Thurston Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget

Thurston Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget 

Ruth and Florence Paget are related to the Thurston family through their ancestor George Robert Carpenterr. 

G1 refers to Generation 1 and son on. 

Mother Lines

G1 – Florence Paget 

G2 – Ruth Pennington (Married Name: Paget) 

G3 – Beatrice May Sawle (Married Name: Pennington) 

G4 – Daisy May Bardsley (Married Name: Sawle)

G5 – Etta Pearl Carpenter (Married Name: Bardsley) 

-daughter of George Robert Carpenter and Phoebe Ann Throop 

G6 – George Robert Carpenter 

-son of Benjamin Carpenter and Elizabeth Eaker 

G7 – Benjamin Carpenter 

-son of Barnard Carpenter and Phoebe Avery 

G8 – Barnard Carpenter 

-son of John Charles Carpenter and Ruth Horton 

G9 – John Charles Carpenter 

-son of John Carpenter, Jr. and Sarah Thurston 

G10 – Sarah Thurston 

-daughter of Daniel Thurston I and Hannah Millard 

Born: 1683 in Bristol, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America 

Died: 1722 

G11 – Daniel Thurston I 

-son of Thomas John Thurston and Margaret (name unknown at this time) 

Born: July 5, 1646 in Dedham, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America 

Died: July 23, 1683 in Medfield, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America

G12 – Thomas John Thurston 

-son of Thomas Thurston and Grace Utting 

Born: January 13, 1601 in Wrentham, Suffolk, England 

Died: November 1, 1685 in Medfield, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America 

Immigrant to the Americas 

G13 – Thomas Thurston 

-son of John Thurston and Millicent Alice Wright 

Born: 1578 in Thorington, Suffolk, England 

Died: March 1625 in Wrentham, Suffolk, England and buried in Wrentham, Suffolk, England 

G14 – John Thurston 

-son of Robert Thurston and Joan Woodward 

Born: April 13, 1556 in Hoxne, Suffolk, England, UK 

Died: December 2, 1513 in Hoxne, Suffolk, England and buried in Hoxne, Suffolk, England 

G15 – Robert Thurston 

-son of Nicholas Thurston and Lady Julien Sharpe 

Born: 1520 in England 

Died: 1555 and buried in Challock, Kent, England

G16 – Nicholas Thurston 

-son of John Thurston and Anne FitzHugh 

Born: 1493 in Hoxne, Suffolk, England 

Died: 1551 in Challock, Kent, England, UK 

G17 – John Thurston 

 -son of John Thurston 

Born: 1470 in Hoxne, Suffolk, England, UK 

Died: December 1, 1540 

Married: Anne FitzHugh about 1492 in Hoxne, Suffolk, England 

G18 – John Thurston 

-parents unkown at this time 

Born: 1440 in England, UK 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Miyagi Raw Oysters and Jumbo Shrimp Louie Salad at Woody's in the Monterey-Salinas (California) Airport by Ruth Paget

Miyagi Raw Oysters and Jumbo Shrimp Louie Salad at Woody’s in the Monterey-Salinas Airport (California) by Ruth Paget 

My husband Laurent, daughter Florence Paget, and I went to Woody’s at the Monterey-Salinas (California) Airport so Florence could order the Friday night special prime rib ($48) while Laurent and I ordered California-sourced Pacific winter meals. 

Laurent and I started with the Mayagi raw oysters that were on special while Florence ordered clam chowder (also a Pacific winter stand-by dish). Miyagi oysters originally came from Japan, but are now farmed in California by places like the Bodega Bay Oyster Company in Petaluma, California. 

The Miyagi oysters were about two-inches long and deep, making them have the same amount of meat as longer oysters with a little less water. They tasted salty and had a refreshing cucumber flavor that was enhanced by the chili sauce on the side that resembled a pico de gallo sauce made with the addition of minced cucumber. The oysters were a delicious start to our chilly night at the airport meal. 

Laurent ordered the reliably delicious fish and chips made with cod as his main dish while I ordered the jumbo shrimp Louie salad, which is probably sourced by Swank Farms in nearby San Benito County while Moss Landing up Highway toward San Francisco might have provided the pudgy jumbo shrimp. 

The shrimp Louie salad sits on a mounded bed of radicchio red leaf salad and baby romaine leaves. (This is already a great start.) Located on top of the mounded lettuce leaves are small mounds of the following items:

-large, thin slices of magenta-colored sugar beets 

-3 large, diagonal slices of cucumber 

-thick, slices of juicy red tomato 

-a generous helping of pickled, red onions 

-chunks of greenish-yellow fresh avocado 

-1 whole, sliced organic egg 

-6 pudgy, boiled jumbo shrimp with the tail shell left on for flavor while boiling, which you remove before eating. 

I love everything in this salad, which I coated with the Louie dressing. Woody’s dressings and sauces are made in-house, so the contents of the dressing are secret. 

However, I looked up Louie dressing in AI mode on Google and read that Louie dressing usually has a mayonnaise and chili base with the addition of lemon juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and minced capers. The piquant dressing at Woody’s certainly tasted like this, which I liked very much.

My meal made me feel in robust health due to the fresh, organic ingredients, especially the magnesium in the oysters and shrimp. Magnesium supports muscle, nerve, and heart health, so if you have no dietary or religious restrictions about eating shellfish, this meal is pretty healthy. 

Woody’s at the Monterey-Salinas Airport has something for everyone it seems, especially for diners who would like to try a Monterey shellfish winter meal at a moderate price. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Salinas, California Author Sarah Fajardo Wins Award reposted by Ruth Paget

The California’s article about Salinas, California educated author Sarah Fsjardo winning the Robert F. Robert Informational Book Award is very interesting!

I have reposted a link to the article below:

https://www.thecalifornian.com/story/news/local/2026/02/20/award-winning-author-credits-salinas-school-for-sparking-writing-dream/88611352007/

A book to read before your next trip to the supermarket or farmers’ market.

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Horton Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget

Horton Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget 

Ruth and Florence Paget are related to the Horton family through their ancestor George Robert Carpenter. 

G1 refers to Generation 1 and so on. 

Mother Lines 

G1 – Florence Paget 

G2 – Ruth Pennington (Married Name: Paget) 

G3 – Beatrice May Sawle (Married Name: Pennington)

G4 – Daisy May Bardsley (Married Name: Sawle) 

-daughter of Edward Charles Bardsley and Etta Pearl Carpenter 

G5 – Etta Pearl Carpenter 

-daughter of George Robert Carpenter and Phoebe Ann Throop 

G6 – George Robert Carpenter 

-son of Benjamin Carpenter and Elizabeth Eaker 

G7 – Benjamin Carpenter 

-son of Barnard Carpenter and Phoebe Avery

G8 – Barnard Carpenter 

-son of John Charles Carpenter and Ruth Horton 

G9 – Ruth Horton 

-daughter of David Horton, Sr. and Judith Chase 

Born: November 11, 1734 in Rehoboth, Bristol, Plymouth Colony, British Colonial America 

Died: October 4, 1777 in Great Nine Partners, Dutchess, New York 

G10 – David Horton, Sr. 

