Family Tree Food Stories

The Founding Fathers’ Dinner Table Was a Lie: Food of The American Revolution

26 min · 16. juli 2026
episode The Founding Fathers’ Dinner Table Was a Lie: Food of The American Revolution cover

Description

GEORGE WASHINGTON, RENTED PINEAPPLES, AMERICA’S FIRST FOOD FLEX. WHAT THE RICH REALLY ATE, AND WHO ACTUALLY MADE IT. What if the Founding Fathers’ dinner table was less about elegance and more about power, performance, and people history forgot? Similar to today's power rooms. In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories [In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia France continue their America 250 Revolutionary food series by stepping inside the dining rooms of colonial America’s wealthy gentry. At first glance, these tables looked grand: French-style service, groaning boards loaded with 20-plus dishes, turtle soup, Madeira wine, locked sugar, rented pineapples, and summer ice cream served while much of the country could barely keep drinking water cool.], [In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia France continue their America 250 Revolutionary food series by stepping inside the dining rooms of colonial America’s wealthy gentry. At first glance, these tables looked grand: French-style service, groaning boards loaded with 20-plus dishes, turtle soup, Madeira wine, locked sugar, rented pineapples, and summer ice cream served while much of the country could barely keep drinking water cool.] Nancy May and Sylvia France continue their America 250 Revolutionary food series by sharing the dinner table with America’s colonial gentry. At first glance, these tables looked grand: French-style service, groaning boards (you'll learn what that is later in the show), turtle soup, Madeira wine, fancy sugar, rented fruit, and summer ice cream served, all while much of the country could barely keep drinking water safe and cool. But behind all that fancy food, there was a more real and sharper story. George Washington’s daily breakfast really was very simple: cornmeal hoecakes, for a reason. Thomas Jefferson often treated meat more like a condiment than the main event. The rich weren't always eating completely different foods from everyone else. They were eating the same basic ingredients but with more expensive toppings, imported luxuries, and better marketing. The wild part is that they even created the appearance of luxury by renting fruit to make it look even fancier. Nancy and Sylvia also dig into the harder truth behind elite Revolutionary-era dining: the Founding Fathers did not cook these meals. But who did? Highly trained enslaved chefs and cooks, including James Hemings, Hercules Posey, Edith Fossett, and Fanny Hern, were the culinary talents behind many dishes and techniques later credited to the households of many Founding Fathers. Sadly, many of these fabulous chefs and cooks have only become footnotes in much of our history. But we're sharing here in this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories [In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia France continue their America 250 Revolutionary food series by stepping inside the dining rooms of colonial America’s wealthy gentry. At first glance, these tables looked grand: French-style service, groaning boards loaded with 20-plus dishes, turtle soup, Madeira wine, locked sugar, rented pineapples, and summer ice cream served while much of the country could barely keep drinking water cool.]. This episode explores food, status, slavery, memory, myth, and how some recipes outlive the names of those who cooked them. It is a rich, funny, uncomfortable, and deeply human look at what America’s elite really ate, and who actually ate and fed them. 5 KEY LESSONS & TAKEAWAYS * The rich were not always eating totally different food. * Washington’s meals were simple for a health reason. * Colonial dinner parties were often pure theater. Wealthy tables were designed to impress, intimidate, and advertise status. * The history of The Groaning Board: What was it? * Some foods were locked up because of their value. * The dinner table was a true "war room." Major political conversations and Revolutionary decisions happened over