102 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Feb. 



bints in the way of housekeeping — of which, 



by the way, no matter how much experience 



one may have had, there is always something 



to be learned, as every housekeeper will tell 



you. 



Bread Making. 



Very few people know how to make good 

 bread, and it is no cause of wonder to me, 

 when I remember how many times I have fail- 

 ed, and that when I have taken the m^ost pains, 

 and was the most anxious to succeed. To 

 make good bread the flour must be of the best 

 quality — this is indispensable. During the 

 summer I use yeast cakes, dissolving one the 

 night before using, in a small quantity of warm 

 water, into which I stir flour, not so much but 

 that it will pour readily, and set it away to rise. 

 In the morning I take a quantity of sweet milk 

 — if milk is not plenty, use part water, but all 

 milk is better — scald it, and when it is cool 

 enough stir in flour, and when nearly as stifi" 

 as you desire, add the yeast, stirring into it 

 previously a half-teaspoonful or so of sugar. 

 After it has stood long enough to rise thor- 

 oughly — but not too long, as it will have be- 

 come sour, — ^knead it well. This is an import- 

 ant point, for bread can scarcely be kneaded 

 too much. Put it in the tins and set it to rise 

 the second time. When it is ready to bake, it 

 should be placed in a hot oven and baked from 

 a half to three-quarters of an hour, according 

 to the size of the loaves, but be sure that it is 

 well done. Remove the bread fi-om the tins 

 as soon as baked, and stand the loaves up edge- 

 wise to cool. 



Cookies. 



One cup of butter ; one of cream ; two of 

 sugar; one egg; a teaspoonful soda; flour 

 enough to roU. These ai-e very nice, and will 

 keep a long time. 



Cake. 



Two eggs ; one cup of sugar ; one-half cup 

 butter ; one-half cup sweet milk ; two cups of 

 flour ; one teaspoonful cream tartar ; half tea- 

 spoonful soda; nutmeg. Fruit, and other 

 spices added, make a good fruit cake. 

 Indian Breakfast Cake. 



Two cups sour milk; four tablespoonfuls 

 cream; the same of brown sugar; two cups 

 Indian meal ; one of flour ; one teaspoonful 

 soda. This makes the best Indian cake I have 

 ever eaten.- 



Allow me to add that good food is tlie cheap- 

 est, always. I do not mean rich food, that 



spoils one's appetite too soon ; but good, plain 

 food, pi'epared without stinginess, and served 

 in a tasteful and inviting way, will always chal- 

 lenge the poorest appetite. Let me add again, 

 for the benefit of young housekeepers, when 

 you have a good receipt don't spoil it by 

 scrunping, as I have seen some do, — leaving 

 out an egg, or not using quite enough sugar, 

 or spoiling it in some way, which is, to my 

 thinlving, very poor economy. When you make 

 pies and cakes, make them as well as you pos- 

 sibly can, and you will have notliing to waste 

 because it is too poor to be relished. 



Katie S. 

 North Brookfield, Mass., 1866. 



Remarks. — Capital advice. Believing in 

 such a creed, our young fiiend cannot fail to 

 become a model housekeeper. 



Cream Cake. 

 One cup of cream ; one cup of sugar ; two 

 eggs ; a little salt ; one teaspoonful of soda ; 

 two cups of tlour. 



Doughnuts. 

 One cup of sugar ; one cup of sweet milk ; 

 one egg ; one teaspoonful of soda ; one of 

 cream tartar. 



Poor Man's Cake. 

 One cup of sugar ; one cup of sweet milk ; 

 three cups of flour ; one teaspoonful of soda ; 

 one of cream tartar ; a piece of butter the size 

 of a hen's egg. Susie. 



Marlow, N. H., Dec. 23d, 1866. 



Remarks. — Our lady readers will oblige us 

 by keeping this corner of our paper well filled. 

 We have frequently received commendations 

 for receipts furnished by our correspondents. 



Ed. 



duties of an english lady's 



MAID. 



One of these not-to-be-envied persons, a 

 race Avhich may be classed witli that of govern- 

 esses, lias recently made disclosures throwing a 

 ])eculiar light upon the women of i-ank in "Old 

 Kngland.'' "Much is required from us in 

 London," she writes : "We must, above all, be 

 vcrv punctual, for fashionable ladies change 

 their dress at least five times a day dui-ing the 

 season. We must have polished manners, be 

 no older than tliirty-five years, and always be 

 cheerful and good-tempered, although for 

 weeks we are kept without sleep until four 

 o'clock in tlie morning — a practice which is 

 equally injurious to eyes and lungs. We are 



