1498 
Tbt RURAL NEW-YORKER 
December 23, 1922 
From Day to Day 
A Christmas Carol 
‘ What means this glory round our feet,” 
The Magi mused, "more bright than 
morn ?” 
And voices chanted clear and sweet, 
"Today the Prince of Peace is born !” 
“What means that star,” the shepherd 
said. 
“That brightens through the rocky 
glen?” 
And angels, answering overhead, 
* Sang "reace on earth, good will to 
men!” 
’Tis eighteen hundred years and more 
Since those sweet oracles were dumb; 
We wait for Ilim, like them of yore; 
Alas, He seems so slow to come! 
But it was said, in words of gold. 
No time or sorrow ne’er shall dim. 
That little children might be bold 
In perfect trust to come to Him. 
All round about our feet shall shine 
A light like that the wise men saw, 
If we our loving wills incline 
To that sweet life which is the law. 
So shall we learn to understand 
The simple faith of shepherds then 
And clasping kindly hand in hand, 
Sing “Peace on earth, good will to 
men!” 
And they who do their souls no wrong. 
But keep at eve the faith of morn. 
Shall daily hear the angel song, 
“Today the Prince of Peace is born !” 
—JAMES BUSSELL LOWELL. 
5k 
Continuing that subject of food poi¬ 
soning induced by cooling meat in a closed 
vessel, we have the following statement 
from C. F, Longwcrthy. Chief of the 
Office of Home Economics, United States 
Department of Agriculture: 
In connection with our work we have 
made no studies of subjects such as food 
poisoning caused by allowing meat which 
has been cooked to remain tightly closed 
while it is cooling. 
If foods cause illness under circum¬ 
stances such as you describe, it is, in my 
opinion, not due to the fact that the dish 
was covered, but to the fact that it was 
not heated under conditions which de¬ 
stroy micro-organisms that might have 
come from the hands of the worker or 
some other accidental cause. 
One of our readers asks how to pre¬ 
pare deviled ham. We think this refers 
to the savory potted ham sold under this 
name, and the following is a familiar 
recipe, which enables one to utilize, scraps 
of boiled ham which cannot be sliced 
neatly: Cut all the meat, fat and lean, 
from the remains of a boiled ham, reject¬ 
ing gristle and outside portions. Chop 
very fine, and then pound to a paste with 
vegetable masher. To each pint of the 
paste add one teaspoon of mixed mus¬ 
tard. a sppek of cayenne and a tablespoon 
of butter. Pack smoothly in small earthen 
jars, paste paper over them, and put on 
covers. Place the pots in a baking pan, 
which should he filled with hot water, and 
bake in oven for two hours. Cool with¬ 
out removing covers. 'When cold, take 
covers off and pour melted butter over 
the meat. Cover again, and keep in a 
cool place. Another form of deviled ham 
is sliced ham broiled and served very hot 
with a savory sauce made by blending 
one tablespoon of English mustard with 
two ounces of granulated sugar, two 
ounces of butter, two tablespoons Indian 
chutney, two tablespoons Worcestershire 
sauce, simmered and served hot. The 
English recipe adds claret to this. It is 
very hot and savory. A similar sauce is 
used with other deviled meat, as turkey 
legs or sliced mutton, warmed over after 
roasting. 
When The R. N.-Y. reaches its thou¬ 
sands of farm friends Christmas Day will 
be very close, and many a tired house¬ 
mother will be considering her final 
preparations for the great feast. Some, 
like Martha, will be cumbered with many 
cares; others, like Mary, will think 
chiefly of the holy Guest. We know that 
Christmas would not be complete without 
the skilled hands of the Marthas; but let 
us remember that a big dinner is not (he 
whole Christinas Day. and though it is, 
first of all, the children’s festival, it is 
incomplete if their elders do not share 
with them. A united family, a happy 
home circle, and all the joys of the great 
festival—these are our Christmas wishes 
for our friends both far and near. 
Sour Cream Filling for Layer Cake 
I have noticed tin inquiry about mak¬ 
ing a cake tilling of sour cream. Here is 
mine, which I consider the best of this 
type of cake we make, there being noth¬ 
ing equal to it in richness and flavor: 
One cup thick sour cream, 1 Va cups 
sugar boiled to soft hall stage. Cool 
slightly and heat to proper consistency 
for operating. Do not add mils or raisins 
or spice or anything, as that spoils the 
fine flavor given it by the lactic acid. 
The filling may be started as soon as tlit* 
cake goes into the oven, as the cooking 
should be very slow, so as not to coagu¬ 
late any milk that might be contained in 
the cream, and the Cream must he freshly 
soured. Should the addition of nuts or 
raisins seem desirable, put them into the 
cake dough. NINA b. koyce. 
