Mary Reporting. I admit writers of historical fiction have bizarre reading habits. I happened to be studying American tariffs in the 1880s when I discovered an obscure fact that led to an exciting story line for our second novel, When a Lady Loves. Opium was legal in the U.S., just as it was in most […]
This favorite Southern bread is made from cornmeal, but the beaten egg whites give it the consistency of a soufflé. It’s served with a spoon—thus its name—and eaten with a fork. It’s delicious with eggs and bacon for breakfast. It’s an especially good side dish with sliced ham for lunch or dinner. Serves six. INGREDIENTS […]
Mary reporting. In this century when everyone except the British Royal Family has given up head coverings, it’s hard for us to imagine how important hats were to fashionable ladies in the 1880s. A hat offered the crowning touch to a lady’s ensemble. An expensive, often custom-made accessory, it was a wardrobe essential. A lady […]
Mary reporting. In my grandmother’s home, the Victorian gentleman’s chair had graceful mahogany arms on each side, ideal for resting his forearms while reading a book or a newspaper. The smaller lady’s chair had no arms. The wood curving around the chair’s back simply stopped at the velvet upholstered seat. Such inequality in home furnishings […]
Every Southern lady had a recipe for angel’s food cake, a particularly delicate dessert that wasn’t too heavy after a big meal. In the 19th century, cholesterol and trans fat weren’t in diners’ vocabulary, but they needn’t have worried about this cake. It has neither. In When A Lady Loves, heroine Maureen Collins has a […]
