Open house at the Hermitage.Mahantongo Valley,Schuylkill county,8-9-15

Johannes Ziuzendorf.Demonstrating baking in a wood fired stone oven.After making a fire in the oven[using pine]in the morning for two hours.Johannes takes out the hot ashes,getting the oven stone hot.When the oven cools enough[He determines the correct temperature for what is to be baked by holding his arm in the oven and counting,how long he can stand the heat tells him if the temperature is right!]  he made bread,crumb cake,shoo fly pie,peach crumb pie and whoopie pies,ginger snaps.All delicious!!Johannes explains that there would still be enough heat in the oven at the end of the day to dry corn or apples for snitz.Also pictures a 19th century dough box[treen ware]from Germany.He used the box for mixing the bread in.Johannes  also took the time to explain that a long time ago remote areas like the Mahantongo valley or small communities would share a bake oven for their baking needs.Unlike today life was much more communal.  

Christian Ziuzendorf.Demonstrating Spinning thread from wool and flax.After enough of spoils were made the spoils would be placed on a loom and cloth could be made,and then clothing would be made from the cloth{the jacket he is wearing he made from flax fibers].Christian also said it is easy to see why after so much work went into making clothing why clothing was so highly valued.