by Roseanna White | Dec 12, 2011 | Word of the Week
I was browsing through the entries for “get” over at www.etymonline.com, trying to discover when “get-go” came into being. Well, I didn’t find that (maybe it’s been around from the get-go. Ha . . . ha . . . ha . . .), but I did find some interesting info on “get back.”
Get back has been used since the 1600s in the sense of “return”–as in, “let’s get back to town.” That’s no big surprise, right? What surprised me was that the transitive sense of “recover”–as in, “Can you get back the money you lost?”–didn’t come about until 1808. Rather late for something so literal, in my opinion! And the meaning of “retaliate” didn’t enter English until 1888. Very late.
Pretty cool, huh? (Go ahead and say it–I’m a Word Nerd, LOL.)
Oh, and check out my post on RomCon Inc’s historical blog today!
And now, consider yourselves cordially invited to an online Colonial Christmas party! The Quillers over at Colonial Quill will all be there chatting, and I hope you can join us!
by Roseanna White | Dec 8, 2011 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
We have two cars. The one my hubby was given when he was learning to drive–a ’95 Jeep Cherokee–and our Lincoln LS. (These aren’t actual pictures of our cars, just online images of the same models–approximately, LOL.)
Xander, the Lincoln, is ten years old but still blinged out for a car of that age. Heated seats. Rain-sensitive windshield wipers whose speed adjusts automatically depending on the rate of rain. Automatic headlights. Climate control. It’s a sweet car, and it still looks lean and mean driving around with the newer cars. 😉
Last night, in the pouring rain, I ended up driving Bartok the Jeep. (Yes, I name my cars, LOL.) Bartok was getting new tires in case we got the predicted snow last night, and I drove him home.
It was pretty funny. I got in and went, “Oh, the seat’s all wrong.” And I had to move it manually. No pushing of my pre-set button. Then–gasp–the steering wheel was all the way up! I really don’t know that I’ve ever had to move the steering wheel in the Jeep, but miraculously, my hand found that level on its first reach. (Go ahead and laugh at me. I deserve it.)
Positioning correct, I then had a new pause. It was raining, and my wipers weren’t just wiping it away. Oh, right–I have to tell them to do that. I flip them on, then realize that the world around me is dark. Headlights. Check. I pull that knob out and feel relatively set to get going.
The steering is different. The brake pedal is softer. And it takes me a good two minutes to realize I need to flip the heat on myself–which I only realize because the windows are fogging up. I’ve been known to go an entire trip without turning the heat on in the Jeep, LOL.
This always amuses me because, let’s face it, it’s basic stuff. Stuff I shouldn’t have to put so much thought into–but I’ve been spoiled by Xander. Still, we keep Bartok around. Why? Well, because nothing’s like a Jeep. It can go in the snow, it can go in the mud, it can go off road and on road and across road and do it all with cheerful gumption and enough squeaks and jingles and rattles to let you know it’s working hard. 😉
I love Bartok. I love the blingier Xander too, but driving around in the Jeep last night, it really got me thinking.
Is there a better when it comes to this sort of thing?
It all comes down to purpose. Do I drive Bartok every day? No, because it’s a two-door and hard for me to get the kids in and out of. But when the first flakes of snow start coming down, you can bet I give Xander a nice pat and say, “Take a break, buddy. Have a snow day. It’s your brother’s turn.” Same goes if we have to haul anything bigger than a paper box. And need I even say that the kids think riding in it is the most fun in the world, because it doesn’t happen often?
I think sometimes life, and those of us blundering through it, is the same way. Some of us are a little rough around the edges. Some of us hold up well against the blinged-out world, but are, in truth, pretty modest in comparison. And sometimes it’s hard to shift from one path to another, from one calling to another, from one situation to another.
Sometimes we get thrown by having to take care of things we’re not used to taking care of. On the other hand, it can be a real treat to reach for that task and see it’s already taken care of–that those headlights have already flicked on without any input from you.
But just like with my oh-so-different car-family, it’s about the particulars, the circumstances. Sometimes we need to be spoiled.
And sometimes we need to get back to the basics.
In this season of hustle and bustle, of rushing and spending, take some time out for the Bartok situations in your life. Let the bling rest. Let the polish fade. And just enjoy the simple, and all it can do for you that the complex never could.
by Roseanna White | Dec 7, 2011 | Remember When Wednesdays, Uncategorized
Next week I’ll be having my first real-life (as opposed to online) book event for Annapolis, at my local library. It’s advertised as a Colonial Christmas party, and I’m having fun putting together all the Colonial aspects. I’ll be displaying my Great ANNAPOLIS Giveaway items, I think I’ll be setting up the little plastic Patriot V. Tory soldiers I have in a mock battle, decorating with greenery . . . and of course, planning a colonial menu. =)
I thought today it would be fun to share with you online folks what my in-person folks will be treated to next week, and the fun recipes I’ve found for colonial dishes. =)
Before I dive into the goodies, though, don’t forget to comment on the THREE interviews I have up right now for chances to win copies of
Annapolis AND for entries into the Great ANNAPOLIS Giveaway! They are:
Now for the goodies!
First, my menu will feature two savory items–ham, which was a staple of life and parties back in the day, since it could be so easily preserved by smoking and salting. And also popcorn, which hadn’t yet reached the widespread popularity of the 1800s, but was certainly around.
Now for the sweets!
Gingerbread
Ingredients
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1/2 cup white sugar
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1/2 cup butter
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1 egg
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1 cup molasses
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2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
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1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
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1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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1 teaspoon ground ginger
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1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1 cup hot water
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan.
