Well- that’s a wrap! The latest release in the Wagons West series brings the romantic sagas and adventures of the Woods and Miller families wagon train to a finale. With all the obstacles of dramatic rescues, being closed to love after loss, matchmaking gone wrong (doesn’t it usually?), love rejected by society, and marriages of convenience- naturally they needed a bit of my help to open to love. 😉  I’m curious to know which is your favorite? (Feel free to share in the comment section, or find me on Facebook under Linda Ford, author)

Here are a few items you may find in the series:

Baked beans were a staple on the trail. Beans were easy to carry, dried, and kept well. It’s difficult to find a true recipe because we now have so many things to add that pioneers wouldn’t had. But here is a recipe I gleaned from Recipes on the Oregon Trail.

Baked Beans Recipe:

1. Prepare 4 cups of beans by rinsing and place in large pot, covering with water and letting stand overnight for at least 12 hours. Drain, then put in pot with 1/2 lb. of salt pork.
2. Cover with fresh water. Simmer on low fire for 3 hours.
3. At the start of the 4th hour add these ingredients: 1/4 cup of dark molasses, 2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp. ground pepper. Stir and simmer an additional hour. Add more liquid if needed.

As you can see the basics are the same as today. These were often served with biscuits that were reasonably easy to bake in a Dutch oven over hot coals. The ladies and many of the gents got quite adept at making biscuits while on the trail.

The entire WAGONS WEST SERIES is available in print and ebook format. For quick link click on icon.

   
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