Archive for June, 2009

The Marquis de Lafayette (full name: Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roche Gilbert du Motier- whoa!) was born to immense wealth in France, but at 19 years old he bought a ship and sailed to South Carolina to join the American Revolution, arriving on June 13th. He volunteered to serve in the Patriot army without pay, saying that, “the welfare of America is intimately connected with the happiness of all mankind.” His intelligence and passion for the American cause were quickly appreciated, leading Congress to commission him a Major General. His famous friendship with George Washington led him to later give Washington a key to the Bastille (still displayed in the front hall at Mount Vernon) and name his own son after the man he saw as an honorary father.

After the Revolution, the Marquis returned to France but visited America twice; the first time at Washington’s invitation and the second time as an old man in 1824. As he toured America, crowds of cheering people greeted him wherever he traveled, and at one place, an old soldier saluted him and asked Lafayette if he remembered the snows of Valley Forge. He showed the blanket that he was carrying and said that at one point Lafayatte came upon a shivering soldier in the snow on guard, he sent the soldier to get his blanket out of his tent, and then cut the blanket in half, giving half to the soldier. He said, “I am the soldier whose life you saved.”

As we celebrate the patriotic holidays of summer, sometimes it is important to remember that it was not only Americans who were fighting for our independence. Let us know if you teach about about the Marquis de Lafayette, Thaddeus Kosciuszko, or any of the other international heroes that helped our fledgling country…

“He rose before sunrise, always wrote or read until 7 in summer or half past seven in winter. His breakfast was then ready – he ate three small mush cakes (Indian meal) swimming in butter and honey, and drank three cups of tea without cream.”

George Washington’s breakfast habits were recorded by his step-granddaughter, Nelly Custis Lewis, providing us an intimate picture of our first president’s mornings. Nelly also recorded the recipe for mush cakes (also called hoecakes because they could be cooked on a hoe over an open fire) in a letter so we know that they consist of cornmeal, water, yeast, and egg. Hoecakes are regularly cooked at Mount Vernon’s Pioneer Farmer site, and the full recipe is on our website and in publications.

Now, having sampled hoecakes made with the Mount Vernon recipe several times, I thought, “There has got to be a better way.” No offense to the father of our nation, but where’s the sugar? The processed flour? The butter!? He must have eaten them “swimming in butter and honey” because they really do taste pretty terrible on their own (I know I will be getting some perturbed emails over this post, sigh…). As educators, we advise teachers and parents to make hoecakes with their children as a fun learning activity, but children of the 21st century are not going to be impressed with the results. Taking matters into my own hands, I used cornmeal from our own gristmill to attempt to adapt the recipe slightly. After four batches of hoecakes that still tasted the same, i.e. terrible, a very messy kitchen, and an irritated husband/test taster, I had no breakthroughs. I had so hoped to find a secret ingredient to present to our loyal GWW readers. But then I realized that someone else had already found that secret ingredient… So let me present Paula Deen’s Food Network recipe for Hoecakes!

It’s that time again! GWW interviews Cathy Bonnefil this month- one of the blue-blazered history geniuses that bring George Washington to life for over a million visitors each year.

GWW: Why did you become an interpreter?

CB: I had always been interested in history, but during my working career I really never had the time to indulge that interest.

GWW: If you could be any 18th century historical figure, who would it be?

CB: The Marquis de Lafayette

GWW: What is your favorite thing about being an interpreter?

CB: Telling GW stories which, to me, is a great honor. I especially enjoy using quotes, which seems to bring the story more to life. Most visitors are suprised to learn that GW had a great sense of humor, or that he was soooooooo romantic in letters to Mrs. Washington, or even that he personally stopped a military coup against the US infant government.

GWW: Funniest thing that ever happened while you were interpreting?

CB: One day, there was a visitor who kept asking for obscure information on the dam design in Washington’s canal plans. After demurring a few times, I finally said with a smile, “Sir, you must understand that I’m no dam expert.” He had the grace to laugh.

GWW: Favorite place at Mount Vernon?

CB: The Tomb in the morning when I’m all alone.

GWW: Fun tidbits about you?

CB: I was raised in a small town in northwest Ohio and joined the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam era (Ouch!! There is a clue to my age). Courtesy of the Army, I went many, many places in the world before retiring in 2004. Along the way, my husband, Max, and I raised two great daughters, and we have recently become grandparents, which is much more fun than being a parent.

So raising chickens is definitely the new cool thing in case you had not heard. The Washington Post, New York Times, and USA Todaywill all attest. Whether it’s in the middle of a Manhattan co-op or on the back stoop of a DC rowhouse, more and more people are finding space for their fluffy friends, whether it’s legal or not. And what a fabulous friendship it is- what other small pet can provide you with free breakfast every morning? At Mount Vernon, we raise a range of poultry just like Washington did, including several of the same types, which are now considered heritage breeds. These include Dominique chickens and Bronze Gobbler turkeys, as well as guinea fowl and wild turkeys. While the chickens are pretty much confined to their fancy new digs next to the hog pen (pictured above), the turkeys tend to wander the estate making their presence known by pecking on the windows of the Library or on cars in the staff parking lot. We would not recommend living in close quarters with a turkey…