private meals, including strategy discussions and postwar bargains. The table was not just where people ate. It was where power negotiated with dessert nearby. * The real culinary experts were often erased, but the recipes survived. Listen to the full episode at Podcast.FamilyTreeFoodStories.com, then join us in the Family Tree Food Stories Facebook group and tell us: whose recipe in your family deserves to have their name remembered? Because every meal has a story, and every story is a feast. WHAT TO DO NEXT? Listen to “America Was Built on Beer, Bread, and Stolen Coffee” at Podcast.FamilyTreeFoodStories.com [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/], then join us in the Family Tree Food Stories Facebook group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/familytreefoodstories] and share the food story your family still carries. Because every meal has a story, and every story is a feast. Even those we make every day. ADDITIONAL LINKS SHARED:❤️ * Yaupon Tea, [https://www.riseyaupon.com/] family-owned. When British tea just won't do. * Book: My Family Tree, Food & Stories Journal [https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Food-Stories-Memorable/dp/1734841613/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2ETT1Z6Q5J84F&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9aDj51eTPwkVydIsxOUcm0psz2pwwjU2tA9464i0LYelVWMWkmc9-ft1v7W5bmJM1R9TCjrBIraYcmsIZ8wog4X4ogtbNhkG3EBH1R8jPV1zolTi0TmPdaAy0F7Jsp6SvGSwsUzfPqfaj0BfDOr2fZtOmQ4i1na0rqL3HXfBGiuIhKthz4OOetpp0nORqAyyNTZ_RR6xVoXiMRHTaYKNLZtcygneMGYBWpX9B0np3YU.S3u-1CFzDJusx_U7X3_txBApkxautt9G1C3qrLcNeTw&dib_tag=se&keywords=my+family+tree+food+%26+stories&qid=1730918662&sprefix=my+family+tree+food%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-1] Awarded #1 New Release on Amazon * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/familytreefoodstories/] Story updates 📸 * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/FamilyTreeFoodStories/] Family Tree Food Stories GROUP👍 * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@nancymay877]: Family Tree Food Stories * 👇Share Your Story With Nancy & Sylvia! [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/voicemail/]: Leave us a voicemail * You can send us a DM on Facebook. [https://www.facebook.com/FamilyTreeFoodStories] ABOUT YOUR AWARD-WINNING HOSTS: Nancy May [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyamay/] and Sylvia Franc [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylviafrance/]e are the powerhouse team behind Family Tree, Food & Stories [https://familytree,food&stories/], a member of The Food Stories Media Network, which celebrates the rich traditions and connections everyone has around food, friends, and family meals. Nancy, an award-winning business leader, author, and podcaster, and Sylvia, a visionary author, foodie, and business leader, combine their expertise to bring captivating stories rooted in history, heritage, and food. Together, they weave stories that blend history, tradition, and the love of food, where generations connect and share intriguing mealtime stories and kitchen foibles. If you missed the first time around... now's your time to listen to Family Tree Food & Stories [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/] and get inspired to make better use of what’s already in your kitchen. Then visit our page to share how you're using your leftovers this year. Waste less. Cook smarter. Tell the story behind your fridge. "Every Meal Has a Story, and Every Story is a Feast." (tm) is a trademark of Family Tree Food & Stories podcast (c) copyright 2026, all US and International Rights Reserved. @familytreefoodstories, @familyfoodstories, @riseyaupon, #FamilyTreeFoodAndStories #FoodPodcast #FoodHistory #AmericanRevolution #America250 #revolutionaryWar #FoundingFathers #GeorgeWashington #ThomasJefferson #FoodHistory #ColonialFood #RevolutionaryWar #HiddenHistory #BlackHistory #EnslavedChefs #AmericanHistory #HistoryPodcast #FoodPodcast #FamilyFoodStories #RentedPineapples #LockedSugar #FoundingFathersFood #ColonialDining #DinnerTablePolitics #FoodAndPower #ForgottenChefs #JamesHemings #HerculesPosey #RevolutionaryFood #HistoryYouDidntLearn #FoodStories