-son of Thomas Horton, III and Hannah Garnsey 

Born: October 8, 1701 in Rehoboth, Bristol, Plymouth Colony, British Colonial America 

Died: September 1770 in Rehoboth, Bristol, Plymouth Colony, British Colonial America 

G11 – Thomas Horton, III 

-son of Thomas Horton, Jr and Sarah Harmon 

Born: October 3, 1677 in Milton, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America 

Died: March 1746 in Rehoboth, Bristol, Plymouth Colony, British Colonial America 

G12 – Thomas Horton, Jr 

-son of Thomas Horton, Sr and Mary Eddy 

Born: 1638 in England 

Died: March 8, 1716 in Rehoboth, Bristol, Plymouth Colony, British Colonial America 

G13 – Thomas Horton -son of Joseph Horton and Mary (last name unknown at this time) 

Born: 1602 in Mowsley, Leicestershire, England 

Died: December 24, 1640 in Springfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America 

G14 – Joseph Horton 

-son of William Horton and Elizabeth Hansen 

Born: 1578 in Mowsley, Leicestershire, England 

Died: 1640 in Springfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America

Imigrant to Springfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America 

Occupation listed as baker. 

G15 – William Horton 

-parents unknown at this time 

Born: 1550 in Mowsley, Leicestershire, England 

Married: Elizabeth Hansen in 1575

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

German-style Kölsch Beer and a Loaded BLT at Alvarado Street Brewery Taproom in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

German-style Kölsch Beer and a Loaded BLT at Alvarado Street Brewery Taproom in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget 

Chilly, rainy weather in February 2026 set the scene fro my family’s outing to the Alvarado Street Brewery Taproom in Salinas, California where I was able to relive happy memories from the time I lived in Stuttgart, Germany with my husband Laurent. 

The Alvarado Street Brewery Taprooms offers American, English, and German beers on its extensive beer menu. Laurent and our daughter Florence Paget ordered German pilsners while I opted for the non-alcoholic kölsch beer. Our dinner outing was quickly becoming a brewpub evening. 

Pilsner lagers originally come from Pilsen, Czech Republic, but the Germans have adopted the style as well. Lagers are cold fermented beers. 

Kölsch beer from Cologne, Germany is a hybrid beer. It starts out as a warm fermented yeast, but is aged like a cold-fermented lager. The end result is a beer with fruity flavor, which I like very much. Alvarado Street Brewery serves this beer in the tall, thin glass called a stange like the ones in Cologne as well. 

Kölsch beer has been brewed since 874 AD in Cologne, a northern German city on the Rhine River, according to the Oxford Companion to Beer edited by Garrett Oliver. It is only brewed in the Cologne area and has a legally protected status, which I refer to the kölsch beer at Alvarado Street Brewery Taproom as German style kölsch. 

It is easy to have a German brew pub experience at Alvarado Street Brewery thanks to its updated classic bar menu that reflects how brewing and baking are intertwined industries with a history that includes Germany but stretches back to ancient Sumeria and Egypt. 

You can even see beer and bread making and wine cultivation on the Mastaba Tomb of Perneb (ca. 2881 – 2323 Bc) a 4,500 year old structure at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Brewing and baking use both yeast and grain (usually barley and sometimes wheat in Germany). 

Women originally took care of both duties. Later, men took over these roles in breweries and monasteries. Bread products can be made from the spent grain used to brew beer. 

All of the main menu items at Alvarado Street Brewery Taproom can use spent grain in some form with the following items: 

-pretzels served with warm beer cheese 

-hamburgers – the buns on the burger can be made with spent grain for this sandwich that originally hails from Hamburg, Germany 

-BLT sandwich (Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich) and spicy chicken sandwich – the bread for these sandwiches can be made with spent grain 

-arugula salad – the lettuce is obviously produce, but you can make croutons with bread made with spent grain 

-pizza – Alvarado Street Brewery Taprooms serves Italian pizzas, but there is a Franco-German pizza from Strasbourg, France called flammekueche (flammeküchen) made with chopped slab bacon, thinly sliced onions, and a sour cream-like sauce that can be made with dough using spent grain as well.   You can buy flammekueche pizza frozen in Germany and France.

Spent grain tastes similar to regular grain but develops a darker color when baked and adds a huge cost savings for brew pubs. These savings allow brew pubs to spend money on fine, white cake flour for tarts like the Bartlett Pear Tart at Alvarado Street Brewery Taproom. 

With this historical background in mind, my family thoroughly enjoyed our orders of a smashburger for Laurent, a BLT sandwich with mozzarella cheese and pesto aioli garlic mayonnaise, and a spicy chicken sandwich for Florence seasoned with Hungarian paprika and cayenne. My BLT had added mozzarella cheese for a calcium and protein boost. 

Pub food made with fresh, organic ingredients is hard to beat. It also arrives quickly, and hot at Alvarado Street Brewery Taproom in Salinas, California, which makes a visit there relaxing and pleasant. 

The Alvarado Street Brewery is located at the intersection of Alvarado and Main Streets in Salinas with parking behind the taproom, down Main Street by the Steinbeck Center, and some street parking in legally marked spots. 

Note: For readers interested in Cologne, Germany, I haves listed a link below to my blog about visiting this city and its cathedral, which is a major German pilgrimage site: 

Cologne, Germany - Holy City on the Rhine

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Avery Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget

Avery Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget 

Ruth and Florence Paget are related to the Avery family through their ancestor George Robert Carpenter. 

G1 refers to Generation 1 and so on. 

Mother Lines 

G1 – Florence Paget 

G2 – Ruth Pennington (Married Name: Paget) 

G3 – Beatrice May Sawle (Married Name: Pennington) 

G4 – Daisy May Bardsley (Married Name: Sawle) 

-daughter of Edward Charles Bardsley and Etta Pearl Carpenter 

G5 – Etta Pearl Carpenter 

 -daughter of George Robert Carpenter and Phoebe Throop 

G6 – George Robert Carpenter 

-son of Benjamin Carpenter and Elizabeth Eaker 

G7 – Benjamin Carpenter 

-son of Barnard Carpenter and Phoebe Avery 

G8 – Phoebe (Phebe) Avery

 -parents unknown at this time 

Born: November 29, 1770 in Dutchess, New York, US 

 Died: 1802 in US Married: March 6, 1788 in Saratoga, US to Barnard Carpenter 

(Ruth Paget Note: Saratoga probably refers to Saratoga Springs, New York) 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Eaker Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget

Eaker (Variant Spellings – Ecker, Acker) Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget 

Ruth and Florence Paget are related to the Eaker family through their ancestor George Robert Carpenter. 

