Workshop Words

Game On!

Good day! How was your Thanksgiving? I hosted it at my house this year for the first time, and I was exhausted! We had a great time, though, and the food was spectacular. Now, with ‘Black Friday’ behind us and the radio stations playing Christmas music, we’re less than one month away from the big day.

A fun holiday tradition for kids is to sit on Santa’s lap and tell him what they want for Christmas. I will bet that many of them will ask for games! Let me know if you have ever heard of this phrase: “Do not pass Go! Do not collect $200!” Or how about this one: “It was Colonel Mustard in the hall with the wrench!” And this one is very popular, too: “King me!”

All of these familiar sayings come from board games. The above examples were from Monopoly, Clue, and Checkers. One of the most fun ways to spend time with your family during the holiday season is by playing a game together. My sister and I got the game Mouse Trap for Christmas one year, so we ended up playing it under the tree after we opened all our presents That was fun! Games are creative, challenge your brain power, teach life skills, and encourage learning without it being too ‘boring’ or ‘pointless.’

What is your favorite game? Is it a board game, an outdoor game, a card game, a game played on the TV, or a video game? Did you know games have been played for thousands of years in every culture? The game of checkers is one of the oldest, and its original name was Draughts. Cribbage and other peg board games have also been around for thousands of years. Some card games you can play by yourself, like Solitaire or Freecell (which are found on your computer, by the way!). Or you could grab a pen and paper for a quick bout of Hangman or Tic Tac Toe – both fun to play while waiting at a restaurant or doctor’s office.

So, if you have a task or chore ahead of you that you just don’t want to do, try making a game out of it. Using your creative thinking could turn it into something fun! And that’s the beauty of playing a game. For special game gifts under the tree this year, Sturbridge Yankee Workshop has you covered! Our Wahoo and Chinese Checkers games are patterned after 1800’s game boards. The State Fair Bingo Game is a winner, too, and it’s fun to turn the handle of the ball cage. Grab a high score with our baseball pinball games – are you a Red Sox or Yankees fan? Hang up our Billiards or Game Room signs for extra encouragement. Winter is coming and there will be plenty of chilly nights for playtime.

Tag – you’re it!

Sweet Holiday Scents

Amidst the mad rush of shopping, wrapping, and partying, it’s soothing and comforting to curl up with a mug of a warm, spicy-scented drink. The holidays would definitely not be the same without its lovely hot drinks. Spiced cider and mulled wine both owe their warm, cozy flavors to a group of spices known as mulling spices. Mulling is actually a centuries-old practice of infusing fruit and spice essences into heated drinks.

Have a tough decision to make? Try ‘mulling it over’ for a while, or ‘let it stew’ in the back of your mind. Both of these common phrases have been traced to the practice of mulling spices. You can find many recipes for mulling spices, but the most common include allspice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, star anise, and different dried fruit peels. Take a look at this page to see more choices: Mulling Spices.
There are actually a couple of ways you can infuse the beverage of your choice with the spices. One of the easiest is to gather them in a cheesecloth bag and simmer them in wine, cider, or fruit juice. The essences of the mulling spices create a complex undertone of spicy and citrus flavors, which complement the basic fruit elements of the mulled beverage. Once the cheesecloth bag has been removed, serve to your guests. A cinnamon stick stirrer adds a festive touch!

You’ve probably heard of the Christmas carol “Here We Go A’Wassailing.” It’s actually a drinking song! Wassail is one of the earliest spiced beverages, and the English would toast to good fortune in the new year. The traditional recipe included alcohol like wine or brandy. Another way to enjoy the same wonderful scents is to make a pomander ball. Push whole cloves into an orange until covered, roll the fruit in a dish of cinnamon, wrap with cheesecloth, and let it dry in a cool, dark place for about two-three weeks. Tie with festive ribbon and hang for an old-fashioned holiday decoration!

Here at Sturbridge Yankee Workshop, we have potlucks and parties to celebrate the holidays. It’s fun to bring in a crock pot and let the cider simmer for a few hours, filling the whole house with the rich, warm scent. I am hosting Thanksgiving at my house this year and can’t wait to try this! Keep the cider warm and add the spices in the cheesecloth. Your home will smell so inviting! Click here to see our Mulling Spices.

