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Herbal Wisdom:  Still Room Books  |
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MeadowCrone
True Blue Farmgirl
220 Posts
Bernadine
Island Park and Salem
ID
USA
220 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 19 2010 : 10:42:13 AM
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Do any of you have a Still Room book? I have gathered all my notes, recipes and successes and failures into one book, to hand down to posterity and wondered if any of you have one and how you have organized it.
Gratefully living on the "fat of the land". |
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delicia
True Blue Farmgirl
917 Posts
delicia
cincinnati
ohio
USA
917 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2010 : 09:18:33 AM
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I do not have one but, if you want to share I would love to see yours. I just read an article on the stillroom books and how they were passed down for generations. Please let me know what types of things are in yours and I will try and start one this year. |
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Melina
True Blue Farmgirl
435 Posts
Melina
USA
435 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2010 : 10:26:27 AM
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My mother and I both had/have these, just didn't know what to call them. My mother took a blank paged spiral notebook and pasted recipes or wrote them down in it for years. She was a working mother, so she depended on alot of slow-cook and pressure cooked meals. She also made comments about changes she made to them. I've done the same, plus added some gardening notes as well. I'm beginning to add a few herbal notes as I branch out into herbal wisdom, too. I toy with making it more personal with observations about life, nature, etc. But sometimes I find what I want to write a little too personal for future generations to read. I remember what my grandma used to say: Never put in writing what you don't want the world to see!!
The morning breeze has secrets to tell you. Do not go back to sleep.
Rumi |
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City Chick
True Blue Farmgirl
1402 Posts
Deb
Chattanooga
TN
USA
1402 Posts |
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dutchy
True Blue Farmgirl
4427 Posts
4427 Posts |
Posted - Jan 22 2010 : 06:34:11 AM
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I was thinking the same hing, Deb: WHAT is a Still Room book??
Hugs from Marian/Dutchy, a farmgirl from the Netherlands :)
My personal blog:
http://just-me-a-dutch-girl.blogspot.com/
Almost daily updates on me and mine :)
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JustAnAllAmericanGirl
True Blue Farmgirl
72 Posts
Jamie
Raleigh
North Carolina
USA
72 Posts |
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Melina
True Blue Farmgirl
435 Posts
Melina
USA
435 Posts |
Posted - Jan 24 2010 : 08:19:36 AM
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A stillroom book is a notebook of herbal recipes, herbal wisdom, etc. that is of particular importance to the individual woman who compiles it. Every housewife used to keep such a book, in the days before printed cookbooks. They often shared this wisdom at women's gatherings like quilting bees, knitting circles, family picnics, etc. It might also have a bit of a diary, noting how many bushels of corn were harvested, how many eggs sold, when the cow dried up, etc.
The morning breeze has secrets to tell you. Do not go back to sleep.
Rumi |
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classygram
True Blue Farmgirl
1812 Posts
Brenda
Pleasant Hill
Mo.
USA
1812 Posts |
Posted - Jan 24 2010 : 09:43:53 AM
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I've been saving all types of wisdom ideas for years. But have just put them in a folder. But this sounds fun and easier to find what your looking for. Would like to see samples of some of the ones you have done.
Brenda |
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MeadowCrone
True Blue Farmgirl
220 Posts
Bernadine
Island Park and Salem
ID
USA
220 Posts |
Posted - Jan 29 2010 : 07:18:15 AM
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Ok I will try to get smart and post a photo of mine. Many many years ago, like Medieval times, most of the homes had a room dedicated to the medicine of the home. In it was kept the Still, used mostly for creating medicine, that's how the room got its' name - The Still Room. The Housewife, kept in her Still Room, a book, which had been handed down to her from her mother etc. In it were the best time to pick herbs, recipes for medicines, bits of information on when to plant and what. Basically the running of a house, the information that you don't want to forget, recipes etc.
My Still Room Book, is mostly about the medicine. The last 26 pages are my index. I have a letter of the alphabet, at the top of each page. As I add recipes, mark where I found an herb etc, I add it to the index, so that it will be easy to find.
I loved my book.. When I started it, I picked a leather covered, thick journal but Melina is right, you could use a spiral bound notebook, if you like. I don't include cooking recipes in mine because I have a recipe book for that and I don't want my herbal recipes overwhelmed by the regular recipes but I do like to include successes and failures.
www.muckingbootsandmagic.blogspot.com
www.meadowcrone.blogspot.com |
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emsmommy5
True Blue Farmgirl
1547 Posts
Angie
Buckley
WA
USA
1547 Posts |
Posted - Jan 29 2010 : 09:51:00 AM
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Thanks for explaining this. I looked for an example online and couldn't find any info. I sort of have one started, but I think I want to expand it now!