Uses for Pickle Juice 
When making ripe cucumber pickles, 
sliced tomato pickles, citron pickles and 
the like, there is very apt to be vinegar 
left in the kettle after putting the pickle 
in jars. This vinegar is too salt to use 
in the next kettleful. and if we make a 
lot of pickles, quite a bit of juice is ac¬ 
cumulated or turned in the swill, or en¬ 
tirely wasted. 
My husband prefers pickle juice to 
clear vinegar to eat ou beaus or vege¬ 
table hash, but I make such quantities 
The Rural Patterns 
In ordering alway* give number of pattern 
and size desired, sending price with order 
2107. Long-waisted 
Dress with circular 
skirt, li! and 18 
years. The 16-year 
size will require 2 b- 
yards of material 40 
inches wide for the 
upper portion, with 
0 !> 1 3. F alley 
Rodiee. with or 
without sleeves. 34 
to 42 bust. 
2005.V. Two-piece 
Skirt, with or with¬ 
out panels, 21! to 34 
waist. 
The medium size 
bodice will require 
l>i! yards of mate¬ 
rial 36 inches wide. 
1 1 1 yards 44. The 
medium size skirt 
will require 2 ! >„ 
yards of material 
30. 40 or 44 inches 
wide, with lVt 
yards any width ex¬ 
tra for the s'de 
panels. Each 20 
cents. 
2 yards extra for 
the skirt. 20 cents. 
of catsup and chili sauce each year there 
is not much need of it, autl so I always 
make my pickle first (the early ripened 
tomatoes are of better flavor for canning, 
and I use the culls for catsup). I have 
put my pickle juice into my catsup the 
last three or four years with good results. 
I have known my mother to conk pickle 
juice down to a thick syrup and save it 
to put into mincemeat in tin* Winter. 
If the juice contains whole spices if. 
needs to he strained for either purpose. 
MRS. Ol/JVA HUSTLE. 
Excellent Bread by the Easiest Method 
I have made bread from a “start”; 
from a sponge made of water, sugar, 
Hour and yeast: from yeast mixed with 
cooked potatoes and sugar. I have had 
good bread by each of these methods, but 
I never had as good bread its 1 do now 
by the easiest merhod I have ever used. 
I mix tlie bread til night. For six loaves 
and a pan of rolls I use: Two yeast 
cakes, 2Vj quarts of liquid, one heaping 
cup of sugar, one-fourth cup of salt, from 
0*4 to 7% quarts of flour. 
I use compressed or dried yetisl cakes, 
being careful to soak the cakes only just 
long enough to dissolve them. This is a 
very important item. Do not get thorn 
ready until you are ready for them. I 
buy enough yeast cakes to last for I wo 
bakings, put them in a fruit jar with 
rubber, ami screw the lid tight, placing 
(lit* jar in Hit* cellar. I never have any 
trouble keeping them fresh. I dissolve 
the yeast in one cup of the liquid already 
stated. 
Good bread can he made with plain 
water, in which case l use one cup of 
melted lard or other shortening. For my 
own broad I use milk fresh from the 
cow, without other shortening. I do not 
add any soda, but in ease the nights are 
hot it might be wise to add a teaspoon 
of soda to the milk. Also, wi case of hot 
nights, it might he well to use only one 
yeast cake. We are blessed with cool 
nights till Summer long in Idaho, and l 
have to be careful to shut my bread up 
in a pantry with the window closed. 
Hurd wheat flour is the best for bread, 
of course, and only about 6K> quarts will 
he required for this amount of liquid, 
but we have difficulty in Idaho in get¬ 
ting anything but tin* mixed hard and 
soft wheat Hour, some of it very much 
soft wheat, so we are forced to use at 
least 1*4 quarts more flour than with 
the hard wheat. Mixed Hour should he 
made into a stiff dough. I have made 
bread by this method with my hands, but 
I have a bread mixer, and I make just, 
as good bread in it as by hand. When I 
lived in Kansas I had throe friends who 
bought bread mixers because I had one 
and was successful with it. After trying 
theirs, one Indy used the mixer as a 
bucket, one as a bread box, am! the other 
let hers rust under the backyard trees. 
One of them said to me: “It stands to 
reason that you can’t make as good bread 
in a thing like that as by hand." You 
see. there are women who cannot use 
modern labor savers. If you happen to 
be that kind, don’t let anyone know it. 
