Trivia

Thanksgiving Sides We No Longer Serve

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The trick-or-treaters have come and gone. The ghosts, goblins, and witches have retreated into the blue bin for another year, and just today, my husband placed our order for the Thanksgiving turkey at our local Publix supermarket.

This year we are hosting Thanksgiving for the first time in nearly twenty-five years for the family since our children left for college, and the first time we’ve all been in the same state after leaving Connecticut. My husband is beyond excited, already discussing what side dishes we’ll have.  (I’m not sure why this needs to be discussed…we never deviate from the favorites!) Yet the cook/baker in me yearned to whip up something different. However, instead of an appetizer or a gluten-free pumpkin something dessert, I tumbled down the rabbit hole and came across a list of Thanksgiving foods we no longer serve.

Turtle Soup

In the 1890s, green turtle soup shows up again and again on Thanksgiving menus. One New York hotel menu from 1899 listed a clear green turtle soup at sixty-five cents. Many menus also offered terrapin, a small diamondback turtle from the Chesapeake Bay. It was a luxury. One researcher estimates a plate of Terrapin Ala Maryland would cost about $100 in today’s money.

Cooks on a budget made mock turtle soup out of calf’s head. Wild turtles ran low though, and the price collapsed around 1916. Prohibition usually gets the blame since the soup needed sherry, but one study found the slide started earlier. By the late 1970s, terrapin had dropped off menus completely. Today, the states bordering the Chesapeake Bay protect them.

Celery in a Vase

In the 1800s, celery was hard to grow. It had to be blanched, either buried in trenches or wrapped in paper to keep out the light. It was also hard to keep fresh, so it counted as a luxury. Families showed it off in tall glass vases arranged like a bouquet, and those vases made popular wedding gifts. Wealthy hosts made celery the centerpiece of the dinner table. Middle-class families often saved it for the end of holiday meals, and celery sat near the top of many Thanksgiving menus.

Farming caught up, and celery got cheaper. By 1889, one catering guide complained that celery vases had become too common for fashionable tables, and celery moved to long, narrow dishes, eventually landing on the relish tray.

Chestnuts

Those same 1890s menus often served the turkey with chestnuts, and chestnut stuffing was a holiday staple. American chestnut trees once filled the forests of the east. In some places, they made up a quarter or more of the forest canopy. Then in 1904, a forester noticed cankers on chestnut trees at the Bronx Zoo. The cause was a fungus that arrived on imported Asian trees. It spread roughly fifty miles a year. By 1940, the American chestnut was finished as a commercial tree and estimates say three to four billion of them died. Stump sprouts still grow from the old roots, but the blight keeps killing them. Researchers are testing blight resistant trees, so this one might come back.

Side note: I don’t know where my parents purchased them or how much they cost, but we had roasted chestnuts along with desserts after The Feast of Seven Fishes every Christmas Eve.

Frozen Punch

 On many 1890s Thanksgiving menus, a frozen punch appeared in the middle of the meal. It was called Roman punch, a slushy mix of lemon, sugar, and rum, sometimes topped with champagne.

Its job was to reset your taste buds between rich courses. One food historian called it virtually obligatory at important dinners in the 1800s. It was served at the White House during Rutherford Hayes’s presidency, even though he and his wife, known as Lemonade Lucy, were temperance advocates. It even appeared on the Titanic’s last first-class menu. Then dinners got shorter. One history of formal dining notes that by the Kennedy years, fancy dinners were settling on four courses. With fewer courses, the punch lost its place.

Oyster stuffing

Along the east coast, oysters were everyday food. Cooks tucked them into bread stuffing for moisture and flavor, and early American cookbooks include recipes for it. One railroad museum estimates New Yorkers in the 1800s ate roughly 600 oysters per person each year. Farther inland, oysters were a treat. Refrigerated train cars started carrying them to the middle of the country in the mid-1800s, but the trip wasn’t cheap, so a big holiday was worth the splurge.

The supply did not last. Pollution and over-harvesting wrecked the oyster beds, and New York’s last commercial oyster bed shut down in 1927. Prices climbed. Today oyster dressing survives in parts of the South and along the Gulf Coast, often made with canned oysters.

 

 

Mincemeat Pie

The kind made with actual meat. Early American mince pies used beef, sometimes venison, and some old recipes even called for tongue (eww!). The meat was mixed with sweet, apples, dried fruit, spices, and brandy. The sugar and alcohol helped preserve it, and the whole process could take about a month.

