Discovering Clotted Cream

CLOTTED CREAM Have you ever read a historical novel that mentions “clotted cream” or “Devonshire cream?” I admit, I skimmed over it the first few times without making special note of it except for a vague recognition of it being a weird British thing and that no self-respecting American would eat anything with the word “clotted” it in. Still, I gleaned that the British spread it on bread and scones. Later, I discovered that clotted…

Food in Regency England — Luncheon or Nuncheon

What’s not to love about the Regency Era? The gowns, balls, soirees, horse-drawn carriages, and so much more–for those who were of the upper classes, that is–as shown in Jane Austen adaptations and other Regency-era movies and TV shows have a dreamlike beauty. Part of the glamor of Regency England is all the amazing food they ate. Because they kept different schedules and observed different customs, eating lunch at noontime is a relatively modern tradition.…

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

The most famous Reindeer of All ]Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is an iconic figure at Christmas time. He dates back to 1939 when Montgomery Ward introduced Rudolph to us by way of Robert May, a Jewish Chicago copyrighter assigned to write a short book to give away as a Christmas promo.  Partially inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s story, The Ugly Duckling, May wrote the original story in rhyme about a deer with a red nose…

Christmas Eve in Regency England

One of our family traditions is to decorate the day after Thanksgiving, unless we’re out of town, and no later than the first Saturday in December. We like to enjoy the decorations for as long as possible. Our decorations include lights, inside and out, artificial garlands, nutcrackers, angels, Santas, and lots of nativity scenes as well as a large, artificial, pre-lit tree decorated with blue, silver, and gold balls, and a few sentimental pieces I’ve…

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Regency Christmas Decorations

Decorating for Christmas is a major event at my house with the whole family involved and usually takes more than one day–and that’s just doing the inside. I put up Christmas decorations either the Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving if possible, but no later than the first Saturday of December. The tree takes center stage, as well as plenty of greenery including mistletoe. I also love my collections of nativities, angels, nutcrackers, snowmen, candles, and…

Love and Laughter Event

You are invited to join me and 40+ other authors of wholesome romance where you can fall in love (with books!). This very special online event, “Love & Laughter” takes place on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, at 7:30 EST. Learn more and register at https://www.cleanauthors.com/love-and-laughter I hope to see you there!  …

Halloween and All Hallow’s Eve Traditions

Over the last several years, Halloween has become even more elaborate and popular than Christmas in the United States. Americans love costumes, decorations–the more elaborate, the better–and parties galore! Today, the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada widely celebrate the holiday. It’s also growing in popularity in much of Europe, Asia, and South America, alongside their own holidays. Halloween’s Origin It all began in ancient England, with the Celtic festival Samhain (a Gaelic word pronounced…

Regency Underwear — Did they or did they not?

I recently taught a workshop at a writer’s conference on Regency Ladies Fashions. One attendee asked what ladies wore underneath their skirts. You should have heard the gasps when I told her, “Nothing.”  So, this seems to be a good time to repost about the somewhat controversial topic. Historians, researchers, and authors agree that ladies wore a shift, or chemise, over which they laced up stays (a type of Regency corset but more comfortable), and…

I’m Listening…

Hello to my wonderful blog followers and fellow history geeks!  Many of you have been following my posts for years and I thank you for that! I want this blog to be beneficial and entertaining, and to cover the topics that interest you, my loyal fans. Since I’m a true history nerd–especially when it comes to British history in general and the Regency Era in particular–I love going down research rabbit holes and learning about…