Warm. Lovely. Scrumptious. That’s how the decorations, table and food displayed at the Edison Homestead appeared during my visit to Holiday Nights at Greenfield Village. The home was built by Thomas Edison’s great-grandparents who fled to Canada after the American Revolution because they sided with the British. His grandparents started a farm in about 1815 in Vienna, Ontario, Canada, and additions were made about 1860.

You can take a look at some of the historic recipes presented in the home — with some instructions that are so very different from what we see in recipes we’re used to today.

One recipe calls for a “moderate oven,” and I confess, I’m not quite sure I know what that means in oven-temperature language. Like most cooks today, I’m used to (and thankful for) tools and recipes that provide that kind of detail — I’m pretty sure I need it for success — especially when it comes to baking. It made me realize the domestic expertise so many women must have had to keep a house running in days gone by. That said, I am inspired by the beauty of some of these treats and am interested in tackling a few of these recipes, or least variations of them, for the holidays.

Just click on the pictures to check out the recipes. And if you decide to bake one or two, be sure to share a photo of your finished product on The Henry Ford’s Facebook wall.

Mrs. Clark's Plum Pudding

Roast Goose, Giblet Gravy and Potato Stuffing

Creamed Walnuts

Cocoanut Cream Candy

White Fruit Cake

Christmas Stollen

Kristine Hass is a writer and a long-time member of The Henry Ford. She frequently blogs about her family’s visits to America’s Greatest History Attraction.