Amelia Simmons’s American Cookery, printed in 1796, includes three mince pie recipes. In 1890s menus, mince pie and plum pudding turned up nearly as often as pumpkin. In 1903, Heinz Food Company was still pitching it for Thanksgiving, but the meat kept shrinking. Commercial mincemeat arrived in the 1880s, and slowly the beef left the jar.

Side Note: Next to apple pie, mincemeat pie is my husband’s favorite…he’s already purchased two jars!

Pigeon Pie

Not city pigeons, passenger pigeons, with billions of them alive at their peak. In 1871, one nesting area in Wisconsin covered about eight hundred fifty square miles with an estimated one hundred thirty-six million breeding adult birds. Cooks baked them into pies, and pigeon pie was a popular holiday side dish in early America. Some historians think passenger pigeons may even have been at the first Thanksgiving in 1621.

Hunters used the telegraph to find the flocks and railroads shipped the birds to city markets by the barrel. By the 1890s, wild flocks had shrunk to almost nothing

Indian Pudding

New England colonists missed British hasty pudding, but wheat flour was scarce. So, they used cornmeal, which they called Indian meal, and sweetened it with molasses. They baked itlow and slow, letting it set in the leftover heat of the hearth.

Amelia Simmons printed three versions in 1796. It became a classic New England holiday dessert, but it never looked like much, and apple and pumpkin pie took over.

Ambrosia

The first recipe we know of appeared in 1867 in a southern cookbook called Dixie Cookery by Maria Massie Behringer. It had three ingredients: grated coconut, oranges, and sugar. That was a big deal. Railroads had recently connected Florida oranges and imported coconuts to the rest of the country, so the dish felt exotic.

Three years later, Godey’s Ladies Magazine agreed with the recipe, but offered pineapple as an alternative. Some cooks used both, the magazine said, but one fruit was better. Later, cooks added cherries, marshmallows, and cream. Purists still say real ambrosia is just oranges and coconut. The dish never fully died in the South, but elsewhere, the marshmallow and fruit bowl has mostly vanished from the Thanksgiving table.

Gelatin Salads

In 1905, a Pennsylvania woman named Mrs. John E. Cook entered a recipe contest sponsored by Knox Gelatin. Her Perfection Salad ingredients included cabbage, red peppers, celery suspended in gelatin. It didn’t win first prize, but it became famous anyway.

By the 1930s and 1940s, serving a gelatin salad hinted that you owned a refrigerator. The 1950s were the golden age. One Jello-O ad called for lime gelatin, cottage cheese, grated onion, and a scoop of seafood salad in the middle. Jell-o Brand gelatin even sold celery and seasoned tomato flavors! By then, Americans were making more gelatin salad than jellied meat.

Side Note: My aunt made a lime gelatin salad with sour cream, maraschino cherries, and walnuts every Christmas and a Strawberry Pretzel salad layered with pretzels, sweetened cream cheese, and topped with strawberries suspended in strawberry Jell-O.

When I mentioned these dishes (other than mincemeat pie) to my husband, he gave me a look, rolled his eyes, and muttered a remark that I chose to ignore. (Sigh) I guess I won’t be expanding my culinary expertise this Thanksgiving.

***GIVEAWAY***

For a chance to win a signed copy of “Her Rebel Heart” Book 5 in the Petticoats & Patriots series, share your comments with us.

Which of these forgotten Thanksgiving dishes would you try? Or does your family still make and enjoy one or more of these dishes?

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Hear a Little About Early Hearing Aids

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I’ve had a big change in my life recently—one that took me a bit by surprise. I got hearing aids. Let me start out by saying I’m WAY TOO YOUNG to need hearing aids. But here we are, right? Truth be told, I had noticed some difficulty hearing things this past year. It became really apparent when I went to a conference and struggled to hear the speakers. So, not long after that off to the ENT doctor I went and got tested. I don’t like the word “profound” but that’s what he used when describing the level of my hearing loss. Sigh.

I decided to be optimistic about this change, and I’m glad I did. I actually love my new hearing aids. I have a good friend who talks very soft, and I used to miss about a third of what she said. No more. I hear every word! And who knew my favorite pair of shoes squeaked when I walk? Or that the neighbor’s dog barks all day (okay, maybe this isn’t a good thing). I told my husband, I can now hear the sun shine and grass grow.

