Reminder: Texas Ranch House

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

One wonders if they will cook chili. Or beans. Or beans in chili.

The next in the the 'house' series produced by Public Broadcasting, this
time they drop a few families down in conditions similar to 1867 Texas.
The
series starts tonight on PBS and for the next four nights. I'm betting
someone bakes cornbread in cast iron. Maybe some cornmeal griddle cakes
(love those!). Maybe they'll even bake biscuits over an open fire or bake
some soda bread.

Jill

Here is a cornmeal griddle cake pic(s) I took last week Yorktown, VA
(representative 1781).
http://tinypic.com/x0pj0m.jpg

http://tinypic.com/x0pjwm.jpg - the cast iron lid is flat with coals on it;
the pie is blueberry

http://tinypic.com/x0pm4p.jpg - She said the liquid on the bottom was honey.

This last picture is a round circle with 8 dugouts. Each dugout has a cook,
and the men stand in line behind each dugout while the cook serves. You can
see one pot cooking. http://tinypic.com/x0pnnn.jpg
But most of the pots that were cooked in at locations such as this were mere
large tin cans.
Dee Dee

On Mon, 1 May 2006 17:10:28 -0500, "jmcquown" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

One wonders if they will cook chili. Or beans. Or beans in chili.

The next in the the 'house' series produced by Public Broadcasting, this
time they drop a few families down in conditions similar to 1867 Texas. The
series starts tonight on PBS and for the next four nights. I'm betting
someone bakes cornbread in cast iron. Maybe some cornmeal griddle cakes
(love those!). Maybe they'll even bake biscuits over an open fire or bake
some soda bread.

I love all the "house" shows. It's so interesting to learn and think
about the minutae of day to day life in historical times. I've been
obsessed with the Little House on the Prairie book series since I was
five years old. We learn all about the big, historical events and
famous characters, but I am so much more fascinated by everyday life,
which of course did influence the history makers and culture.

Tara

Tara said:

On Mon, 1 May 2006 17:10:28 -0500, "jmcquown" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

One wonders if they will cook chili. Or beans. Or beans in chili.

The next in the the 'house' series produced by Public Broadcasting,
this time they drop a few families down in conditions similar to
1867 Texas. The series starts tonight on PBS and for the next four
nights. I'm betting someone bakes cornbread in cast iron. Maybe
some cornmeal griddle cakes (love those!). Maybe they'll even bake
biscuits over an open fire or bake some soda bread.

I love all the "house" shows. It's so interesting to learn and think
about the minutae of day to day life in historical times. I've been
obsessed with the Little House on the Prairie book series since I was
five years old.

The funny thing about 'The Frontier House' was that the teenagers said
specifically it wasn't "Little House on the Prairie". They didn't get to
wash their hair every day and they didn't have time to braid their hair.
Factually, if you braided your hair you kept it braided for about a week and
when you took it down to finally wash it in the creek, it was funky and
gunky. Homemade shampoo made with a little soaproot and some sweet smelling
herbs. Nice, but only once a week, if that 🙂

Jill

jmcquown said:

The funny thing about 'The Frontier House' was that the teenagers said
specifically it wasn't "Little House on the Prairie". They didn't get to
wash their hair every day and they didn't have time to braid their hair.

Most telling was at the end when the well off family went back to
their old lives and moved into their brand new mansion. Dad fell back
into his old routine of jet-setting around the world to make the big
bucks, the whole thing barely a blip on his radar. Mom was ecstatic
and locked herself into the laundry room to make love to her
washer/dryer, hysterically shrieking, "I'll cut the first person who
touches my appliances". But the real surprise was the kids who went
into a state of numb shock, finally realizing now that hanging out and
cruising the mall are a pointless bore. That was the best part of the
whole series.

All the rest of those copycat programs were dull and boring. The only
good thing I heard was the comedy bit Kathy Griffith did about 1600
House (something like that) w/ Oprah. She joked about how Oprah
wandered about the set grousing, "I ain't gonna BE no slave." The
upshot was when everything was all set and everyone was on their mark
and they started filming and when Oprah came out, all the period
dressed women began screaming, "OPRAH!!".

nb

jmcquown said:

One wonders if they will cook chili. Or beans. Or beans in chili.

The next in the the 'house' series produced by Public Broadcasting, this
time they drop a few families down in conditions similar to 1867 Texas. The
series starts tonight on PBS and for the next four nights. I'm betting
someone bakes cornbread in cast iron. Maybe some cornmeal griddle cakes
(love those!). Maybe they'll even bake biscuits over an open fire or bake
some soda bread.

