Author: sandramervillehart

1870s Treatment for Baldness

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I’m always searching for interesting or little-known tidbits from our past. I found treatments for baldness in an 1870s cookbook that I’d love to share.

Caution: These were treatments or cures from 140 years ago. I’m not a medical professional and make no claims to how well they work nor am I advising anyone to try them.

According to the 1870s writer, hair loss indicates a scalp disease. The cure? Dip the head into cold water twice daily then rub with a brush until it glows.

If the hair is too long to rub with a brush:

  • Make a wash of 3 drachms (1 drachm = 1/8 ounce) pure glycerin and 4 ounces of limewater. (Limewater is a diluted solution of calcium hydroxide. It has nothing to do with the fruit.)
  • Brush hair until it glows.
  • Rub the glycerin/limewater wash into the roots.
  • After using this solution for 2 to 3 weeks, add ½ ounce of tincture of cantharides to it. (Warning for modern-day readers: Cantharidin is poisonous if taken internally. It’s considered an extremely hazardous substance. Further, Scientific American warns that it injures the hair and “should never be used.”)
  • Treat the area with this solution once or twice daily. If the area grows tender, stop using.

If the baldness is in spots, dip a soft toothbrush in distilled vinegar and brush the area twice daily.

This information is passed along for the entertainment of my readers. If you read this in one of my historical novels, you’ll know where I found the information!

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

Compiled from Original Recipes. Buckeye Cookery and Practical Housekeeping, Applewood Books, 1877.

“Cantharidin,” Wikipedia.com, 2018/07/29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantharidin.

“Drachm,” Oxford University Dictionary, 2018/07/29

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/drachm.

“Hair Tonic,” Scientific American, 2018/07/29 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hair-tonic-1853-06-04/.

“Limewater,” Wikipedia.com, 2018/07/29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limewater.

Praying for the Prodigal by Andrea Merrell

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The author of this book shares her desolate journey when not only one but two of her children took dark paths, becoming prodigals.

They’d been raised in a Christian home. Attended church all their lives. How could this happen?

The book quotes a statistic: “88 percent of children raised in an evangelical Christian home will leave the church by the age of eighteen.” A staggering number. The author goes on to share that half of them find their way back.

The author’s honesty makes this a compelling read. She shares what happened with her children and then gives advice to parents in the midst of the storm.

Recommend this book for parents who are praying for prodigals.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas  Use coupon code SandraMHart for a 20% discount on Lighthouse Publishing books!

 

What is Pie Plant?

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I found a recipe for Pie-Plant Pie in an 1877 cookbook. I had never heard of this before and did some research.

Rhubarb was referred to as pie plant over 100 years ago. It first came to North America in the late 1700s. Early on, it was mostly eaten in pies, which gave rhubarb its nickname.

Though rhubarb is a vegetable, may consider it a fruit because it is cooked in tarts, pies, and sauces.

Hothouse rhubarb is generally pink or pale red with yellow-green leaves. This type is sweeter and milder than the field grown variety, which are red with green leaves.

Never eat the leaves. They contain oxalic acid, poisonous to humans.

The stalks are crisp, similar to celery. The vegetable has a tart taste.

When cooking, cut the stalks in small pieces. It can be stewed in water with sugar until soft. Because the vegetable is highly acidic, don’t use aluminum pots to cook it. Rhubarb has a lot of water so not much water is needed in cooking.

Make a rhubarb sauce with such spices as ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, usually eaten cold.

Because of the acidic qualities, store only in glass or stainless steel. The stalks may be stored and refrigerated in sealed plastic bags for one week. It also freezes well.

Whenever I see pie-plant in an old recipe, I’ll know they mean rhubarb.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

Compiled from Original Recipes. Buckeye Cookery and Practical Housekeeping, Applewood Books, 1877.

Land O’Lakes Test Kitchen. “The ‘Pie Plant:’ All About Rhubarb,” Land O’Lakes, Inc., 2018/07/23

https://www.landolakes.com/expert-advice/the-pie-plant-all-about-rhubarb/.

“Rhubarb,” Wikipedia.com, 2018/07/23 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhubarb.

 

Raising Creative Kids

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Earlier this summer, I was a guest of Cathy Krafve on Fireside Talk Radio. She made this interview such a fun experience for me. Thanks, Cathy!