G1 refers to Generation 1 and so on. 

Mother Lines 

G1 – Florence Paget 

G2 – Ruth Paget (Married Name: Paget) 

G3 – Beatrice May Sawle (Married Name: Pennington) 

G4 – Daisy May Bardsley (Married Name: Sawle) 

-daughter of Edward Charles Bardsley and Etta Pearl Carpenter 

G5 – Etta Pearl Carpenter

-daughter of George Robert Carpenter and Phoebe Ann Throop

G6 – George Robert Carpenter 

-son of Benjamin Carpenter and Elizabeth (Elisabeth) Eaker 

G7 – Elizabeth (Elisabeth) Eaker 

-daughter of Ludawick Ecker and Elisabeth Bellinger 

Born: June 16, 1813 in Oppenheim, Montgomery, New York, US 

Died: September 10, 1902 in Black Earth, Dane, Wisconsin and is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Black Earth, Dane, Wisconsin 

G8 – Ludawick Ecker 

-son of William Ecker and Esther Schneider 

Born: About 1783 in Saint Johnsville, New York 

Died: Death date unknown at this time 

Married: Elisabeth Bellinger on February 24, 1811 in Fort Plain, Minden, Montgomery, New York 

Lived in Boonville, Boonville, Oneida, New York in 1850. 

G9 – William (Wilhelm) Ecker

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Crepes for Fat Tuesday by Ruth Paget

Crepes for Fat Tuesday by Ruth Paget

Tomorrow is Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, 47 days before Easter.  Lent, the period of fasting, begins on Wednesday, the day after Mardi Gras..

Our family celebrates this holiday with crepes made with extra organic eggs, Guerande flour de sel salt, and cold press extra virgin olive oil.

I have included links for our family’s California Crepe Recipe and the crepe making technique my husband Laurent uses to make crepes in an online exhibit devoted tobChandeleur;

California Crepes Recipe

Crepe Making Technique Online Exhibit

Bonne Fete!

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Calamari and Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche Eggs Benedict at Woody's in Monterey, California by Ruth Paget

Deep-Fried Calamari and California Smoked Salmon with Crème Fraîche Eggs Benedict at Woody’s Bar and Restaurant at the Monterey-Salinas Airport in Monterey, California by Ruth Paget 

My family went out for Valentines’ Day brunch at Woody’s Bar and Restaurant at the Monterey-Salinas Airport in Monterey, California for a locals brunch. 

We sat in the “locals” upstairs dining room. It is quieter and has a view of the control tower and tarmac. I always feel the adventure of traveling when I go to Woody’s, especially when we found out from our server that Woody’s was voted Number 1 Best Airport Restaurant in the United States. 

Our server further related that all chefs are “trying to be Gordon Ramsey” in the kitchen. Tim Wood, the owner of Woody’s, is also opening a restaurant at the Watsonville Regional Airport, making him an entrepreneur who is creating jobs and opportunities for his sous chefs and servers to move up and around the region. 

Tim Wood has been able to expand to Watsonville and his location in Carmel Valley without losing attention to detail by entire staff. We ate a superb winter brunch and had fun watching the goings on at the airport and discussing potential places to visit in the upcoming year as we ate – very appropriate airport chatter. My daughter Florence Paget mentioned, for example, that United now has a Monterey – Chicago flight. 

I ate my usual order of deep-fried calamari as an appetizer. Woody’s uses beer batter coated squid dunked in what seems to be thick Panko breadcrumbs to deep-fry the squid. I like ordering the calamari for the excellent dipping sauces that come with it. 

The cocktail sauce has puréed, fresh, Vitamin C rich horseradish in it for a kicky, pungent start to my shellfish and California smoked salmon lunch. The tartar sauce is equally pungent with sour, tart minced homemade pickles mixed in it. The combination of these sauces with savory, deep-fried squid easily justifies the $19 price for this Monterey Bay treat. 

As my main dish, I ordered California smoked salmon with crème fraîche eggs benedict. Substituting smoked salmon for Canadian ham in this dish makes it called eggs benedict royale I have seen on menus and in online descriptiions. I think the addition of butter fat rich crème fraîche makes this eggs benedict imperial, worthy of shoring up your resources to deal with cold winter weather. 

The English muffin halves had been grilled to soak up the lemony Hollandaise sauce. The California smoked salmon was lightly smoked for preservation, which let the flavor of salmon remain. Crème fraîche was placed on top of it along with sour, Vitamin C rich capers. A pearly, white poached egg was placed on top of the salmon with a generous helping of lemony, Hollandaise sauce poured over it. I love the combination of all these flavors including the piquant capers.

I used the pan-fried potato wedges fried along with red onions and Vitamin C rich red and green bell peppers to soak up the extra Hollandaise. I also ate the garnish of a folded leaf of romaine lettuce with a large slice of a juicy beefeater tomato. The vegetables were organic and full-flavored. They were perfect sides for the smoked salmon and crème fraîche eggs benedict. 

This hearty brunch is perfect for what can be chilly and rainy weather in the northern part of California’s Central Coast where Monterey is located. I consider this weather to be perfect for eating iodine-rich fish and shellfish meals like the calamari and smoked salmon one I ate for brunch. 

As a local I am happy have Woody’s at the Monterey – Salinas Airport as a dining option and am very happy that visitors to our region of California can start or end their vacations here with great meals. 

Note:  I would buy Woody’s cocktail sauce, if it were bottled.  

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Throp Ancestor (Mrs. Thomas Throp - 1492 to Deceased) of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget

Throp Ancestors of Mrs Thomas Throp (1492 to deceased) (Separate Family from Similarly Named Village) of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget 

Ruth and Florence Paget are related to Mrs. Thomas Throp (1492 – deceased) through their ancestor Phoebe Ann Throop (Possible marriage of distant cousins) 

G1 refers to Generation 1 and so on. 

