Tuesday Tidbits: PLEASE PASS THE MEATLOAF

I research a lot of things I never imagined learning. Some times, it’s because I need that information for a story I’m writing. Other times, it’s because I stumble across something while researching something else.

I was writing along in the story I was currently working at the time and needed to know a tidbit of info. Back when I first started writing novels, research was hard and slow and heavy. Why heavy? Because I had to check out a ton of books from the library and sift through them and hope I found the information I needed. Many times I did not. Sigh.

So what did I need to know? You probably guessed it from the title. I needed to know if my character could have a meatloaf sandwich in her memory from 1920. Low and behold, meatloaf was around from Roman times. Their recipe in the cookbook Apicius was a combination of chopped meat, bread, and wine. (Apicius is an example of discovering something while researching something else.)

American meatloaf, as we think of it, dates back to the 1870s when a manufacturing company of a newly invented meat grinder offered recipes to go with their new device.

Meatloaf gained popularity during the 1930’s Depression. World War II rationing of the 1940s gave rise to  meat-free loaf. Say what? How can you have meatloaf without meat? Wouldn’t it just be loaf? What did they use in place of the meat? (I did a super-quick search but couldn’t find a recipe to learn what the mystery-meat substitute was. Perhaps they used mashed beans?)

Cooks got creative with adding seasonings and other ingredients to liven up this mealtime staple. Things like mustard, catsup, bacon, ground pork, and even meatloaf mixes. Creativity rose to the point where fancy restaurants made high-end versions to serve.

I’ve learned more about meatloaf than I ever imagined. It’s these little details that I feel bring a story to life. I could have simply said “sandwich”, but by being specific, the reader can more easily taste the food. I can almost smell the meatloaf my mom used to make. Mmm.

***COMING FEBRUARY 2022!***

MRS. WITHERSPOON GOES TO WAR (Heroines of WWII series)

A WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) flies a secret mission to rescue three soldiers held captive in Cuba.

Margaret “Peggy” Witherspoon is a thirty-four-year-old widow, mother of two daughters, an excellent pilot, and very patriotic. She joins the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots). As she performs various tasks like ferry aircraft, transporting cargo, and being an airplane mechanic, she meets and develops feelings for her supervisor Army Air Corp Major Howie Berg. When Peggy learns of U.S. soldiers being held captive in Cuba, she, Major Berg, and two fellow WASPs devise an unsanctioned mission to rescue them. With Cuba being an ally in the war, they must be careful not to ignite an international incident.

  Pre-Order HERE!

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle Book 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; The Widow’s Plight, The Daughter's Predicament, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-seven years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

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Tuesday Tidbits: THE FORK CONTROVERSY

What kid doesn’t like to eat with their fingers? Growing up, my stepdad felt it was bad manners to eat with one’s fingers. There are some things one can’t really eat with anything but their fingers. Crispy bacon—ever tried to eat that with a fork? I have (by force). It didn’t end well, but I proved my point. Grapes, pizza, an apple, a sandwich, french fries, and cotton candy are only a few of the foods best eaten with the ten little digits.
 

To get around the no eating with your hands at the dinner table rule, I would stealthily wait until my mom picked up her mostly-eaten pork chop in her hands to get the meat clinging to the bone. As soon as she did, I would snatch mine up. Immediately, my dad would say, “Don’t eat with your hands.” To which I would reply, “But Mom is.” Battle won!
 

But this whole eating with your fingers thing wasn’t always taboo. There was a time when forks were taboo, even thought to be evil—instruments of the devil. So how did forks get such a bad rap?
 

Before there were forks, people either used their fingers or stabbed their food with a knife and ate off the knife. (My dad would have been horrified. Another table rule was to never eat with your knife or put it in your mouth.) If people had utensils at the table, they would be a knife and a spoon. What one couldn’t stab with the knife, one could scoop up with the spoon, so this extra thing called the fork was superfluous.
 

The first forks date back to 2400-1900 B.C. China, being made of bone. Ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire both had large forks as cooking utensils.
 

The Eastern Roman Empire likely gave us the personal table fork, which was in common use there by the 4th century. This instrument wasn’t immediately accepted.
 

In the Italian Peninsula, the fork came into some use by the 11th century, where upper-class ladies would use it to eat candied fruits. When Princess Maria Argyropoulina married Venetian leader Domenico Selvo, most of Venice was aghast when she brought the fork with her and used it. Saint Peter Damian deemed it was from the devil because it resembled his horns. Seriously. He said it was an affront to God’s intentions for our fingers. When the poor princess died within a couple of years, the saint was deemed correct and the fork disappeared for several hundred years.
 

