to learn more, or read this book, you can find it here. 

To be entered to win your own ebook copy, just tell me which of the phrases above you thought was the craziest! I’ll choose one commenter randomly to win the ebook!

Petticoats: A Fascinating History (plus a giveaway!)

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When I titled this blog post, I wasn’t lying. Petticoats have a fascinating history. Once worn on the outside of a dress, as a decorative skirt, they evolved to become undergarments with a dual purpose. The first was to add an extra layer of warmth. The other…to disguise the shape of the legs. 

When we think of a petticoat, we tend to first imagine the underskirt, and that is what they evolved to. Some petticoats, however, had bodices in them, which makes it difficult to tell in some historical drawings if a woman is wearing a chemise or a petticoat. The chemise was the first layer worn next to the skin, to protect the clothing from oils in the skin. It makes sense, when laundry was a difficult thing, and many fabrics, especially for a fancy dress, would be impossible to wash.

 

In the 1840s, the number of petticoats worn increased, primarily to bring fullness to the dress. On a standard day, two were worn, however as time went on, a woman might wear far more, as many as six or seven! The fabrics of a petticoat were usually cotton or muslin or flannel. 

 

“Four Gore Skirt” from the Delineator, 1888

While many petticoats were simple straight, some had a flounce, or a bit of a bustle build in. I won’t lie…I’ve always wondered how comfortable that would be, to sit while wearing such a thing. 

Interestingly, it wasn’t just a female who wore the petticoats, but the dolls of little girls as well! Dolls wore replicas of the clothing that women and girls wore, so a doll might also have multiple petticoats. 

So, what brought to mind petticoats for my post today? Well, in just a few days, I’m releasing Westward Dreams, and in it, my main character Mary Clinton is a skilled seamstresses who makes matching dresses for little girls and their dolls. Hence, my research into if dolls wore the same as their owners! 

I’d love to give one reader an ebook of Westward Dreams. The catch is, you have to wait until it releases on Friday before I can send it to you!  😉 

 

To have a chance at winning, simply read the blurb, and tell me something you think might happen in this story. Here’s the book description. 

Mary Clinton arrives out west with dreams of marrying her sweetheart—only to discover he didn’t wait for her. Stranded and heartbroken, she stumbles upon a terrified child wandering alone and escorts her home, where she’s mistaken for the girl’s new governess. With nowhere else to go, Mary accepts the role, and the chance to rebuild her crumbled future.

When Simon Alexander returns from his business trip, he’s immediately suspicious. He never hired a governess—and after losing his wife, he’s vowed to protect his daughter from any threat. But his little girl has already fallen in love with the mysterious Mary, and Simon realizes he desperately needs help raising her. Against his better judgment, he lets her stay, despite his doubts.

As Mary finds purpose in her new role and Simon’s guarded heart begins to thaw, an unexpected attraction blooms between them. But when the man Mary came west for returns to threaten her, everything she’s tentatively built threatens to crumble. Can Mary prove to herself she’s worthy of a chance at love? And can Simon learn to trust again—before he loses the only woman who’s made him want to?

I’ll choose one winner, and once you contact me, I’ll be sure you get your ebook copy on Friday!

Welcome Back to Day 2 of Cowboys & Mistletoe (Week 1)

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POST 2 OF 2 FOR TUESDAY


CHRISTMAS STOCKING SWEETHEARTS Book 3
Sarah Lamb’s Away In Deepwater

 

She had the perfect life, until it wasn’t. He’s hiding to forget. Heartbreak can’t heal twice—can it?

Trying to escape a scandal, Samantha Lundy, a talented singer with the voice of an angel, moves to Deepwater. It is her hope this tiny town in the middle of nowhere will both heal and hide her. Determined never to love or sing again so she can forget her past, she plans to become a recluse.

Dirk Schmit is surprised when a package is delivered to his print shop. Upon opening it, he sees it is actually intended for the woman who just moved next door. Curious to meet her, he brings her the package and is stunned to find the very thing he doesn’t believe in happens, does. Love at first sight. But Dirk refuses to be more than friendly—heartbreak can’t heal twice.

Samantha wants nothing to do with Dirk or anyone else, but as the inhabitants of Deepwater are determined to make her feel welcome, her icy interior thaws. When an opportunity to use her talents to help arise, Samantha wonders if perhaps she can find her voice again.