Mother Lines 

G1 – Florence Paget 

G2 – Ruth Pennington (Married Name: Paget) 

G3 – Beatrice May Sawle (Married Name: Pennington) 

G4 – Daisy May Bardsley (Married Name: Sawle) 

G5 – Etta Pearl Carpenter (Married Name: Bardsley) 

G6 – Phoebe Ann Throop (Married Name: Carpenter) 

-daughter of Joseph Allen Throop and Elizabeth Brundage

G7 – Joseph Allen Throop 

-son of Calvin Throop and Anna Ripley 

G8 – Calvin Throop 

-son of Benjamin Throop and Mary Burgess 

G9 – Benjamin Throop 

-son of Joseph Throope and Deborah Buell 

G10 – Joseph Throope 

-son of Daniel Throope and Deborah Church 

G11 – Daniel Throope 

-son of William Throope and Mary Chapman 

G12 – William Throope 

-son of William Throope, Sr and Izabell (Isabell) Redshaw 

G13 – William Throope, Sr 

-son of Thomas Throope and Elizabeth Smyth 

G14 – Thomas Throope 

-son of William Throope and Jenett Fynningley 

G15 – William Throope 

-son of Thomas Throope and Mrs. Thomas Throope 

G16 – Thomas Throope 

-son of Thomas Throope and Mrs. Thomas Throp 

G17 - Mrs. Thomas Throp

-parents unknown at this time 

Born: 1492 in Scroby, Nottinghamshire, England, UK 

Died: Deceased 

Married: Thomas Throope in 1514 in Lound, Nottinghamshire, England, UK 

Note from sources listed: Throp is Middle English for village. Variants Thropp, Thrupe, Throop, and Throope reflect different county locations. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Throope Ancestors (Mrs Thomas Throope -1517 to 1614) of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget

Throope Ancestors (Separate Family from Similarly Names Villages) of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget 

Ruth and Florence Paget have as an ancestor Mrs. Thomas Throope (1517 – 1614) through their ancestor Phoebe Ann Throop. (Possible marriage of distant cousins.) 

G1 refers to Generation 1 and so on. 

Mother Lines 

G1 – Florence Paget 

G2 – Ruth Pennington (Married Name: Paget) 

G3 – Beatrice May Sawle (Married Name: Pennington)

G4 – Daisy May Bardsley (Married Name: Sawle) 

G5 – Etta Pearl Carpenter (Married Name: Bardsley) 

G6 – Phoebe Ann Throop (Married Name: Carpenter)

-daughter of Joseph Allen Throop and Elizabeth Brundage 

G7 – Joseph Allen Throop 

-son of Calvin Throop and Anna Ripley 

G8 – Calvin Throop 

-son of Benjamin Throop and Mary Burgess 

G9 – Benjamin Throop 

-son Joseph Throope and Deborah Buell

G10 – Joseph Throope 

-son of Daniel Throope and Deborah Church

G11 – Daniel Throope 

-son of William Throope and Mary Chapman 

G12 – William Throope 

-son of William Throope, Sr and Izabell (Isabell) Redshaw 

G13 – William Throope, Sr 

-son of Thomas Throope and Elizabeth Smyth 

G14 – Thomas Throope 

-son of William Throope and Jenett Fynningley 

G15 – William Throope 

 -son of Thomas Throope and Mrs. Thomas Throope 

G16 – Mrs. Thomas Throope 

-Parents unknown at this time 

Born: 1517 in Lound, Nottinghamshire, England, UK 

Died: August 1614 at age 98 and buried in England, UK 

Married: About 1537 in Sutton cum Lound, Nottinghamshire, England, UK 

Sources listed: Throppe, England, Lancashire, Non-Conformist Church Record 

(Ruth Paget Note: If she converted, we may be able to find her first and last name in Anglican Church records) 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Fynningley Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget

Fynningley Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget 

Ruth and Florence Paget are related to the Fynningley family through their ancestor Phoebe Ann Throop. 

G1 refers to Generation 1 and so on. 

Mother Lines 

G1 – Florence Paget 

G2 – Ruth Pennington (Married Name: Paget) 

G3 – Beatrice May Sawle (Married Name: Pennington) 

G4 – Daisy May Bardsley (Married Name: Sawle) 

G5 – Etta Pearl Carpenter (Married Name: Bardsley) 

G6 – Phoebe Ann Throop 

-daughter of Joseph Allen Throop and Elizabeth Brundage 

G7 – Joseph Allen Throop 

-son of Calvin Throop and Anna Ripley 

G8 – Calvin Throop 

-son of Benjamin Throop and Mary Burgess 

G9 – Benjamin Throop 

-son of Joseph Throope and Deborah Buell 

G10 – Joseph Throope 

-son of Daniel Throope and Deborah Church 

G11 – Daniel Throope 

-son of William Throope and Mary Chapman 

G12 – William Throope 

-son of William Throope, Sr and Isabell (Izabell) Redshaw 

G13 – William Throope, Sr 

-son of Thomas Throope and Elizabeth Smyth 

G14 – Thomas Throope 

 -son of William Throope and Jenett Fynningley 

G15 – Jenett Fynningley

-parents unknown at this time 

Born: about 1544 in Walkerington, England 

Died: Unknown at this time 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Smyth Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget

Smyth Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget 

Ruth and Florence Paget are related to the Smyth family through their ancestor Phoebe Ann Throop. 

G1 refers to Generation 1 and so on 

Mother Lines 

G1 – Florence Paget

G2 – Ruth Pennington (Married Name: Paget) 

G3 – Beatrice May Sawle (Married Name: Pennington) 

G4 – Daisy May Bardsley (Married Name: Sawle) 

G5 – Etta Pearl Carpenter (Married Name: Bardsley) 

G6 – Phoebe Ann Throop (Married Name: Carpenter) 

-daughter of Joseph Allen Throop and Elizabeth Brundage 

G7 – Joseph Allen Throop 

-son of Calvin Throop and Anna Ripley 

G8 – Calvin Throop 

-son of Benjamin Throop and Mary Burgess 

G9 – Benjamin Throop 

-son of Joseph Throope and Deborah Buell 

G10 – Joseph Throope 

-son of Daniel Throope and Deborah Church 

G11 – Daniel Throope 

-son of William Throope and Mary Chapman 

G12 – William Throope 

-son of William Throope Sr and Isabell Redshaw 

G13 – William Throope Sr 

 -son of Thomas Thrope and Elizabeth Smyth 

G14 – Elizabeth Smyth 

-daughter of John Smith and Alice Smyth (uncertain data at this time) 

Born: About 1585 in Nottinghamshire, England 

G15 – John Smith 

-parents unknown at this time 

Born: 1540 

Died: 1589 in Sturton le Steeple, Nottinghamshire, England 

Note: Son John Smyth matriculated Christ’s College, Cambridge, under age in 1589 (date of father’s will) (From Alumni Cambridgeshire, vol 4 p 100) 

Will written, with son John as a minor in 1589. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Redshaw Family Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget

Redshaw Family Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget 

Ruth and Florence Paget are related to the Redshaw family through their ancestor Phoebe Ann Throop. 

G1 refers to Generation 1 and so on. 

