More Management

This is the lovely opening page spread. The left depicts the English farmstead. All pictures can be clicked on to enlarge so you can read these gems of wisdom.
Frugality never goes out of style!
Need to know the arrangement for a game banquet layout??

Household Management 1861

I have stumbled upon a most fascinating tome:

BEETON'S BOOK OF HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT , is a 1112 page epistle of all things the mistress of a proper English home would need to master. Apparently this classic has evaded me all these years. I cannot begin to describe all this treasure trove has to offer, on every imaginable subject. It was originally published in 24 monthly installments by Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine. Isabella Beeton was only twenty eight when she died, from childbed fever.

Little Treasures

Basement cleaning yielded some long lost treasures, boxed up for kitchen renovations over 10 years ago. Cookbooks, my much missed waffle iron (the kind you put right on the stove), some of my china, heirloom cut glass and lots of odds and ends were recovered.

An entire collection of Easter crafts, including Ukrainian eggs which are known as Pysanky, were carefully packed away. One of the eggs had the date, 1997 incorporated as part of the design. I loved making these with the children when they were growing up. We made "living" baskets using wheat grass instead of the colored shredded plastic filling.

The cookbooks are particularly fascinating as they were published over 100 years ago. I will try and post some pics of these. The text is remarkable for the tone of instruction aimed at the housewife, almost stern. The woman's sphere was her home and she was to take her duties seriously. Providing three "proper" meals for her family was part of that duty. Considering the enormity of the task: pre-take out, dishwasher and convenience food..........no wonder it took so much effort.