I love learning about history, especially about food, and attending events at living history museums and parks with costumed interpreters. It is such a great way to learn about our community’s past! I am so pleased that my daughters share that love of history of days gone by.
We have spent a great deal of time at Fort Edmonton Park in Edmonton, Alberta over the years. School fieldtrips, family outings and a variety of events we have attended has further strengthened our love of history and of days gone by, not to mention the interesting things that we have learned about like tent cities, how old fashioned weddings once were, happenings at the fur trading fort, various herbs used for homemade remedies, and some of the old fashioned food that was once eaten. We have talked to interpreters and learned about the women’s voting movement, cooking on the wood cook stove like how each stove has its quirks and how to bake a pie in an old wood oven, various preparations of vegetables (the pioneers were quite creative and not given enough credit for all the delicious things they once cooked and ate), how to make butter, how a wedding cake was prepared and decorated and we were even fortunate enough to taste it (which was flavored with rose water), cooked bannock over an open fire, how to flail grain, plus so much more. It really has been wonderful learning experiences.
In February 2017, we were fortunate to attend an afternoon at the family Valentine’s celebration at Fort Edmonton Park. We learned about the history of Valentine cards which I will share shortly, and we even got to make a few homemade cards ourselves. We also got to make some delicious sugar cookies (dating back to the 1700’s), which were baked in the old wood cook stove and make some good old fashioned lemonade all at the Mellon Farm on 1920 Street.
John Mellon was born in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba in 1864. He had many adventures including participating in the Riel Rebellion in 1885, as well as managing a hotel in St. Albert, Alberta and in Strathcona where he took residence. Mr. Mellon purchased 408 acres before the end of World War I. This land passed through many owners and the City of Edmonton purchased 158 acres in the early 1960’s which present day Fort Edmonton sits on. The Mellon Farm has had many class fieldtrips and family events like the one we attended. This is the original house and was built in 1922. This farm was typical of many small mixed farms of that time period. A mixed farm allowed them to be self-sufficient, producing an array of products to meet their needs, like Marquis wheat, barley, oats as well as livestock, chickens, eggs and a vegetable garden.
By the 1920’s women were able to vote, electricity was in more houses, motor cars gained popularity on the streets, prohibition was lifted plus so much more. The Mellon House had electricity so there were lights, but the wood cook stove was still in use as electric stoves at that time were costly.
Time to bake cookies! Let’s get started!
My daughters “L” and “H” were quick to get to work making the cookie dough. We have always enjoyed making cookies together, so they knew just what to do! Once the dough was made, we pressed it onto a floured surface, rolled it out and then cut into heart shapes. We then placed them on baking sheets and continued until the dough was gone.
The cookies are looking good so far! The dough was balled together, and re-rolled until the dough was gone, so the cookies look a little patchy!
Once the cookies were cut out, they were sprinkled with sugar. Sprinkles and nonpareils were not yet widely used as they would have been quite expensive and often saved for special occasions like wedding cakes.
The oven was stoked and then when the oven was just right, the cookies were baked. Charles was a great help in the kitchen as he stoked the fire, kept it going and managed the hot oven!
These cookies smelled wonderful as they baked and tasted even better! There is just something about cookies from the wood stove — they are a little crunchy, have such a great flavor and extra yummy!
These are sure to be your family’s favorite sugar cookies!
Old Fashioned Fort Edmonton Park Sugar Cookies
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1tsp salt
Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla and beat. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Stir until combined. Turn dough onto floured surface. Press dough together and form into a disc. Roll out to 1/2″ thick. Cut out into hearts or your favorite shapes. Place on baking sheets and bake at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly golden.
While we were waiting for the cookies to bake, we made homemade Valentine’s! The writing of notes (on ordinary paper) for Valentine’s Day gained popularity in the 1700’s. Papers made specifically for Valentine’s were marketed in the 1820’s and Valentine cards gained popularity in the 1840’s when postage became standardized. The cards were flat paper sheets with colored pictures and embossed borders and could be folded, sealed with wax and then could be mailed.
To make your own Valentines, you need some colored paper, crayons or markers, ribbon, stickers, and old cards or printed Valentine pictures. Cut the cards into heart shapes from colored construction paper or just fold in rectangles or squares. Decorate with old Valentine’s or from craft supplies (materials as listed above) and write poems or good wishes to your Valentine!
Now that the cookies are cooling, we need a beverage to quench our thirst! Let’s make lemonade to go with these delicious cookies. Homemade lemonade could not be easier to make and only takes 3 ingredients!
Wash lemons and cut in half. Use a juice squeezer or lemon press to squeeze lemons. Pour into pitcher or jug. Add water and sugar to taste. Stir well before serving.
Fresh Homemade Lemonade
5 to 6 lemons
cold water
1-1/4 cups sugar
Cut lemons and juice with a lemon juicer/juice squeezer until all juice has been removed from the lemons. Pour lemon juice through a strainer if need be to remove seeds into a jug. Add sugar and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add enough water until it tastes good. Serve cold with lemon slices.
This was such a fabulous way to spend Valentine’s Day and I am so excited to share these memories and yummy recipes with you! A little baking and a little history makes for great family time!
Share with us if you have made these delicious cookies in the comments below!
