Kaya's Smoked Salmon Scrambled Eggs

The star of this Kaya inspired breakfast!

Kaya is one of my favorite historical dolls. That may sound silly because I genuinely love all of AG's historical characters, but Kaya has always had a special place in my heart. Her books are great, and she goes through a real journey, learning how to become less selfish and what makes a good leader. Her collection enchanted me from the second I saw her in the catalog for the first time, especially because I'd had to do a major research project on the Nez Perce a few years before she was released! Seeing so much of what I'd studied come to life in doll form was really exciting, and even though I was starting to feel a little too old for dolls (if only middle school me could see me now!), I asked for her for Christmas. 

But something that's always disappointed me is that despite how well researched and crafted her stories and collections were, she missed out on the neat supplemental material the Pleasant Company produced for their historical characters like craft books... and cook books! I'm still slowly working through making the recipes from the Pleasant Company cook books, but had the idea that I'd try my hand at making a Kaya inspired breakfast the way it might have appeared in an official American Girl cook book. 

The main course? Smoked salmon scrambled eggs, of course!

Elizabeth's Sugar Wafers

Only three ingredients, but lots and lots of prep time!

This recipe comes to you courtesy of my wife browsing YouTube and stumbling upon Townsend's video about sugar wafers. Instantly intrigued, she suggested I swap this recipe in for one I was having a hard time tracking down an ingredient for. Always up for a challenge - especially when it involves an actual historical recipe - I happily adjusted the schedule to include these pillowy, simple but elegant cookies to the line up. 

These are a really versatile cookie - or biscuit, as they would have been called in 1774! - which you can really play around with flavor wise, but they're not exactly easy to make, despite their simple ingredient list. Read on to find out why this would have been a biscuit you'd want to save for a special occasion!

Josefina's Chicken Fajitas

The perfect easy weeknight dinner!

So as many of my readers know, I am actually a really lazy cook when it comes to non blog related culinary adventures. Cooking after a long day at the office is not something I find especially relaxing, so I'm a big believer in cooking something big on the weekend and then rationing the leftovers over the course of the rest of the week. Because of that, I'm constantly on the look out for new things to add to my repertoire of dishes that create lots of leftovers. 

Take the humble fajita for example! This Tex-Mex classic is a great option if you're looking for something that you can put your own spin on, or follow a recipe that will get you a hot and tasty dinner on the table in about half an hour. Read on to see how you can make these for yourself!

Marie-Grace's Sweet Potato Biscuits

A sweet twist on an American classic?

I promised another sweet potato focused recipe in my last post, and here it is! I've had sweet potato cake, bread, and muffins before, but I can't say I've ever had the opportunity to try sweet potato biscuits before. 

Biscuits in general aren't a huge part of my diet, although they're staples of American cuisine, particularly as you wander further south. Don't get me wrong, I like them a lot! But they weren't a staple thing on our dinner or breakfast table growing up, so they're more like a fun treat I get to enjoy at restaurants or on the rare occasion I decide to make them myself, usually for a blog post like this. 

So, how do we make them?

Molly's Sweet Potato Victory Cake

Turning to your victory garden for VE Day inspiration!

Happy VE Day everyone! Since starting this blog, there are two holidays I’ve always posted about without fail: Christmas, and VE Day. That wasn’t intentional – in a perfect world, I’d love to have a lot of Halloween and Hanukkah recipes too! – but one thing or another has always seemed to get in the way of posting consistently for every holiday. 

That was very nearly the case here as well! These past few days have been an absolute whirlwind. After a quick trip home to New England for a bridal shower hosted by my lovely aunts, Jessi and I put the finishing touches on our massive scrapbooks/photo albums for Jess’s Green Card interview and drove up to Baltimore yesterday. The interview went great, but we were both exhausted when we got home. I dragged out my cookbook and managed to make the cake before crawling into bed and staying there for the rest of the night. The rest of this post was done on VE Day proper after work… and hopefully made it out in time to still be called a VE Day post! 

This cake is an interesting wartime treat from a cookbook filled with similarly interesting wartime desserts. Read on to see how you can make it for yourself!

Maryellen Attends the Pyrex and Vintage Festival in Havre de Grace

A must do for any vintage fan in the Mid-Atlantic!

Last year, when my parents helped my brother move back to Georgetown to start his sophomore year of college, they drove all the way from Connecticut to DC and back. While making their return trip, they stopped in the cute little town of Havre de Grace, Maryland, which is about half an hour outside of Baltimore and pretty close to the Delaware border. This detour introduced them to one of the coolest stores I’ve ever been to: JoRetro, a shop that specializes in vintage clothes, accessories, home décor, and – you guessed it – Pyrex. 

My mom discovered that they host a biannual Pyrex and vintage festival, and let’s just say as soon as I heard that, I knew I was going to be making the drive come rain or snow or whatever else nature might throw my way. Read on to see some pictures from our trip!