DOLLEY MADISON and her Infamous ICE CREAM!

Dolley Madison

In 1790, the first ice cream parlor opened in New York. In late June 1791, a notice appeared in the Pennsylvania Gazette announcing the details of that ear’s July 4th celebration. On the menu that year at Grays Gardens were the confections of Mr. de la Croiz, including “iced creams of a great variety.” Great estates, including Mount Vernon and Monticello, had their own “cream machines for ice.”

Dolley Madison, the first lady of the United States and wife of James Madison, fourth president of America, popularized ice cream in the White House. It was still a very impressive dessert because modern freezers were not introduced yet. To make ice cream, an estate relied on an ice house with large blocks of ice cut from frozen water, packed on straw and held in a cool place.

 

Dolley preferred oyster ice cream. She used small, sweet oysters from the Potomac River near her home to churn up an interesting dessert. In 18th century cookbooks, chefs didn’t stick to the basics. Recipes for parmesan ice cream, asparagus ice cream, chestnut cream and many other flavors that don’t grace our modern day tables were popular.

I couldn’t find her recipe for oyster ice cream, but she’d probably poach oysters in a cream base. The amount of oysters would dictate the intensity of the oyster flavor.

Here is Dolley’s Peppermint Stick Ice Cream.

3/4 c. sugar
2 tbsp. cornstarch
3 c. whole m ilk
3/4 c. light corn syrup
2 whole eggs, beaten lightly
1 c. cream
4 drops natural peppermint extract
2 drops red food coloring
3/4 c. peppermint candy, crushed

Mix the sugar and cornstarch in the top of a double boiler. Stir in the milk, syrup and eggs. Cook over boiling water, stirring all the time for 10 minutes or until the mixture has thickened. Chill. Stir in cream, extract and coloring. Freeze in a 2 quart ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer's instructions. When partially frozen, add crushed peppermint and continue frequently. Yields 2 quarts.

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http://www.pbs.org/food/features/ice-cream-founding-fathers/

http://www.cooks.com/recipe/ji23o1tr/dolly-madisons-peppermint-stick-ice-cream.html

FOURTH OF JULY

July 2, 1776 is when John Adams proclaimed: I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, spirits, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more. He wrote this to his beloved wife, Abigail. The revised Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776, which is why it's celebrated on the Fourth.

Ever since 1777, Americans have celebrated the Day of Independence with fireworks, parades, picnics, family gatherings, etc. The first celebration had a firing of the canon, militia march and the reading of the Declaration of Independence with much 'HUZZA!' across the land. Ever since, there's not much changed. It seems that American's like a good party and it was passed with zeal as a proven National Holiday plus a few years later, adding the fifth as another day in which everyone will also get paid. There was a bit of snag with DC, since it's not a state, but the folks who live there, did finally obtain the same rights as everyone else.

Both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, who had finally made up and resumed their friendship after many years, died fifty years after the signing of the document. Two of our glorious Founding Fathers died together. It seems to be more of Divine intervention than a coincidence to me, that this should happen.

During the time of the Civil War, President Lincoln found it to be not a time of rejoicing but a time of sorrow, for he saw his Union slipping from further away plus all the dead haunted him. But with the Union victory in Vicksburg, they celebrated on July 7, 1863. In 1865, it's the first time that Freedmen could celebrate, reading the Emanicipation Proclamation in honor of the now assassinated President Lincoln. Tattered flags were flown and there was celebration all across the land, even at Gettysburg.

An added note, in 1868 President Johnson had the Declaration of Independence read not only in English but also in Spanish. 1883 it was read in Swedish in Moorhead, MN. God Bless those Swedes! 1907 Mark Twain gave a Fourth July speech in London. 1918, New York City gave a pageant parade with forty different nationalites. For the 150 year celebration, President Coolidge planted a willow tree similar to one that had been growing at Mount Vernon during President Washington's life. There were also speeches, ceremonies aplenty at Monticello and all across the land plus overseas. In 1919, one of the peaks in the Black Hills is renamed Mt. Theodore Roosevelt. In 1942, fireworks were cancelled because of 'blackout' during the war. 1960 gave us our 50th star, Hawaii. 1976, our nation's 200 anniversary, at 2:00 when the Declaration was approved, bells rang thirteen times simultaneously across our land commemorating our first thirteen colonies.

The Freedman speeches still ring across our land. The Declaration is still read. In spite of all of our differences and squabbles over politics, Americans still love our land and celebrate it with zest and honor.

So to EVERYONE who has served, will serve, knows someone who has or will, THANK YOU! GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND GOD BLESS AMERICA!

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