MAUDIE MAY
Book Two of Covered Wagon Family Books
by
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During the learning days, Maude
taught Eva some of the things she had learned the hard way.
“First, it takes half an hour to
heat the oven enough to bake well. It
takes about that long to heat the top of the stove enough to cook without
taking the lid off and setting the pan or skillet down to the fire. So start the fire early.
If you set the kettle down to the
fire, it gets black on the bottom and you have to scour the black off with corn
shucks and ashes. Things will stick and
scorch quicker, too.
Eggs and potatoes will stick to a
cast iron skillet if it isn't well seasoned.
To season a skillet, put a spoonful of lard or meat grease in it and
heat it real hot four or five times . . . or leave it on the back of the stove
to keep warm for a long time.
If you scorch grease, don't pour
it in the fire or it will flare up and singe your hair and eye brows.”
“Did you do that?” Eva exclaimed.
“Yes, I did it once, but now I
know better. Always break eggs into a
saucer before you put them into the skillet.
Sometimes we get eggs from nests where a broody hen hid them in the barn
or in the grass and weeds, you know.
They may not be fresh. So, always
check them. Don't ever break an egg
right into the skillet or into your mixing bowl.
You can set the kettle of water
for mush or oatmeal down to the fire to heat fast, but be sure to put the stove
lid back under it before you add the oatmeal or cornmeal. If you don't, it will cook so fast it will
pop out all over your hands and even into your face. Add water to the cornmeal before you put it
into the boiling water so it won't lump.
If you fry meat and make gravy in
a skillet, it will take all the seasoning out of the skillet. You have to season it again. Coffee will boil over if you set it down to
the fire. You need to watch it. The coffee pot must be washed out good about
twice a week or the coffee will taste old, Pa says. You dump the coffee grounds every day, but
don't need to wash the pot but twice a week,”
Maude paused to catch her
breath. She was having trouble with her
“chokey feeling.”
“And remember to add a stick of
wood to the fire box often,” Eva said.
“Oh, yes, It's easy to get busy and forget to
stoke the fire.”
“Be sure to watch the clock so
you can start on time. That's the first
thing to remember.”
“You’re getting better, Maudie. Do you think
you'll ever get to be as good as Belle was?”
Eva asked.
“Yes! Some day. I'm going to work at it until I do!” Maude claimed. “But, I'll never get as good as Mama was.”
“I don't remember Mama,” Eva
said.
Maude stared at her little
sister. It didn't seem possible that she
couldn't remember Mama. Maybe, it was
better for her. She doesn't still hurt
and ask “Why”.
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Book Details
About the Book
Maude May Isaac was born on a homestead
near Levering Michigan
Her father was a preacher and
they often had visiting preachers and their families as Sunday dinner guests.
One was a black family. It was the first
time she had seen black people and she learned that they were “just folks like
us.”
She decided to be a Christian
when she was six years old. She finished
The Eighth Reader at
Her older sister married when she
was twelve years old, leaving her the main housekeeper. She learned to do the hard work of a farm
woman early; to raise vegetables, cook on a wood-burning stove, wash clothes on
a wash-board, make soap, pick wild berries, can them, make jams and jellies,
dry fruits and vegetables for winter, take care of the meat from butchering,
raise chickens and to sew.
Because of her “ugly goiter” she
felt this would be her life until she met a young farmer and married. A
daughter was born to them a year later and they moved to
This true story is book 2 in a 4
book series about “THE COVERED WAGON FAMILY” as we became known in
This is a true story as told to
the author. Some names have been changed to protect the privacy of all
individuals. The events and situations
are true.
About the Author
Allie
L. walker was born on a homestead in
Allie
grew up on a rented farm in
After
the children married, Allie studied writing and started recording her family’s unusual history, THE
COVERED WAGON FAMILY BOOKS. This book, “ MAUDIE MAY”, is book 2 in the four book series. Book 1 is “BOUND BOY’S SON”, book 3 is “