Do what you love, love what you do. |
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MeadowCrone
True Blue Farmgirl
220 Posts
Bernadine
Island Park and Salem
ID
USA
220 Posts |
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delicia
True Blue Farmgirl
917 Posts
delicia
cincinnati
ohio
USA
917 Posts |
Posted - Feb 03 2010 : 2:59:04 PM
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| I have been working on mine and it is starting to look pretty good. I am just putting herbal and garden things in mine not any recipes. It would be fun to share and see others. |
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delicia
True Blue Farmgirl
917 Posts
delicia
cincinnati
ohio
USA
917 Posts |
Posted - Feb 20 2010 : 05:56:44 AM
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| If anyone has any of the FoxFire books that share living in Appalachia there are some things from stillroom books. These are recipes or recipts from women showing how they used different herbs to make medicines with it is so interesting. |
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Ms. Hannigan
True Blue Farmgirl
57 Posts
Shari
Middle
TN
USA
57 Posts |
Posted - Feb 27 2010 : 8:35:21 PM
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I'm just getting started growing herbs, and I can't wait to start a Still Room Book so I'll have a record of the whole process! Thanks for sharing this!
...some women are drippin' with diamonds... some women are drippin' with pearls... look at me, lucky me, the only thing I'm drippin' with is... little girls...
Farmgirl #1158
blog: http://www.lifegetsmessy.com
website: http://www.eatlocaltn.com |
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MeadowCrone
True Blue Farmgirl
220 Posts
Bernadine
Island Park and Salem
ID
USA
220 Posts |
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MeadowCrone
True Blue Farmgirl
220 Posts
Bernadine
Island Park and Salem
ID
USA
220 Posts |
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alterationsbyemily
True Blue Farmgirl
689 Posts
Emily
Chambersburg
PA
USA
689 Posts |
Posted - Mar 21 2010 : 2:38:15 PM
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very cool! I have a folder on my computer with all this information. I guess it would be like a book. I open word title it and copy paste, and then save in the particular folder.
--
See my custom costumes, download free patterns, and hear some spook EVPs from Gettysburg, PA on my site, www.alterationsbyemily.com |
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Catherine
True Blue Farmgirl
166 Posts
Catherine Ann
Temple
TX
USA
166 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2010 : 07:45:22 AM
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I love this idea!
I have notebooks filled with recipes and such that I should put into a more orderly fashion. I think a stillroom book is just the thing, thanks for the inspiration!
Blessings,
Catherine :)
http://lovelivingsimply.blogspot.com/
Judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant. ~Robert Louis Stevenson
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2010 : 07:54:38 AM
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But don't you need a still? JK :) This is really interesting. I had never heard of this before, either. I have seen lots of nature journals, and recipe books, but not one called a still room. Can you imagine how important this must have been when people experimented and learend with different herbs for medicinal purposes? It would really help to look back and see what worked and what didn't. No one could go to Walgreen's then. And some hebse were so dangerous....thanks for sharing this piece of history!
Farmgirl Sister # 31
www.blueskyjeannie.blogspot.com
Psalm 51: 10-13 |
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Calicogirl
True Blue Farmgirl
5216 Posts
Sharon
Bruce Crossing
Michigan
USA
5216 Posts |
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delicia
True Blue Farmgirl
917 Posts
delicia
cincinnati
ohio
USA
917 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2010 : 11:55:41 AM
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I am working on mine and love it. I just love the idea of getting something that someone has loved and used it really speaks to me.
delicia |
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kindred spirit
Farmgirl in Training
10 Posts
Robin
Myerstown
Pennsylvania
USA
10 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2010 : 5:12:19 PM
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Thanks for all the info! I have been putting notes into a notebook also. I love this idea of a still room book! I know what I'll be doing this weekend!!
Blessings,
Kindred Spirit |
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phonelady
True Blue Farmgirl
323 Posts
Carla
Loveland
Colorado
323 Posts |
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phonelady
True Blue Farmgirl
323 Posts
Carla
Loveland
Colorado
323 Posts |
Posted - Apr 17 2010 : 10:19:46 PM
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I guess I made something like this when I put together my cookbook.
It has recipes, natural cleaners and healthy herbals and whatnot. There's a picture of my Mother in her garden [stomping in the mud, of all things] and writings about me when I first learned to cook.
There are the recipes that Great-grandma Nonnie left behind [is anyone who reads this in the future going to be brave enough to try the Prune Cake recipe? I left a written challange for whoever picks up the book. ;*D
Didn't know it was called a Still Book. Cool!
Carla
It's not just life-
It's an adventure! |
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herbquilter
True Blue Farmgirl
891 Posts
Kristine
Bonney Lake
Wa
USA
891 Posts |
Posted - Apr 18 2010 : 11:25:28 PM
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Carla,
Thanks for the link to the Smith's site. A wonderful treasure.
Blessings,
Kristine ~ Mother of Many, Herbalist, Master Energy Intuitive
http://herbalmommasda.blogspot.com/
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Kidrae
Farmgirl at Heart
3 Posts
RaeAnn
Amarillo
Texas
USA
3 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2010 : 6:02:01 PM
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I love to use cheap journals or spiral note book for mine. Some for recipes for the body, some for medicine and some for cooking, and the garden. I love to have a note book or journal with me when I am reading. I am always finding something useful and writing down helps me remember.
Keep everything good in your heart and thoughts!
RaeAnn |
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Herbal Wisdom: Still Room Books |
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Still Room Books
