Book Review: Pioneer Mixology: Switchel, Sack Posset, and Shrub by Robynne Elizabeth Miller

After reading Robynne Elizabeth Miller's book titled, From the Mouth of Ma: A Search for Caroline Quiner Ingalls, the author contacted me to let me know about another one of her books, Pioneer Mixology: Switchel, Sack Posset, and Shrub, was available for free in April. Having enjoyed From the Mouth of Ma, I downloaded the free book.

If you're interested in the history of the pioneers, then Pioneer Mixology is a book you should add to your e-library. The author explores the numerous beverages of the times. They are broken down into three major categories: hot, cold, and alcoholic.

What is so neat about this book is that each section explores the different types of drinks in each category, explains how they were made, and even offers recipes. You could easily use this book for a home schooling lesson or an experiment of what it was like to make things the way the pioneers did.

From buttermilk to eggnog to mulled cider and more, you'll enjoy learning more about the liquids consumed back then and how resourceful pioneers were considering the limited availability of ingredients.


File Size: 926 KB
Print Length: 102 pages
Publisher: Practical Pioneer Press (March 11, 2016)
Publication Date: March 11, 2016
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B01CVKX8CI

I downloaded a free digital copy of this book from Amazon. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Book Review: From the Mouth of Ma by Robynne Elizabeth Miller

One chapter at a time, author Robynne Elizabeth Miller seeks to learn more about Caroline Quiner Ingalls--Ma from the Little House books.

In From the Mouth of Ma, Miller indicates that readers didn't get a chance to know Caroline Ingalls very well. Much of the close relationship Laura Ingalls Wilder had with her Pa (Charles) is written into the pages of her Little House series, but Ma remained a bit elusive.

Each chapter--except the first two, which are dedicated to outlining the purpose of the book and providing a bit of background on Caroline Quiner Ingalls--shares a little piece of Ma with readers: how practical and traditional Ma was in her daily life, her matter-of-fact opinions, how she valued honesty and forthrightness, what a devout Christian she was, how pragmatic she was while holding onto a dose of optimism, and more.

Miller discusses some things that bothered her about Ma from the Little House books--like her seeming lack of compassion for her children after the prairie fire that threatened their home in Kansas. She also dives into the many platitudes that Ma's character used in the books to help her--and readers-- understand more about who Ma was.

We end up with a well-rounded portrait of Ma with her unwavering love and devotion to her family and her desire to teach her children important and valuable lessons. Caroline Quiner Ingalls did not live an easy life out on the prairie, but as the author states, she navigated through it with grace and strength. For me, this book served to grow my admiration for a woman who embodied those characteristics and a pioneering spirit that helped create the country we know today.

Paperback: 84 pages
Publisher: Practical Pioneer Press; 1 edition (November 26, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0692580654
ISBN-13: 978-0692580653

I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.