Mother Lines 

G1 – Florence Paget 

G2 – Ruth Pennington (Married Name: Paget) 

G3 – Beatrice May Sawle (Married Name: Pennington) 

G4 – Daisy May Bardsley (Married Name: Sawle) 

G5 – Etta Pearl Carpenter (Married Name: Bardsley) 

G6 – Phoebe Ann Throop (Married Name: Carpenter) 

-daughter of Joseph Allen Throop and Elizabeth Brundage 

G7 – Joseph Allen Throop 

 -son of Calvin Throop and Anna Ripley 

G8 – Calvin Throop 

-son of Benjamin Throop and Mary Burgess 

G9 – Benjamin Throop 

-son of Joseph and Deborah Buell 

G10 – Joseph Throope 

-son of Daniel Throope and Deborah Church 

G11 – Daniel Throope 

-son of William Throope and Mary Chapman 

G12 – William Throope 

-son of William Throope Sr and Isabell (Izabell) Redshaw 

G13 – Isabell (Izabell) Redshaw 

-daughter of William Redshaw and unknown mother at this time 

Born: about 1617 in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England 

Died: June 22, 1658 in Lound, Nottinghamshire, England 

G14 – William Redshaw 

-parents unknown at this time 

Born: about 1600 in Nottinghamshire, England 

Died: October 17, 1643 in Sutton cum Lound, Nottinghamshire, England 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Chapman Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget

Chapman Family Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget 

Ruth and Florence Paget are related to the Chapman family through their ancestor Phoebe Ann Throop. 

G1 refers to Generation 1 and so on. 

Mother Lines 

G1 – Florence Paget 

G2 – Ruth Pennington (Married Name: Paget) 

G3 – Beatrice May Sawle (Married Name: Pennington) 

G4 – Daisy May Bardsley (Married Name: Sawle) 

G5 – Etta Pearl Carpenter (Married Name: Bardsley) 

G6 – Phoebe Ann Throop (Married Name: Carpenter) 

-daughter of Joseph Allen Throop and Elizabeth Brundage 

G7 – Joseph Allen Throop 

-son of Calvin Throop and Anna Ripley 

G8 – Calvin Throop 

-son of Benjamin Throop and May Burgess 

G9 – Benjamin Throop 

-son of Joseph Throope and Deborah Buell 

G10 – Joseph Buell 

-son of Daniel Throope and Deborah Church 

G11 – Daniel Throope 

-son of William Throope and Mary Chapman 

G12 – Mary Chapman 

-daughter of Ralph Chapman and Lydia Wells 

Born: October 1643 in Marshfield, Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts 

Died: June 6, 1732 in Bristol, Bristol County, Rhode Island 

Note: Mary Chapman is the daughter of Ralph Chapman who arrived in the America Colonies in 1635 on board the “Elizabeth” the next ship to come after the Mayflower. 

G13 – Ralph Chapman 

-son of John Chapman and Grace Bishop 

Born: December 9, 1515 in Southwark (within present London), Surrey, England 

Died: June 4, 1672 in Marshfield (Present Plymouth Colony), Plymouth, present Massachusetts  

-Immigrant to the US onboard the Elizabeth, the ship to arrive after the Mayflower in Plymouth in 1635. 

G14 – John Chapman 

-son of William Chapman (1565 – 1620) and Elizabeth Garrett (1570 – deceased) 

Christening: February 1, 1587 in St. Michael-at-Pleas Church, Norwich, Norfolk, England 

Died: 1641 in Norwich, Norfolk, England Spouse Note: Grace Bishop (Will do a separate file) 

Married in 1608 in Leicestershire, England 

G15 – William Chapman 

 -parents unknown at this time 

Born: 1565 in Finedon, Northhamptonshire, England 

Died: St. Bride’s Parish, London, England 

Spouse Note: Elizabeth Garrett (1570 – Deceased) 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Church Family Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget

Church Family Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget 

Ruth and Florence Paget are related to the Church family through their ancestor Phoebe Ann Throop. 

G1 refers to Generation 1 and so on. 

G1 – Florence Paget 

G2 – Ruth Pennington (Married Name: Paget) 

G3 – Beatrice May Sawle (Married Name: Pennington) 

G4 – Daisy May Bardsley (Married Name: Sawle)

G5 – Etta Pearl Carpenter (Married Name: Bardsley) 

G6 – Phoebe Ann Throop (Married Name: Carpenter) 

-daughter of Joseph Allen Throop and Elizabeth Brundage

G7 – Joseph Allen Throope 

-son of Calvin Throop and Anna Ripley 

G8 – Calvin Throop 

-son of Benjamin Throop and Mary Burgess 

G9 –Benjamin Throop 

-son of Joseph Throop and Deborah Buell 

G10 – Joseph Throop 

-son of Captain Daniel Throope and Deborah Church 

G11 – Deborah Church 

-daughter of Joseph Church Sr and Mary Tucker 

Born: March 13, 1676 in Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America 

Died: June 8, 1752 in Compton, Colony of Rhode Island, British Colonial America – buried in Lebanon, New London, Connecticut, British Colonial America 

G12 – Joseph Church Sr 

-son of Richard Church and Elizabeth Warren 

Born: March 9, 1638 in Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America 

Died: March 5, 1711 in Compton, Newport, Rhode Island, British Colonial America – buried in Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America  

G13 – Richard Church 

-son of Richard Church Sr and Alice Vassall 

Born: February 6, 1608 in London, England 

Died: December 27, 1668 in Norfolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America – buried in Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America 

G14 – Richard Church Sr 

-son of John Samuel Church, II and Joane Titerele 

Born: May 9, 1570 in Camps, South Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire, England 

Died: 1623 in Barnstable, Massachusetts, British Colonial America -Immigrant to the US 

G15 – John Samuel Church, II  

-son of Lord Knight John Church, of Runwell Hall and Catherine Swann  

Born: 1548 in Essex, England 

Died: November 4, 1593 in Little Sampford, Saffron Walden, Essex, England 

G16 – Lord Knight John Church, of Runwell Hall 

Born: 1519, Runwell, Chelmsford Borough, Essex, England 

Died: April 20, 1577 in Runwell, Chelmsford, Essex, England 

Spouse Note: Catherine Swann (Will do separate file as well) 

Born: 1526, Sanford, Essex, England 

Died: 1582, Sanford, Essex, England 

Marriage: 1547, Essex, England 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Buell Family Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget

Buell (also written as Bewelle and Buel) Family Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget

Ruth and Florence Paget are related to the Buell family through their ancestor Phoebe Ann Throop. 

G1 refers to Generation 1 and so on. 

