Remember When?

Probably not, this book- The Book of Household Management written by Isabella Beeton was published in 1861. I find it absolutely fascinating the amount of work and time that was put into preparing meals. To know that all the butter that was used was churned and meat butchered and vegetables grown, fish caught and so on (mind you, by you or your family). Nothing was easy, and just about everything was cooked in lard haha. If you have a few minutes click on the link and scroll through the pages (scroll a lot, the appendix is really long. Or click on contents at the top and choose where you want to go in the book). I think it's interesting anyway...

Here are a few samples from the book.

A GOOD FAMILY SOUP

190. Ingredients- Remains of a cold tongue 2 lbs of shin of beef any cold pieces of meat or beef bones 2 turnips 2 carrots 2 onions 1 parsnip 1 head of celery 4 quarts of water 1 teacupful of rice salt and pepper to taste
Mode- Put all the ingredients in a stewpan and simmer gently for 4 hours or until all the goodness is drawn from the meat Strain off the soup and let it stand to get cold The kernels and soft parts of the tongue must be saved When the soup is wanted for use skim off all the fat put in the kernels and soft parts of the tongue slice in a small quantity of fresh carrot turnip and onion stew till the vegetables are tender and serve with toasted bread.
 Time 5 hours Average cost 3d per quart Seasonable at any time Sufficient for 12 persons

SHOULDER OF LAMB STUFFED

 756. Ingredients- Shoulder of lamb forcemeatNo 417 trimmings of veal or beef a onions 1 head of celery 1 faggot of savoury herbs a few slices of fat bacon 1 quart of stock No 105
Mode- Take the blade bone out of a shoulder of lamb fill up its place with forcemeat and sew it up with coarse thread Put it into a stewpan with a few slices of bacon under and over the lamb and add the remaining ingredients Stew very gently for rather more than 2 hours Reduce the gravy with which glaze the meat and serve with peas stewed cucumbers or sorrel sauce
Time Rather more than 2 hours Average cost lOd to Is per lb Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons Seasonable from Easter to Michaelmas

They did a weekly meal plan too!!

PLAIN FAMILY DINNERS FOR JANUARY 

1895 Sunday- 1. Boiled turbot and oyster sauce potatoes 2. Roast leg or griskin of pork apple sauce brocoli potatoes 3. Cabinet pudding and damson tart made with preserved damsons

1896 Monday- 1. The remains of turbot warmed in oyster sauco potatoes 2. Cold pork stewed steak 3. Open jam tart which should have been made with the pieces of paste left from the damson tart baked arrowrpot pudding

1897 Tuesday- 1. Boiled neck of mutton carrots mashed turnips suet dumplings and caper sauce the broth should be served first and a little rice or pearl barley should be boiled with it along with the meat 2. Rolled jam pudding

1898 Wednesday- 1. Boast rolled ribs of beef greens potatoes and horseradish sauce 2. Bread and butter pudding cheesecakes

1899 Thursday- .1 Vegetable soup the bones from the ribs of beef should be boiled down with this soup cold beef mashed potatoes 2. Pheasants, gravy bread sauce 3 Macaroni

1900 Friday- 1. Fried whitings or soles 2. Boiled rabbit and onion sauce, minced beef potatoes 3 Currant dumplings

1901 Saturday- 1. Rump steak pudding or pie greens and potatoes 2. Baked custard pudding and stewed apples