Christmas at the Page Farm

Thanks to Iris Page (daughter of Morley and Grace Page) and her daughter Michelle for sharing their memories of Christmas. 

Christmas at the Farm

Christmas dinner at the farm was a big affair with lots of good food. We always started with a glass of tomato juice, we never had it at any other time. We would eat chicken, not turkey as we had chickens on the farm. We would have 3 vegetables, always potato, turnip and peas and carrots. Mother would make gravy and the chicken was always carved at the table. For dessert we would have a choice of plum pudding with home made ice cream or minced meat pie with home made ice cream. The plum pudding would have lots of dip, Dad always loved lots of dip for it. There would be light and dark Christmas bread, shortbread and squares as well.

We would have family come for dinner, Aunt Edna and Ruth, Uncle Herm and Aunt Gert with their kids and sometimes Aunt Glad and Uncle Harry from Detroit. Herm and Glad were Dads brother and sister. We would switch each year with Uncle Herm and Aunt Gert, one would do Christmas dinner , the other New Years. At home after dinner we would go tobogganing, there always seemed to be lots of snow.

Recipes:

Mince meat pie and plum pudding recipes have been lost, the plum pudding recipe did not have any suet type ingredient in it, it was very much a plum pudding and always had a dip with it to pour over it.

Christmas cake recipes also not found although the dark Christmas cake was the usual type, and the light Christmas cake was basically a white cake with raisins, peel and candied cherries in it.

Squares and shortbread :

Shortbread:

1 cup soft butter

½ cup brown sugar

2 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar, gradually add flour ¼ at a time. Roll out to ¼ inch thickness and cut into shapes, decorate with cut up candied cherries.

Bake at 325 for 9-12 minutes will be done when golden around the edges

Cherry Squares:

Bottom:

1 ½ cups flour

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup butter

Mix like pastry and press in 11x7 pan. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes

Top:

2 egg whites (beaten stiff)

1 tsp. baking powder

1 ¼ cups brown sugar

2 tsp flour

1 cup glazed cherries , chopped up

½ tsp vanilla

Mix all the ingredients together and spoon on top of cooled bottom

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes

Butter Mallow Squares:

Bottom:

¾ cup soft butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 ½ cup flour

Mix like pastry, put in 9x12 pan and prick well. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes

Top:

2 envelopes of unflavoured gelatin

½ cup cold water

2 cups sugar

½ cup warm water

½ tsp vanilla

Food colour , red or green

Options – ½ cup maraschino cherries, cut up and /or ½ cup walnuts in small pieces, if you do both then use ¼ cup each

Soften gelatin in cold water

Combine sugar and warm water in a pot, boil for 2 minutes

Dissolve gelatin in hot syrup

Beat with mixer until stiff

Add vanilla, food colouring and cherries/walnuts, mix

Pour over shortbread bottom

Cool

Cut with hot knife

Recipes from our WW2 Page Family Christmas Dinner

Better late than never!  I meant to post this before Christmas. 

Below are the recipes sent to us by Iris Page and her daughter Michelle that were favourites with Morley and Grace Page's families at Christmas.  We served these at our most recent WW2 themed Christmas Dinner in the Museum on December 1 and 2, 2018.  In conversations with locals we established that the shortbread recipe was the one most of the community used including Marion Pearce and Marion Foreman which makes sense since they were neighbours and/or friends.  Thanks again to Iris and Michelle for sharing. 

Shortbread:

1 cup soft butter

½ cup brown sugar

2 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar, gradually add flour ¼ at a time. Roll out to ¼ inch thickness and cut into shapes, decorate with cut up candied cherries.

Bake at 325 for 9-12 minutes will be done when golden around the edges

Cherry Squares:

Bottom:

1 ½ cups flour

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup butter

Mix like pastry and press in 11x7 pan. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes

Top:

2 egg whites (beaten stiff)

1 tsp. baking powder

1 ¼ cups brown sugar

2 tsp flour

1 cup glazed cherries , chopped up

½ tsp vanilla

Mix all the ingredients together and spoon on top of cooled bottom

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes

Butter Mallow Squares:

Bottom:

¾ cup soft butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 ½ cup flour

Mix like pastry, put in 9x12 pan and prick well. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes

Top:

2 envelopes of unflavoured gelatin

½ cup cold water

2 cups sugar

½ cup warm water

½ tsp vanilla

Food colour , red or green

Options – ½ cup maraschino cherries, cut up and /or ½ cup walnuts in small pieces, if you do both then use ¼ cup each

Soften gelatin in cold water

Combine sugar and warm water in a pot, boil for 2 minutes

Dissolve gelatin in hot syrup

Beat with mixer until stiff

Add vanilla, food colouring and cherries/walnuts, mix

Pour over shortbread bottom

Cool

Cut with hot knife

Fun Fact Friday #15 - Beer Hops 🍺

      Did you know that almost all kinds beer uses a flower called Hop? 
      Hops are little cone-shaped flowers that grow on the humulus lupus plant found in North America. When they are dried out in an oast house and ground they are usually used in beer as a flavouring and stabilizing agent because of it's bitter, zesty, or citric flavours. 

      The earliest documented use of hops in beer was in the year 736 in Germany, it was then passed to England in 1524, and finally to North America in 1629. These days most hop yards are found in Canada and the U.S.

Hops after they are dried and ground.

      The Backus-Page House Museum has it's very own hops plant in the garden!