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episode The Founding Fathers’ Dinner Table Was a Lie: Food of The American Revolution artwork

The Founding Fathers’ Dinner Table Was a Lie: Food of The American Revolution

GEORGE WASHINGTON, RENTED PINEAPPLES, AMERICA’S FIRST FOOD FLEX. WHAT THE RICH REALLY ATE, AND WHO ACTUALLY MADE IT. What if the Founding Fathers’ dinner table was less about elegance and more about power, performance, and people history forgot? Similar to today's power rooms. In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories [In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia France continue their America 250 Revolutionary food series by stepping inside the dining rooms of colonial America’s wealthy gentry. At first glance, these tables looked grand: French-style service, groaning boards loaded with 20-plus dishes, turtle soup, Madeira wine, locked sugar, rented pineapples, and summer ice cream served while much of the country could barely keep drinking water cool.], [In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia France continue their America 250 Revolutionary food series by stepping inside the dining rooms of colonial America’s wealthy gentry. At first glance, these tables looked grand: French-style service, groaning boards loaded with 20-plus dishes, turtle soup, Madeira wine, locked sugar, rented pineapples, and summer ice cream served while much of the country could barely keep drinking water cool.] Nancy May and Sylvia France continue their America 250 Revolutionary food series by sharing the dinner table with America’s colonial gentry. At first glance, these tables looked grand: French-style service, groaning boards (you'll learn what that is later in the show), turtle soup, Madeira wine, fancy sugar, rented fruit, and summer ice cream served, all while much of the country could barely keep drinking water safe and cool. But behind all that fancy food, there was a more real and sharper story. George Washington’s daily breakfast really was very simple: cornmeal hoecakes, for a reason. Thomas Jefferson often treated meat more like a condiment than the main event. The rich weren't always eating completely different foods from everyone else. They were eating the same basic ingredients but with more expensive toppings, imported luxuries, and better marketing. The wild part is that they even created the appearance of luxury by renting fruit to make it look even fancier. Nancy and Sylvia also dig into the harder truth behind elite Revolutionary-era dining: the Founding Fathers did not cook these meals. But who did? Highly trained enslaved chefs and cooks, including James Hemings, Hercules Posey, Edith Fossett, and Fanny Hern, were the culinary talents behind many dishes and techniques later credited to the households of many Founding Fathers. Sadly, many of these fabulous chefs and cooks have only become footnotes in much of our history. But we're sharing here in this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories [In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia France continue their America 250 Revolutionary food series by stepping inside the dining rooms of colonial America’s wealthy gentry. At first glance, these tables looked grand: French-style service, groaning boards loaded with 20-plus dishes, turtle soup, Madeira wine, locked sugar, rented pineapples, and summer ice cream served while much of the country could barely keep drinking water cool.]. This episode explores food, status, slavery, memory, myth, and how some recipes outlive the names of those who cooked them. It is a rich, funny, uncomfortable, and deeply human look at what America’s elite really ate, and who actually ate and fed them. 5 KEY LESSONS & TAKEAWAYS * The rich were not always eating totally different food. * Washington’s meals were simple for a health reason. * Colonial dinner parties were often pure theater. Wealthy tables were designed to impress, intimidate, and advertise status. * The history of The Groaning Board: What was it? * Some foods were locked up because of their value. * The dinner table was a true "war room." Major political conversations and Revolutionary decisions happened over private meals, including strategy discussions and postwar bargains. The table was not just where people ate. It was