This got me wondering a little about how people throughout history dealt with hearing loss. I mean, these devices I’m currently wearing are so technologically advanced, I think they could transmit a message into outer space while tracking a bald eagle in the Colorado Rockies (only slight exaggeration – ha, ha). So, I did a little research.

The first recorded use of hearing aids, which may date back as far as Egyptian times, were called ear trumpets. They were pretty much what you’d imagine them to be—a horned shaped object, small on one end and large on the other. Most were constructed of wood, hollowed out animal horns, and in later years, brass. During the old west, hollowed out buffalo horns were often used. These ear trumpets didn’t work all that well, amplifying sounds only directly in front of the user and then to a small degree. They functioned best when someone spoke directly into the ear trumpet at close range.

The interesting part, however, was how clever ear trumpets became in their design. No one likes admitting to having a hearing loss, so inventors created some pretty cool ways to make hearing aids less conspicuous and a true fashion statement. They hid the devices in wardrobe accessories like ladies’ fans and headpieces and men’s canes­. In the home, hearing aids could be hidden in vases. King John IV of Portugal had a throne designed for him with ornately carved lion heads on the arms. The lions’ open mouths transmitted sound to the back of the throne and into the king’s ear via a speaking tube.

In 1898, the first electric hearing aid, called an Akouphone, was invented. As you can imagine, it was huge and bulky and not very portable. But then in the early 1900s, carbon hearing aids came into being, using similar technology to early microphones and telephones. While they amplified sound, they weren’t all that effective. In the 1920s, vacuum hearing aids came along, an advancement that allowed the size to be greatly reduced. One of the biggest jumps came after WWII with the invention of transistors–which reduced the size of hearing aids even more. For a while, there were even hearing aids built into eyeglasses, though these were awkward to wear and didn’t last long.

In the early 1960s, some smart person came up with the first behind the ear hearing aids – a style still in use today by 70% of people who wear hearing aids. But everything changed around 1995 with fully digital versions hit the market. Rather than simply amplifying sound, the user could now differentiate between low, mid, and high frequencies and adjust the hearing aid to their surrounding.

Interesting, huh? You know what I like best about my new hearing aids, besides the improvement to my hearing? They are connected to my phone, and I can listen to audio books without earbuds or headphones. Now that’s cool 🙂

 

 

Potlucks and a Recipe

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Hello everyone, Winnie Griggs here. A few weeks ago hubby’s family held their annual family reunion. It’s always such fun to see everyone, to note the changes that have taken place in the family – marriages, births, graduations and, sadly deaths. There are family tree documents to be updated, mementos and photos to look at and stories to share. And of course there are the oodles and oodles of yummy food dishes to partake of.

Which brings me to the subject of today’s post. I was wondering about the history of potluck events and so did a little research and thought I’d share the results with all of you.

A Brief History

It turns out the term “potluck” has been in use for centuries. Its earliest known usage dates back to the 16th century. In his play *”Unfortunate Traveler”, English playwright Thomas Nash used “pot-lucke” to refer to an impromptu meal, where a guest would take whatever food was available in the pot—which is where the “luck” came in. 🙂

While early references to potluck seem to suggest folks shared whatever food was on hand, the idea evolved over time, particularly in the U.S. It came to mean a coordinated event where each attendee contributes a dish of their choosing. In fact, the concept of gatherings where meals are shared has deep roots in American culture. Early on, pioneers and settlers were often isolated, and community gatherings were a way to pool resources and support one another. In most of the 19th century, potlucks were commonly associated with church socials and community events, especially in rural areas.

The potluck as we know it today became popular in the 20th century, particularly in regions with strong agricultural roots. The economic realities of the Great Depression and war years reinforced the importance of thrift and resourcefulness, and potlucks offered an affordable way for communities to come together. Families would often prepare large, shareable dishes like casseroles or Jell-O salads, foods that became iconic at mid-century potlucks.

Today, while potlucks still carry that practical, communal spirit, they’ve also become more personalized, with people bringing signature dishes or experimenting with new trends like favorite soups, vegan, or gluten-free.