I probably missed it, but what time is it supposed to be on?
--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

One wonders if they will cook chili. Or beans. Or beans in chili.

The next in the the 'house' series produced by Public Broadcasting, this
time they drop a few families down in conditions similar to 1867 Texas.
The
series starts tonight on PBS and for the next four nights. I'm betting
someone bakes cornbread in cast iron. Maybe some cornmeal griddle cakes
(love those!). Maybe they'll even bake biscuits over an open fire or bake
some soda bread.

Jill

Thanks for the reminder!!

Personally I think that "chef" needs to go. He might be a chef but he
doesn't seem to be able to handle the conditions he's dealing with. He gave
those poor ranch hands food poisoning!

Ms P

ms_peacock said:

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

One wonders if they will cook chili. Or beans. Or beans in chili.

The next in the the 'house' series produced by Public Broadcasting,
this time they drop a few families down in conditions similar to
1867 Texas. The
series starts tonight on PBS and for the next four nights. I'm
betting someone bakes cornbread in cast iron. Maybe some cornmeal
griddle cakes (love those!). Maybe they'll even bake biscuits over
an open fire or bake some soda bread.

Jill

Thanks for the reminder!!

Personally I think that "chef" needs to go. He might be a chef but he
doesn't seem to be able to handle the conditions he's dealing with.
He gave those poor ranch hands food poisoning!

Ms P

I was seriously disappointed in this, the beginning episode. Unlike
Frontier House (and I somehow missed the Colonial House series), they didn't
show how they were preparing people to live in 1867. They just sort of
plopped these people down and said go for it. Was rather boring, if you ask
me. Not at all like Frontier House where they actually taught them some
skills like how to cook over a wood fire, how to raise and butcher some
animals. Yes, ladies, you wore corsets. And chemises and petticoats. But
no, after the Civil War hoops weren't required but they did help with the
"air conditioning" factor under those volumnous skirts.

Jill

notbob said:

jmcquown said:

The funny thing about 'The Frontier House' was that the teenagers
said specifically it wasn't "Little House on the Prairie". They
didn't get to wash their hair every day and they didn't have time to
braid their hair.

Most telling was at the end when the well off family went back to
their old lives and moved into their brand new mansion. Dad fell back
into his old routine of jet-setting around the world to make the big
bucks, the whole thing barely a blip on his radar. Mom was ecstatic
and locked herself into the laundry room to make love to her
washer/dryer, hysterically shrieking, "I'll cut the first person who
touches my appliances". But the real surprise was the kids who went
into a state of numb shock, finally realizing now that hanging out and
cruising the mall are a pointless bore. That was the best part of the
whole series.

All the rest of those copycat programs were dull and boring. The only
good thing I heard was the comedy bit Kathy Griffith did about 1600
House (something like that) w/ Oprah. She joked about how Oprah
wandered about the set grousing, "I ain't gonna BE no slave." The
upshot was when everything was all set and everyone was on their mark
and they started filming and when Oprah came out, all the period
dressed women began screaming, "OPRAH!!".

nb

notbob said:

jmcquown said:

The funny thing about 'The Frontier House' was that the teenagers
said specifically it wasn't "Little House on the Prairie". They
didn't get to wash their hair every day and they didn't have time to
braid their hair.

Most telling was at the end when the well off family went back to
their old lives and moved into their brand new mansion. Dad fell back
into his old routine of jet-setting around the world

But he *did* actually start a lawn mower and mow the lawn. (laughing)

to make the big

Quoted message said:

bucks, the whole thing barely a blip on his radar.

Yet he claimed they could have "made it"! They were the ones who cheated
the whole time. They went outside the community to buy goods from the
nearest town. They were caught with a box spring mattress under their bed.
They couldn't figure out how to stretch some canned good and didn't bother
to build a corral for their cow and calf. Hello?

Mom was ecstatic

Quoted message said:

and locked herself into the laundry room to make love to her
washer/dryer, hysterically shrieking, "I'll cut the first person who
touches my appliances".

She also [censored] about a dog eating her some of her biscuits. Oh dear.
Well, that's just too bad. It's not like it takes all day to make a pan of
biscuits. Unless you're used to just going out to lunch with your
girlfriends in Malibu.

But the real surprise was the kids who went

Quoted message said:

into a state of numb shock, finally realizing now that hanging out and
cruising the mall are a pointless bore. That was the best part of the
whole series.

Yes! That was funny! Oh but of course they all had to try to smuggle in
makeup. Vanity, thy name is a Southern California Teenager 🙂

Jill

jmcquown said:

Yet he claimed they could have "made it"! They were the ones who cheated
the whole time. They went outside the community to buy goods from the
nearest town.