PURCHASE FOR 99¢ ON AMAZON

 

And here’s your “What’s In Your Christmas Stocking” question for this afternoon.

 “There’s a ticket stub in your stocking from a magical date. Where did you go—and what made it unforgettable?”

You could win a $10 Amazon gift card or our Grand Prize quilt!

 

Fever and Ague in the West (Plus, a giveaway!)

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While researching what kind of disease might wipe out an entire town, sending the gunslingers of Red Ridge in a reluctant truce with the new town doctor one didn’t really trust, I was reminded of fever and ague. 

I was just a little girl when I first read about fever and ague, and it was in a Little House on the Prairie book. Perhaps you remember the story? The entire family came down with an illness. First, intense chills, and then a fever and body aches.

Pa Ingalls thought it came from night air. Others thought it was the watermelons growing nearby. No one realized that fever and ague was actually malaria, and came from mosquitoes.

Fever and ague was a common but also debilitating illness in the 1800s, particularly in the United States. In the 1830s in Oregon, two Native American tribes, the Kalapuya of the Willamette Valley and the Chinookan people along the Columbia River were nearly wiped out, losing an estimated 80-95% of their peoples. One estimate I saw said they went from 14,000 lives to just over 1,000. Can you imagine? There wouldn’t have been any family spared the devastation of loss. 

Chinook people in a canoe on the Columbia River. Library of Congress

While today, we understand fever and ague to be malaria, in the early 1800s that wasn’t known. There was speculation about how it started but one thing was certain. It was deadly once it struck. 

The only effective treatment (other than time and luck) was quinine, which came from the bark of the South American Cinchona tree. It was scarce, expensive, and ground up, but it was also incredibly bitter. However, it saved many lives. 

Science Museum Group. Quinine sulphate bottle. A664060 Science Museum Group Collection Online. Accessed 3 November 2025. https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co189273/quinine-sulphate-bottle.%5B/caption%5D

 

It was sobering to write parts of The Doctor. When it comes to medicines and doctors and the fears of what might happen, I sometimes have trouble because it’s rather close to home. Many of you know that I have a child with a chronic illness and a suppressed immune system, and we spend a lot of time in the children’s hospital. Just recently, because his body, even after three months of antibiotics, can’t fight off a skin infection, he had to have a surgery to remove it, in hopes that it will finally respond to the medicine, and avoid the placement of a PICC line in him. Though it’s been scary and hard and there’s been so, so much stress, I can’t help but feel grateful that today, we have tools and knowledge and medicines to help. Back in the 1800s, so many towns didn’t have doctors, and they didn’t have medicines. When something like fever and ague raced through a town, there was little more than false hope that could be given, if there wasn’t a way to treat it. That’s something that the doctor in this book has to grapple with, and I pray none of us ever do. 

Thankfully, this is fiction, where HEAs exist, but tears still might pop up.

If you’d like a chance to read The Doctor, it releases later this month in ebook, paperback, and large print. 

Today, one of you is going to win an ebook from this series. You can choose if you’d like book 1, book 2, book 3, or…if you’ve already read those, if you’d like me to send you book 4 when it releases. (I promise, I won’t forget!) 

You can click right here, to see the books to choose from. 

To have a chance at winning, just tell me: Based on this blurb, how do you think the doctor will get the medicine he needs to treat the town?

Nora Madison returns to Red Ridge seeking a decision about her future, but when her overprotective brother tries to tell her what she can and can’t do, Nora resists; especially as a spark ignites between her and the enigmatic physician. Something is drawing her closer, and she’d like to find out what it is.

Dr. Aiden Rycroft’s plan is simple: practice medicine in a town far from his troubles, ignore the town’s drama (especially the possessive gunslinger), and leave when his contract ends. Yet, the more Billy Madison tries to keep him away from his intriguing sister, Nora, the more their paths seem destined to cross.

When a mysterious illness sweeps through the town, Aiden and Billy find their paths intertwined in a reluctant truce. The stakes become deeply personal when Nora falls victim to the very illness Aiden’s been unable to get medicine for. Now, any hope for their future faces its ultimate test as Aiden fights not only to save her life but also to prove his own worth, to himself and to the woman who sees beyond his guarded exterior.