Mother Lines 

G1 – Florence Paget 

G2 – Ruth Pennington (Married Name: Paget) 

G3 – Beatrice May Sawle (Married Name: Pennington) 

G4 – Daisy May Bardsley (Married Name: Sawle) 

G5 – Etta Pearl Carpenter (Married Name: Bardsley) 

G6 – Phoebe Ann Throop (Married Named: Carpenter) 

 -daughter of Joseph Allen Throop and Elizabeth Brundage 

G7 – Joseph Allen Throop 

 -son of Calvin Throop and Anna Ripley 

G8 – Calvin Throop 

-son of Benjamin Throop and Mary Burgess 

G9 – Benjamin Throop 

-son of Joseph Throop and Deborah Buell 

G10 – Deborah Buell 

-daughter of William Buell and Elizabeth Collier (1675 – 1729) 

Born: July 23, 1718 in Lebanon, New London, Connecticut 

Died: February 14, 1811 in Kent, Litchfield, Connecticut 

G11 – William Buell 

-son of Samuel Buel Sr and Deborah Griswold 

Born: October 18, 1676 in Killingworth, Connecticut 

Died: April 7, 1763 in Lebanon, Connecticut Colony

G12 – Samuel Buel Sr 

-son of William Buel and Mary (unknown last name) 

Born: September 2, 1641 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut 

Died: July 11, 1720 in Clinton, Middlesex, Connecticut 

G13 – William Buel 

-parents unknown at this time 

Born: Circa 1610 in England  

Died: November 18, 1681 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut Colony 

Married in Connecticut Colony on November 18, 1640 to Mary (last name unknown) 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Burgess Family Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget

Burgess Family Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget 

Ruth and Florence Paget are related to the Burgess family through their ancestor Phoebe Ann Throop. 

G1 refers to Generation 1 and so on. 

Mother Lines 

G1 – Florence Paget 

G2 – Ruth Pennington (Married Name: Paget) 

G3 – Beatrice May Sawle (Married Name: Pennington) 

G4 – Daisy May Bardsley (Married Name: Sawle) 

G5 – Etta Pearl Carpenter (Married Name: Bardsley) 

G6 – Phoebe Ann Throop (Married Name: Carpenter) 

G7 – Joseph Allen Throop - son of Calvin Throop and Anna Ripley 

G8 – Calvin Throop - son of Benjamin Throop and Mary Burgess 

G9 – Mary Burgess 

- daughter of James Burgess (1716 – 1789) 

Born: 1756 in Hartford County, Connecticut, US 

Died: May 26, 1818 in Litchfield, Litchfield County, Connecticut, US 

G10 – James Burgess 

- parents unknown at this time 

Born: February 9, 1716 in Branford, New Haven County, Connecticut 

Died: February 9, 1789 in Washington, Litchfield County, Connecticut – Buried in Old Judea Cemetery, Washington, Litchfield County, Connecticut 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Ripley Family Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget

Ripley Family Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget 

Ruth and Florence Paget are related to the Ripley family through their ancestor Phoebe Ann Throop. 

G1 refers to Generation 1 and so on. 

Mother Lines 

G1 – Florence Paget 

G2 – Ruth Pennington (Married Name: Paget) 

G3 – Beatrice May Sawle (Married Name: Pennington) 

G4 – Daisy May Bardsley (Married Name: Sawle) 

G5 – Etta Pearl Carpenter (Married Name: Bardsley) 

G6 – Phoebe Ann Throop (Married Name: Carpenter) 

G7 – Joseph Allen Throop 

-son of Calvin Throop and Anna Ripley 

G8 – Anna Ripley 

-father and mother unknown at this time 

Born: 1784 in Litchfield, Connecticut, US 

Died: August 18, 1856 in Grenville, Canada West 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Brundage Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget

Brundage (Also known as Brunderage) Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget 

Ruth and Florence Paget are related to the Brundages through their ancestor Phoebe Ann Throop. G1 below refers to Generation 1 and so on. 

Mother Lines 

G1 – Florence Paget

G2 – Ruth Pennington (Married Name: Paget) 

G3 – Beatrice May Sawle (Married Name: Pennington) 

G4 – Daisy May Bardsley (Married Name: Sawle) 

G5 – Etta Pearl Carpenter (Married Name: Bardsley) 

G6 – Phoebe Ann Throop (Married Name: Carpenter) 

G7 – Elizabeth Brundage (Married Name: Throop) 

-daughter of Abraham Brundage and Mrs Abraham Brundage 

Born: September 10, 1821 in Preston, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada 

(Lived in New York in 1870 according to Family Search Organization) 

G8 – Abraham Brundage 

Born: 1796 in Canada 

Marriage in Preston, Greenville, Canada to Mrs Abraham Brundage 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Colonial Pudding Cap Pattern for New Walkers reposted by Ruth Paget

Colonial Pudding Cap Pattern for New Walkers Information reposted by Ruth Paget

I first saw a colonial pudding cap at the colonial France’s Land House in Virginia Beach, Virginia.  The blog below gives a pattern for one and its history:

https://crazyconcordchicks.blogspot.com/2012/01/mrs-hancocks-pudding-cap-pattern.html?m=1

The following blog shows puddings caps on historical portraits:

https://sharonlathanauthor.com/pudding-caps/#:~:text=1780),%2C%20velvet%2C%20and%20so%20on.

Pudding caps look like they would a child’s head warm as well as protecting them from falls.

Happy Sewing!

Last-Minute Ticket Sales for Pro-Am Golf Tournament at Pebble Brach, California on sale posted by Ruth Paget

There are still some last-minute tickets available for the Pro-Am Golf Tournament at Pebble Beach, California on February 12, 13, 14, and 15, 2026:

Ticket details and information are available at the link below:

https://www.attpbgolf.com/spectators/tickets/

Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Vienna Coffee Society Gsmr

Rodeo 2026 Tickets go on sale 2-12-2026 reposted by Ruth Paget

The Monterey Herald announced that Salinas Rodeo tickets will go on sale on Thursday, February 12, 2026 at 10 am.  This year’s concert will be headlined by Grammy winner Miranda Lambert.

Ticket information is on the Monterey Herald site below:

https://www.montereyherald.com/2026/02/09/miranda-lambert-to-headline-kick-off-concert-at-salinas-rodeo/

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Vienna Coffee Game

A link to Ruth Paget’s Vienna Coffee Game follows:

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2021/07/vienna-coffee-games-created-by-ruth.html?m=1

French Baguette Bread Hors d'oeuvres Recipes by Ruth Paget

French Baguette Bread Hors d’oeuvres Recipes by Ruth Paget 

One of the reasons the French seem so adamant about eating their white bread baguettes is that they can easily turn them into rounds for toast, topping, and microwaving into hors d’oeuvres or dinners depending on how many hors d’oeuvres are eaten. 

Baguettes from a bakery are pretty reasonably price, but if you make your own even for weekend consumption on a regular basis, the savings can be tremendous without sparing flavor or texture. If you are interested in seeing how baguettes can be made at home, I have provided the following link to my daughter Florence Paget’s forays in the kitchen.  The recipe makes 2 to 3 baguettes:

Traditional French Baguette Recipe with Photos and Videos

The seven recipes below require you to cut 12 round slices from one baguette that are about ½-inch wide. Then, the baguette slices are grilled or toasted to make a solid base for your hors d’oeuvres. 

