Subject: November 2018 Edition IX

Thank you for subscribing to the Historic Valentown Newsletter!

Valentown greetings,

We want to first wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.

At Historic Valentown the humble little farmhouse is quiet now, 
but in days past there were Thanksgiving dinners and families 
gathered around the table. It was a welcoming sight with light 
from the windows, waiting for everyone to arrive. It is now full of
memories like many other historic houses no longer lived in. 
Empty of the warmth of human occupation, but still full of echos 
of a simple thankful spirit and living that is no longer 
available to most us.

This holiday is truly an American tradition that did not become a 
National holiday until Abraham Lincoln proclaimed it 
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_%28United_States%29>; 
as such in 1863. But it is also rooted in our Native American 
heritage and their incredible agriculture.The foods that were 
domesticated by the different original Nations were perfected 
over thousands of years and now nourish a good portion of the 
world through the agricultural system that is now in the United 
States. What a remarkable gift, especially when the world is 
sometimes stressed and hungry. It took many seasons of harvest 
with trial and error to evolve maize (corn) into what we know so 
well. And foraged herbs and foods were carefully observed to 
collect the bitterness and the sweet needed to survive and be 
healthy. Both Native growers and American farmers used 
exceptional observation skills to select and cultivate for the 
best results.

The native wildlife like our favorite turkey (Three Cool Facts 
About Turkeys 
<https://forestsociety.org/something-wild/three-cool-facts-about-turkeys>and 
other animals were sometimes strange to new arrivals to America. 
But Native cultures already knew these animals well and shared 
that knowledge freely.

As we celebrate this day of harvest, it is important to take a look 
back to other Thanksgiving feasts of the past from America's 
ancient and early history and realize that people from all over 
the world now benefit from what originated here in the Americas. 
Let us be thankful for our own native bounty like potatoes, corn, 
beans, squash, cranberries and all the other delicious foods that 
are now shared and connect us to other cultures and people.

Please keep in touch through this newsletter as we have some 
exciting events coming. We don't want anyone to miss any of our 
news.
As always, we are your down home, hometown museum.
Kathryn White, President

Discover your Made in America Past at Historic Valentown!

Small Business Saturday
As the the history of hometown business and community we want 
to remind you that Small Business Saturday is this 
weekend. Our area is full of neighbors who represent the heritage 
of hometown business. Stop in and see what they offer. Your 
support keeps our communities strong.

Winter Wonders from the Farm

The American Cranberry

Cranberries are one of the only three native fruits to North 
America and grow wild as a long running vine. Native Americans 
used the berries even thought they were bitter (a medicinal 
quality) and mixed them with other foods like fat which made 
pemmican, a portable meal. The fruit was also used in dyes, 
poultices and as medicine.

The first cranberries were cultivated in Dennis, Massachusetts 
around 1816, but earlier 18th century recipes show they were 
foraged the Native way. Wild cranberries start to ripen in 
September but can be harvested to November. They do get a little 
vine sweeter as the season progresses. They like sandy bogs and 
marshes and can even be found in other areas of North America 
other than the Northeast, like Wisconsin and the Northwest.

Cranberries can be eaten raw and that is where most the nutrition 
is. Like red wine, their color is a hint of their antioxidant 
qualities. There are suggestions online on eating raw and they 
are easier eaten cut in half. We have the old time cranberry 
sauce recipe (below) for you. Enjoy!

Buy Local, Support Local, Love Local History!

Quote of the Month
"Be present in all things and thankful for all things."

Maya Angelou

News and Events
 

We are still working on our funding for the siding. Please
know how thankful we are for those of you who made a
contribution this year. It truly made a difference. You are
the people who care and the pictures last month of our
repaired "holes" are because of you. It makes the time we
spend as volunteers worthwhile and also lets us know that we
have supporters who believers in what we are doing. We are
proud of the beginning steps we took this year and look
forward to next year's challenge.

WEB SITE NEWS

We are taking a web rest right now as the Holidays approach.
But watch for our survey at the beginning of the New Year.
We want your feedback as we move forward.

EVENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS:

REMINDER: Valentown's Mason Bee Autumn Harvest
(Date, Time and Place to be Determined)

We still haven't determined the when and where of this event yet, 
but are estimating it to be late November (or possibly in 
December). We have plenty of time to get it done, the bees are 
hibernating now in the refrigerator, so they're in no hurry.

If you would like to learn more about our 2018 mason bee project 
at Valentown, check out the Project Update forum here: Mason Bee 
Project Update 
<http://historicvalentownmuseum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?showtopic=84&topic=84&query=bees#84>;

If you would like to attend (either to participate or to 
observe), please contact Lynne at 
webmaster at historicvalentownmuseum.org. We guarantee it will 
interesting and educational!? Or, if you're interested in 
starting your own mason bee house, please contact her about that 
as well.

Find Us on Facebook! 
<https://www.facebook.com/Historic-Valentown-157101550971895/>;

Recipes
See our collection of recipes and hints, tips and substitutions at
http://historicvalentownmuseum.org/forum/index.php?cat=2

Homemade Fresh Cranberry Sauce
For decades at family Thanksgiving dinners I politely ate a 
tablespoon of canned cranberry sauce that had been served by 
sliding the can shaped gelatinous mass of "jellied" sauce onto a 
serving dish meant for a banana split. One year while shopping 
for Thanksgiving dinner, I curiously picked up a bag of fresh 
Ocean Spray cranberries and turned it over. There was a recipe on 
the back of the package that seemed astoundingly easy.  And since 
I didn't like cranberry sauce anyway, I thought "Why not?". 
Well, let me tell you, I like cranberry sauce now! I never went 
back, and this has been my "go to" recipe every Thanksgiving for 
over a decade. It's healthier for you, tastes wonderfully fresh 
(because it is!) and is a much more elegant table display.

~~~Lynne

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 12-ounce package Ocean Spray? Fresh or Frozen Cranberries

Directions
1) Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil; 
add cranberries, return to boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 
10 minutes, stirring occasionally./(Note: sometimes a few 
cranberry's will explode like a popcorn kernel, so don't let your 
face get too close, those berries will be HOT!)

2) Cover and cool completely at room temperature. (Note: I pour 
the cranberries into the serving bowl while they are hot, it 
makes for a smoother serving display as opposed to spooning it 
into a bowl in chunks.) /Refrigerate until serving time.

Prep time: 5 minutes plus cooling, Cook time: 15 minutes, 
Servings: 2 1/4 cups

Levi's "What is it?" Department

Hello Friends,
Since the Holidays are upon us we are going to depart a little 
from our usual "What is It" fun and begin again in January. Over 
the long history of the site, we have seen many things come and 
go. We have had holidays with candles and lamps to light our way 
and now electric lights and LED's, just as an example. But some 
things never change or at least are still around. It is fun to 
look back and remember some of the happy moments and see that 
they are still enjoyed today.

STILL SLIPPING & SLIDING
After all these Years

Samuel Leeds Allen (May 5, 1841 ? March 28, 1918) was the 
inventor and manufacturer of the first steerable runner sled, the 
great /*Flexible Flyer*/. We are pretty sure that most of you 
have fond memories of your own little beauty.? They were marketed 
to both boys and girls and of course adults and distributed to 
stores all over America for the winter season. The story is pure 
Historic Made in America. Best Wishes, Levi

Flexible Flyer: A Sledding Tradition Continues! 
<http://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2013/01/05/flexible-flyer-sled-history>;
Check out that  link, there are some gorgeous vintage sleds to see.

Our last "What is it?"

OK. Are you ready for a "knock your socks on AND off" machine?
Yes, this little handy device knitted socks right before you eyes 
and in your own home. It was sold as a respectable way to earn 
extra income. We met a sock group at a fiber arts festival last 
year. And as you can see from the demo they are still being used 
today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc8Do80gRnM

Still//going. Will it ever be solved...?

The "mystery rods"
    <https://www.facebook.com/157101550971895/photos/a.708518075830237.1073741826.157101550971895/2096916816990349/?type=3&theater>;
    .

Historic Valentown Museum - Forum
https://historicvalentownmuseum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?showtopic=258