 

Trivia and Stats

  • Classic potluck favorites include casseroles, pasta salads, baked beans, deviled eggs, and Jello salads.
  • Interestingly, a 2019 survey found that 46% of potluck attendees brought some form of baked dish (such as lasagna or baked ziti), while about 23% brought desserts, especially cookies and pies.
  • Modern potlucks often have themes, ranging from international cuisine to comfort food to breakfast for dinner potlucks. Themes can help add an extra layer of fun and creativity, inspiring people to try new dishes.
  • Did you know the world’s largest potluck was held in Grand Forks, North Dakota, in 2008? It involved over 8,000 people bringing dishes, making it a major event! The diversity of dishes at this gathering set a world record.
  • Workplace potlucks are especially popular, as they allow colleagues to bond over food. A survey found that 67% of American workers have participated in at least one office potluck, and about 85% of them said it helped boost team morale.
  • Potlucks are most common around the holidays, with approximately 76% of respondents saying they attend at least one potluck during the Thanksgiving to Christmas season. The Fourth of July and Easter are also popular potluck holidays.
  • While the heart of potlucks lies in homemade dishes, many attendees admit to taking shortcuts. About 35% of potluck participants say they’ve brought a store-bought dish at least once!
  • With an increase in dietary restrictions, potluck hosts are becoming more mindful. A study revealed that 52% of potluck hosts now request attendees label their dishes to indicate whether they are vegetarian, gluten-free, or contain common allergens like nuts.

At their core, potlucks are about more than just food—they’re about building connections, creating shared experiences, and encouraging everyone to contribute something meaningful. In our fast-paced, technology-driven world, there’s something nostalgic and heartwarming about gathering around a table of home-cooked (or at least thoughtfully selected) dishes.

So how do you feel about potlucks? Do you enjoy them? Is there a favorite dish you like to bring when you go to one? Leave a comment to be entered in a drawing for your choice of any of my books.

Oh, and here is the recipe I promised you – it’s the dish I brought to this year’s reunion.

I created this recipe by combining my favorite parts of a couple I found in magazines and adding my own touches to it.

 

Spanish Rice with Shrimp and Sausage

(This recipe serves 12 – all items can be halved if you want to prepare a smaller batch)

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces Shrimp
  • 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 2 lb Smoked Sausage (I substitute Andouille)
  • 12 ounce package of Yellow Rice
  • 1 cup diced Red Onion
  • 14.5 ounces Diced Tomatoes
  • 10 ounces Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
  • 0.5 cup Chicken Broth
  • 1 small stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 2 cup Frozen Peas
  • (optional) Additional Chopped Green Chilies or Jalepenos to taste

Instructions

  • Cook the Rice according to the package directions.
  • While rice is cooking, spray cooking spray over a large non-stick skillet; heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add Sausage Red Onion and celery. Cook and stir until sausage is cooked through and onion becomes translucent (about 5 to 7 minutes).
  • Stir in both cans of Tomatoes and the Broth. Bring contents to a boil then lower the heat. Simmer, uncovered for about 10 minutes.
  • Add in the Shrimp, Peas, (and optional Green Chile Peppers if desired). Cook, continuing to stir until the shrimp is pink and opaque (about 5-8 minutes). Season with Salt and Pepper to taste.
  • Combine contents of the skillet together with cooked Rice and serve.

Note: This recipe can be made the day before and then heated before serving

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh Yum!

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Hello everyone, Winnie Griggs here. I’m working on a new Western historical set in 1897 (More on that in a future post!) In one of the scenes I was writing I needed to come up with a treat for a two-year-old that could be bought at a general store.

Thinking of my own grandson, his favorite treats are goldfish crackers. Of course those weren’t around in 1897. But my mind made one of those leaps to animal crackers (fish – animals, yeah my mind works in strange ways). So I did a little digging and Eureka! Animal crackers were first produced in the US in 1871. Problem solved.

But while I was digging into this, I uncovered a few interesting tidbits I thought I’d share with you today.

The story of animal crackers begins in England, where biscuits (as the British call cookies) shaped like animals were first produced in the mid 1800s. These early versions were simply called “animals” and quickly became popular as a fun and playful treat. They were particularly popular among children, who loved the idea of munching on little edible zoo animals.

But it wasn’t long before animal crackers made their way across the Atlantic to America. In the late 1800s, American bakeries began producing their own versions of these animal-shaped biscuits. The most notable of these was the Stauffer Biscuit Company, which started making animal crackers in 1871. However, it was the National Biscuit Company—known today as Nabisco—that truly cemented animal crackers’ place in American culture.

