"Bill Pickett never had an enemy. Even the steers wouldn't hurt old Bill." — Will Rogers, a famed humorist and friend of Pickett, commenting on the legendary bulldogger’s death.
HOME REMEDY: VAPORS
From Household Remedies & Cures, 1892: “To cure vapors or related fits or occasions of fainting, hysteria or mania, apply a cool compress to the forehead while quietly reclining.”
RECIPE: CHRISTMAS STEW
Austin resident Mandy Smith sent this recipe from his mother who she said served it every year at Christmas as a Good Luck Omen.
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients
· 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
· 5 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
· 2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
· ¼ cup all-purpose flour
· ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
· 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into cubes
· 5 teaspoons vegetable oil
· 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
· 1 cup red wine
· 3½ cups beef broth
· 2 bay leaves
· 2 teaspoons salt
Directions
Combine the flour and pepper in a bowl, add the beef and toss to coat well. Heat 3 teaspoons of the oil in a large pot. Add the beef a few pieces at a time. Cook until beef is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch.
Remove the beef from the pot and add the vinegar and wine. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any bits. Add the beef, beef broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer.
Cover and cook, skimming broth, until the beef is tender — about 1½ hours. Add the onions and carrots and simmer, cover for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes more. Add broth or water if the stew is dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in four bowls with bread.
IN THIS MONTH: 1884
On Nov. 17, a plan was first proposed calling upon Congress, "in the interest of cheaper food," to build and maintain a National Trail from the Red River north to the Canadian border. It was much less expensive for Texas cattlemen to trail their herds to northern railheads and ranges and then ship them by rail rather than ship directly from Texas, and most Texans saw increasing northern quarantines that had increasingly restricted drives — in the years after diminishing open range had ended the Chisholm Trail and others — as a threat to their economic well-being. Legislation to create the National Trail proposed by Texas congressman James Francis Miller failed to pass, and that defeat and the advent of barbed wire sounded the death knell of trailing.
IN THIS MONTH: 1910
“On a ten dollar horse and a forty dollar saddle; Ridin' and a punchin' them Texas cattle,
“We left old Texas October twenty-third; Drivin' up the trail with a U-2 herd,
“I jumped in the saddle an' I grabbed a-hold the horn, The best darned cowpuncher ever was born.
“I was on my best horse, and a going on the run; The quickest shootin' cowboy that ever pulled a gun,” — John Lomax, author of “Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads.”
HOME REMEDY: GNATS
From Household Remedies & Cures, 1899: “Mix apple cider, sugar, water and bar soap in a cup, placed in an area of infestation.”
RECIPE: TRAIL ROAST CHICKEN
Austin resident Gail Garcia sends this recipe that she got several years ago at a historical reenactment: “Meals on the trail were simple affairs, and this delicious roast chicken recipe is so simple .”
Makes: 2-4 servings
Ingredients
· One 2-3 pound chicken
· Salt
· Ground black pepper
· 2 teaspoons. finely chopped thyme
· Unsalted butter
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse chicken and dry. Season chicken cavity with salt and pepper, then tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string.
Salt the chicken so that it is covered evenly and season with the black pepper. Place the chicken in a roasting pan and roast it for about an hour. Then add the chopped thyme
And baste the chicken with pan juices and thyme. Let chicken set for 15 minutes before removing string and serve. Liberally brush the chicken with the butter.
IN THIS MONTH: 1839
On Oct. 17, Mirabeau B. Lamar, second president of the Republic of Texas, and his cabinet arrived in the new capital city of Austin. Lamar had appointed Edwin Waller to lay out the new capital at the site of the community of Waterloo, on what was then the frontier, as the first step in a grand scheme to extend the republic all the way to the Pacific Ocean. He made the decision on a bluff overlooking Walnut Creek, on property adjacent to Pioneer Farms. Fearing an invasion from Mexico, Sam Houston, who replaced Lamar, moved the capital from Austin in 1841, but it was returned in 1844.
WORDS TO LIVE BY: 1839
“A cultivated mind is the guardian genius of democracy.” — Mirabeau B. Lamar, president of the Republic of Texas.
HOME REMEDY: DOG BITE
From Household Remedies & Cures, 1899: “Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water, then apply lemon juice once every two hours, three times.”
RECIPE: PUMPKIN COOKIES
Austin resident Geri Ward sends this recipe with this note: “Pumpkin cookies every year at Halloween were an official sign of fall in my family for years.”
Makes: 36 servings
Ingredients
· 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
· 1 teaspoon baking soda
· 1 teaspoon baking powder
· 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
· 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
· 1 stick butter, softened
· 1 cup of pure pumpkin (from can)
· 1 large egg
· 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
· 2 cups powdered sugar
· 3 tablespoons milk
· 1 tablespoon butter, softened
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease baking sheets. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and stick of butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Combine sifted powdered sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon butter and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over cookies.
