Andrea McEvoy standing outside on a snowy day

WELCOME

I’m Andrea!

Come along with me as I explore modern home cooking, homemaking, and homesteading through food history and household hints from the past. Be inspired by old-fashioned recipes, tips, & know-how to simplify your life.

Books on cookery and domestic skills have always been important tools for women and families throughout time. The knowledge at their finger tips on how to care and feed their families was priceless in an age without Google.

By looking at the past, we can find inspiration in our homes and kitchens today!

Fun Facts About Me

I’d rather be

taking care of my bees

sipping on

coffee

visiting

colonial williamsburg

baking

a sweet treat

my weekends

in a used bookstore

Favorite Cookbook

Fannie farmer, 11th ed.
An 18th Century meal cooked by a hearth

Where this all began

While teaching US history, specifically Virginia State History, I became fascinated with how people lived in different centuries. I was intrigued by how everyday people created a home, put food on the table, and found joy in their everyday lives.

Call it what you like, homemaker, housekeeper, homesteader, housewife, home cook, or home economist, the name changes overtime, but the idea of managing a home remains constant.

We can learn from historical recipes and create modern versions to enjoy with our families now. We can discover natural household tips and know-how from long ago for our homes today. Looking at the past we can find simple joys with our families for our homes, hearths, and homesteads.

Bringing Old-Fashioned Ways Back

Currently I’m a member in many organizations that seek to keep traditional skills alive and well. Simply Old-Fashioned is my place to share that knowledge with you!

  • Culinary Historians of DC. (CHoW)
  • Historic Foodways Society of the Delaware Valley
  • Hearth Cook/Louisa County Historical Society
  • Heathsville Forge Blacksmithing Guild
  • Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR
  • Prince William Regional Beekeepers Association
  • Volunteered for the Homesteader’s of America conference, 2021
  • Studied Women of the 18th Century at Mount Vernon’s Summer Teacher Institute, 2019
  • Learned historical interpretation skills at Jamestown/Yorktown Summer Teacher Institute, 2013
Andrea McEvoy baking 17th century bread at Jamestown Virginia
graphic image of a wheat crop

Let the past inspire your today!

Be a part of the Simply Old-Fashioned community!

Receive simple recipes, tip, & know-how inspired by the past for your home & kitchen today!