It was used by nearly all merchants and the upper class in Italy by 1600. Also, it was proper for guests to arrive with their own fork and spoon in a carrying box called a cadena.
 

1550-1600 French Travel Utensils with Case

Forks were introduced to French court by Italian noblewoman Catherine de’ Medici when she married King Henry II. Queen Elizabeth I, though she owned forks, preferred to eat with her fingers. She considered “spearing an uncouth action.”

Though forks were in common use in Southern Europe in the 16th century, they didn’t infiltrate to the north until the 18th century. It had been viewed as an unmanly Italian device.
 

The Roman Catholic Church viewed it as an “excessive delicacy.” England was a hold out and didn’t adopted the fork until the 18th century. In North America, the fork didn’t catch on until after the American Revolution. All raw materials from the Colonies were shipped back to Great Britain as it was illegal to produce anything in the Colonies. Then products would be made in England and shipped back to the Colonies for sale. Forks made of lead were a health hazard, while forks made of steel rusted and made food taste funny. That left metals like silver and gold which were far too expensive for anyone but the wealthy.
 

 

The early forks had two tines, but foods like peas fell through the large gap. Then came along the three-tine fork, and early in the 1800s the four-tine fork was born.
 

Commercialization of silver-plating in the 1840s made a market of less expensive forks. In 1859, silver was discovered in Nevada and flooded the market, which caused the price of silver to drop and made forks even more accessible to the masses.
 

With forks being so affordable, the wealthy no longer felt special. Silver companies knew that a fork to the wealthy was more than a useful tool, it was a status symbol, so they started creating a myriad of forks for every kind of food: fish, fruit, bread, dessert, cheese, dinner, crab, olive, oyster, salad, pickle, and the list goes on and on.
 

Fortunately, the number of forks used today have been dialed back to a handful. Most of us can get along with one or two styles of forks.
 

Can you name all the different types of forks in the first picture? I don’t even want to try.

[Referenced Elements of the Home by Amy Azzarito, as well as other sources]

 

***COMING FEBRUARY 2022!***

MRS. WITHERSPOON GOES TO WAR (Heroines of WWII series)

A WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) flies a secret mission to rescue three soldiers held captive in Cuba.

Margaret “Peggy” Witherspoon is a thirty-four-year-old widow, mother of two daughters, an excellent pilot, and very patriotic. She joins the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots). As she performs various tasks like ferry aircraft, transporting cargo, and being an airplane mechanic, she meets and develops feelings for her supervisor Army Air Corp Major Howie Berg. When Peggy learns of U.S. soldiers being held captive in Cuba, she, Major Berg, and two fellow WASPs devise an unsanctioned mission to rescue them. With Cuba being an ally in the war, they must be careful not to ignite an international incident.

  Pre-Order HERE!

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle Book 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; The Widow’s Plight, The Daughter's Predicament, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-seven years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

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Tuesday Tidbits: WRITING GOALS: 2021 RECAP & 2022 GOALS

It’s time for me to set my 2022 goals. But first, how did I do on my 2021 goals? Overall, I’m pleased with the goals I met. Here is a quick recap.

~~ I will Finish Writing Mrs. Witherspoon Goes to War Novel.
    I did finish writing it. It will be released in less than a month on February 1st. This is a historical romance WWII novel about a WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots who goes on an unsanctioned rescue mission.
~~ I will Finish Writing Quilting Circle book 5, The Lady’s Mission.
    I did finish The Lady’s Mission. It releases in October 2022.
~~ I will Read & Edit 1st-Cousin-Once-Removed Mary Linn’s Novel.
    Nope. I wasn’t able to get to this one. I kept trying and trying, but contracted work needed to come first. I’m disappointed I didn’t get to this, but I’m putting it high on my list for 2022.
~~ I will Participate in NaNoWriMo in November.
    I did participate, but I also knew I wouldn’t be shooting for the full 50K. I did manage 15K, which was what I was shooting for as I was editing as well. I also participated in CampNaNoWriMo in April and July, completing 10K each of those months.
~~ I will Complete the ENGLISCHER COURTSHIP series proposal.
    I did get that completed, but no contract on that one.
~~ I will Complete HHH Posts by the 10th of Each Month.
    I contribute to the Heroes, Heroines, and History blog (HHH) once a month. Only 2 month I didn’t get mine finished until the 12th & 16th. And 3 months I had them done the month before and one 2 months before. That was really nice. I’m hoping to get some done farther in advance again in 2022.
~~ I will Post/Market 1 or More Books in FB Groups Each Week.
    Nope. I’m so bad at marketing. I would do well for a few months even posting more than once a week, then nothing for a few months.
~~ One of my non-writing goals was to Walk 20 Minutes 3 Times a Week or More.
    Eh. I more or less met this one. Some weeks it was more and others it was less.

