Andrea McEvoy standing outside on a snowy day

WELCOME

I’m Andrea!

Come along with me as I explore 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.

I love reading historical books on cookery, gardening, and domestic skills. The connection between our food, the land, and our homes grounds me. I love growing and preparing foods that are simple, wholesome, and not processed.

By looking at the past, we can find inspiration for our homes, hearths, and homesteads!

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 all aspects of daily life from growing, preparing, and preserving food to taking care of the home and one’s health.

Over the last decade, I’ve become a historical foodie and traditional skills junkie! I love creating modern versions of historical recipes to savor with family and friends, whether cooked on a hearth or in my kitchen.

Also, I enjoy foraging wild edibles, harvesting culinary herbs, growing mushrooms, using natural home remedies, keeping bees, and planting natives for pollinators. So, join me on my journey to getting back to basics and trying to live the good life!

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, HFSDV
  • Hearth Cook/Louisa County Historical Society, LCHS
  • Heathsville Forge Blacksmithing Guild
  • Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR
  • Prince William Regional Beekeepers Association, PWRBA
  • 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
simply old-fashioned brand logo of rising sun in a field

Let the past inspire your today!

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