where power negotiated with dessert nearby. * The real culinary experts were often erased, but the recipes survived. Listen to the full episode at Podcast.FamilyTreeFoodStories.com, then join us in the Family Tree Food Stories Facebook group and tell us: whose recipe in your family deserves to have their name remembered? Because every meal has a story, and every story is a feast. WHAT TO DO NEXT? Listen to “America Was Built on Beer, Bread, and Stolen Coffee” at Podcast.FamilyTreeFoodStories.com [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/], then join us in the Family Tree Food Stories Facebook group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/familytreefoodstories] and share the food story your family still carries. Because every meal has a story, and every story is a feast. Even those we make every day. ADDITIONAL LINKS SHARED:❤️ * Yaupon Tea, [https://www.riseyaupon.com/] family-owned. When British tea just won't do. * Book: My Family Tree, Food & Stories Journal [https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Food-Stories-Memorable/dp/1734841613/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2ETT1Z6Q5J84F&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9aDj51eTPwkVydIsxOUcm0psz2pwwjU2tA9464i0LYelVWMWkmc9-ft1v7W5bmJM1R9TCjrBIraYcmsIZ8wog4X4ogtbNhkG3EBH1R8jPV1zolTi0TmPdaAy0F7Jsp6SvGSwsUzfPqfaj0BfDOr2fZtOmQ4i1na0rqL3HXfBGiuIhKthz4OOetpp0nORqAyyNTZ_RR6xVoXiMRHTaYKNLZtcygneMGYBWpX9B0np3YU.S3u-1CFzDJusx_U7X3_txBApkxautt9G1C3qrLcNeTw&dib_tag=se&keywords=my+family+tree+food+%26+stories&qid=1730918662&sprefix=my+family+tree+food%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-1] Awarded #1 New Release on Amazon * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/familytreefoodstories/] Story updates 📸 * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/FamilyTreeFoodStories/] Family Tree Food Stories GROUP👍 * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@nancymay877]: Family Tree Food Stories * 👇Share Your Story With Nancy & Sylvia! [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/voicemail/]: Leave us a voicemail * You can send us a DM on Facebook. [https://www.facebook.com/FamilyTreeFoodStories] ABOUT YOUR AWARD-WINNING HOSTS: Nancy May [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyamay/] and Sylvia Franc [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylviafrance/]e are the powerhouse team behind Family Tree, Food & Stories [https://familytree,food&stories/], a member of The Food Stories Media Network, which celebrates the rich traditions and connections everyone has around food, friends, and family meals. Nancy, an award-winning business leader, author, and podcaster, and Sylvia, a visionary author, foodie, and business leader, combine their expertise to bring captivating stories rooted in history, heritage, and food. Together, they weave stories that blend history, tradition, and the love of food, where generations connect and share intriguing mealtime stories and kitchen foibles. If you missed the first time around... now's your time to listen to Family Tree Food & Stories [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/] and get inspired to make better use of what’s already in your kitchen. Then visit our page to share how you're using your leftovers this year. Waste less. Cook smarter. Tell the story behind your fridge. "Every Meal Has a Story, and Every Story is a Feast." (tm) is a trademark of Family Tree Food & Stories podcast (c) copyright 2026, all US and International Rights Reserved. @familytreefoodstories, @familyfoodstories, @riseyaupon, #FamilyTreeFoodAndStories #FoodPodcast #FoodHistory #AmericanRevolution #America250 #revolutionaryWar #FoundingFathers #GeorgeWashington #ThomasJefferson #FoodHistory #ColonialFood #RevolutionaryWar #HiddenHistory #BlackHistory #EnslavedChefs #AmericanHistory #HistoryPodcast #FoodPodcast #FamilyFoodStories #RentedPineapples #LockedSugar #FoundingFathersFood #ColonialDining #DinnerTablePolitics #FoodAndPower #ForgottenChefs #JamesHemings #HerculesPosey #RevolutionaryFood #HistoryYouDidntLearn #FoodStories

16. juli 202626 min
episode America Was Built on Beer, Bread, and Stolen Coffee: Food of the American Revolution (Part #2) artwork

America Was Built on Beer, Bread, and Stolen Coffee: Food of the American Revolution (Part #2)

