Victory Kitchen Podcast

Working on another podcast episode! Any guesses? 😏

P.S. I've got a different, new episode coming out in a few days. For once I'm ahead! Woohoo! 🎉

My next semester starts August 22, so I'm racing to finish some extra episodes before then that I can post over the next few months. We'll see how far I get. 😅

Vintage nut choppers are one of my favorite kitchen tools. I have some early memories of helping my mom bake and she let me chop the nuts with our plastic olive green nut chopper. It was such a fun, satisfying job! The chopper makes the most uniform pieces that a modern food processor could never mimic! The only problem with my current nut chopper is that it's missing a few teeth. 😅

I went antiquing in Gettysburg last week and these are some of the tempting beauties I left behind. 😍 I left with a few postcards though, plus an irresistible Lego mini fig and its pet alligator. 🐊 😂

This month we watched the classic WWII film Twelve O'clock High for my . If you've seen it, I'd love to hear your thoughts. I've seen the famous Robin Hood toby mug in relation to WWII stuff but had no idea it came from this film!

This ad in a 1943 Farm Journal magazine made me think of the film.

I got this in my inbox and felt it was vital to share with the larger history-loving community. ❤️

Statement in Response to the White House “Saving America's Story” Report and in Support of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

Published July 9, 2026

The National Council on Public History (NCPH) rejects the findings of the “Saving America’s Story” report on the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. This unserious and distorted document violates the professional ethics and values that have guided history institutions, museums, and cultural organizations for generations. It also fails to reflect the basic and fundamental standards of scholarship, including an accurate interpretation of the full evidentiary record.

Yet its implications are significant. By seeking to shape public history through political interference, the report threatens the independence of the Smithsonian and the public's trust in museums. It is an outgrowth of Executive Order 14253 (“Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History”), which has repeatedly been used to undermine federal museums and historic sites and the work of dedicated and skilled government historians.

NCPH rejects authoritarian efforts to rewrite and simplify our rich and complex history; we reject the Trump administration’s attempt to control knowledge; we reject efforts to silence the voices of communities of color, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ individuals; we reject the dismissal of intellectual freedom, expertise, and collaboration.

We affirm that history must be grounded in rigorous evidence, professional expertise, open inquiry, and collaboration with communities who hold stories, materials, and memories that expand understanding of our past. While historians debate interpretation, those debates are informed by evidence and peer review; they are not based on political directive. An accurate portrayal of the past requires engaging with the full range of historical experiences and perspectives, not diminishing the experiences and reality of our country’s diverse people. Inclusive history is not partisan history— it is honest history."

Continued in the comments...

I recently posted this month's new WWII Film Club pick: Twelve O'clock High! I really enjoyed it! Join me in the comments over on Subst@ck to tell me what you think of the movie!

Thirty-ish years ago, this is where my love of history began at 12 years old as well as my fascination with WWII. I'll always be grateful to this museum for making an effort to include kids in making a difference at the museum, in helping us feel important, and nurturing the next generation of historians.... Like me! 🥰

Happy 250th birthday, America! 🎇🇺🇸

I found these amazing Library of Congress photos taken by photographer Russell Lee in Vale, Oregon July 4, 1941. I love seeing how these folks celebrated our 165th birthday, 85 years ago.
I share a lot more of these incredible photos in my special July 4th episode post on $ubstack!

First episode of the year, woohoo!! 😂
🎇🧨🎆🇺🇸✨
I wanted to celebrate America's 250th by talking about how Americans celebrated July 4th during wartime. There's a couple surprise treats in the episode too, so go check it out! 😄

I've switched to a new podcast host, so if you don't see my new episode please let me know. I'm still connecting my RSS feed to various platforms.

Also, I'll be working on the accompanying Substack post tomorrow, so hopefully that will be up in time for the 4th!

It's the WWII Days at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum! I'm always in awe of the incredible displays reenactors bring and all of their collective knowledge.