In 1902, Nabisco introduced Barnum’s Animals, the iconic brand of animal crackers that we still see on store shelves today. The crackers were named after the famous showman P.T. Barnum and his traveling circus, which was a beloved form of entertainment at the time. The packaging itself was a work of art—a small, rectangular box designed to look like a circus train car, complete with a string for hanging on Christmas trees. This brilliant marketing strategy helped make Barnum’s Animals a holiday favorite, and the brand has been associated with fun and festivity ever since.

Over the years, the cast of animal characters has evolved. Originally, there were 18 different animals, including lions, tigers, bears, elephants, and camels. However, new animals have been introduced, and others have retired to the great zoo in the sky. In 2002, Nabisco even held a contest to let the public vote on a new animal to join the mix, with the koala emerging as the winner. Today, there are 19 different animals in the Barnum’s Animals lineup. They are: Lion, Tiger, Bear, Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra, Hippopotamus, Camel, Kangaroo, Monkey, Rhinoceros, Seal, Gorilla, Sheep, Bison, Leopard, Penguin, Koala and Polar Bear.

One major change occurred in 2018 when, after more than a century, the design of the Barnum’s Animals box was updated. In response to a campaign by animal rights activists, Nabisco redesigned the packaging to show the animals roaming free in their natural habitats, rather than being caged in circus cars. This change was a nod to changing social values, emphasizing animal welfare and conservation.

Animal crackers aren’t just a snack—they’ve become a cultural icon. They’ve appeared in movies, TV shows, and even songs. Who can forget Shirley Temple’s famous rendition of “Animal Crackers in My Soup”? This playful tune helped cement the snack’s place in pop culture, making it a beloved treat for generations. If you’ve never heard it, or just want to hear it again, here’s the LINK.

Beyond their nostalgic appeal, animal crackers have also inspired creative culinary uses. From pie crusts to cheesecake bases, these versatile crackers add a touch of whimsy to any dessert. And let’s not forget the chocolate-dipped versions, which elevate the humble animal cracker into a truly indulgent treat.


Fun Facts and Trivia

The average box of Barnum’s Animals contains 22 crackers. That’s 22 little animals to bring a smile to your face!

In the 1930s, Nabisco considered adding a kangaroo to the mix but ultimately decided against it.

The monkey is often considered the rarest of the animal cracker shapes, as it’s produced less frequently than other animals. (No indication as to why…)

Animal crackers were reportedly one of President Theodore Roosevelt’s favorite snacks. He even served them at the White House!

While animal crackers are a distinctly American treat, they have international versions too! In Japan, they’re called “dobutsu biscuits” and are often paired with educational games about animals.

Nabisco, the most famous producer of animal crackers with their Barnum’s Animals brand, produces approximately 40 million boxes of animal crackers each year. That’s around 4,000 tons of animal crackers!

In 1995, a sculptor named Nancy Rubins created a massive installation called Monument to the Last Horse in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The sculpture used thousands of animal crackers embedded in concrete, making it one of the most unique uses of the snack.

In 2002, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Barnum’s Animals, Nabisco created the world’s largest box of animal crackers. The box measured 8 feet high, 4 feet wide, and 2 feet deep, containing a whopping 3,000 pounds of animal crackers. (I wonder what happened to them?)

In 2010, Stauffer’s, another major producer of animal crackers, released a limited-edition “Endangered Species” set of animal crackers to raise awareness about conservation. The crackers featured animals like pandas, gorillas, and polar bears.

On a personal level, I have memories of eating these as a kid myself. And yes, my siblings and I would sometimes play with them rather than eating them, pretending they were animals in a zoo or even in the wild. And I remember giving them to my own children who happily munched on them, pretending they were eating real wild animals.

Do you have any memories of animal crackers, either from your own experiences or of giving them to the children in your life? Share your stories in the comments to be entered in a drawing for one of my books.

Cowboy Slang Fun and Giveaway

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It’s been a while since I’ve played a game here and had a giveaway, so I thought I’d do both today. And what better topic than one of my favorites:  cowboy lingo. But this time, there’s a twist. All the lingo refers to food.

So, the rules are pretty simple. This is a matching game. Match the numbered word in the left column with the letter definition in the right column. Put your answers in the comments, and I’ll randomly draw a winner from all those who answered correctly.

