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Would you like to recreate the recipes in the Little House Books? Would you like to try recipes from Laura Ingalls' actual recipe book? Click here to see how!
Home | America | Cooking with Laura Ingalls Wilder

Cooking with Laura Ingalls Wilder

America, Books, history, homeschool, Homeschool Curriculum, Homestead, Lists for Homeschooling, Little House on the Prairie, Reviews

Fans of Little House on the Prairie (you know, the die-hard ones?) can’t get enough Laura Ingalls goodness in their lives. So for you (you know who you are!) I’ve got a review of TWO awesome cookbooks that you need in your life. Whether you’re a grown-up with fond memories of reading Little House books as a child, or a mom who’s reading them aloud to her children, you will want to add both of these books to your collection.

The Little House Cookbook

The Little House Cookbook is so much more than a list of recipes. It is a history book, a kitchen manual, and a very interesting collection of old-time recipes. You won’t just flip through it for recipe ideas; you’ll want to sit down and read it from cover to cover!

The recipes in this book are recreations of those mentioned in all of the books in the Little House Series. The book explains some of the most basic ingredients in the Little House kitchen, such as salt pork, cornmeal, molasses, and other stand-bys. There is a detailed explanation of the bread-making process the way Ma and Laura did it. There is a how-to for homemade butter, both in a churn and in a mason jar. There are even detailed instructions for making cheese as described in Little House in the Big Woods.

Little House Cookbook
See how great the Little House Cookbook is? You can tell our copy is well-loved!

You will also find instructions for copying the scrumptious meals featured in Farmer Boy (Little House) , made by Almanzo’s mother. Look for Fried Apples ‘n Onions, Apple Turnovers, Chicken Pie, and even Roasted Pig!

  • Re-create the brown bread the Ingalls’ ate twice daily when the town ran out of food.
  • Make the same sourdough starter that Ma used in By the Shores of Silver Lake (Little House) for her biscuits.
  • Try the Stewed Jack Rabbit and Dumplings that the family shared with Mr. Edwards in Little House on the Prairie (Little House, No 2).
  • And make Fried Salt Pork with Gravy as the Ingalls family did in nearly every book in the series.

The best part is, most of the recipes can be made today with our basic kitchen ingredients! For the self-sufficient type, this book is a must-have. The Ingalls family, like all Pioneers, were self-sufficient by necessity. The Wilders were, as well.

You can find out how to make baking powder, vinegar, soured milk, and more in your own home! Find out how they used up every last morsel to make their resources stretch.

We have enjoyed trying the basic cornbread recipe, the flapjacks, and eggnog from Farmer Boy (in fact, this is the recipe we use every year at Christmas).

The cover of this book makes it seem like a children’s book, but it is not! It’s a real cookbook blended with history. There are plenty of easy recipes for your children to learn to cook with, and quite a few advanced recipes for the more experienced adult cooks.

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Country Cookbook

The next cookbook is even more exciting: The Laura Ingalls Wilder Country Cookbook. These are recipes taken straight from Laura’s own recipe scrapbook. The introduction explains that these were compiled most likely during the 1930’s and 1940’s. Recipes were penned on the backs of letters from her literary agent, a calendar page, and fan letters. There is cooking advice from Ma (from Ma!), as well as Laura’s daughter Rose.

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Every page of this cookbook has a full-color photo from the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home.

There are 70 recipes along with Laura’s household hints. The beautiful color photographs are all from the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home Museum in Mansfield, Missouri. That’s where I purchased this book on our vacation a couple of years ago.

Simple Wisdom from Little House on the Prairie

I love living history, and learning from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books are a fun way to homeschool! Check out some of the things we use, and other blog posts:

  • Laura Ingalls Cursive Copy Work (Free Download)
  • Breakfast on the Farm
  • There’s No Place Like Home
  • Old Fashioned Prairie Medicine
  • Gracious Living on the Prairie
  • Learning to Read on the Prairie
  • Cooking With Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • A Laura Ingalls Education (Nicki Truesdell at the Great Homeschool Convention)
  • The Power of Story During Hard Times
  • Laura Ingalls Products in my Shop

