Today in American history…George and Martha Washington were married on January 6, 1759 at her plantation home, the White House, in New Kent County, Virginia on January 6, 1759.
An 1849 painting by Junius Brutus Stears titled “The Marriage of Washington to Martha Custis”
Leading up to her marriage to George Washington, Martha Dandridge Custis was a young, wealthy widow residing in New Kent County, Virginia (about 35 miles outside of Williamsburg) with her two small children.
George Washington was a dashing military hero who would make the long visits from his home outside of Fredericksburg, Virginia to visit the charming and accomplished Martha in 1758. Within a few months of their courtship, they decided to plan a future together.
Martha Custis placed an order from London for beautiful purple slippers and a wedding dress that was to be “grave but not extravagant nor to be mourning.”
Martha Custis Washington’s wedding shoes, worn on her marriage to George Washington on January 6, 1759. Silk, linen, leather, metallic lace and sequins, and wood. (The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association)
Calvin and Grace Coolidge had simple tastes when it came to dining and they cherished anything related to their home of New England. One of the delicious items you could always find with one of their meals (including breakfast!) was New England Corn Muffins.
In honor of our former First Lady from New England’s birthday today, we decided to whip up some New England Corn Muffins to celebrate the fabulous Grace Coolidge.
Today in American History…former First Lady Grace Anna Goodhue Coolidge was born on January 3, 1879 in Burlington, Vermont.
Childhood Photo of Grace Coolidge
In 1902 she graduated from The University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Teaching and is the very first First Lady to have earned a traditional four year undergraduate degree. After graduating from college, she taught at the Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech in Northampton, Massachusetts. She would remain loyal and dedicated to helping the deaf community for the rest of her life.
Mrs Coolidge was very social, extroverted and cheerful unlike her husband who was often silent and reserved.
In his autobiography, President Calvin Coolidge wrote about his marriage to Grace “For almost a quarter of a century she has borne with my infirmities, and I have rejoiced in her graces.”
She was a very popular First Lady and received a gold medal from the National Institute of Social Science. In 1931, she was voted one of America’s twelve greatest living women.
I always like to envision the new year as a blank page. A clean slate. It’s a chance to wipe away and start anew. It’s a chance of rebirth. It’s also a time to reflect on the past year, what we’ve learned – good and bad. Things we want to carry on into the new year and things we can’t to keep back in the last.
I hope the new year brings you nothing but love, health, happiness and an abundance of peace.
So now onto new year food traditions!
My husband is what is referred to as being “Pennsylvania Dutch.” When he was growing up in Pennsylvania, it was a huge deal to eat Sauerkraut and Pork each New Year’s Day. While I’m a proud born and bred Virginian, my stepmother, June, always had the tradition of eating black eyed peas for dinner (along with other delicious Southern staples!) on New Year’s Day. She actually didn’t like them at all but made them and would eat just one or two – and said it brought good luck.
Do you have any New Years Breakfast or Dinner traditions? I would love to hear from you!
In the kitchen tonight, I made delicious Sauerkraut and Pork. The apples in the ingredients take away the bitterness of the sour kraut and is a very nice combination. The apple cider vinegar was a nice touch too!
Pennsylvania Dutch Sauerkraut & Pork Dinner
Ingredients
2 1/2 – 3 lbs of lean bone-in country ribs
olive oil
1 bags silver floss sauerkraut
1 large or 2 small apples
1 medium onion
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Directions
Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Use just enough to sprinkle meat to season.
Coat a large skillet with olive oil. Brown the ribs on both sides.
Remove from the skillet and place onto a baking sheet. Put into a preheated oven of 325 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.
While the ribs are baking, rinse the sauerkraut in cold water and quickly drain. If you are watching your sodium, this helps to wash some of the sodium away.
In a medium bowl, add the sauerkraut, and two tablespoons apple cider vinegar, chopped apples, onions, and salt and pepper.
Remove the ribs when done and in a large baking dish – lay the ribs across. Cover the pork with sauerkraut and add one cup chicken broth.
Cover and bake for 3 hours or until pork is “fork tender.”
Peanut Butter Drops is the perfect cookie for your Christmas Cookie collection. It’s the yummy combination of peanut butter and chocolate – which is the ultimate combination of deliciousness!
Peanut Butter Drops
Peanut Butter Drops
Ingredients
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 block of Bakers Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted
Your favorite cookie decorations of sprinkles, etc.
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a separate medium bowl, using a mixer (or by hand) beat the butter until fluffy – about 2 minutes.
Add the granulated sugar and peanut butter. Mix until well blended.
Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
Slowly beat in the flour mixture until a soft cookie dough forms.
Drop the dough by rounded 2 tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheets.
Flatten the cookies to 1/2 inch thickness.
Using your thumb, press in the middle of the cookie to make an indentation into the center of each cookie.
Bake the cookies for about 18-20 minutes until the edges are lightly browned.
Remove from the oven and cool for about ten minutes. Transfer to cooling racks. Cool the cookies completely.
Fill the center of each of each cookie with a little bit of the melted chocolate.
Sprinkle with your favorite decorations.
Let the cookies stand for about 30 minutes until the chocolate is fully set.
If you enjoy Spoon Bread as much as I do…you are definitely going to love Lady Bird Johnson’s delicious Spoon Bread recipe!
You can use it for the perfect side dish at your Christmas dinner festivities or put a little in a bowl with a dab of butter on it and eat it by itself – which is what I just did! 🤣
Today in American History…Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Taylor was born on December 22, 1912 in Karnack, Texas to Thomas Jefferson Jonson Taylor and Minnie Lee (Pattillo) Taylor.
Her nursemaid had said that she was as “pretty as a ladybird” and she was known by the nickname “Lady Bird” for her entire life afterwards.
Childhood portrait in 1915. From the Taylor Family Collection and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum
Since the days of her youth, she always had a love and appreciation for wildflowers and nature. She once said “Where flowers bloom so does hope.”
As First Lady, she was instrumental in promoting the Highway Beautification Act which was developed to beautify the nation’s highways by limiting the use of billboards and by planting roadside areas.
Official Photo in 1967
“The biggest decision of all concerns our highways, the greatest public works program of any civilization … our challenge is to see that these highways are not only superbly functional, but also in harmony with our landscape and a pleasant asset to our lives. After all, this is a civilization where our favorite recreation is driving for pleasure.” – Lady Bird Johnson at the Presentation of Beautification awards to highway department officials in the East Room of White House, February 16, 1967.
The Historical Homemaker 