 

 

An example answer might be:  1b, 2d, 3a, etc. (note, these are NOT correct guesses).

So, come on. Let’s have some fun. The winner will receive my Cowboys and Coffee giveaway which includes a cowboy coffee mug, $5 Starbucks gift card, author bling, and two of my backlist books featuring a guaranteed to swoon over cowboy hero ? (U.S. shipping only, please)

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m in the mood for something to eat!

Bandanas – Simple Clothing Decoration or Multi-Functional Accessory?

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As a Harlequin author, I have to suggest cover ideas for the art department. If people are included in my ideas, I asked to describe what they’re wearing. If winter, they might have on heavy coats. If summer, they could be in shorts. Since my heroes are always cowboys, my list of clothing looks something like this: a Stetson, boots, belt, jeans, and a western cut shirt.

One article of clothing I always leave off my list but that my hero almost always carries or wears is a bandana. That recently got me to thinking about all the many uses for bandana, both in yesteryears and today. Me being me, I did a little research.

 

                             

Early Indian Block Painted Fabric                  George Washington on horseback 1780

It seems the bandana originated in late 1600s in Southern Aisa and the Middle East. They were made by pressing pre-carved blocks into pieces of woven fabric, infusing the fabric with dyes made from plants. These pieces of printed fabric began to reach Europe in the early 1700s, likely brought back by traders. Among Europeans, a repeating pattern of teardrop shapes gained popularity and came to be called “Paisley”.

From there, the bandana traveled with ship passengers to the colonies. Because of its natural versatility, no wonder it continued to gain even more popularity, head west with pioneers, and become standard issue for the American cowboy.

                     

Here are just a few uses for the versatile bandana:

Warmth in cold weather

Protection from sun exposure

Filter dust to make breathing easier during dust storms

Collect perspiration around neck

A handy wipe/rag for drying or cleaning

A napkin to wipe your face

Blowing your nose

A hairband

A scarf to warm ears

A mask for bank robbers

A gag for silencing hostages

Decorative accent when dressing up

Tourniquet to stop a wound from bleeding

A sling to support a broken arm

Wrap up a bundle of goods

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What about you? Do you have any uses for a bandana that I haven’t included here? Let me know in the comments below. We can have fun sharing ?

 

Pecans – Fun Facts & Trivia

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Hello everyone, Winnie Griggs here. November is pecan season here in NW Louisiana. There are quite a few pecan trees in hubby’s pastures and even one in my own backyard and they’ve all been carpeting the ground with their fruit the past few weeks. And since I’ve got pecans on my mind lately I thought I’d share some facts and trivia I discovered

HISTORY

  • Pecans are the only nut tree species that originated in America.
  • Native American tribes have relied on pecans as a valuable food source for thousands of years. They harvested pecans from the wild and incorporated them into their diets, using the nuts fresh from the tree and also storing them for later use. Pecans served as a crucial source of nutrition, especially during the lean winter months. The name “pecan” is actually a Native American word that comes from the Algonquin word “paccan” that was used to describe “all nuts requiring a stone to crack.”
  • The introduction of pecans to European settlers was a significant milestone in pecan history. Early European explorers and colonists encountered pecans in the New World, and they were quick to recognize their value. Pecans were collected, cultivated, and integrated into European cuisine. This marked the beginning of the pecan’s journey from a regional Native American staple to a broader American and international audience.
  • During the American Civil War, pecans played a vital role in providing sustenance to both soldiers and civilians on both sides. Pecans were a readily available food source in the South, and their nutritional value made them a valuable addition to rations. Pecan trees dotted the landscape, providing a reliable and accessible food source when other supplies were scarce.

