Pioneer Days: The Works of Laura Ingalls Wilder

[proper stranger]

I was reading about that, too. Really interesting. The article mentioned that Laura, in a letter, referred to Mary having a "spinal sickness" that caused her blindness. The article's author theorized that the editors of the books changed Mary's illness to scarlet fever, since young readers would more likely know what that was.

As I was reminiscing on a friend's Facebook post on this article, I first had pink eye when I was four or five (this was when the TV show was on the air). I remember being hysterical, thinking that I was going blind mline like Mary.

[Peggy Lane]

Pioneer Girl, the autobiography Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote that Rose helped her turn into the LHOTP book series, is finally being published in June. I'm sort of ridiculously excited. I've always wanted to read it; everything I've read about it says it a far more real remembrance of Laura's experiences growing up.

[Ginger]

When I was a kid, I was intrigued by the idea that one could make maple syrup candy by pouring boiling maple syrup onto snow. I think this is from Big Woods. I tried it, and it didn't work. Am I missing something about this recipe?

[Brookie]

Feb 5, 2013 23:46:22 GMT -4 Ginger said:

When I was a kid, I was intrigued by the idea that one could make maple syrup candy by pouring boiling maple syrup onto snow. I think this is from Big Woods. I tried it, and it didn't work. Am I missing something about this recipe?

Did you bring the snow inside or just run out to the curb with the syrup?

[Ginger]

Did you bring the snow inside or just run out to the curb with the syrup?

Dude, I'm smart. Boiling maple syrup in one pan, snow in another pan. Poured the syrup onto the snow right away. The snow melted. And it seems like that's pretty much all snow's going to do if you pour something hot onto it. It will not form into a chewy maple candy that will ease the hardship of a long winter. It will wreck two of your mom's saucepans though.

[eveschmeve]

Feb 6, 2013 0:23:23 GMT -4 Ginger said:

Did you bring the snow inside or just run out to the curb with the syrup?

Dude, I'm smart. Boiling maple syrup in one pan, snow in another pan. Poured the syrup onto the snow right away. The snow melted. And it seems like that's pretty much all snow's going to do if you pour something hot onto it. It will not form into a chewy maple candy that will ease the hardship of a long winter. It will wreck two of your mom's saucepans though.

I'm a huge fan of the series and read it a lot when I was younger. I was so excited to make delicious maple candy, and the same exact thing happened to me. Although I'm almost positive I stuck some Aunt Jemima's in a mug and microwaved it, which isn't quite authentic to the pioneer lifestyle.

[narm]

I think the Bobbsey Twins did something with maple syrup, too. Also, they made some kind of treat from the heel of a loaf of bread- with butter and sugar. I remember insisting on trying that too, and being incredibly, bitterly underwhelmed. Dude, the heel is still the heel.

I just gave my friend's daughter a copy of Little House in the Big Woods. She loves it!

[petitesuite]

I read one of the books for a book report in fourth grade and made molasses candy as part of my presentation (I began bribing people with food at an early age). I didn't like the candy at all, but everyone else did.

I'm super excited for this new book! I get a bizarre amount of joy from reading about how hard life was Way Back When (not in a "I have a washing machine, suck on that, Laura" way, in a healthy way).

[Deleted]

Look like it can be done -- there's a Wikipedia entry on it with a picture. My guess is that you need a pretty good amount of snow packed up so that it doesn't all melt when the melted syrup is poured.

I remember trying to do this as a kid reading the books, too, and I'm sure I ran outside and did it when we had half an inch of snow on the ground.

[Queena]

I can't wait for the new book. I too am fascinated with the way my great, great, great grandparents lived.