Book Review: Egg Gravy

The book Egg Gravy
is one three books from the Butter In The Well series, which chronicles a Scandanavian woman's homesteading days on the prairie. Egg Gravy is a record of the recipes some of the author's ancestors utilized in their everyday lives.

There are recipes in Egg Gravy that I do not plan to ever use, like Baked Coon, Baked Possum and Fried or Scrambled (Pig) Brains. But I have spent some time today transcribing several recipes that I am eager to try like Oatmeal Bread, Sunshine Cake, Pumpkin Cookies, Graham Bread and Mamma's Bread. These recipes, and many more, seem sure to please.

This book is not intended to be a precise cook book however (so I'll see if the recipes mentioned above actually turn out okay!) It is intended to "portray the everyday life of the women who homesteaded the prairie." Therefore, many of the recipes are missing basic instructions since the women didn't feel the need to write things down that were common knowledge. Which is why the recipe for Cinnamon Rolls does not even mention cinnamon! (What a bummer since I am searching for a spectacular Cinnamon Roll recipe!)

There are some other interesting recipes in this book, like How To Make Your Own Vinegar, Cake Flour, Household Cleansers and Kitchen Floor Paint. Also included are Laundry Hints, and Household Repair tips.

More than recipes and home remedies, this book begins each page with an entry from the diary of Kajsa Svensson Runeberg, whose life is the main character in the Butter In the Well series. Egg Gravy also includes historical photos.

I have read Butter in the Well and it is very interesting, too. If you read this series I'd be interested in your thoughts!