SOME  TRIVIA

  • Pecan trees come in a wide range of varieties, In fact there are over 1,000 varieties but just a few of them make up the majority of the production in the US and each has its own unique characteristics. Here are three of the more popular varieties
      • The Stuart pecan is one of the most common varieties. It’s known for its robust flavor and large-sized nuts. These pecans are popular for their rich, buttery taste and versatility in various recipes. They also do well farther north than most other pecan varieties.
      • The Desirable pecan lives up to its name, offering a desirable taste. Another thing that sets it apart is its relatively easy-to-crack shells, which can be a time-saver for home bakers and commercial producers alike.
      • The Elliot pecan is appreciated for its consistent quality and reliable production, making it a favorite choice among pecan growers. Its moderate size and thin shell also make it a popular pick.
  • Pecans thrive in primarily the Southeast and South Central states. Georgia is often called the “Pecan State” and leads the nation in pecan production, contributing approximately 100 million pounds to the annual harvest. Texas is another major pecan producer as are New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Arizona (I was surprised that I didn’t see Louisiana and Mississippi in that list).
  • In Native American culture, pecan trees are seen as symbols of strength, endurance, and wisdom, representing the connection between humans and nature.
  • The pecan pie is a quintessential American dessert and is believed to have originated in the southern United States. One theory is that it was created by the French people who had settled in New Orleans. The classic pecan pie consists of a sweet, gooey filling made from pecans, sugar, butter, and often corn syrup, all nestled in a flaky pie crust.
  • Pecan pralines are another true Southern delight. Pecan pralines are a confectionery masterpiece that combine the richness of pecans with a sweet, buttery, and creamy caramelized sugar mixture. The result is a texture that’s simultaneously smooth and crunchy, with the unmistakable taste of pecans running through every bite.
  • Thomas Jefferson had pecan trees imported from Louisiana for his Monticello orchards.
  • During World War II, pecans played a surprising role in the war effort. Pecan oil, extracted from pecans, was used in the production of explosives and lubricants. The nut’s high oil content made it a valuable resource for the military.
  • Pecan shells have also been utilized in unusual ways. During WW II roasted pecan shells were often used as a substitute for coffee. And they have more recently been utilized as a base material for mulch and even as a natural abrasive in industrial cleaning products.
  • Georgia pecan wood was selected by the Atlanta Committee to make the handles of the torches for the 1996 Olympic Games. The torches were carried in the 15,000-mile U.S.A. relay and in the lighting of the Olympic flame in Atlanta on July 19, 1996.

STATISTICS

  • In 2022 there were approximately 407,000 acres of bearing pecan trees.
  • The U.S. produces about 80 percent of the world’s pecan crop.
  • It takes around 12 years for pecan trees to mature enough to begin producing pecans.
  • Pecan trees can live for several centuries, and some of the oldest known pecan trees in the U.S. are estimated to be well over 200 years old.
  • Pecans are one of the largest fruit-bearing trees. The largest pecan tree on record had a canopy that spanned over 200 feet.
  • Pecans are not only tasty but also incredibly nutritious. A one-ounce serving provides around 196 calories, 2.6 grams of protein, 20.3 grams of healthy fats, and a good dose of dietary fiber. They are also an excellent source of vitamin E, manganese, and other essential nutrients. These nutrients make pecans a nutritious snack or ingredient for various dishes.
  • And average Pecan pie uses about 78 pecans.
  • The “Oldest Continuous Pecan Festival” in the U.S. is the Sorghum Festival and Pecan Festival in the small town of Blairsville, Georgia, which has been celebrating pecans for over 50 years.

 

So there you have it, my curated list of everything you always wanted to know about pecans. Did any of this surprise you? Do you have a favorite recipe that includes pecans? Do you even like pecans?  Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for one of my books.

Riders of the Purple Sage – 5 Movie Versions

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We went out to dinner with friends a couple weekends ago and had a lovely time. One topic of discussion that came up was the famous western author Zane Grey and how many times his book, Riders of the Purple Sage was made into a movie. I insisted it was five, while one of our companions was certain it was four. Well, I was correct. But the real takeaway from this story is that a classic western book has been into a movie five times. That’s pretty impressive.

The first was in 1918 and starred William Farnum and Mary Mersch. Yes, it was a silent movie.

 

The second was in 1925 and starred Tom Mix (a very popular cowboy actor who appeared in 291 films) and Mabel Ballin. This was also a silent movie.

The third, the first movie with sound, was in 1931 and starred George O’Brien and Marguerite Churchill.

The fourth was in 1941 and starred George Montgomery (married to Dinah Shore and once engaged to Hedy Lamar) and Mary Howard (a founding member of Recording for the Blind.

The fifth and last was in 1996 and starred Ed Harris and Amy Madigan. This was a TV movie and not a theatrical release.

Other interesting tidbits about this book. In 1952, Dell released a comic book version. It was also adapted into an opera by compose Craig Bohmler — our dinner companion knew and offered up this fact. Three separate western bands have gone by the name Riders of the Purple Sage. Lastly, the author breaks a huge rule by telling the story from an anonymous third-person, omniscient point-of-view.