Was that the well-off family? I forgot.

I did see Texas House, last night. The informational narration was
quite interesting, revealing historical facts I was unaware of. But,
many of the people playing the parts were just annoying. The Colonel
wasn't the only one that should've been sacked. I now suspect the
people in charge of these programs purposely populate them with a few
spoiled snivelers to give voice to just how really hard life was in
those times. Wouldn't be nearly as entertaining if everyone took
their part seriously and did what they were supposed to without hassle
or complaint. OTOH, some of these people were just too much. The
hired hands acted like they were suffering the fires of Hell. Cripes,
weren't any of these guys ever Boy Scouts? Maybe not. Even camping
out isn't what it used to be.

If they are going to continue on in this vein, I, for one, would like
to see one of these past reality shows reveal the life of a mariner,
ala Two Years Before the Mast or being in the Royal Navy circa 1805.

nb

nb

notbob said:

jmcquown said:

Yet he claimed they could have "made it"! They were the ones who
cheated the whole time. They went outside the community to buy
goods from the nearest town.

Was that the well-off family? I forgot.

Yeah they were the ones with a mansion in Malibu.

Quoted message said:

I did see Texas House, last night. The informational narration was
quite interesting, revealing historical facts I was unaware of. But,
many of the people playing the parts were just annoying. The Colonel
wasn't the only one that should've been sacked. I now suspect the
people in charge of these programs purposely populate them with a few
spoiled snivelers to give voice to just how really hard life was in
those times. Wouldn't be nearly as entertaining if everyone took
their part seriously and did what they were supposed to without hassle
or complaint. OTOH, some of these people were just too much. The
hired hands acted like they were suffering the fires of Hell. Cripes,
weren't any of these guys ever Boy Scouts? Maybe not. Even camping
out isn't what it used to be.

Hey, I've dug a latrine. I've lived without electricity for a week (but
can't say how I'd live without ice for 6 months)

Quoted message said:

If they are going to continue on in this vein, I, for one, would like
to see one of these past reality shows reveal the life of a mariner,
ala Two Years Before the Mast or being in the Royal Navy circa 1805.

nb

How about life amongst the folks in travelling to the U.S. (excepting 1912
Titanic, because of course we don't want the ship to sink) on big wooden
ships, crossing the North Atlantic. My great great great grandfather and
his son came here in 1680 from Scotland and landed at Amboy, NJ (now known
as Perth Amboy). The voyage took about 3 months. They were sent over as
indentured servants bound for Virginia.

Jill

sf said:

jmcquown said:

One wonders if they will cook chili. Or beans. Or beans in chili.

The next in the the 'house' series produced by Public Broadcasting, this
time they drop a few families down in conditions similar to 1867 Texas. The
series starts tonight on PBS and for the next four nights. I'm betting
someone bakes cornbread in cast iron. Maybe some cornmeal griddle cakes
(love those!). Maybe they'll even bake biscuits over an open fire or bake
some soda bread.

I probably missed it, but what time is it supposed to be on?
--

It's on 8-10, EDT, 4 consecutive nights this week - Monday through
Thursday, on PBS.

N.

notbob said:

jmcquown said:

Yet he claimed they could have "made it"! They were the ones who cheated
the whole time. They went outside the community to buy goods from the
nearest town.

Was that the well-off family? I forgot.

I did see Texas House, last night. The informational narration was
quite interesting, revealing historical facts I was unaware of. But,
many of the people playing the parts were just annoying. The Colonel
wasn't the only one that should've been sacked. I now suspect the
people in charge of these programs purposely populate them with a few
spoiled snivelers to give voice to just how really hard life was in
those times. Wouldn't be nearly as entertaining if everyone took
their part seriously and did what they were supposed to without hassle
or complaint. OTOH, some of these people were just too much. The
hired hands acted like they were suffering the fires of Hell. Cripes,
weren't any of these guys ever Boy Scouts? Maybe not. Even camping
out isn't what it used to be.

You are not wrong. I read an interview with the producers of the UK
version of these shows, and they admitted that it was all in the
casting. Really helps if you can find a few square pegs for the round
holes you're filling. I watched a few episodes of The 1940's House,
which was supposedly set during WWII. Of course they were on rations.

Cooking on rations was a challenge, but millions managed it. However,
the lady of the house was someone who couldn't boil an egg, all her real
life cooking was heating frozen food up in the microwave. They made her
try making pastry, which resulted in much angst and the waste of
precious rationed food. They had rabbits but were too squeamish to eat
them, of course.