HOW DID ORDINARY FAMILIES FEED A REVOLUTION WHEN TEA WAS SUSPICIOUS, WATER WAS RISKY, AND COFFEE WAS WORTH STEALING? From liberty tea and eight-pound bread to women-led food riots, this is the everyday kitchen rebellion that fed America’s fight for independence. In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/], [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/] Nancy May and Sylvia France continue their America 250 Revolutionary food series by stepping into the everyday kitchens that helped feed our new nation. After the Boston Tea Party, British tea became more than a drink. It became a political statement. So colonial families brewed “liberty tea” from mint, raspberry leaf, sassafras, goldenrod, and other homegrown herbs. That's only the beginning, though. From New England’s eight-pound rye-and-corn bread to Southern cornmeal mush, Brunswick stew, Hoppin’ John, cider, small beer, oysters, eels, and even pigeon pie, this episode shares what common, or average Americans actually ate during the American Revolution. Nancy and Sylvia also dig into the home-front food rebellion, which most of us have rarely been taught. Women were real activists of the time. They led food riots, hoarded coffee, pushed salt shortages, used preservation tricks, and did the hard math to make sure their families didn't go hungry. They were the bargain hunters of the time. In this episode, Nancy and Sylvia also share the names of the nearly forgotten American cooks and chefs, as well as those who made sure everyone could have the recipe in the first American kitchen cookbook. This is part #2 of the Family Tree Food & Stories [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/]series about the food history of Revolutionary America from the people who lived it daily: the families who stretched scraps, boiled herbs, preserved meat, shared cups, fed voters, and built a national cuisine one plate at time. SOME KEY TAKEAWAYS * The Boston Tea Party changed breakfast. After British tea became politically dangerous, many Americans turned to homegrown “liberty tea” that they made themselves. * There was no single “colonial meal.” New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and the South ate very differently because geography, soil, crops, trade, and culture shaped the table. * Beer was not just for fun. Small beer and cider were often safer, and even children drank weak beer. * Women held the home front together. Like they have for centuries during hard times. * American cuisine was built from necessity, Indigenous crops, immigrant influence, and forgotten cooks. Corn, squash, beans, regional breads, stews, preserved foods, and Amelia Simmons’ American Cookery helped shape the earliest American food identity. WHAT TO DO NEXT? Listen to “America Was Built on Beer, Bread, and Stolen Coffee” at Podcast.FamilyTreeFoodStories.com [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/], then join us in the Family Tree Food Stories Facebook group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/familytreefoodstories] and share the food story your family still carries. Because every meal has a story, and every story is a feast. Even those we make every day. ADDITIONAL LINKS SHARED:❤️ * Yaupon Tea, [https://www.riseyaupon.com/] family-owned. When British tea just won't do. * Book: My Family Tree, Food & Stories Journal [https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Food-Stories-Memorable/dp/1734841613/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2ETT1Z6Q5J84F&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9aDj51eTPwkVydIsxOUcm0psz2pwwjU2tA9464i0LYelVWMWkmc9-ft1v7W5bmJM1R9TCjrBIraYcmsIZ8wog4X4ogtbNhkG3EBH1R8jPV1zolTi0TmPdaAy0F7Jsp6SvGSwsUzfPqfaj0BfDOr2fZtOmQ4i1na0rqL3HXfBGiuIhKthz4OOetpp0nORqAyyNTZ_RR6xVoXiMRHTaYKNLZtcygneMGYBWpX9B0np3YU.S3u-1CFzDJusx_U7X3_txBApkxautt9G1C3qrLcNeTw&dib_tag=se&keywords=my+family+tree+food+%26+stories&qid=1730918662&sprefix=my+family+tree+food%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-1] Awarded #1 New Release on Amazon * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/familytreefoodstories/] Story updates 📸 * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/FamilyTreeFoodStories/] Family Tree Food Stories GROUP👍 * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@nancymay877]: Family Tree Food Stories * 👇Share Your Story With Nancy & Sylvia! [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/voicemail/]: Leave us a voicemail * You can send us a DM on Facebook. [https://www.facebook.com/FamilyTreeFoodStories] ABOUT YOUR AWARD-WINNING HOSTS: Nancy May [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyamay/] and Sylvia Franc [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylviafrance/]e are the powerhouse team behind Family Tree, Food & Stories [https://familytree,food&stories/], a member of The Food Stories Media Network, which celebrates the rich traditions and connections everyone has around food, friends, and family meals. Nancy, an award-winning business leader, author, and podcaster, and Sylvia, a visionary author, foodie, and business leader, combine their expertise to bring captivating stories rooted in history, heritage, and food. Together, they weave stories that blend history, tradition, and the love of food, where generations connect and share intriguing mealtime stories and kitchen foibles. If you missed the first time around... now's your time to listen to Family Tree Food & Stories [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/] and get inspired to make better use of what’s already in your kitchen. Then visit our page to share how you're using your leftovers this year. Waste less. Cook smarter. Tell the story behind your fridge. "Every Meal Has a Story, and Every Story is a Feast." (tm) is a trademark of Family Tree Food & Stories podcast (c) copyright 2026, all US and International Rights Reserved. @familytreefoodstories, @familyfoodstories, @riseyaupon, #FamilyTreeFoodAndStories #FoodPodcast #FoodHistory #AmericanRevolution #America250 #revolutionaryWar #yaupontea, #libertytea, #colonialfood, #HistoryPodcast #FoodHistory #FamilyHistory #GenealogyPodcast #podcastEpisode, #foodie #foodPodcast #familyfun #homeschooling #stolencoffee #kitchenrebellion, #womeninhistory, #americancookery #foodriots, #historyyoudidntlearn #happybirthdayAmerica

9. juli 202630 min
episode What did Revolutionary War soldiers eat? Colonals, Loyalists, and Allies on Both Sides? artwork

What did Revolutionary War soldiers eat? Colonals, Loyalists, and Allies on Both Sides?