Women’s Hats in the 1800s

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‘Walking Dress’, April 1825
published by J. Robins & Co, published in The Ladies’ Pocket Magazine
hand-coloured etching
NPG D47555
© National Portrait Gallery, London

 

Have you ever wished for a lovely hat or two, like women wore in the 1800s? I know I have! There are some absolutely stunning creations, and it’s interesting how hats evolved over the years. 

While hats were practical for reasons such as they’d protect the wearer from the sun or dust, hold their hair in place, or keep them warm, they were also fashion accessories, that, just like we have today, reflected personal taste, fashion trends, or allowed the wearer to be modestly or properly dressed in situations. Of course, back in the 1800s, a woman wearing a hat was far more critical than it is today, as going without one was considered to be indecent. 

Throughout the 1800s, as fashions changed so did the hat styles. One thing that didn’t change, however, was that they were able to be personalized to the wearer’s preferences in decoration, such as colors, ribbons, flowers, material, and even the shape or size. 

Just what were some of these lovely head coverings? In no particular order, I’ll talk about a few of them. 

CS.228001.0035; Fashion plate, The Newest Fashions for October 1827, Fashionable Head Dresses, Walking Dress

 

A poke bonnet might have been made of willow or fabric, and allowed for a wonderful amount of shade for a woman’s face. The deep design also gave her the ability to wear her hair tucked inside. (Bad hair day? Total coverage!) 

For those who wanted to be the very height of fashion, turbans were quite popular for a time, influenced by Orientalism. These were sometimes plain fabric, other times including the addition of a feather or jewel.  

As the 1800s progressed, hats and bonnets became smaller. That allowed more of the hair to be shown and accessorized. As women participated in more sporting activities, they adopted the boater style hat. 

 

 

Boaters were flat topped, brimmed, and made of straw. These were popular for informal wear. But one of my favorite hats styles is the Gainsborough hat. These hats were named after the artist Thomas Gainsborough, and were large, wide brimmed hats often covered in ribbons and flowers or feathers. 

While I don’t have a book where a hat is really featured, I would love to give one reader a copy of the first book in my series: The Gunslinger.

 

 

To have a chance at winning, just tell me: There are so many hat styles, do you have a favorite one or one that you wear often?

Dice Gambling Games of the Old West

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When you think of the old West, cowboys, horses, folks settling new towns on the prairies and small dusty towns emerging out of sod or clay come to mind. One of the buildings many of those towns had back then was a saloon. For many men, the saloon, even if they didn’t partake of the liquor, held other social activities. The saloon was where men might meet to discuss a business deal, relax and visit friends, catch up on the news, or gather around for a game, always hoping to win some coin. 

Chances are really good that right now, you are imagining some of these men sitting around a table, cards in hand and playing some sort of game like Faro or Brag. While it’s true that many a man won and lost at the card table, just as popular were those games with dice. Who knows, it might have even been easier to pull out dice and play a few rounds of a game, since there were no cards to worry about losing or getting wet, if they were in your pocket and it started to rain. 

 

Two popular dice games in the 1800s were Chuck-a-luck and Hazard. 

Chuck-a-luck originated in English pubs, and also called Crown and Anchor. There are a few other names for it, such as Sweat, Chicker Luck, and just plain Chuck. The game is placed with three six sided dice inscribed with clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades, a crown, and an anchor, and then a small cup. It’s a simple game. Players wagers on the possible combination outcomes of the dice roll in order to win. Later, to prevent cheating, the cup was replaced with a small cage and the game’s name eventually started being called Birdcage. In the James Bond Movie, The Man with the Golden Gun, you can see the character Lazar playing this game. 

When it comes to Hazard, It’s a very old game placed with two standard six-sided numbered dice. In fact, the game is mentioned in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, in the 14th century. For only having two dice, the game was rather complicated. Any number of people may play, but only one player at a time has the dice. In the rounds, the person with the dice specifies a number. The other playes place their wagers on the outcome of those dice rolls. Does that sound familiar? If you said the came of Craps, you are right! Eventually, the complicated rules were modified, and turned into the casino game that many of us are familiar with. 

Can I introduce you to a fictional (reformed) gambler? 