    • Laura Ingalls Cursive Copywork
      Laura Ingalls Cursive Copywork
      $0.00
    • Laura Ingalls Wilder BLACK Stainless Steel Travel Mug
      Laura Ingalls Wilder BLACK Stainless Steel Travel Mug
      $29.99
    • Laura Ingalls Wilder CHARCOAL GRAY Stainless Steel Travel Mug
      Laura Ingalls Wilder CHARCOAL GRAY Stainless Steel Travel Mug
      $29.99
    • Laura Ingalls Wilder Coffee Mug
      Laura Ingalls Wilder Coffee Mug
      $12.99
    • Laura Ingalls Wilder Floral Stainless Steel Travel Mug
      Laura Ingalls Wilder Floral Stainless Steel Travel Mug
      $29.99
    • Laura Ingalls Wilder LAVENDER Stainless Steel Travel Mug
      Laura Ingalls Wilder LAVENDER Stainless Steel Travel Mug
      $29.99
    • Laura Ingalls Wilder PINK Stainless Steel Travel Mug
      Laura Ingalls Wilder PINK Stainless Steel Travel Mug
      $29.99
    • Laura Ingalls Wilder RED Stainless Steel Travel Mug
      Laura Ingalls Wilder RED Stainless Steel Travel Mug
      $29.99
    • Laura Ingalls Wilder Script Water Bottle
      Laura Ingalls Wilder Script Water Bottle
      $24.95
    • Laura Ingalls Wilder Stainless Steel Travel Mug
      Laura Ingalls Wilder Stainless Steel Travel Mug
      $29.95
    • Laura Ingalls Wilder Stainless Steel Travel Mug
      Laura Ingalls Wilder Stainless Steel Travel Mug
      $29.99
    • Laura Ingalls Wilder TEAL Stainless Steel Travel Mug
      Laura Ingalls Wilder TEAL Stainless Steel Travel Mug
      $29.99
    • Laura Ingalls Wilder Typewriter Font Mug
      Laura Ingalls Wilder Typewriter Font Mug
      $12.99

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    September 7, 2016 · 10 Comments

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    Comments

    1. The Geeky Mama says

      September 13, 2016 at 3:47 pm

      I used to read The Little House books when I was little! I loved them. I had no idea there was a cookbook out.. I am going to have to grab one! Thank you so much for sharing with the #happynowlinkup !

      Reply
      • Nicki says

        September 19, 2016 at 4:30 pm

        I’m glad I could introduce you to these! Every Little House fan needs to eat the food described in the books!

        Reply
    2. Caryn says

      September 14, 2016 at 6:28 pm

      So fun to meet you. I was a fan of hers in the late 80s. We lived in MN so I got to visit DeSmet, SD and Walnut Grove. I had the cookbooks, too.

      Reply
      • Nicki says

        September 19, 2016 at 4:29 pm

        Oh, how fun to grow up near those places! We have been to visit Mansfield, MO and Independence, KS, but have not gotten as far north as MN or SD. Those are on my list!

        Reply
    3. Leslie says

      September 15, 2016 at 1:09 pm

      What a fun and interesting cookbook! I love it when history is presented in new and interesting ways. Thanks so much for sharing with us at the #happynowlinkup.

      Reply
      • Nicki says

        September 19, 2016 at 4:27 pm

        I know what you mean! Cooking up dishes from these cookbooks is great hands-on education in many ways.

        Reply
    4. Jen says

      September 18, 2016 at 11:33 am

      I had no idea that there were cookbooks like this! This is fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing it at the #happynowlinkup

      Reply
      • Nicki says

        September 19, 2016 at 4:27 pm

        Well, I’m glad I shared! I love finding the real-life treasures from the Little House series.

        Reply
    5. Samantha Godlove says

      May 17, 2018 at 5:32 pm

      This site is absolutely fabulous!

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Happy Now Link Up #26 | Crunchy, Crafty, and Highly Caffeinated says:
      September 20, 2016 at 6:01 am

      […] Cooking With Laura Ingalls Wilder from Nicki Truesdell. […]

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    The ultimate goal of Christian home education is not to get kids into the best colleges or to get the best careers. It is to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It is discipleship. I first learned that Anyone Can Homeschool from my mom. Oh, I didn’t realize at the time that I was learning that, but as a mom, I see that it was her example that encouraged me. Homeschool 101 I was a homeschool student in Texas in 1985. It wasn’t legal until 1994. Do the math. 😃 https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqHZnKssxcm/ What qualifies someone to teach a child? Good morning to every homeschool parent with a disobedient child! Guess what?! You are not alone! This is a sampling of our homeschool topics this week. This is why we don’t need government intervention. Not one of these resources would be “approved” curriculum. Hot take.

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