I’ve watched the 1931, 1941 and 1996 movies, though years ago. I’m thinking now I need to search online and find out if there’s a way I can watch the first two. Would be interesting comparing them to the others.

A Few Random Cow Facts

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I love random facts (science teacher) and today I’m sharing some cow facts with you.

First the nomenclature–A cow is a female bovine. A bull is an intact male bovine. A steer is a neutered male. A heifer is a young cow that has not yet had a calf.  Cattle is the term for a group of various bovines. I’m calling them all cows today. 🙂

Now the factoids–

Cows can run up to 25 miles per hour, however, they only run in short bursts.

Cows can jump a 5-foot fence, often from a standing position.

Cows have eyes set to the side and have trouble seeing directly in front of them. They see very well to the side and behind, so it’s difficult to sneak up on them. Their panoramic vision is close to 360 degrees.

Cows are super social. They depend on the herd for protection, so they don’t like to be alone. Cows will sometimes make best friends.

Cows can smell up to six miles away.

Cows are good swimmers. A cow in the Netherlands swam 62 miles during a flood.

Cows live 15-20 years.

Cows can weigh up to 3,000 pounds. Most weight between 900 and 2,000 pounds.

Cows have no upper teeth in the front of their mouth. They grind their food between the teeth in their bottom jaw and a hard dental pad on the roof of their mouth. They have molars in both upper and lower jaws, however, and when they burp their food back into their mouths to chew for a second digestion (the cud) they chew with the molars to further break it down.

Cows do not really have four stomachs–they have a compartmentalized stomach with each of the four compartments having a different job in digestion.

Oxen are cows or bulls that have been bred to work. They are larger and stronger than the average bull or cow, thus the term “as strong as an ox.” If male, they are generally neutered.

Cows produce 20-40 quarts of saliva a day. They need this much saliva to get dry hay processed in their digestive system. The saliva also aids in cud chewing.

And finally…cow tipping is probably NOT a thing, because cows sleep laying down.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the random cow facts. If it weren’t for cows, we’d have no cowboys, so I’m grateful for this amazing animal!

 

 

 

 

Rocking Chair Trivia Quiz!

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I’ve been having a lot of fun researching my new series, The Rocking Chair Ranch. For no reason in particular, this got me to thinking about the history of rocking chairs. I mean, did they start with mothers wanting a way to soothe their fussy babies to sleep or elderly people who sought to relieve their weary bones? Whichever, rocking chairs have long provided natural relief for life’s little discomforts.

So, just for fun, I put together a short trivia quiz about rocking chairs. Let’s see how many of them you get right. Answers are at the bottom.

  1. When was the first rocking chair invented and where?
  2. Which came first, rocking chairs, rocking horses, or cradles?
  3. Which president had an affinity for rocking chairs (due to a back problem) and owned 14.
  4. Rocking chairs were originally designed as outdoor furniture – true or false?
  5. According to Irish legend, what does an empty rocking chair mean?
  6. Where is the world’s largest rocking chair?
  7. What does the saying ‘off your rocker’ mean?

  1. In 1725, some ingenious person decided to fasten skates to the bottom of an English Yorkshire Windsor chair. It might have looked a little like this chair. Maybe. That person was from North American, so the rocking chair is truly an American invention.

                             

  1. Rocking horses (early 1600s) and cradles (late 1400s) were around long before the rocking chair.

  1. John F. Kennedy. His doctor recommended rocking chairs for is back woes.

  1. True – rocking chairs were invented for the outdoors first.

  1. It’s an invitation for evil spirits — which explains why my mom always put decorative pillows on the seat of our rocking chair.

  1. Casey, Illinois. The chair weighs 46,000 pounds and is made of recycled wood and pipe. That is one big chair.

  1. A little crazy, possible because old people who can suffer from senility often rock in their chairs.

I hope you had a good time today. I learned a lot more about rocking chairs that I put in this post. Hopefully, I’ll find a place for some of it in one of my stories. Thanks for joining me and, in closing, here’s a rocking chair quote from Theodore Roosevelt:

“There are rainy days in autumn and stormy days in winter when the rocking chair in front of the fire simply demands an accompanying book.”

Petticoats & Pistols