She wrote an article on her blog about Raising Creative Kids: The Written Word Sparks Imagination with Sandra Merville Hart.

As you will read in the article, this strikes a chord with me. I discovered books in the third grade. Such wondrous things that could transport you to another time and place just by reading them! I remember asking the school librarian where books came from. “Authors write them,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

From that moment on, I wanted to write.

But my parents discouraged me. I let the dream die.

Do you have a creative child? Find ideas for encouraging them here.

Cleaning Up After the 1913 Great Miami River Flood

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Cleaning up after The Troy Flood of 1913  was a massive effort on the part the townspeople.

The small Ohio city received about ten inches of rain in March of 1913 that flooded Troy. After the floodwaters from the Great Miami River and the Miami and Erie Canal receded, it left a muddy trail.

Citizens received warnings from the Board of Health about contaminated water. To avoid diseases left behind, they were not to return to their homes until water receded from their cellar. Wet wallpaper was to be removed.

Cleaning walls and floors with slacked lime killed mildew and mold. Troy’s Mayor John McClain requested two railroad cars of lime from the Ohio governor, James Cox.

The diseases were real. Troy citizens suffered through a typhoid epidemic the summer after the flood, said to have been caused by contaminated wells. Some died of the disease in late summer and early fall.

The characters in my novella, Surprised by Love, lived through the 1913 Troy flood. They tore down wallpaper. They cleaned with slacked lime.

They weren’t alone in this chore. Many in Troy and surrounding towns and cities along the Great Miami River also had massive cleaning after the flood.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. S.v. “slaked lime.” Retrieved July 21 2018 from https://www.thefreedictionary.com/slaked+lime.

Troy Historical Society. Images of America: Troy and the Great Flood of 1913, Arcadia Publishing, 2012.

Surprised by Love is Sandra’s novella in From the Lake to the River Collection (Mt. Zion Ridge Press, September 2018) that releases September 1st! Nine Ohio authors have written stories set in Ohio.

Surprised by Love is set during the 1913 flood in the small city of Troy, Ohio, where ordinary people courageously met the danger. Heroes are born at such a time.

Lottie’s feelings for an old school crush blossom again during the worst flood her town has endured in years.

 Lottie shoulders the burden for her siblings since their mother’s death. She also cares for the boarders in her home who need her assistance as much as her siblings. Dreams of Joe, her schoolgirl crush, must be put behind her. When the flooding river invades not only the town of Troy but also her home, Lottie and her family need to be rescued.

Desperate circumstances throw Joe and Lottie together. Can tragedy unite the couple to make her long-buried dream of winning his love come true?

The collection, From the Lake to the River, is available for preorder on Amazon!

 

Summer Song by Michelle Levigne

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Part of From the Lake to the River: The Buckeye Christian Fiction Authors 2018 Anthology

Published by Mt. Zion Ridge Press

After three months apart, Dani Paul looks forward to spending the summer with her boyfriend, Kurt Green. She and the rest of her band will help run music boot camps for college students. Nine months of traveling with her band leave her longing to stay in one spot.

A new keyboard player goes with them. Their last keyboard player, Bruno, had quit the group when he realized Dani dated Kurt. Then she finds that Bruno has taken a job at the camp.

This novella is part of a Tabor Heights series by the author. The main characters are believable and likable. Suspenseful and mysterious events kept me turning pages, trying to figure out the culprit. A college student? Bruno? There are a lot of characters so the story kept me on my toes. I enjoyed the story!

I’ve read books by this author before and will look for more.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Releases on September 1st! Preorder on Amazon!

Southern Tomato Pie Recipe from 1877

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I had six tomatoes in my fridge that I needed to use. I found a recipe for tomato pie that called for green tomatoes. These were ripe, but I’ve never been a big fan of green tomatoes anyway. I decided to make the pie, substituting red for green tomatoes.

Wash and slice tomatoes without peeling them. Put the tomatoes in a medium-sized saucepan with about a cup to a cup and a half of water. Cook over medium low heat until they start to become tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove from burner. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons sugar. The 1877 cook then says “flavor with nutmeg.”

I cringed a little, unsure how this spice would taste with tomatoes. I added ½ teaspoon nutmeg.

Prepare double-crust pie dough.

Hint: I learned a little trick from another 1877 cook when baking liquidy pie fillings: Mix 3 tablespoons of flour with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Sprinkle this over the crust. You may only use 1/3 to ½ of this mixture. It keeps the bottom crust from getting soggy.

