The Easiest Way in Housekeeping and Cooking Adapted to Domestic Use or

The Easiest Way in Housekeeping and Cooking Adapted to Domestic Use or Study in Classes [Paperback]

Product Details

Paperback: 232 pages
Publisher: tredition (November 25, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 3842478224
ISBN-13: 978-3842478220
Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Customer Reviews

This book is good for anyone interested in historic women's studies or what daily life was like for someone living in the past. The last half would be good for anyone who is interested in historical cooking methods and recipes. Some of the information is timeless and could apply if you ended up in what we would consider a more primitive living situation.
From the text I gathered that this book was written shortly after slavery was abolished. The author is extremely well educated in science and health in addition to housekeeping. It was written in a way to address women both from the north and south, however I suspect that its true purpose (given the time that it was written) was to educate southern women how to take care of their own home matters. This reference to the time period was extremely brief, but it lets you know the context in which the book was written.
The first three chapters were the most interesting, addressing living conditions that we take for granted now. We don't worry about many of these problems because we have building codes and what we consider to be common knowledge. She explains in detail how to create air flow systems by placement of windows and heat sources and how to address poor drainage issues that result in water contamination. It is a really good view into what life was like during that time. The author states that many towns still get their water from a central town pump. Some of the ventilation information is still relevant (air flow has not changed as far as we know). Other information would still be relevant today for anyone who needs to setup a camp or in a survival situation.
Cleaning is explained in detail, including measurements and tools, which is really good for historical reference. She even explains where and how you should store your cooking and cleaning supplies. You can see just how much work housekeeping used to be. She also goes into health and nutrition. I was surprised just how much they knew about the human body back then, although we know a lot more about nutrition now.
The last half of the book was specific instructions for cooking and receipts (now know as recipes). A lot of recipes are still relevant - I'm pretty sure that mashed potatoes haven't changed either. One big difference is that our meat comes cut, cleaned, and packaged with expiration dates.
At the end of the book, there are lesson plans and a sample test so that it can be used as a teaching guide for classes.
This was a really interesting read, to see how alike and how different our daily lives are. I would say that it is a very special genre, but for someone who is interested I really enjoyed it.

This book is very good! The author gives instructions and some 'recipes' for living in a by-gone era which I found interesting. While I do not want to go back to that way of living, I did enjoy reading about it!