When I have put enough flour into my 
liquid so that it is the consistency of a 
sponge. I take about a quart of this 
sponge out and pur it into a narrow, 
deep bucket, kettle or crock. This I 
leave until morning, just as it is. In the 
morning, if the bread is up good, I cut 
it down with a knife, if kneaded by baud, 
and turn the handle of the bread mixer 
if mixed in that. To the sponge in the 
separate vessel I add: Two eggs, three 
tablespoons sugar, one heaping teaspoon 
of lard, melted (butter is better I. one 
drop of essence of lemon, enough flour to 
make a still - dough. The essence of lemon 
gives these rolls a special attractiveness. 
With the mixed soft and hard wheat 
flour it is very important, in fact, abso¬ 
lutely essential, that the dough he made 
as stilT as possible. Grease, and set to 
rise well covered. For greasing doughs 
and pans I have a small painter’s brush, 
which I bought for the purpose. If you 
want these rolls to rise quickly, add One- 
half yeast cake dissolved in a little milk 
or water. 
You may make your bread into loaves 
as soon ns first risen if you wish. I let 
mine rise twice as a matter of conven¬ 
ience. as breakfast timp is rush rime with 
me. As soon as I have eaten my break¬ 
fast the bread is ready to put into the 
pans. After washing the cabinet’s alumi¬ 
num top. and drying it with a towel, 1 
sprinkle it very lightly with flour. I 
lift the whole lump of dough to rlu* cabi¬ 
net, and proceed to out it with a knife 
into loaves of exactly the same size. 
These T shape for the pans as quickly ns 
possible, rf is not necessary to knead 
the bread again. 
When the dough in the crock is very 
light you can hardly get it too light— 
I take it on the cabinet, cut in half, roll 
the half like a sausage, and break off 
pieces the sizp I wish, keeping them uni¬ 
form. For the next process I do not 
want any flour whatever on the board. 
I take one of these pieces in each hand, 
place it under the hollow of my paltu. 
curl my fingers so that the lips touch the 
dough, and then pressing hard upon the 
pieces of dough, on the cabinet top. with 
a rotary motion I shape them into balls. 
It takes less time to shape two balls 
than it does to tell it. At first I could 
not get my left hand lo behave, but this 
method is far and away quicker than any 
other for molding biscuits. I learned 
•this from a baker. It is used in the big 
shops, where time is at a premium. 
When you have the other half of the 
dough worked iu the same manner, and 
your cabinet top is Covered with little 
halls, you can decide whether you will 
have finger rolls or Barker House rolls. 
For finger rolls you take a ball of dough, 
place your hand flat upon it and roll it 
several times, then take both hands and 
gradually slope off the ends into points, 
still rolling. Place in slightly greased 
pans, and cover with cloth. For Barker 
Mouse rolls hit your ball of dough with 
the full part of tin* palm of your hand 
next your wrist. Do this to all balls, 
grease, fold, an 1 hit in the same manner 
on the thin side of the roll opposite the 
fine of opening. Biace in pans close to¬ 
gether. just the opposite from the finger 
rolls, which mutt, not touch. If you have 
not enough rolls t<> fill your pan place a 
clean hoard, upstanding, against the last 
row, propping it in place with a monkey 
wrench, if nothing else is handier, as T 
have done. This keeps till the rolls in 
perfect shape. T'non removing from oven 
grease tops of rolls. 
Tit's dough also makes tine German 
apple cake, of which wo tire very fond; 
ami it makes the finest of cinnamon rolls, 
especially if some raisins are strewed on 
the dough before rolling. 
“The proof of the pudding is in the 
eating.” You will have to take my word 
for it that my bread is light, without any 
taste of ypast, fine-grained. and as good 
as the best I ever saw. The rolls have 
received praise on till sides. They are so 
good, unci look so delicious, that they are 
considered expert products. But they 
are not. Anyone following the above 
methods can have as good results. 
While rising keep all draughts away 
from bread, cover closely, do not place 
by hot stove, keep at the same tempera¬ 
ture from first to last, warm, but not hot. 
If your bread is slow to rise, do not be 
alarmed. Slow-rising bread by any other 
method means poor bread; but this may 
take its time and be perfect. To test 
your oven, place your hand inside and 
count to '20. If you must withdraw the 
hand, it is ready. Let oven heat grow 
less to a medium amount. 
ANNIE ITKE GREENWOOD. 