WHAT DID REVOLUTIONARY WAR SOLDIERS EAT? BROKEN SUPPLY CHAINS, BUGGY FIRE CAKE, BOILED SHOE LEATHER, AND THE ALLIES WHO ATE FAR BETTER. EPISODE 93. On paper, Congress promised each man a pound of meat, a pound of bread, peas, beans, milk, and beer or cider every day. In practice, a broken supply chain meant that Continental soldiers often went without, surviving on bug-infested “fire cake,” and at Valley Forge, they were even known to boil shoe leather to make soup! Meanwhile, the French, Spanish, Hessian, and even British forces ate very differently, and quite deliciously too. Join Nancy May and Sylvia France here in the Family Tree Food & Stories podcast, [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/] as they kick off a four-part celebration of America's 250th birthday. Just to start, you'll learn what soldiers on every side of the Revolutionary War actually ate, including a real diary entry from a real Continental soldier who called a handful of pumpkin seeds fished out of a horse trough “the most delicious feast” he’d had in months. Congress’s official daily ration sounds generous on paper, but a broken supply chain, impassable roads, corrupt contractors, and the “Forage War,” where armies raided each other for hay, cattle, and grain. The results? What they really ate was bug-infested and disgusting. Some soldiers recorded boiling shoe leather and tree bark just to survive. Can you imagine? The real killer, though, wasn’t the British enemy; it was malnutrition and disease as a result of very few veggies in their diet. There were some pretty heroic Natives who came to the rescue when they could and taught our guys how to make spruce beer, which is very high in vitamin C. Nancy tasted it too. Really. The French might have been our first colonial food critics, too. While in the south, Spain’s Bernardo de Gálvez drove 2,000 Texas longhorn cattle to feed his troops and won the Siege of Pensacola; Nancy and Sylvia call them the first REAL Florida cowboys! They're likely right too. Women played an important food story role too. Want to know more, tune in to hear the story of Nancy Hart who used a turkey to capture a group of enemy soldiers, right in her kitchen! KEY TAKEAWAYS AND LESSONS LEARNED 1. The British didn’t starve the Continental Army; a broken supply chain did. Congress promised generous daily rations; soldiers got only a fraction of them due to bad roads, corrupt contractors, and the “Forage War,” in which armies raided each other’s food supplies outright. 2. Hungry soldiers ate the weirdest things to survive. “Fire cake,” which is simply flour and water cooked on a hot rock. The flour was often loaded with bugs, too, and baked right into the bread. A Continental Army staple; at Valley Forge and Morristown, NJ, men were said to have boiled shoe leather and tree bark just to keep from starving. 3. Scurvy, not the enemy, was the deadliest food-related problem of the war. A diet of salt meat and flour with almost no vegetables caused the most common illness of the entire war. Vinegar, sauerkraut, and spruce beer (learned from Native Americans) helped, decades before vitamin C was identified in 1932. 4. America’s allies ate far better than our guys, and it mattered strategically. French bread ovens in Chatham, New Jersey, helped disguise the march to Yorktown; Spain’s Bernardo de Gálvez fed his troops with 2,000 Texas longhorn cattle and won the Siege of Pensacola, tying down British forces on the Gulf Coast. 5. Women fed and sometimes saved the Revolution on regional battlefields. An Oneida woman, Polly Cooper, walked 250 miles to bring corn to the starving army at Valley Forge and refused payment; Georgia’s Nancy Hart was said to have disarmed loyalist soldiers over a turkey dinner, and a Georgia county still bears her name as a result of her heroic efforts, too. WHAT TO DO NEXT: Follow Family Tree Food and Stories [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/] at podcast.familytreefoodstories.com [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/] so you don’t miss the rest of the series, and send this episode to someone who’d love the story of a turkey dinner that disarmed three soldiers. Tell us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/familytreefoodstories]between episodes what your own family ate, on either side of the Atlantic, and leave us a review, [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/reviews/] we read every one. ADDITIONAL LINKS SHARED:❤️ * Book: My Family Tree, Food & Stories Journal [https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Food-Stories-Memorable/dp/1734841613/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2ETT1Z6Q5J84F&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9aDj51eTPwkVydIsxOUcm0psz2pwwjU2tA9464i0LYelVWMWkmc9-ft1v7W5bmJM1R9TCjrBIraYcmsIZ8wog4X4ogtbNhkG3EBH1R8jPV1zolTi0TmPdaAy0F7Jsp6SvGSwsUzfPqfaj0BfDOr2fZtOmQ4i1na0rqL3HXfBGiuIhKthz4OOetpp0nORqAyyNTZ_RR6xVoXiMRHTaYKNLZtcygneMGYBWpX9B0np3YU.S3u-1CFzDJusx_U7X3_txBApkxautt9G1C3qrLcNeTw&dib_tag=se&keywords=my+family+tree+food+%26+stories&qid=1730918662&sprefix=my+family+tree+food%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-1] Awarded #1 New Release on Amazon * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/familytreefoodstories/] Story updates 📸 * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/FamilyTreeFoodStories/] Family Tree Food Stories GROUP👍 * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@nancymay877]: Family Tree Food Stories * 👇Share Your Story With Nancy & Sylvia! [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/voicemail/]: Leave us a voicemail * You can send us a DM on Facebook. [https://www.facebook.com/FamilyTreeFoodStories] ABOUT YOUR AWARD-WINNING HOSTS: Nancy May [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyamay/] and Sylvia Franc [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylviafrance/]e are the powerhouse team behind Family Tree, Food & Stories [https://familytree,food&stories/], a member of The Food Stories Media Network, which celebrates the rich traditions and connections everyone has around food, friends, and family meals. Nancy, an award-winning business leader, author, and podcaster, and Sylvia, a visionary author, foodie, and business leader, combine their expertise to bring captivating stories rooted in history, heritage, and food. Together, they weave stories that blend history, tradition, and the love of food, where generations connect and share intriguing mealtime stories and kitchen foibles. If you missed the first time around... now's your time to listen to Family Tree Food & Stories [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/] and get inspired to make better use of what’s already in your kitchen. Then visit our page to share how you're using your leftovers this year. Waste less. Cook smarter. Tell the story behind your fridge. "Every Meal Has a Story, and Every Story is a Feast." (tm) is a trademark of Family Tree Food & Stories podcast (c) copyright 2026, all US and International Rights Reserved. @familytreefoodstories, @familyfoodstories, #FamilyTreeFoodAndStories #FoodPodcast #FoodHistory #AmericanRevolution #America250 #revolutionaryWar #falleyforge #colonialameria #ushistory #HistoryPodcast #FoodHistory #FireCake #ContinentalArmy #FamilyTreeFoodAndStories #FamilyHistory #GenealogyPodcast #NancyHart #BernardoDeGalvez #newpodcastepisode

