Old Scalloped Celery and Eggs Recipe

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Tuesday, February 18, 1913: Please excuse me for today. I haven’t much material to write about.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Since Grandma didn’t write much a hundred years ago today, I’ll share a hundred-year-old recipe for Scalloped Celery and Eggs.

Scalloped Celery and Eggs

2 cups diced celery

1/4 cup diced onion

4 hard-cooked eggs

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon of pepper

1/2 cup celery stock

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup bread crumbs

Dice celery and onion, then simmer until tender in water to cover. Reserve one-half cup of the liquid (celery stock). Melt butter in a frying pan, stir in flour and seasonings. Gradually stir in reserved celery stock and milk to make a sauce. Bring to a boil. Add the cooked celery and onions, and put a layer in a buttered baking-dish (I used a 1 1/2 quart dish–it might have fit into a 1 quart dish, but I was worried that it would boil over.); chop the eggs, sprinkle on a light layer, add more celery, continuing until the dish is filled. Cover with the buttered crumbs, and bake in a moderate oven (375°) until browned.

Makes 4-5 servings

Adapted from recipe in the November, 1913 issue of Ladies Home Journal

I’ve enjoying rediscovering celery this winter. Celery was a popular winter vegetable a hundred years ago. It was easy to transport and store.

I’ve also discovered that celery and egg combinations were very popular years ago. You might enjoy this previous post:

Old-Fashioned Celery Chowder Recipe

Getting a New Fingernail!

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Monday, February 17, 1913: I have discovered the fact that I am getting a new nail on my once sore thumb.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

I bet Grandma was looking forward to when her thumb nail would look like this. (Source: Wikipedia)

Whew! Grandma must have really injured her thumb back in December, if it’s taken two months for her to know whether she’d get a new nail.

This was the third time that Grandma mentioned the injured thumb in the diary. (If she hurt it as badly as it sounds, I’m almost surprised how few times she wrote about it.)

Here’s a recap of the previous entries:

December 16, 1912

Our dearest Ruth left for Sunbury this morning and my heart is rather sad. We killed some pigs and I took a slice off the end of my thumb. Oh sad the day, for I don’t care anything about having a sore thumb.

January 20, 1913

I have a sore thumb although I do not think it is as bad as it was several days ago.

Sonnets of a Suffragette

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Sunday, February 16, 1913: Went to Sunday School this morning. Carrie was over this afternoon.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

What did Grandma and her friend Carrie Stout talk about?

This was the era of suffragettes. Did they ever talk about the role of women—and whether they should have the right to vote? (The 19^th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, won’t be ratified until 1919.)

Maybe they discussed a book published in 1913 by Berton Braley called Sonnets of a Suffragette.

Here’s the first sonnet in the book:

I read a lot about the Suffrage Cause.

In nearly every paper that I get

There’s something said about the Suffragette

And Woman’s Right and “brutal manmade laws.”

It’s funny, but this “Votes for Women” draws

It’s leaders from the very smartest set.

I don’t know what it’s all about; and yet

I think I’d like to join it—well—because!

Why should I be a frivolous young thing.

Thinking of gowns and dances—and of men—

When I might help make the welkin ring

With “Votes for Women! Like the Upper Ten?

My sheltered life has been too calm and quiet;

The Movement calls me—and I guess I’ll try it.

Packer’s Tar Soap Advertisement

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Saturday, February 15, 1913: Was so disappointed this morning. Thought perhaps Ma would go shopping this morning, but she didn’t.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

What did Grandma want to buy? . . hmm. .. Teens “need” trendy shampoos, cosmetics, and grooming supplies.

Maybe Grandma wanted beautiful hair and needed Packer’s Tar Soap.

Source: Ladies Home Journal (May, 1913)

No Valentines

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Friday, February 14, 1913: Cupid didn’t send me any valentines. Didn’t feel very well this morning.

My dearest sister was going to a box social, and then didn’t go because no one came for her. I’m glad I wasn’t going for then I would have been disappointed.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Hundred-year-old Valentine Postcard

I bet Grandma wished that a special guy had sent her a valentine like this one.

February must be the month for box socials. Grandma and her sister Ruth went to one the previous week-end.

Poor Ruth—it’s hard to be stood up. (Maybe I should be looking at this from Grandma’s perspective and feel happy—but I can’t help feeling bad for Ruth.)

—–

Grandma’s matured a lot. In 1911 and 1912 she was really into sending ugly valentines–sometimes called vinegar valentines–to people who annoyed her; but in 1913 she never mentioned them. You might enjoy these posts from previous years:

Anonymous Comic Valentines

Valentines: The Good, the Bad, and the Horrid

Bought Some Vinegar Valentines

Sending Ugly Valentines

Writing Essay on American Revolution

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Thursday, February 13, 1913: Have started my American Revolution essay. I have the introduction written.

Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze (1851) (Source: Wikipedia)

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Grandma wrote in a previous diary entry that her teacher was going to give a two and a half dollar gold piece to whoever wrote the best essay on the American Revolution.

Why did her teacher select this topic? How did Grandma frame what she wrote?

Grandma—I’m keeping my fingers crossed that you win.

Lincoln’s Birthday

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Wednesday, February 12, 1913: Whose birthday is it? I heard that question asked today. Knew it before anyway. Was weighed today. Not very pleasant news. It was a pound more than last time, but I owe some of that to heavier clothing.

At last we have our subject to write upon. Titled the American Revolution. Wonder if I could get the gold piece. At least I intent to try and do my best.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

A hundred years ago two presidents’ birthdays were celebrated in February. Lincoln’s birthday was on February 12 and Washington’s on February 22– though Lincoln’s Birthday never was an official federal holiday.

In 1971, the observance of Washington’s Birthday was shifted to the third Monday in February as part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. The Act did not change the name of the holiday, but it is now commonly referred to as Presidents Day in honor of both presidents.

—–

On January 28, 1913 Grandma wrote:

Our teacher made such a wonderful proposition today. It was made to our class. The one who writes the best essay on a given subject is to receive a two dollar and a half gold piece.

At the time I’d assumed she just failed to mention the essay topic, but apparently it took the teacher half a month to come up with the topic. . . .strange. . .

—-

An aside—Whenever I gain a pound, I also owe some of the gain to heavier clothing. 🙂