Two Old Favorites 
Fudge Fake.—Several years ago a 
friend who made a most delicious cake 
which she called “fudge cake," gave me 
this recipe: One-half cup butter, one 
cup sugar, two eggs (yolks well beaten 
first, then the whites beaten to a stiff 
froth), one-half cup milk (sweet), 2% 
teaspoons baking powder, 1*4 cups flour, 
two ounces chocolate, melted, one tea¬ 
spoon vanilla. My friend always baked 
this cake in a shallow cake pan, and 
when done covered it thickly with white 
icing. The proportion of the ingredients 
is such as to make this a rich and deli- 
cioits- flavored ca ke. 
Raisin Reuoehe,—Those who are fond 
of raisins will be sure to like this deli¬ 
cious confection : Cook two cups of 
brown sugar, one cup of white sugar and 
-t-71! cups of milk rill it ‘‘spins a thread” 
when dropped from a spoon. Stir in a 
rounding teaspoon of butter and a cup of 
seedless raisins, remove from stove at 
once, beating until thick, then pour into 
a buttered pan. Mark into squares when 
cool. This candy is also nice when 
dropped from a teaspoon on buttered 
plates or waxed paper, foriniug small In¬ 
dividual candies; however, this method 
requires speed, as the mixture hardens 
quickly after being beaten until thick. 
G. R. B. 
Tennessee Notes 
Thanksgiving Night! And I had 
stocked up so many things to he thank¬ 
ful for—our now schoolhouse. good 
teacher, our Sunday school, our all being 
spared, good friends, enough to eat. and. 
oh, so many things! And lo, ou Monday 
morning Bail] came down with typhoid 
fever. Neither one of the eldest lads has 
yet reached home, though I looked for 
both. W by is it? To try our faith? 
But we can only do our best, though 
sometimes the lump iu our throat swells 
up until we think we are going to choke. 
And typhoid is new to me; we never had 
a case of ir in thp family before. I am 
so fearful of doing the wrong thing. 
W hen I give si dose of medicine 1 mark 
the hour down so I will be sure to make 
no mistake, like a friend who gave a dose 
of borax and salts instead of sulphur and 
salts ; 
\\ e have had one good-sized snow, 
plenty of ice. Tobacco weather has been 
very scarce, and though the warehouses 
opeued U)> today but few of our farmers 
were ready for the sales. Perhaps some 
may not know what tobacco weather is. 
Thai means damp, foggy weather, when 
the leaves become limp as a dlshrag; then 
it is ready for stripping and grading. 
We usually make four grades iugs, bot¬ 
tom or ground leaves, next light grade, 
next red leaves, and last the tips. Then 
from six to eight leaves are tied in a 
bunch, and each grade kept separate. 
And my. how gummy and sticky you are. 
clothes and hands, too. and after it's all 
over sometimes it pays nud sometimes it 
does not. 
I.ee has caught around Ml> rabbits in 
his box traps, which helps him and the 
apple trees and wheutticlds ns well. 
Jast then I heard a car, and I thought 
it might be oue of the bays, but it passed 
on, Such n clear, beautiful, moonsiiiny 
night! Out of I he window I can see the 
frost glittering like millions of diamonds, 
with here and there a patch of frozen 
snow, gives the mirage of silvered lakes. 
The sick lad is restless and wants to talk, 
and I keep the pen going as 1 answer 
him now and then, but I find my mind 
straying and for the life of me I cannot 
overcome the uneasy worried feeling that 
mothers the world over have to bear 
when one of their children is siek. 
MRS. t>. H. I*. 
Notes from Vermont 
After the taxes are paid and Winter 
clothes bought we often find neither time 
nor money for the permanent' improve¬ 
ments we all plan to make some time, 
in our makeshifts I find the heavy cor¬ 
rugated pasteboard boxes one of my best 
first aids. 1 can repair small holes in 
plaster with the prepared material, but 
the larger ones bother me. so if the good 
man of the house is busy I cut pasteboard 
to til the hole, tack it in place, paste 
heavy wrapping over it and unto the 
plaster, then pin on the wallpaper, and 
even Mrs. Meddler won't know it unless 
she catches you at it. 
Mntij of the old farms are still blessed 
with outdoor toilets. These can be made 
windprouf by lining with the pasteboard 
and then papered with wallpaper rem¬ 
nants. Still another place is for sheath¬ 
ing ou the windward side of the hens’ 
roosting quarters. For we all know a 
dead air space makes their room much 
warmer. 
And just now is the time to go out at 
eight or nine o'clock (p. ni.) with a lan¬ 
tern and a pan of warm corn and oats if 
you wish to increase your egg yield. 
Something for nothing is what we nil 
are looking for, nud m.v new quilt nearly 
answers these requirements. The pat¬ 
tern is the old-fashioned album, the cen¬ 
ter square and the half squares that form 
the edge of the blocks are cut from small 
cream bleached sacks iu which some 