2. juli 202637 min
episode A Goat Stomach, a Nobel Prize Winner, and How the Grateful Dead Saved a Yogurt. artwork

A Goat Stomach, a Nobel Prize Winner, and How the Grateful Dead Saved a Yogurt.

YOGURT SECRETS: 7,000 YEARS OF LIVE CULTURES, INSTANT POT HOMEMADE YOGURT, AND THE GRATEFUL DEAD’S BENEFIT THAT SAVED NANCY’S YOGURT This episode of Family Tree Food and Stories [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/] explores yogurt’s origins, surprising cultural history, and recipes. From its accidental invention 7,000 years ago when Central Asian herders carried milk in animal-stomach pouches while on horseback to global variations like dahi, labneh, skyr, and Bulgaria’s famous yogurt variety. Hosts Nancy May and Sylvia France share how to make yogurt simply in an Instant Pot, explain troubleshooting challenges, and make your own starter “culture.” You'll also learn about a famous Nobel laureate who, in the early 1900s, claimed it as a longevity remedy. Then, did you know the yogurt "bug" was identified and named Lactobacillus bulgaricus, after the country Bulgaria? Well, sort of. And that's what Nancy and Sylvia claim to be a "fork-lore" about how yogurt once cured a French king. If that's not enough, one of the coolest yogurt history stories centers on Oregon’s Springfield Creamery and Nancy’s Yogurt, including how the Grateful Dead helped save the company from closing. Oh, and the Huey Lewis hauling yogurt story too.... It's all true! If you want to know more about the truths and secrets about “Greek-style” and the business of marketing, among other cool yogurt culture (yes, pun intended), then tune into this next episode of Family Tree Food and Stories [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/], now. KEY TAKEAWAYS The "invention" of yogurt was an accident in a goat's stomach. It involved a goat stomach, a hot day on horseback, and a lot of bouncing around. No inventor, no lab, just an accident with lots of bacteria that turned into a delicious treat. A Nobel Prize winner accidentally created the entire probiotics industry. He won medicine's top honor, then got obsessed with why Bulgarian peasants lived long lives eating yogurt. From that question and his slightly oversold theory, the health and wellness aisle was born. The one you walked down to find a gut health probiotic in. The Grateful Dead once helped bail out and save a yogurt company. Saddled with a $14,000 bill for back taxes, the company founder's friends played a benefit show; tickets were literally printed on yogurt labels, and the company survives to this day. #Nancy'sYogurt! "Greek-style" on the label might be a lie that shocks you. Real Greek yogurt is just strained yogurt, nothing more. BUT "Greek-style" often fakes that thickness with cornstarch or gelatin instead. The fix: flip the carton over and read the ingredients before deciding whether to spoon it into your breakfast bowl. You can make better yogurt at home for a quarter of the price, in an Insta Pot! Whole milk, two tablespoons of live-culture yogurt, and eight hours in an Instant Pot. No boiling required if you use ultra-pasteurized milk. WHAT TO DO NEXT? Subscribe to the show at podcast.familytreefoodstories.com [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/] so you never miss an episode update. We release new shows every Thursday morning. Then do one thing for a friend and us too! Send this episode to one person [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/follow/] who needs to know yogurt has a Grateful Dead story in it. That's it. One follow, one share. If every listener does that this week, we genuinely grow together , and next week, we do it again. ADDITIONAL LINKS SHARED:❤️ * SURVEY: Please Help Us Learn How To Do More For You [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/survey/pull-up-a-chair-listener-survey/] * Book: My Family Tree, Food & Stories Journal [https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Food-Stories-Memorable/dp/1734841613/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2ETT1Z6Q5J84F&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9aDj51eTPwkVydIsxOUcm0psz2pwwjU2tA9464i0LYelVWMWkmc9-ft1v7W5bmJM1R9TCjrBIraYcmsIZ8wog4X4ogtbNhkG3EBH1R8jPV1zolTi0TmPdaAy0F7Jsp6SvGSwsUzfPqfaj0BfDOr2fZtOmQ4i1na0rqL3HXfBGiuIhKthz4OOetpp0nORqAyyNTZ_RR6xVoXiMRHTaYKNLZtcygneMGYBWpX9B0np3YU.S3u-1CFzDJusx_U7X3_txBApkxautt9G1C3qrLcNeTw&dib_tag=se&keywords=my+family+tree+food+%26+stories&qid=1730918662&sprefix=my+family+tree+food%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-1] Awarded #1 New Release on Amazon * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/familytreefoodstories/] Story updates 📸 * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/FamilyTreeFoodStories/] Family Tree Food Stories GROUP👍 * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@nancymay877]: Family Tree Food Stories * 👇Share Your Story With Nancy & Sylvia! [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/voicemail/]: Leave us a voicemail * You can send us a DM on Facebook. [https://www.facebook.com/FamilyTreeFoodStories] EPISODE TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Opening — goat stomachs, a Nobel laureate, and the Grateful Dead [02:54] Who invented yogurt? Nobody, it was a 7,000-year-old accident [04:44] Sylvia's Instant Pot yogurt experiment: two ingredients, eight hours [07:54] Élie Metchnikoff and the 1908 Nobel Prize in Medicine [08:49] Sour milk, the elixir: how Metchnikoff turned yogurt into a media sensation [11:39] The real story behind Nancy's Yogurt, Springfield Creamery, Oregon [12:26] The day the Grateful Dead saved a yogurt company [15:43] Getting skeptical: what "Greek-style" actually means on the label [17:48] The six rules of real yogurt, explained [19:10] Three takeaways to keep your own kitchen culture alive ABOUT YOUR AWARD-WINNING HOSTS: Nancy May [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyamay/] and Sylvia Franc [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylviafrance/]e are the powerhouse team behind Family Tree, Food & Stories [https://familytree,food&stories/], a member of The Food Stories Media Network, which celebrates the rich traditions and connections everyone has around food, friends, and family meals. Nancy, an award-winning business leader, author, and podcaster, and Sylvia, a visionary author, foodie, and business leader, combine their expertise to bring captivating stories rooted in history, heritage, and food. Together, they weave stories that blend history, tradition, and the love of food, where generations connect and share intriguing mealtime stories and kitchen foibles. If you missed the first time around... now's your time to listen to Family Tree Food & Stories [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/] and get inspired to make better use of what’s already in your kitchen. Then visit our page to share how you're using your leftovers this year. Waste less. Cook smarter. Tell the story behind your fridge. "Every Meal Has a Story, and Every Story is a Feast." (tm) is a trademark of Family Tree Food & Stories podcast (c) copyright 2026, all US and International Rights Reserved. @familytreefoodstories, @familyfoodstories, #FamilyTreeFoodAndStories #FoodPodcast #FoodHistory #YogurtLover #howtomakeyogurt #instapotrecipes #instapot #FermentedFoods #GreekYogurt #GutHealth #ProbioticFoods #HistoryPodcast #StorytellingPodcast #GratefulDead #FamilyRecipes #HomeFermenting #FoodieFacts #PodcastRecommendations