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In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the egg, and mix in the molasses.
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In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Blend into the creamed mixture. Stir in the hot water. Pour into the prepared pan.
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Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan before serving.
Pear Muffins
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup ripe pears, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
rind of 1 lemon
Preheat the oven to 375. Grease muffin tins. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk and vanilla, mixing just until blended. Do not overmix. In a bowl combine the pears with the walnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon rind. Gently fold into the batter. Spoon into the muffin tins, filling each tin 3/4 full. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until nicely browned. Serve warm with apple butter.
And this one required a bit of introduction–I found repeated mention of “little sugar cakes” as a favorite party food, but had no clue what they were. Petit fours?? Maybe. But as I was searching yesterday, I found this recipe for “Sugar Jumbles / Little Sugar Cakes” which I knew right away were what I was looking for. I’d already discovered that “jumbles” were cookies, and it suddenly clicked about the sugar cakes being the same. So thank you to A Lovely Thought blog
(http://anartsideoflife.blogspot.com/2011/04/sugar-cakes-and-tea.html) for this recipe I found!
Sugar Jumbles
little sugar cakes of old-time goodness
Mix together……… 1/2 cup soft butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla
Sift together and stir in………. 1 1/8 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Drop rounded teaspoonfuls about 2” apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake until delicately brown… cookies should still be soft.
TEMPERATURE: 375’
TIME: Bake 8 to 10 min.
AMOUNT: About 3 dozen 2” cookies
I like to sprinkle with a powder of sugar on top, and place some pinches of lemon balm from my garden on the serving plate.
Now for the beverages! I’ll have coffee, and . . .
Ingredients:
- 1 gallon apple cider
- 1 large can pineapple juice (unsweetened)
- 3/4 cup tea
Place in a cheesecloth or mesh sack:
- 1 Tablespoon whole cloves
- 1 Tablespoon whole allspice
- 2 sticks cinnamon
Instructions: This is great cooked in a crock pot. Let it simmer very slowly for 4 to 6 hours. You can add water if it evaporates too much. Your home will smell wonderful, and this is a great way to set the tone for a holiday party!
And finally . . .
Martha Washington’s Colonial Chocolate
George Washington’s Favorite Hot Chocolate.
4 Tablespoons Cocoa
Small amount Of Cold Water
2 Cups Water
1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Cups Milk
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
Small amount Of Cold Milk
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Hot Water
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Mix Cocoa And Cold Water To A Smooth Paste In A Saucepan. Stir In The 2 Cups Water, Sugar And Milk. Bring To A Boil And Blend In Cornstarch Which Has Been Dissolved In The Cold Milk. Boil 3 Minutes Longer.
Remove From Heat And Set In A Warm Place. Beat Egg And Hot Water Until Light And Foamy. Pour Half Of Egg Mixture Into A Pitcher. Blend In Vanilla Extract. Add To Chocolate Slowly. Pour Remaining Egg Mixture Over Top. Serve.
by Roseanna White | Dec 5, 2011 | Word of the Week
I can’t tell you how much time I spent chasing rabbits down trails (literarily speaking) for a one-line mention in my books. Like, did they have bells over the doors in 18th century New York? Hard to discover.
This last week, one of my random questions was, thankfully, easily answered. I wanted a character to mention a cameo necklace, which I was pretty darn sure were around and popular by the 1860s, but I’ve been wrong before. So I looked it up.
I was pleased to see that cameo, by which I mean a carved stone with two layers of color, has been around since the 16th century. Cameos maintained a steady popularity for centuries–Elizabeth I had a sizable collection, as did Catherine the Great. And since Queen Victoria favored them, they even stuck around during the fast-changing fashion of the 19th century.
In 1851 the word was attributed to “a short literary sketch or portrait.” Very much related to the pendant, which commonly depict a bust or figure (though not always). And so this sense was also transferred to the stage/film in 1928, when it came to mean “a brief role that stands out from other minor parts in a performance.”
I have a cameo necklace I inherited from my great-grandmother, and I love it. =) There’s something so very romantic about those treasures from times past . . .
by Roseanna White | Dec 1, 2011 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
It’s December 1. As in, December 1, 2011. As in, the official release day of Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland. Give me a moment.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, I’m back. 😉
So this is technically my third Release Day. But it’s the first one that was ushered in by a call from my mom that went like this:
Mom: “So do you want the news?”
Me: “What news?” as Rowyn is sitting on the counter with a giant spoonful of yogurt that’s threatening to glop its way all over everything.
Mom: “I was in WalMart today, and they had
Annapolis out!””
Me, totally ignoring pending yogurt catastrophe: “THEY DID????!!!!!!!!!! Did you take a picture?”
Mom: “Well, I did, yes. Problem is, I can’t get it off my phone. So I called your Aunt Pam and told her to go with her iPhone and take a picture and email it to me.”
LOL. So it’s been spotted. Woot!
Yep, that’s my thoughtfulness for the day. =) I’m going to be trying to set up signings here and there and everywhere, which will involve some phone calls today and tomorrow. Which I didn’t set up already because November was writing challenge month–not doing THAT in the month before a release again! LOL
Okay, happy day. I have big plans for organizing my basement today, folding laundry . . . all that fun stuff I neglected while trying to write and organize some media stuff. 😉
Happy Release Day, everyone! And remember to check out my Great
Annapolis Giveaway (linked above) and check out the ways you can rack up those entries! (Including sending me pictures of
Annapolis on a shelf in your local store. Yes, I just want to see it for the pure
Joy, LOL.)
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.