For even more wonderful scents, try our Home Scent Diffusers. The Balsam Tree and Pumpkin Pie scents are already popular. The Corn Cob tapers smell faintly of Chestnut, Cinnamon or Vanilla and would look festive as part of a centerpiece. Our Gift Basket contains scented starters for starting a fragrant fire in the hearth. For wonderful sweets to go with your spiced cider, try our Gingerbread, Sugar Cookie, and Cake gift sets. Don’t forget to enjoy quiet times with a Holiday Mug of cider!

Slainte – Gaelic word for Cheers!

Thoughts on Giving Thanks!

The story of the first Thanksgiving, a humble meal of root vegetables, oysters, and venison offered by the Native Americans to the hungry Puritans is amongst the most familiar tales told in America. It has been an indelible part of our country’s heritage, and was even recognized in a proclamation made by George Washington in 1789:

“Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States . . .”
George Washington, 1789

In his first year as President, Washington realized the unifying effect of having a national holiday unique to our fledgling country. But it would take another seventy years before it became official!

Thanksgiving in the early 1800’s was mostly a New England holiday, resembling something very similar to today. The ‘three sisters’ – corn, squash, and beans – were served alongside a typically bounteous harvest meal. This echoed earlier observances of Thanksgiving as a festival celebrating the autumn crop, represented by the cornucopia overflowing with fruits and vegetables.

During the Civil War, a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale wrote continuous letters asking for Thanksgiving’s recognition. Finally, President Lincoln honored her request and our first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated on the final Thursday in November 1863. Incidentally, in the same month he traveled to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to read a short address about the great battle.

“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies.”
Abraham Lincoln, October 3, 1863

May we all remember and be thankful for what we have. If you’d like to celebrate this wonderful holiday with festive décor, take a look at some of the things offered by Sturbridge Yankee Workshop. Our Cornucopia is bursting with fun colors and harvested grains. The Pilgrim couple is dressed in their 17th-century garb, cheery and fun to set up on your table or mantel. Display our Peacock platter proudly, a bird of plenty for the gathering of friends and family.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Gobbling up Turkey!

When Benjamin Franklin proposed in a letter to his daughter that the turkey was a more majestic national bird than the eagle, he could not have foreseen just how intricately tied to our American holiday the silly fowl is! But the birds in his day were wild turkeys, much different than the large, round fellows stomping around farmyards and woods.

Have you heard of the term Turkey Trot? According to history, this describes an annual English event that took place in the 1700’s. Turkeys were lined up and driven to market. Some intrepid owners even put little booties on their feet to protect them from the long journey. Later, it was adopted as a ragtime song my great-grandmother likely danced to. Read all about how to kick up your turkey feet and ruffle your turkey feathers at: Turkey Trot

I have a funny story that illustrates the ‘majestic’ personality of this quirky bird. I used to work at a gift shop on a farm. One hot summer afternoon, I left for just a short time, and when I came back Tom, the huge male turkey, had come into the shop! He’d pushed in the door all by himself and was waddling around, pecking at the gifts. Startled upon seeing me, he squatted and left a mess on the floor! Then he approached me, thumping his feet and bristling those ubiquitous tail feathers. I was not impressed, however. I opened the door and luckily, he took the hint and walked out. Nothing like shooing a 30-pound aggressive male turkey out of your shop to start the day! Tom roamed free on the farm, but turkeys are not very intelligent. In fact, the young poults will sometimes drown themselves when it rains. They point their heads skywards, open their beaks, and don’t have the sense to quit drinking! Pigs are much smarter, let me tell you!

In honor of our American holiday, hang the Benjamin Franklin print high above the Thanksgiving table. Our Large Turkey looks more inquisitive than the real bird, so set him up near the bountiful feast. Folk artist Laura Megroz has created another timeless design for the Turkey Pillow. You can put this one in your home, safe in the knowledge that he won’t mess on your floor.

Gobble gobble!