Using a slotted spoon, add stewed tomatoes to bottom crust. Then arrange the top crust over the tomatoes and add holes with a knife.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.

I tasted the pie warm from the oven (not hot) and also cold. I liked them both.

The small amount of sugar in the pie didn’t make it too sweet. There was just a hint of nutmeg. If you’d like more, add 1 teaspoon of nutmeg instead of ½ teaspoon to the stewed tomatoes before baking.

Tomatoes are one of my favorite foods but I don’t like them roasted. I was surprised how much I liked this pie.

I’d love to hear if you try it.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

Compiled from Original Recipes. Buckeye Cookery and Practical Housekeeping, Applewood Books, 1877.

 

 

 

New Release-Audiobook for A Rebel in My House!

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I’m thrilled to announce the release of an audiobook for my Civil War romance, A Rebel in My House!

Tom Campbell, the narrator, does a fantastic job of drawing in listeners with his storyteller style. The novel is set during the turbulent days of the Battle of Gettysburg. when the War Between the States came to a small borough in Pennsylvania.

A Novel of Love and Sacrifice set during one of our nation’s most famous battles

Jesse has promised his sister-in-law that he’d bring his brother home from the war. Sarah has promised her sister that she’d stay clear of the enemy. Can the two keep their promises amid a war bent on tearing their country apart?

Buy it today on Amazon!

The Miracle Women of WWII

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Today’s post is written by fellow author and sweet friend, Carole Brown. Welcome back to Historical Nibbles, Carole!

World War Two was raging across the seas. Women were lining up to answer the United States call for help in the factories. Patriotism and loyalty flew high and strong. They were determined to do their part, not only for their military men, but also for their country. Rosie, the Riveter was an encouraging figure for mothers, wives and women everywhere to do their duty.

Housing at times, for the women in certain parts of the country, was hard to find. Many of them shared beds, one going to work as the other went to sleep. The patriotic appeal had two aspects: The positive: “do your part” and the negative: “a soldier may die if you don’t do your part.” The Germans and Japanese already had a headstart on weaponry, so the pressure—as the war continued—increased as time went by. Stockings, certain fabrics, metals, etc. were all sacrificed.

Abigail, the young wife in Christmas Angels, is a mother to Sarah Beth, her baby. In the top apartment of a boarding house filled with elderly and middle-aged people, she spends her days caring for her daughter. But when the checks from Patrick, her husband, cease coming, when the letters aren’t in the mail box, and the bills are piling up, what is she to do? Prayers are shakily breathed to God, but the reader can easily sense her doubts and timid faith. Her mother called her a failure but her husband had always called her strong and brave. Was it wrong to fear the unknown?

Is she strong enough to get through her fears and doubts? What happens that gives her the courage to carry on? Miracles do happen, but does one occur for Abigail?

–Carole Brown

Carole’s Short Story Christmas Angels in From the Lake to the River:

Her mother called her a failure, and maybe she was. Her husband was gone—in the service, yes, but if he loved her—really loved her, why didn’t he write? Or call? Or send the money she needed?

She loved this sweet little bundle of joy—her baby—but she was scared. Was she smart enough and strong enough to raise her?

Watch for this book’s release on September 1st!

 

Bio:

An author of ten books, Carole Brown loves weaving suspense and tough topics into her books, along with a touch of romance and whimsy. She and her husband have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, and the simple life.

 

Buy Link:

Amazon Author Page

 

 

 

 

A Patchwork of Promises by Gayle Ottemiller

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30 Devotions for Quilters

This devotional book is an inspirational read. Each day begins with a scripture reference. Then the author gives an inspiring story, often revealing a glimpse into her past. She ends with a promise from the scripture.

But the last part of each day’s reading is the reason that it’s geared to quilters. “Sew On” gives helpful sewing tips. Sometimes these are specific to quilters and sometimes not, so I believe anyone who sews would relate to this devotional.

Dealing with such topics as the fruit of the Spirit, God’s love, and safe havens, I found this an easy read. Some sewing devotions are also nestled in there.

Each day’s devotion takes only about 5 minutes to read so it is good for busy folks.

The sewing tips included set this apart for me. I really enjoyed the book and will watch for other books by this author.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas  – Use coupon code SandraMHart for a 20% discount on Lighthouse Publishing books!