*Baguette slice with melted gruyère cheese rectangle sprinkled with crushed Calabrian red peppercorns. It takes about 45 seconds to 1 minute to melt the cheese in the microwave. You can butter the toast first, if you would like.  

*Baguette slice with melted goat cheese slice studded with halves of black Niçoise olive. It takes about 1 minute to microwave to melt goat cheese. You can drizzle on olive oil on the toast first, if you would like. 

*Baguette slice with shrimp-mayonnaise spread made with Japanese mayonnaise or homemade mayonnaise (1/2 cup) and ¾ to 1 cup cooked shrimp without their shells. Place the mayonnaise and shrimp in a blender and mix to a paste. Spread shrimp paste on baguette rounds and sprinkle with Calabrian crushed red pepper. 

*Baguette slice spread with sour cream with a slice of smoked salmon on top and garnished wit dill. Whipped cream cheese can also be used as a spread. 

*Baguette slice spread with tapenade – a mixture of pitted black olives, capers, crushed garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and parsley. My family does not like tapenade, but this spread is a popular one and is often served with melted goat cheese on top. 

*Baguette slice with a cream cheese and walnut spread that is made by blending the two main ingredients in a blender.  Other nuts can also be used in a spread this way.

*Baguette slice with a cream cheese and black olive spread that is made by blending the two main ingredients in a blender. 

Suggested Beverages: San Pellegrino Sparkling Water, white wines like pinot grigio (pinot gris), sauvignon blanc, and dry Riesling, hard cider like Henry Hot Spurs, and lager beers like Peroni Nastro Azzuro (Official sponsor of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics). 

Suggested Side Salads: Grated carrot salad, lentil salad, and organic greens 

Bon Appétit! 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of Teff: The Global Flour Game

Making Traditional French Baguette Online Exhibit with Florence Paget by RuthbPaget

Making French Traditional Baguette Bread Online Exhibit with Florence Paget by Ruth Paget 

In 1993, the French government decreed that bread that is sold as French traditional baguettes can only contain 4 ingredients in its Décret Pain (93 – 1074): wheat flour, water, salt, and yeast. 

My daughter Florence Paget wanted to bake baguettes as a family heritage project, so we bought organic ingredients and she set to work on the following recipe, which I recorded in step-by-step photos and videos below. 

Traditional French Baguette Bread Recipe 

3 ¼ cup flour 

1 ¼ cup warm water 

2 ¼ teaspoons yeast (1 package active dry yeast) 

2 teaspoons sea salt 

Oven temperature: 480 degrees Fahrenheit 

Baking time: 20 minutes 

Florence first sprinkled yeast on the warm water and mixed it up till it was cloudy and beginning to slightly bubble. 

Florence placed all the flour in a mixing bowl and all the water and blended the dough with a mixer while it was liquid. As the water was absorbed by the flour, she then mixed the dough with her hands. This is a sticky operation. 

At this point, she made the dough into a ball and covered it and placed it in a cool oven to rise. The time for rising will vary depending on the temperature in the room. Dough rising can take between 1 and 2 hours. 

After 2 hours, Florence set out her bread baking pan on the stove and pulled the risen dough out from the oven. Florence turned on the oven to preheat to 480 degrees Fahrenheit and placed a pan of water on the lower rack of the oven that would steam the bread as it cooked to make a crunchy crust. Next, she floured the kitchen counter for kneading the risen dough. (Note: We have a well-seasoned pizza stone in our oven which also helps keep the oven warm when baking other items.) 

As you can see from the photo, the dough has doubled in size. Florence carefully peeled the ball of dough out onto the floured counter to avoid crushing air bubbles in the dough. She gently kneaded the dough a few times before shaping it into long loaves by cutting the dough in half, shaping it into a rectangle, and rolling up the rectangles into loaves. Do a minimum of dough handling to avoid popping air bubbles. 

Florence stretched the dough loaves out and placed them in the baking dish. She then scored them with a knife into diagonal shapes on one loaf and down the center of the bread on the other. She then covered the loaves to let them rise again. 

When the stove had preheated and the dough loaves had risen, it was time for them to go in the oven on the rack above the steaming water in the pan on the lower rack. 

The bread should be done baking in 20 minutes. It should have the characteristic round patterned bottom as seen in the photo. The thick crust on the bread keeps it fresher for an extra day it seems when you bake baguettes at home. 

The photos and videos below will walk through the baguette baking process that Florence Paget used:

 

Note: French baguette bread hors d’oeuvres serving suggestion follows:

 https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/02/french-baguette-hors-doeuvres-recipes.html?m=1

Note: When baguettes become a day old and rather hard, cut them into thick rectangles and use them for dunking in soup.

Note: When baguettes are a day old and become hard, they can be cut into chunks and placed in a food processor to make bread crumbs.  You can add the bread crumbs to pasta or on top of casseroles.

Note: Of course, cubes of day old baguette are used in fondue.  See my blog below for details: 

 https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/01/family-fondue-night-for-sustainable.html?m=1

Bon Appétit!

Photos, Videos, and Text By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of Teff: The Global Flour Game

Fundraiser Sandwich Night Supper by Ruth Paget

Fundraiser Sandwich Night Supper in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget 

One of the traditional Main Street economic motors of the Midwest that I grew up with in the 1970s in Royal Oak, Michigan was food fundraisers by religious organizations, amateur sports teams, and community service clubs. 

Today the remnant of these fundraisers are bake sales and chocolate sales, but once sandwiches, potluck lunches, pancake suppers, and soup suppers used to be the backbone of local fundraising that gave parents a night off from cooking and helped support Main Street supermarkets at the same time. 

All the above is background for my family’s viewing of the Olympics Opening Ceremony in Milan-Cortina, Italy while we ate items from a food fundraiser. 

My daughter Florence Paget bought pastrami and rye bread from a local synagogue as part of their winter fundraising. Pastrami is a tender, salty, sweet, and smoked beef brisket usually that is cut into thin slices as sandwich meat. 

Pastrami was easy to purchase in Detroit (Michigan) where I grew up due to its large Jewish population at the time. I took pastrami sandwiches for granted then, but know now from watching youtube videos that it can easily take more than a week to produce pastrami. 

I appreciate the sandwich more now as an adult and like it that Florence’s support for the fundraiser helps with local youth programs and social hours for seniors like pancake suppers helped at my parents’ Baptist church when I was a child. 

The traditional bread that pastrami is served with is a rye bread. Rye has a bitter flavor due to rye seeds, which can seem oily. I can almost feel harsh, dry weather of a vast windy plain when I eat rye bread.

Rye bread is an acquired taste, but if you like it, you can benefit from its seed-grain combination for what vegetarians call a protein combination based on matching amino acids. The rye bread’s protein adds to what is present in the pastrami. 