I am not a great fan of this genre. They don't really tell you much
about life in the past, which is indeed another country. What they tell
you about is life now, and what people are used to and expect (and how
ignorant they are about the past). After a while this gets boring, so
the producers set up situations to provide a bit of colour and movement
because even in the past life was mostly routine. And of course if
anybody breaks a leg they call an ambulance

Quoted message said:

If they are going to continue on in this vein, I, for one, would like
to see one of these past reality shows reveal the life of a mariner,
ala Two Years Before the Mast or being in the Royal Navy circa 1805.

nb

You wouldn't be a Patrick O'Bryan fan by any chance?

Christine

Old Mother Ashby said:

You are not wrong. I read an interview with the producers of the UK
version of these shows, and they admitted that it was all in the
casting. Really helps if you can find a few square pegs for the round
holes you're filling. I watched a few episodes of The 1940's House,
which was supposedly set during WWII. Of course they were on rations.

Cooking on rations was a challenge, but millions managed it. However,
the lady of the house was someone who couldn't boil an egg, all her real
life cooking was heating frozen food up in the microwave. They made her
try making pastry, which resulted in much angst and the waste of
precious rationed food. They had rabbits but were too squeamish to eat
them, of course.

You might have missed the part where in her contemporary life she is a
vegetarian and never cooks meat. The kids eat meat outside of the home.
That is why the rabbits held no attraction for her.

sf said:

jmcquown said:

One wonders if they will cook chili. Or beans. Or beans in chili.

The next in the the 'house' series produced by Public Broadcasting, this
time they drop a few families down in conditions similar to 1867 Texas. The
series starts tonight on PBS and for the next four nights. I'm betting
someone bakes cornbread in cast iron. Maybe some cornmeal griddle cakes
(love those!). Maybe they'll even bake biscuits over an open fire or bake
some soda bread.

I probably missed it, but what time is it supposed to be on?
--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

PBS is running two hour-long episodes an evening (MTWTh) this week.
Check your local listings, but here in Eugene it's at 9 & 10PM.

I've been looking forward to this one since I actually know the Cooke
family. Lisa is a very serious history buff who enjoys a challenge &
was in 7th heaven taking that walk back in time with her family.
Although last night's episodes didn't really cover it, the family - as
well as the ranch hands - was given extensive coaching (including some
serious riding lessons) before they ever left CA.

When I spoke with her a couple of months ago, the participants hadn't
been given an opportunity to view the final product & she was really
hoping that the positive aspects of their experiences would be
reflected by the program's editors. She found it amusing, if not a bit
disappointing, that the production staff actively encouraged
"fireworks" between participants ("you won't believe what I heard
(blank) say about you"😉 and related that she and "the girl of all work"
had frustrated the efforts to start "trouble" between them from the
very beginning of their stay. Makes me wonder what was really behind
last night's drama between the foreman and the cook.

At any rate, the film crew started spending a lot more time off with
the cowboys when it became clear there wasn't going to be any hair
pulling back on the ranch, frequently leaving the women all alone
during the day. Lisa shared that that was one of her favorite parts of
the experience...no film crew, just the women working together,
enjoying the quiet beauty of the ranch and one another's companionship.

As part of their "role playing" am sure the Cookes were directed to
maintain a social distance from the ranch hands & I have to disagree
with the poster who thought they'd all have eaten together. 19th
Century society had such well defined class structures and it would
have been highly unusual for an affluent San Francisco family new to
ranching (with 3 daughters) to encourage a bunch of smelly, rough
around the edges, cowhands to interact with them on a personal level.
This ranch owner has provided a separate living facility and a separate
cook for the hands, so it's clearly the cook's job to feed them, not
the ranch owner's wife.

Truth is, 19th century cowboys often didn't eat very well - it went
with the territory. They called it "grub" for a reason and it was
basic sustanance, not cuisine. These guys were lucky to have actually
had a cook - many pretty much fended for themselves. The rancher's
family, with their higher social status, would have had more refined
tastes and would definitely have eaten better and more varied foods. It
would've been accepted as perfectly normal for all involved. On the
other hand, I think any good on-site ranch cook would've maintained his
own kitchen garden with some basics like onions, carrots & potatoes...
& have a sinking feeling the producers sort of set this guy up to fail
& cast him accordingly.

Regardless of how they're portrayed in the Texas Ranch, the real
Cooke's are a terrific family - compassionate, intelligent, generous,
and thoughtful people. Lisa knows her way around a garden, a kitchen &
a chicken coop and isn't afraid of hard work. She's one heck of a cook
and a baker who makes amazing pies and decorates cakes like a pro...and
she loves to feed people. If feeding the ranch hands had been part of
her duties, she'd have been right in there.