25. juni 202622 min
episode Father's Day Gifts for the Dad Who Says He Wants Nothing. artwork

Father's Day Gifts for the Dad Who Says He Wants Nothing.

FATHER'S DAY GIFTS FEEL IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE DAD SAYS HE WANTS NOTHING, AND THAT'S THE LIE YOUR BRAIN FALLS FOR EVERY SINGLE JUNE. Every Father's Day, the dads in our lives pull the same quiet con: "Don't get me anything." This Father's Day episode is our answer to that lie — because we're convinced Dad wants something, he just can't always say what. In 2026, Father's Day lands on June 21st, sharing the date with the summer solstice and National Peaches 'n Cream Day. Three holidays, one long June evening, zero boring gift ideas. In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/], Hosts Nancy May and Sylvia France take you to where Father's Day actually came from (hint... it wasn't a greeting card company). Then they dive into the surprisingly seductive history of the peach (because it's also National Peaches and Cram Day), and why the grill is never really just a grill. You'll hear how an oil-drum grill fed more than 100 people, the bullet-shell jewelry engraved with a father's last words, and land on the one Father's Day ritual that ties it all together: the grilled peach.. not the steak! You'll learn about the easiest and most meaningful Father's Day food traditions you can start tonight. So, pull up a chair, the smoke is already rising off the hot grill coals... and by the end of this special Father's Day episode you'll know exactly what to make for the man who swears he wants nothing. A SPECIAL FATHER'S DAY GIFT FOR YOU. * Download PDF [https://files.captivate.fm/library/19fd0cd1-73e4-4406-b4bb-e68ce50bded2/Father-s-Day-Recipes-2026.pdf]: Grilled Peach recipes and special Father's Day drinks to serve everyone. [https://files.captivate.fm/library/19fd0cd1-73e4-4406-b4bb-e68ce50bded2/Father-s-Day-Recipes-2026.pdf] WHAT YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT FATHER'S DAY AND THE GRILLED PEACH. * Why "I don't want anything" is a trap: and the one ten-minute, no-cost gift that makes most dads emotional (it isn't the grill). * The true and often forgotten origin story behind Father's Day: a grieving daughter, a widowed Civil War veteran, and the 62-year wait for a federal holiday no one talks about. * The surprising double life of the peach: from a Chinese symbol of immortality to a French opera star's namesake dessert to a 1970s "miracle cure" scandal the FDA had to shut down. * How to grill the perfect peach, step by step: the 4-to-5-minute backyard move (plus a boozy bourbon upgrade) that turns "happy Father's Day" into a memory. * How to honor a dad who's gone: a tender, screen-free table question and food rituals that let an empty chair still take up space in the room. We love and miss you Dad. But, you're always in our hearts! EPISODE TIMELINE [00:00] Father's Day gift paradox: why Dad says he wants nothing [01:19] Father's Day, summer solstice & National Peaches 'n Cream Day collide on June 21 [03:47] Father's Day origin: the daughter who started it in 1910 [05:21] Father's Day 2026 spending $24 billion grilling obsession [07:04] Grill stories: the oil-drum grill and unforgettable clams casino [10:08] What dads actually want for Father's Day (simpler than you think) [10:45] Long-distance love: ten Father's Day cards and "don't get me anything" [13:28] Peach symbolism: Persia, romance, and a secretly seductive fruit [17:02] Peach Melba: an opera star, Escoffier, and the Savoy Hotel [17:56] Peach cobbler history: democratized genius since 1839 [18:17] Peach pit danger: and the "Vitamin B17" scandal [19:40] Summer solstice 2026, June 21st, Father's Day [21:09] Father's Day grief: honoring Dad after he's gone [22:07] Bullet-shell jewelry [24:30] Grilled peaches recipe: the step-by-step method [25:54] Bourbon-soaked grilled peaches: the boozy Father's Day upgrade [26:16] Father's Day takeaway: what "you didn't have to do all this" really means LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE Pull up a chair. The table just another place setting. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, or right here at podcast.familytreefoodstories.com. [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/] SHARE YOUR FAMILY FOOD STORIES! What was your non-recipe meal recreated from memory? We'd love to hear your stories. Maybe you have a Mythbusters one too! Share Your Story With Nancy & Sylvia! [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/voicemail/] ADDITIONAL LINKS SHARED:❤️ * SURVEY: Please Help Us Learn How To Do More For You [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/survey/pull-up-a-chair-listener-survey/] * Book: My Family Tree, Food & Stories Journal [https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Food-Stories-Memorable/dp/1734841613/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2ETT1Z6Q5J84F&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9aDj51eTPwkVydIsxOUcm0psz2pwwjU2tA9464i0LYelVWMWkmc9-ft1v7W5bmJM1R9TCjrBIraYcmsIZ8wog4X4ogtbNhkG3EBH1R8jPV1zolTi0TmPdaAy0F7Jsp6SvGSwsUzfPqfaj0BfDOr2fZtOmQ4i1na0rqL3HXfBGiuIhKthz4OOetpp0nORqAyyNTZ_RR6xVoXiMRHTaYKNLZtcygneMGYBWpX9B0np3YU.S3u-1CFzDJusx_U7X3_txBApkxautt9G1C3qrLcNeTw&dib_tag=se&keywords=my+family+tree+food+%26+stories&qid=1730918662&sprefix=my+family+tree+food%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-1] Awarded #1 New Release on Amazon * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/familytreefoodstories/] Story updates 📸 * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/FamilyTreeFoodStories/] Family Tree Food Stories GROUP👍 * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@nancymay877]: Family Tree Food Stories * 👇Share Your Story With Nancy & Sylvia! [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/voicemail/]: Leave us a voicemail * You can send us a DM on Facebook. [https://www.facebook.com/FamilyTreeFoodStories] ABOUT YOUR AWARD-WINNING HOSTS: Nancy May [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyamay/] and Sylvia Franc [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylviafrance/]e are the powerhouse team behind Family Tree, Food & Stories [https://familytree,food&stories/], a member of The Food Stories Media Network, which celebrates the rich traditions and connections everyone has around food, friends, and family meals. Nancy, an award-winning business leader, author, and podcaster, and Sylvia, a visionary author, foodie, and business leader, combine their expertise to bring captivating stories rooted in history, heritage, and food. Together, they weave stories that blend history, tradition, and the love of food, where generations connect and share intriguing mealtime stories and kitchen foibles. If you missed the first time around... now's your time to listen to Family Tree Food & Stories [https://podcast.familytreefoodstories.com/] and get inspired to make better use of what’s already in your kitchen. Then visit our page to share how you're using your leftovers this year. Waste less. Cook smarter. Tell the story behind your fridge. "Every Meal Has a Story, and Every Story is a Feast." (tm) is a trademark of Family Tree Food & Stories podcast (c) copyright 2026, all US and International Rights Reserved. @familytreefoodstories, @familyfoodstories, Fathers Day podcast | Father's Day gift ideas | Father's Day food traditions | grilled peaches recipe | peaches history | summer solstice 2026 | National Peaches and Cream Day | family food memories | cooking for dad | Peach Melba history | family stories podcast | southern cooking | family heirloom recipes | Family Tree Food and Stories | best food podcasts 2026

18. juni 202629 min