Read Along: Week 24- Indians in the House

This week, Laura, Mary, ma and baby Carrie encounter Indians in the house. They are scared stiff and overcome with the smell of skunk! The Indians wore skunk pelts. Read a bit about skunks, why they emit the smelly spray, why their pelts were used and the history of fur trade and it’s importance in North America.
Nat Geo
pelt info
pelt info
history of fur trade
Now that that smelly business is over, ma is grateful that the Indians did not take all of their cornmeal. She has to make more for supper that night, and this time, she puts molasses on it. Molasses can be made from sugar cane or sugar beets. I’m guessing they used molasses from sugar beets, and it was the third boiling, the blackstrap molasses that was used. Interesting, the significant amounts of vitamins and minerals-see here:
wiki Molasses link
This is likely closest to the recipe that ma used to make her cornbread, though she’d have done it over the open fire. LH cornbread recipe
For a bit of a change, try this Sassy Molasses Cornbread recipe: (http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/recipes/cornbred.html)
Of course, with the holiday season upon us, I feel that I can not overlook the classic gingerbread cookie with molasses! Now the question is, how do you like your gingerbread? With a snap, or soft and chewy?

By bethanyg