What I do find a little odd is that none of those whiney cowboys has
suggested wacking a cow and dragging it home for BBQ! Maybe tonight.

Nancy T

Goomba38 said:

Old Mother Ashby said:

You are not wrong. I read an interview with the producers of the UK
version of these shows, and they admitted that it was all in the
casting. Really helps if you can find a few square pegs for the round
holes you're filling. I watched a few episodes of The 1940's House,
which was supposedly set during WWII. Of course they were on rations.

Cooking on rations was a challenge, but millions managed it. However,
the lady of the house was someone who couldn't boil an egg, all her
real life cooking was heating frozen food up in the microwave. They
made her try making pastry, which resulted in much angst and the
waste of precious rationed food. They had rabbits but were too
squeamish to eat them, of course.

You might have missed the part where in her contemporary life she is a
vegetarian and never cooks meat. The kids eat meat outside of the
home. That is why the rabbits held no attraction for her.

This just goes to show where they go for casting rather than who would have
been living in Texas (or wherever) at the time.

Old Mother Ashby said:

You wouldn't be a Patrick O'Bryan fan by any chance?

Busted! 🙂

I'm on my second time through. Plus, several derivative works like a
series dictionary and cookbook. I recently found an article in the SF
Chron revealing that, for all his detail and historical accuracy,
O'Brian couldn't sail a boat for spit. Hadn't a clue. Also, after
reading the Aubrey/Maturin series the first time, I began reading the
Hornblower series. It became quickly apparent O'Brian wasn't above
lifting more than a few ideas from others. O'Brian's gift was in
recreating the accurate atmosphere of the period and his dry sense of
humor. One would have to be "a whey-faced nestlecock" to not enjoy
his writings.

nb

nb

notbob said:

Old Mother Ashby said:

You wouldn't be a Patrick O'Bryan fan by any chance?

Busted! 🙂

I'm on my second time through. Plus, several derivative works like a
series dictionary and cookbook. I recently found an article in the SF
Chron revealing that, for all his detail and historical accuracy,
O'Brian couldn't sail a boat for spit. Hadn't a clue. Also, after
reading the Aubrey/Maturin series the first time, I began reading the
Hornblower series. It became quickly apparent O'Brian wasn't above
lifting more than a few ideas from others. O'Brian's gift was in
recreating the accurate atmosphere of the period and his dry sense of
humor. One would have to be "a whey-faced nestlecock" to not enjoy
his writings.

nb

Derrick's just finished his second read. Have you read the biography?
Not only could he not sail, he had a murky past, not a nice man at all.
The whole "Patrick O'Bryan" persona was a fiction which he perpetrated
most of his life.

Nevertheless, I think his books are much more than genre stories like
the Hornblower books. They are (with the exception of the last few where
he was getting a bit desperate) first class historical novels, great
writing by any standards.

What did you think of the film? I am usually disappointed with movie
adaptations of novels, but I thought it worked wonderfully, even though
the actor playing Maturin was too young and too big.

The cook book is a must have. I have toyed with the idea of a birthday
do for Derrick with food from the book (and music from the CD which we
have). I don't know that I could manage it myself; in my wildest
fantasies I approach a little local restaurant (run by a trio of
enthusiastic young women) and let them loose on the menu. It'll probably
never happen...

Christine

Old Mother Ashby said:

Derrick's just finished his second read. Have you read the biography?

I'm halfway through the second read. Haven't read the bio, yet.

Quoted message said:

The whole "Patrick O'Bryan"....

You seem well versed on ol' Pat. So, why the "O'Bryon" spelling?
Another ruse?

Quoted message said:

he was getting a bit desperate) first class historical novels, great
writing by any standards.

Agreed. I love his use of the period vernacular. Who knew that men
once used "dear" to address each other. It's takes two readings to
enjoy the stories. The first read is just a primer to the language.

Quoted message said:

What did you think of the film?

I enjoyed it, but didn't see it till long after I read that particular
book in the series. Now that I've just recently finished Far Side of the
World, I'm somewhat disappointed. Except for lifting an episode here
and there, the movie has little to do with the book of the same title, or
any other of the series, for that matter. You'd think with twenty
books, they wouldn't need to write their own fiction for the film.
OTOH, the film did capture the atmosphere of the books. I've never
seen another film portray life aboard a sailing ship so well.

Quoted message said:

The cook book is a must have.

I have it but really have no desire to use it. I had no idea how much
slush (beef fat) was in their diet. The book should've been titled
Grease Floats. 😉

nb