 

Kody Hall lives life on a roll of the dice, betting on everything except love. He’s learned the hard way that women don’t mix well with gambling men. But he’s willing to wager everything he has on a chance to change lives at the orphanage he secretly founded. He’s also hoping the woman he’s been corresponding with might be interested in taking a chance on a mail-order husband. He’d like to settle down.

Susan Louden, the orphanage’s teacher, is fiercely protective of her charges. When she spots Kody, the town’s notorious gambler, lurking around the grounds, she chases him off. In her eyes, gambling and innocence don’t mix. Why can’t more men be like the one she’s been writing to?

But a surprise revelation about Kody’s true intentions, and his identity, throws Susan’s world into disarray. Could she have been wrong about him? The more she learns, the more she questions her own place in the orphanage, especially as she starts to develop feelings for him. Can a woman dedicate her life to children while being associated with a gambler?

It’s something Kody’s willing to gamble on.

You can find his story in ebook, paperback, and by searching for large print.

One person who answers my question will win an ebook copy of Mail-Order Gambler! 

Just tell me, have you played any dice games yourself? I was always a fan of Yahtzee! 

Three Favorite 1800s Pies (and…win a book ;) ) 

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While there might always be that debate between which is better, a cake or a pie, in the 1800s, pies were a bit more common at the table. After all, what could be more tasty and more forgiving of a recipe than a bit of this and that put into a pastry crust? 

With settlers from other countries making their way to the young United States, many new pies were introduced. In addition, many old favorites were modified and adapted to the ingredients that were readily available here in America. 

Considered a practical dish, a pie could be a little of this, a little of that, and turn out to be a hearty meal. Think of that in savory, like Shepards Pie or Pot Pie, when small portions can be combined to make a filling meal, or even a fruit pie, where even if it’s not bursting and overflowing with fruit, it’s still delicious. The crusts are made of simple ingredients also, and the pie could be cooked in the oven or in a covered pot over the fire. 

There are so many types of pies, I hoped to find a few I didn’t know anything about, so I went hunting, and found several that made my jaw drop. Here are a few that you also might not have heard of! 

White Potato Pie

I bet you’ve heard, maybe even tasted, sweet potato pie. Until I started looking, I had no idea that white potatoes could also make a good pie! It appears to have gotten its start in Maryland, and uses ingredients that are similar to those of a pumpkin pie, such as cream, sugar, eggs, and various spices. The only difference, is that instead of pumpkin of sweet potato, they use white potato! While I’ve never tried it myself, this seems to be an official recipe for it! 

Buttermilk Pie

Did you know I lived in Texas for a little over ten years? That’s right! When I married, I left my beautiful Virginia for the west, to live where my husband did. We came back, but while there, I heard of this unusual pie.

Sort of custardy, it makes me think of a chess pie, maybe a sugar cream pie. It’s inexpensive, forgiving, and tasty! Eggs, buttermilk, butter, and just a little flour and the spices help it to set up, quite easily. Here’s a recipe for this one, if you are curious to try it yourself. 

Marlborough Pie

Now, this is one more I’ve never had, but I’m curious to try! This pie is a tasty sounding mix of apples, spices, eggs, and, depending on which recipe you find, also cream and sherry. This appears to be one of those pies that people have a particular way of making. You know, like how some insist their chili is the best! But, this recipe here seems so incredibly simple, and is served at a historical New England site, so I’m betting it’s pretty tasty.

Feeling hungry? When I was writing Cherry Cheese Pie by Carissa, I won’t lie. I made a LOT of pies. And, right now I want another! 

 

Carissa Porter is tired of being a wallflower. She’s starting to wonder what’s wrong with her. Why won’t any man even look her way? About the only thing she can do well is bake, so she does just that, and tries to forget about how she’ll be single the rest of her life.

Duncan Marshall wants to tell Carissa how he feels about her, but something stops him every time. After being left at the altar, he’s not offering up his heart ever again, even if he senses she might be different. It’s something he just can’t risk. So, he continues to offer friendship, and nothing more.

When a letter arrives that may remove Carissa from his life, and put her in another’s, will Duncan listen to his heart and show her that they should be together? Or is it too late?

You can learn more by clicking here. 

Would you like a chance to win an ebook of this sweet (and stomach growling inducing!) story? Just comment below with either your favorite pie, or if you have ever tried one of the ones above!