Rye bread and pastrami taste especially good with mustard. I used French Maille mustard from Dijon (France) on the sandwich. Mustard contains antioxidants and selenium, making it a good winter condiment when access to fresh fruits and vegetables are often limited in places with cold weather and snow. 

A dill pickle is the traditional accompaniment to the pastrami sandwich on rye. I drank an Italian Peroni beer with the pastrami sandwich since it seems to be an official sponsor of the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. 

I enjoyed reliving a bit of my youth in Detroit (Michigan) with this meal. I also like the idea of a multicultural sandwich night as a way for local sports teams, service organizations, and religious organizations to do fundraisers that help working parents and support Main Street markets at the same time in Salinas, California and the surrounding Monterey County region.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorodand Bento War Games

Cashew Shrimp at Golden Star Chinese Restaurant in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Cashew Shrimp at Golden Star Chinese Restaurant in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget 

One of my favorite authentic Chinese-American meals is cashew chicken, which I recently ordered from Golden Star Chinese Restaurant in Salinas, California. 

The shrimp in this dish gets its salty taste and blackish color from being marinated in soy sauce before being stir-fried (about 10 minutes) 

The cashew chicken at Golden Star makes maximum use of the organic produce available in Salinas Valley with vegetable ingredients such as celery (one of Salinas Valley’s top selling crops), green peppers, mushrooms, carrots, and onions being put in the stir-fry. 

The aromatics used to flavor the vegetables and shrimp tie it all together. Fresh chopped ginger, minced garlic, and chopped green onion along with sweet mirin cooking wine flavor the sizzling cooking oil (usually peanut oil) that the shrimp and vegetables are stir-fried in. 

Roasted cashews are added in at the end of cooking along with oyster sauce and sesame oil. Golden Star makes sure everything is bite-size to be easily picked up with chopsticks, if using. 

I love vegetables, shrimp, and cashews independently. When they are all put together in this dish with ginger, garlic, green onions, and sesame oil as seasonings, I think the combination pretty terrific tasting and full of vitamins, minerals, and protein. 

Diners who like shrimp and vegetables might also like these ingredients with cashews to try something new at a reasonable price at Golden Star Restaurant in Salinas, California.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Californian Salmon Dinner Photo Essay by Ruth Paget

Californian Salmon Dinner Photo Essay by Ruth Paget 

I use three go-to products from Costco to make dinners during winter in Salinas, California. These products are Morey’s Wild Alaskan Salmon, Bibigo Sticky Rice, and Earth Green Organic Spring Mix baby greens. 

Morey’s Alaskan salmon is kita salmon. Kita salmon are a numerous subspecies of salmon that swim in the Pacific and then fight to swim upstream in fresh water to spawn (reproduce and die).  Salmon tend to spawn during late summer through winter.  Salmon also swim in Northern Californian rivers by the Oregon-California border in the Klamath River and in the Sacramento River. 

Morey’s frozen salmon comes in individually wrapped packages. I place frozen fillets on a baking tray lined with parchment paper for easy clean up when baking is done. 

The fillets bake to a reddish brown and are seasoned with sea salt, garlic, reddish paprika, onion, and red bell pepper. 

When the fish are done baking, I warm up Bibigo Korean Rice in the microwave for 90 seconds and place organic greens next to the rice and salmon. (My plated meal looks like an upscale TV deal, but nutritionists did advise on what to put in TV dinners.) 

I am happy with my protein-carbohydrate-vegetable meal. I also like this meal, because rice grows in the Sacramento area of California and lettuce grows in the Salinas Valley. This meal could be totally sourced in California, if necessary. 

Clean up is easy is easy, if you gather up the parchment by four corners as in the video below. You still have to wipe down and wash the baking tray, but you do not have baked on grease on the tray, if you use parchment paper. 

Note:  You can substitute steamed or microwaved canned green beans for the salad, if you would like.

The photos and short video below show the step-by-step process of making a salmon dinner during winter:

Bon Appétit!

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Bento and Novgorod War Games

Celebrating French Chandeleur with Crepes Online Exhibit by Ruth Paget

Celebrating French Chandeleur with Crêpes Online Exhibit by Ruth Paget 

When I lived in France, I learned that all French people seem to observe the Catholic holiday of Chandeleur whether or not they are practicing Catholics or not. 

Chandeleur occurs 40 days after Christmas on February 2nd and celebrates the presentation in the temple of Jesus Christ by his parents Mary and Joseph. The temple referred to is not pagan, but a Jewish synagogue. Jesus was born a Jew to Jewish parents. 

Chandeleur marks the beginning of Christ’s life in society and prepares believers for the celebration of Christian Easter in spring. 

The French celebrate Chandeleur with a pile of crêpes that can last several days if wrapped in plastic and kept in the refrigerator. I love the nutrition in crêpes at an economical price. 

The crêpe recipe my family developed for California uses milk, eggs, flour, water, fleur de sel sea salt from Guérande (Brittany, France), and California olive oil. The recipe follows: 

Paget Family California Crêpes Recipe

When your crêpe batter is made, it should be liquid with no lumps. Heat your crêpe pans with olive oil on high. Pour two ladles of crêpe batter into a hot pan and swirl the batter around till it coats the pan with the batter. 

The batter will begin to set so that you can move the crêpre back and forth gently like in the videos below. Carefully flip the crêpe over. You are working with extremely hot oil so you might want to use spatulas and mitts to turn over the crêpe. 

The flipped crêpe has a golden brown color and dry texture. Let the other side cook for 1 to 2 minutes before placing it on a serving plate. 

The French drink hard cider (alcoholic cider) with crêpes. If you prefer sweet cider try Martinelli’s. It pops open like champagne, but has no alcohol. We drink Henry Hot Spurs Cider from Trader Joe’s. 

According to webMD.com, hard cider retains vitamins like Vitamin C and antioxidants in its production. Apple cider is also considered to be a laxative by WebMD.com . 

The typical French additions to crêpes are butter and grated gruyère cheese. Spreadable Laughing Cow is also liked but not traditional in crêpes. 

Dessert crêpes are usually made with jam. Both kinds of crêpes are rolled up and can be heated in a mircrowave. 

The following photos and videos illustrate the process of preparing a French Chandeleur celebration at home with crêpes, cider, and fillings for this February 2nd holiday.

No-lump batter is necessary.

Fleur de sel is a fine grain sea salt that 
reduces lumps in the batter

American, Swedish, and Crocheted French Kitchen Towel by Laurent's grandmother

The flipped crêpe has a golden cooked sid.

Henry Hot Spurs Hard Cider is similar to apple cider
from Brittany, France

Typical crêpe fillings for a home celebration of Chandeleur.

So easy to eat, but time consuming to prepare.

A little butter and cheese for filling before rolling up the crêpe.

Time to eat!

Bonne Fête de la Chandeleur!!

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and Novgorod War Game Developer