Welcome to the final installment of Hydrating Through History, where we are looking back at some refreshing historic recipes the people of St. Catharines used to beat the heat! This week we have two recipes. Frozen Cream from 1970 and a wartime Chocolate Sauce recipe
Hydrating Through History: Spiced Citrus* Punch (1928)
This week on Hydrating Through History, we’re looking at a refreshing punch recipe from 1928. This recipe blends citrus, spices and peppermint. Click the link to learn more and explore the recipe!
Hydrating Through History: Grape Moo (1981)
This week on Hydrating Through History, we are looking at Grape Moo from the 1981 Niagara Grape & Wine Festival Specialty Cookbook. This festival began in 1952 to celebrates the region’s grape and wine heritage. As the festival continued to grow and attract more visitors, this cookbook was made for those who wanted more knowledge on ways to enjoy grapes and wine.
Hydrating Through History: Rhubarb Juice (1983)
This week on Hydrating Through History, we are looking at a rhubarb juice recipe from a 1983 cookbook by the Mack Alumni Association of graduate nurses. The Mack Training School for Nurses, founded in 1874, played a key role in nursing education. Although the Alumni Association disbanded in 2024, their contributions to the community continue to impact St. Catharines today.
Hydrating Through History: Grape Juice (1897)
This week on Hydrating Through History, we are looking at an 1897 recipe for Grape Juice from Southcott’s Almanac and Cookbook. Written by a local businessman, Harry Southcott, the cookbook combines advertising for his drugstore with domestic hints, recipes, and astrological charts.
Hydrating Through History: Bettie’s Banana Punch (2000)
This week on Hydrating Through History, we’re looking at Bettie’s Banana Punch from Chorus Niagara’s 2000 fundraising cookbook. More than a recipe collection, the cookbook is a historical record of local food traditions, showing how community recipes bring neighbours together, support shared goals, and promote the choir’s role in Niagara’s arts scene.
Hydrating Through History: Switchel (1916)
In August 1916, the St. Catharines Standard featured a recipe for switchel, a refreshing summer drink popular among farmhands in New England. The recipe combines ginger, sugar, and vinegar, often enjoyed with rum. Today, switchel is revisited with modernized ingredients for contemporary enjoyment, highlighting its historical significance.
Welcome to Hydrating Through History!
Welcome to Hydrating Through History, our summer mini-series all about cooling off with recipes from the past!
Building an “Open” Community Cookbook
On Family Day this year, We asked visitors to share their favourite family recipes with us on what we called “open community cookbooks” and the result was fantastic! Children, parents, and grandparents brought in recipes from home, or took the time to write out recipes on the cards provided. Recipes range from the Filipino dish Chicken Adobo, the “Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever”, and lots of other tasty dishes that brim with family tradition and heritage as evident from the names attributed to the recipes shared.
My Year with Mrs. Beeton – Part 10 – Invalid Cookery
As we approach the end of our year of adventures with Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management, for our second to last post, let’s take a look at what Mrs. Beeton has to say about cooking for the sick.
Searching for Family History – Kids Scavenger Hunt
This kid’s activity is part of the St. Catharines Museum’s Museum Week, is a global festival celebrating cultural institutions across the online world. In celebration of #ChildrensEyesMW day, we’ve created this scavenger hunt to spark children’s curiosity in their family history.
My Year With Mrs. Beeton – Part 5 – Soups and Sauces
After six chapters with Mrs. Beeton, we are finally prepared to dive into the kitchen and prepare something edible – if we are lucky!
This month, we will attempt to follow Mrs. Beeton’s advice by preparing one recipe from the section of the book that we are contemplating. This month, we have chosen from the hundreds of recipes that make up the soups, sauces, gravies, etc. to attempt a sweet sauce – sauce citron.
My Year with Mrs. Beeton – Part 1
This blog post series will explore one of the most well-known and best-selling self-help manuals in history: Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management. Over the course of the next year, this blog series will be exploring the world of late-Victorian and Edwardian household management.