Janice Liedl

Text from a page of a 1670 cookbook by Hannah Wolley, "The Queen-Like Closet". CLXXXV. To make Almond Bread. Take a pound of almonds blanched and beaten with rosewater, then take a pound of sugar, beaten fine, and a little grated bread finely searced. Put them into a platter with your almonds, and stir them well together. Set them over a chafing dish of coals, and boil them till they are as stiff as paste, stirring them continually, then mold them well and put them in what shape you please, print them, and set them into some warm place to dry. CLXXXVI. To make good Almond Milk. Take Jordan almonds blanched and beaten with rosewater, then strain them often with fair water, wherein has been boiled violet leaves and sliced dates. When your almonds are strained, take the dates and put to it some mace, sugar, and a little salt. Warm it a little, and so drink it.

Back to the wonders of Hannah Wolley. Two recipes for almonds - one a sweet almond concoction and another for almond milk. These come from "The Queen-Like Closet" (1670). I appreciate the intriguing flavours (rosewater, violet, mace) in the almond milk: a radical counter to our modern version.

we are in hell

With headlines that the University of Alberta will "abandon race-based" admissions policies, remember that anti-EDI framing is designed to make it seem like the pre-EDI status quo is somehow 'neutral'. In reality, by abandoning sensible EDI policies, institutions are *doing* race-based admissions.

There was literally an international hit pop song about this very phenomenon back in 1983.

"Hast du etwas Zeit für mich? Dann singe ich ein Lied für dich von 99 Luftballons auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont..."

The AI Takeover Is Not Inevitable: Now Is the Time to Resist "Studying history, we know that nothing is inevitable."

Over the next few weeks, the NACBS blog will feature a series of pieces on artificial intelligence. Check out the opening essay by @amywb.bsky.social and stay tuned for more!

www.nacbs.org/post/the-ai-...

I used that the last time and found it greatly engaging (even if I had to jump-start a few reluctant readers) so I'll probably rely on that for a backbone with some articles plus a microhistory choice for their project.

Progress report - hundreds of words on my book project, including comparing variant recipes for candied angelica. I'm happy to be back at the research writing!

Oh, and I also shovelled a lot of this never-ending snow with Pippin's help.

And you're right that 18th century Europe is a massive topic, especially when I start with the 1680s and finish around 1820. I've learned to admit that we're never comprehensive but I also provide links to learn more about all the topics they're discovering.

Microhistories can be a tool in the survey if not a textbook backbone. We'll read and discuss more broadly for the survey, you're right, but microhistories can feed workshop activities and projects on key themes.

How have I missed this? I always love Linda Colley's work for the beautiful prose and precise analysis.

Thank you! I've had great experiences using microhistories in other courses so I am going to pick up a half dozen and either adopt one or provide three selections for their own work.

Thank you very much! I will ensure it's on reserve in the library at the very least. I really like to have microhistories to help drive student reading and thinking. This sounds like an ideal example.

Long eighteenth century Europe in the world: is there a text you'd recommend for undergraduates? Planning on reviving a favourite survey class in the fall. #skystorians

The homepage for the Canadian letters and images project. It shows soldiers posing for a photograph and there is a search bar in the centre. In the about section below, which cannot be seen in this image, it provides this information: The Canadian Letters and Images Project, created in 2000, is an online digital archive of the Canadian war experience, both home front and battlefront, from any conflict in which Canadians have participated. The focus of the project is on the personal materials of participants, such as letters and photographs, which permit us to experience the war through their eyes and their words. These are very often the stories of ordinary Canadians, largely forgotten and overlooked. Our mission is to digitally preserve and continue to make freely accessible this important part of Canada’s heritage for this generation and future generations. The vision of the project is to continue to expand this repository of Canadian archival materials by collaborating with Canadians to preserve and share the individual and collective stories that have shaped our past Accessibility to the past is key to understanding who we are as a nation. We are committed to free access for everyone to the materials of the project.

PLEASE REPOST 🥺🙏

The Canadian Letters & Images Project is an online digital archive of Canadians’ experience during wartime at home & in battle. It contains thousands of personal letters & photos that reveal people’s experience through their own words & eyes.
www.canadianletters.ca/content/abou...

Laurentian strike over after faculty vote for contract But union says there’s ‘little to celebrate’ with new deal

Further reporting that highlights a ghost at the table: the provincial government dictating negotiations. www.sudbury.com/local-news/l...

Agreement ratified between faculty and Laurentian University | CBC News The Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) said the majority of its members have voted in favour of ratifying a new collective agreement, ending a three-week strike.

The faculty strike at Laurentian has ended after three weeks on the picket line in extreme conditions. I'm happily anticipating meeting with my thesis students as the U restores our access to email, etc. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

"Although the judge noted numerous irregularities on Ice’s court documents, she ultimately sided with the agency."

Irish man has a work permit, US business, American wife, almost finished Green card application, and has paid a bond to be released. ICE, implausibly, claims he agreed to be deported.

Give it to anyone who'd like it. I'll start with friends and colleagues.

A counted cross stitch depiction of a stylized woodland scene where a duck floats on a stylized lake between marsh and hills, while flying birds are silhouetted against s setting sun.

Therapeutic stabbing paid off with another completed cross stitch from Max Pigeon's lovely book of patterns.

Opinion | The Globalization of Canadian Rage

Gift link for anyone who needs it,

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/o...

TOMORROW: 12pm rally at MSoA and social at 4:30pm at Daventry Pub on Regent St. See you there!
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DEMAIN : rassemblement à midi au MSoA et rencontre à 16h30 au Daventry Pub, Regent St. À bientôt !

They’ve been on this for a minute. More teaching + post tenure review (and contracts) plus ai supercharged productivity surveillance tools also makes professors more vulnerable to student evals, which gives admin more power to fire you. That’s the plan.

LUFA_Q&A Created with the Heyzine flipbook maker

Learn about what's going on in our faculty strike at Laurentian University (back in mediation on day 13 of pickets!) where everyone is committed to reaching a fair deal.

Mike Johnson: when Jesus said "suffer the little children to come unto me" he meant "suffer, little children"

MORE THAN 15,000 letters have been sent to Laurentian’s Board of Governors.

Did you know there’s no limit on how many you send?

Start your day off demanding a fair deal: lufappul.ca?page_id=6858

Continuing (b/c I'm once more teaching my Austen class) my JANE AUSTEN GUIDE TO FACULTY MEETINGS
“Now and then, they were honoured with a call from her ladyship . . .She examined into their employments, looked at their work, and advised them to do it differently ” –Pride and Prejudice, ch. 30

This looks fascinating! Thanks for the example and the tutorial.

Photograph of an American bison standing beside a fence at the London Zoo in 1906.

The research guide on Environmental History that I wrote for The National Archives, UK is now live! Includes research advice and resources on colonial environments, pollution, agriculture, and animal histories.

Available here: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-yo...

#envhist #envhum

I told you all that Niall Ferguson is a tool. Turns out that I understated the matter.

A pattern book image of a stylized cross stitch pattern showing a duck on a pond in a woodland lit by a low sun. To the right, a partially completed stitch of the same.

I'm still on strike (2 weeks on Monday) & sad that I'm not working with my students or writing the next chapter in my book but, instead, getting hundreds of faculty to the pickets. In my precious free time, I practice therapeutic stabbing (i.e. counted cross stitch).