Here are some of my 2022 Goals.
I won’t bore you with all of them, because they are many. I set not only big goals but small ones as well. Most of my goals are writing ones as I only have myself to keep me on task and on target. It’s a little harder to decide what projects to work on since I have completed my contracted books.

Here we go!

~~ I will Read & Edit 1st-Cousin-Once-Removed Mary Linn’s Novel.
    Since I didn’t get to this one last year, I want to get to it early this year. I received a copy and permission to edit and publish this book written in the 1990s by my 1st cousin once removed Mary Linn. She has since passed away and her sister, Sarah, had a copy of it sitting in her garage. Sarah didn’t want it to be discarded some years down the road when no one would know what it was or who wrote it. So, she passed it on to me to with it whatever I want. I haven’t read it yet, so I have no idea what the story is about. I think it will be a fun discovery.
~~ I will Write 100,000-ish words.
    Since I have no contracts at the present moment, I am free to work on various personal projects. So this 100K can be in the form of a long novel, a couple of short novels, and any number of novellas, or a combination of any of those.
~~ I will Finish Writing Silver Bells, a Christmas Novella.
    I’ve been wanting to complete this novella for a long time. This my chance.
~~ I will Participate in NaNoWriMo in November.
    This is the same as last year. NaNoWriMo stands for NAtional NOvel WRIting MOnth. Each year in November, thousands of writers all over the world make a mad dash to write 50,000 words in 30 days. That’s a lot of words and there’s a bit of a holiday in there, but it can be done. I’ve won some years and haven’t others. Notice my goal says “participate” not win. If I write 50,000 words or less than 50,000 words, I can still meet this goal by participating. In 2020, I wrote the 50k rough words for my first goal, Mrs. Witherspoon Goes to War. This set me up for less stress to get it completed before the deadline.
    On a similar note, I also plan to participate in CampNaNoWriMo in April and July. By setting your own goal, those are low pressure and a lot of fun. A good way to get started with NaNoWriMo.
~~ I will Complete a Proposal.
    I have no clue what proposal this will be, but it would be good for me to get one or more sent out.
~~ I will Complete HHH Posts by the 10th of Each Month.
    I want to continue this one. I contribute to the Heroes, Heroines, and History blog (HHH) once a month. I did manage to schedule my post before the 10th most of the time in 2021, and it was a lot less stressful.
~~ I will Post/Market 1 or More Books in FB Groups Each Week.
    I’m not sure I why I bother with this one, but I do need to keep up with marketing. I have a secret for 2022 to meet this goal. I’m hiring a virtual assistant (my awesome daughter) to do this for me as well as various other tasks so I can focus on writing stories.
~~Two of my non-writing goals are, I will Walk 20 Minutes 3 Times a Week or More.
    I listed this one last year and the year before but want to continue to aim for this, even if I don’t always succeed. As an author, I do a LOT of sitting. I keep telling myself, that I’ll walk, but before I know it, the sun has set and I’ve hardly moved. NOT GOOD. I chose 3 days a week, even though I want it to be more, because I figure that even on a busy week or if something else comes up, I can still succeed. Right? I also count shopping, because walking is walking whether it’s outside, in the grocery store, a craft store, or in a thrift store.
~~I will Continue Intermitten Fasting
    Part way through 2021, I jumped in to Intermitten Fasting. I am nearly 23 pounds healthier. =0) I would like to continue this trend for another 25-30 pounds. I haven’t been doing so great lately and gained a couple back.

I hope you all are successful in meeting your goals in 2022. =0)
I hope your 2022 is happy and healthy, and may you find joy in the little things. =0)

 

***COMING FEBRUARY 2022!***

MRS. WITHERSPOON GOES TO WAR (Heroines of WWII series)

A WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) flies a secret mission to rescue three soldiers held captive in Cuba.

Margaret “Peggy” Witherspoon is a thirty-four-year-old widow, mother of two daughters, an excellent pilot, and very patriotic. She joins the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots). As she performs various tasks like ferry aircraft, transporting cargo, and being an airplane mechanic, she meets and develops feelings for her supervisor Army Air Corp Major Howie Berg. When Peggy learns of U.S. soldiers being held captive in Cuba, she, Major Berg, and two fellow WASPs devise an unsanctioned mission to rescue them. With Cuba being an ally in the war, they must be careful not to ignite an international incident.

  Pre-Order HERE!

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle Book 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; The Widow’s Plight, The Daughter's Predicament, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-seven years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

Newsletter  Blog   FB  FB Readers Group   Amazon   GoodReads   BookBub