Little Author in the Big Woods (15 page)

10. Form a waist by cinching the middle with string.

11. To make shoulders, fold a husk over the arms and torso in an X shape.

12. Arrange four or five husks around the waist, with the straight ends on top, to create a skirt.

13. Secure the skirt with string.

14. If you would like to make legs, use small strips of husk as shown in the illustration. Tie small strips of husk around any exposed string (neck, waist). Use fabric scraps to make clothing, and yarn for hair.

 

What Laura Ate

People back in Laura's time ate some dishes that would be familiar to us and some that would not. Here are a few recipes for foods Laura mentions in her writings that she and her family might have eaten.

 

Gingerbread

Laura and her family loved gingerbread. Gingerbread was their celebration cake, made for birthdays and holidays. Gingerbread is moist, spicy, and delicious.

YOU WILL NEED:

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted before measuring

¹
/
₃
cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1½ teaspoons ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ cup melted butter

1 cup molasses

1 egg

½ cup buttermilk or sour milk (To make sour milk, combine ½ teaspoon vinegar and ½ cup milk, and let mixture stand for 5 minutes)

¼ cup hot water

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Sift together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.

3. Stir in the melted butter, molasses, egg, and buttermilk or sour milk.

4. Beat in hot water.

5. Pour batter into a generously greased and floured 8-inch square pan.

6. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until cake springs back when lightly touched.

7. Serve warm with whipped cream.

 

Johnnycakes

There are many references to johnnycakes in Laura's books; they were a staple of the family's diet. A johnnycake is a type of cornbread that can fit easily into a saddlebag without crumbling or getting crushed, so it was ideal to take along on the many journeys across the plains.

The original recipe probably came from the Native Americans, who often shared their food with the settlers. They may have originally been called
journey cakes
, a name that would easily have been corrupted into
johnnycakes
. Or the name may be a corruption of
Shawnee cakes
, named for the Shawnee tribe of the South and Midwest. Still others say it is a corruption of an ancient Indian word,
jonikin
, and that it came to us by way of the Narragansett tribe of Rhode Island. But whatever the origin of their name, johnnycakes are delicious and easy to make. Below is an old-fashioned recipe like the one that Laura and her family might have used.

YOU WILL NEED:

1 cup stone-ground cornmeal (white or yellow)

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sugar (optional)

1 cup boiling water

Butter (or bacon drippings, oil, or other fat)

½–1 cup milk

1. Whisk together cornmeal, salt, and sugar (if used).

2. Bring water to a boil and pour over the meal mixture, whisking to prevent lumps. Let batter rest for 10 minutes.

3. Butter a large skillet or griddle and bring it to a sizzle, taking care not to let the butter burn.

4. Add enough milk (½ cup to 1 cup) to the batter to make it the consistency of mashed potatoes, and drop by spoonfuls several inches apart (they will spread) to make cakes about 2 or 3 inches wide.

5. Let the cakes gently sizzle on the skillet for 6 to 11 minutes, until they are a deep golden brown on the bottom and slightly firm on the top.

6. Add more butter to the skillet, and/or place a thin pat of butter on each cake, before turning them over and cooking for another 6 minutes (or longer if necessary), until they are a deep golden brown color. Serve with butter and maple syrup.

    Makes about 8 cakes.

 

Homemade Butter

Back when Laura was a girl, butter was made in a round wooden churn with a long pole to work the cream. Today, it would be hard to find an old-style butter churn. But you can still make delicious butter by following the directions below. Use it on your johnnycakes.

YOU WILL NEED:

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1 clean glass Mason jar with lid

2 medium-size bowls

1 spatula

1. Leave the cream out on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes, then pour it into the Mason jar.

2. Put the lid on the jar and start shaking it. After about 2 minutes, you'll see a nice, lightly whipped cream.

3. After about 4 minutes, the contents of the jar will look like thick whipped cream.

4. After about 9 minutes of shaking, the cream will start to separate from the sides of the glass. You might want to take a short break.