IN THIS MONTH: 1829
On Sept. 15, just four years and a day after Mexican Independence Day was declared, the Guerrero Decree abolishing slavery throughout the Republic of Mexico was issued by President Vicente R. Guerrero. The decree reached Texas on Oct. 16. News of the decree alarmed Texans, who petitioned Guerrero to exempt Texas from the law. While Mexican officials announced in December that the status of slavery in Texas would remain unchanged, the incident convinced many Texans that their interests were not safe under Mexican rule — an opinion that helped fuel the Texas revolution.
WORDS TO LIVE BY: 1810
“There is no time to be lost; we shall yet see the oppressors' yoke broken and the fragments scattered on the ground.” — Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, calling for an end to Spanish rule in Mexico in his famous Cry of Delores speech.
HOME REMEDY: INGROWN TOENAIL
From Household Medicinal Guides, 1897: “Soak the infected foot in a basin of warm water, containing half a cup of cider vinegar, for 30 minutes once a day until infection clears.”
RECIPE: TEXAS TRAIL BRISKET
Austin resident Dack Green says this recipe dates back years in his family “and is a fall home run. It’s your basic Texas trail brisket, just like they used to serve on the cattle drives.”
Makes: 18 servings
Ingredients
· 12-pound whole brisket (packer)
· 2 Tablespoons coarse salt
· 2 Tablespoons coarse ground pepper
· 2 Tablespoons garlic powder
Directions
Trim excessive or loose meat and fat from the brisket. In a bowl, mix the salt, pepper, and garlic. Spread the mixture evenly on all sides.
Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees. Place the brisket on the smoker with the point end facing your main heat source. Close the lid and smoke until an internal thermometer reads 165 degrees (usually around 8 hours).
On a large work surface, roll out a big piece of foil and wrap the brisket by folding it tightly. Return the wrapped brisket to the smoker, so the weight from the brisket crimps the edges of the foil..
Continue cooking at 225 until the internal temperature of the brisket reaches 202 degrees in the thickest part of the meat (takes 5-8 hours).
Remove the brisket to a large cutting board and let it sit about an hour before slicing. Serve immediately.
IN THIS MONTH: 1866
On August 20, On this day in 1866, President Andrew Johnson officially ended the Civil War with a proclamation that "the insurrection in the State of Texas has been completely and everywhere suppressed and ended." Texas was the last state of the Confederacy to agree to such a declaration. Johnson had declared a state of peace between the U.S. and the other ten Confederate states on April 2, 1866. The last land battle of the Civil War took place at Palmito Ranch near Brownsville on May 13, 1865, more than a month after Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse.
WORDS TO LIVE BY:1868
“If you always support the correct principles then you will never get the wrong results.” — President Andrew Johnson, after the Civil War ended.
HOME REMEDY: HIVES
From Household Medicinal Guides, 1899: “Combine (baking) soda with warm water into a thick paste and apply as a poultice to the affected area. Let stand for 15 minutes, rinse and repeat daily as necessary until irritation disappears.”
RECIPE: TEXAS TATER SALAD
Austin resident Deva Martinez offers this month’s recipe, which she said has been handed down through her family for years — and is a staple for summer barbeques.
Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients
· 3 lb. potatoes, cut into half-inch pieces (Yukon Gold are the best)
· 1 small red onion, finely chopped
· 1 ½ cup mayonnaise
· ¼ cup chopped dill pickles
· 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
· 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
· ½ tsp. paprika
· 4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
· ¼ cup finely sliced chives
· Freshly ground black pepper
· Salt to taste
Directions
In a large pot, cover potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Season with salt and cook for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Drain and let cool for 30-45 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix the mayonnaise, chopped onion and pickles, mustard, paprika and lemon juice until well combined. Fold in potatoes, chopped eggs and sliced chives until thoroughly mixed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
IN THIS MONTH: 1873
On July 5, Margaret Borland of Victoria died of "trail fever" in Wichita, Kan., after successfully becoming the first and only woman to lead a trail drive from Texas. Thrice widowed, the mother of seven had assisted one husband in his cattle business and, after his death, assumed full responsibility for the estate. Buying and selling livestock, by 1873 she owned a herd of more than 10,000 cattle. She left Victoria that spring with 2,500 cattle, and a crew that included two dozen trail hands along with two sons under fifteen, a seven-year-old daughter, an even younger granddaughter. Due to Texas poor economy after the Civil War, the trail drives offered new opportunities for women, formerly enslaved and Hispanic Texans.