Come find out what makes your refreshing beer taste the way it does at:
29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
(519) 762-3072

Backus-Page Goes to the Bridal Show

Last Sunday, Sarah, Kelsey and I spent the day at the historic CASO Station in St. Thomas for their 5th Annual Bridal Show.  We had a great time meeting brides, some grooms, lot's of Moms and friends.  Our focus was to promote the grounds of the Backus-Page House Museum as THE place to hold your outdoor wedding.  Here's a picture of our display.  Congratulations to Dayna Walker who won a MK Satin Hands Pampering Set from us.  
                                                                              Angela Bobier, Cultural Manager

Behind The Scenes Sundays

Here are some upcoming events from other museums in this region along with our own Heritage Farm Show. 

Burford Township Historical Society

would like to invite you to an afternoon with the author of

Elizabeth’s Quest, Sandra Campbell.

 

Sunday September 21, 2014

Program start at 2p.m.  goes until 4p.m. at the Museum in Harley

You can find out more about Sandra and

Elizabeth’s Quest at www.elizabethsquest.com

 

A fight for survival during the war of 1812

 

As well as meeting and listening to Sandra read from her book, she will give a brief history on why she wrote this book

and how and where her research has led her.

 

The Museum will be on display also for your enjoyment.

 

Please join us.

 

 

Behind The Scenes Sundays

Things staff at Backus-Page House Museum say: "Let's name him Simon Flower Pepe."

This past week we have a very cute park resident hanging around and eating from the kitchen garden.  We had to put up the fences to keep out our new friend.  He (or she) casually walks away and hides under the deck of the carriage house whenever he sees one of us.  So if you visit the museum, be on the lookout for our skunk.  We're trying to get his picture, but he seems to be camera shy. 

The board held their monthly meeting on Thursday and spent about 45 minutes brain storming.  By January, we want to have a five year plan to present to the membership.  It's important to know where we are headed and set goals for the future of Backus-Page.  We focussed on ideas regarding Membership and Donors, Events and Programming, plus Large Projects.  I am very excited with the contributions of volunteers and staff, and encourage you to leave comments on this post with your thoughts.  I will take all ideas to the next board meeting, so tell us what you want to see at Backus-Page House Museum from now until 2019. 

It's family reunion time, so we've had many visitors asking about family records and resources in our records.  We have two reunions booked so far this summer to be held on the museum grounds.  One was held today which is why this post is late as it was my husband's family and we were hosting the event.  It was the 50th Annual Bobier Reunion!!  We were excited to have many attendees who had not been out in years.  The compliments on the Backus-Page grounds, the atmosphere, and the nearness to St. Peter's cemetery, where many ancestors are buried were numerous.  Next Saturday another reunion on site and I hope they have as great an afternoon as we did.  I look forward to meeting them all and touring them around the interior of the museum. 

The internet is still not working properly, as the nearest tower is having issues.  We are able to send and receive emails, but it's hit and miss on when we can and when we can't and how long it takes.  Please have patience if you send us something or we are trying to send you something.  Until next week, I wish you all the best.

Angela Bobier, Cultural Manager

Toolbox Tuesday- An Awl

Awl

An awl is a long, pointed spike, which can be used for a variety of reasons.  For example, an awl can be used for making holes in wood, marking wood or for piercing holes in leather and other materials.  An awl is the simplest hole-maker, because it simply pushes material to the side without pulling it out.  Since awls were and are used in a variety of trades, there are many variations to fit the particular needs of the carpenter, tailor, sail maker. There may be multiple names for the same type of awl, as well as different awls with similar uses.  The awl was pressed against an object and then rotated by hand, much like a present-day screwdriver.  It is even said that an awl would historically have been used to pierce ones ears.

 

Vegetable Fermentation Workshop

Thank you to Cindy from Elgin Harvest for teaching a vegetable fermentation workshop here at Backus-Page House Museum.  Six attendees learned that many cultures have traditions where fermenting is used for flavour and preservation.  Unfortunately most North Americans have lost this food art.  Fermentation is controlled decaying to make nutrients more available.  The bacteria are essential for gut health. 

Items we eat regularly have fermenting somewhere in there processing like sauerkraut, tea, chocolate, pepper, yogurt and much more.  Cindy brought some items to taste test including green strawberries, beans, and sour cherries.  We made salt brine and all chose to layer locally grown vegetables in our jars. 

<-----Angela's ingredients 2 tsp each of dill, yellow mustard, dark mustard, fennel; 1 tsp of black pepper corns, 1 garlic clove.  Asparagus, sweet peppers, red onions, green and yellow beans.

Next week I'll take a picture of my jar and post about its progress and taste. 

You can contact Cindy at www.elginharvest.ca and visit her Saturday's at the Horton Street Market in St. Thomas. 

by Angela Bobier, Cultural Manager

Beryl, Edith, Paula, Betty Ann, Patrusia, Angela

It's Time to Make a Change

Trivia Question CLOSED

Want to win a family admission pass to our Annual Heritage Farm Show? This is the last trivia question we will be posting. Answer correctly on our Facebook page and you could win a free one day Family Admission (2 Adults and 2 Children) for our 2012 Heritage Farm Show on September 15th - 16th. 

What do you think this tool was used for? Leave your answer on our facebook page for your chance to win!*

Click here to enter!

*Comments here will not be eligible for the contest

Register Your Equipment for the Heritage Farm Show

On September 15 and 16, 2012 the grounds of the Backus-Page House Museum will once again be filled with pieces of our agricultural past.  We invite you to bring your antique equipment, tractors, and displays, but make sure to register first so we can give you the space you need to showcase your treasures. 

Mail or email the registration form ASAP.  You can find the form under Heritage Farm Show on our Events page.   http://backuspagehouse.ca/Events.html

For more information contact the office info@backuspagehouse.ca or 519-762-3072