University Press: Welch, Bigelow, & Co., Cambridge.

PUBLISHERS’ PREFACE.

THIS book, composed of brief and pithy articles, on almost every conceivable point of household duty, is a friendly monitor for young wives, and a mine of good sense and information for growing maidens. Originally published in the Household Department of “The Christian Union,” the articles have been so frequently called for and inquired after by those who had found help in them, that the author yielded to the desires of others, and has gathered them into this little volume.

Mrs. Beecher’s notion of woman’s sphere is, that, whatever exceptional women may be able to accomplish, by reason of peculiar circumstances and talents, and freedom from domestic responsibilities, the place of labor and achievement for most women, and for all married women and mothers, is Home. And this book is exactly what its title sets forth,—a kind and motherly way of helping the inexperienced to make agreeable, well-regulated, and happy homes. Following the “Talks” are a choice selection of nearly five hundred Cooking Receipts, all vouched for by the author’s own experience and skillful testing.

CONTENTS.

PART I.
MOTHERLY TALKS WITH YOUNG HOUSEKEEPERS.

PAGE
I. System in Work[3]
II. March[7]
III. Spring Labor[11]
IV. Sunshine and Fresh Air[14]
V. House-cleaning[17]
VI. Washing-day[21]
VII. Putting Clothes to soak[25]
VIII. Patient Continuance in Well-doing[28]
IX. Preparing for the Country[32]
X. Heedlessness[35]
XI. Washing Flannels[38]
XII. June Cares[42]
XIII. Pure Air and thorough Ventilation[46]
XIV. Milk and Butter[49]
XV. Making Cheese[53]
XVI. A troublesome Question[57]
XVII. Woman’s Kingdom[63]
XVIII. The Kitchen[66]
XIX. How much is a Wife worth?[70]
XX. Teach little Boys to be useful[74]
XXI. Bleaching, Starching, and removing Stains[78]
XXII. To iron Shirts, Vests, and Embroideries[84]
XXIII. A Talk about Beds[88]
XXIV. Marketing[91]
XXV. Trust your Children[96]
XXVI. Who invented Bread?[100]
XXVII. How about the little Girls?[107]
XXVIII. Stealing Servants[112]
XXIX. Fall Cleaning[117]
XXX. Fashionable Dress[122]
XXXI. Lessons by the Wayside[126]
XXXII. Pauline Pry[130]
XXXIII. Buy your Cage before you catch your Bird[135]
XXXIV. Care in selecting a House[138]
XXXV. Visiting for one’s own Convenience[141]
XXXVI. Will they Board, or keep House?[146]
XXXVII. Choice of Colors in Dress[151]
XXXVIII. Harmonizing Colors in Dress[156]
XXXIX. A Word about Moths[160]
XL. Winter Butter[164]
XLI. Repairs[169]
XLII. Accurate Weights and Measures in Cooking[173]
XLIII. Teaching little Girls to sew[176]
XLIV. The Care of Poultry[180]
XLV. Institutions for the Education of Women[184]
XLVI. Great Mistakes[189]
XLVII. Study to make Home attractive[193]
XLVIII. The Care of Cooking-Stoves and Ranges[198]
XLIX. The Old Ways and the New[202]
L. A few Hints on Carving[206]
LI. Parental Example[209]
LII. True Taste more effective than Money[213]
LIII. Cooking by Steam[217]
LIV. Vegetables[221]
LV. Cabbage[225]
LVI. Pulse[229]
LVII. Pot-herbs and Salads[234]
LVIII. Mistakes in cooking Vegetables[237]
LIX. Divided Family Government[242]
LX. How can we secure good Servants?[247]
LXI. The Guest-Chamber[250]
LXII. The Care of Infants[255]
LXIII. Personal Neatness[261]
LXIV. Are House-Plants injurious to the Health?[266]
LXV. Bad Butter[271]
LXVI. October[277]
LXVII. The Slavery of Fashion[282]
LXVIII. Pickling and Preserving[287]
LXIX. What has become of all the little Girls?[292]
LXX. Procrastination[297]
LXXI. The surest Remedy[302]
LXXII. A few little Things[308]
LXXIII. Planning for the Week[312]
LXXIV. Shopping[316]
LXXV. Dusting[320]
LXXVI. A Chapter on Soups[323]
LXXVI. More about Soups[328]
LXXVIII. Testing Character[333]
LXXIX. If we knew![337]
LXXX. In such an Hour as ye think not[342]
LXXXI. Grumbling[346]
LXXXII. Little Foxes spoiling the beloved Vine[351]
LXXXIII. Waste not—want not[356]
LXXXIV. Making Cake and Pastry[360]
LXXXV. As thy Day so shall thy Strength be[366]
LXXXVI. What we know not now we shall know hereafter[370]
LXXXVII. Until Death do us part[375]

PART II.
CHOICE FAMILY RECEIPTS.

YEAST.
Yeast[385]
Another [385]
Yeast-Cakes[385]
BREAD.
General Rules[386]
Bread without Sponging[386]
Good Bread[386]
Bread with Sponging[387]
To make Bread from Flour that runs[387]
Bread by Scalding the Flour[388]
To make Stale Bread fresh[388]
Graham Bread[388]
Steamed Brown Bread[389]
Corn Bread[389]
Rice Bread[390]
BISCUIT.
Morning Biscuit[390]
Tea Biscuit[390]
Soda Biscuit[391]
Indian-Corn Biscuit[391]
Parker House Rolls[391]
Rusk[392]
Sweet Potato Buns [392]
Potato Pone[392]
Gems[392]
Gems, No. 2[392]
Graham Gems[393]
BREAKFAST AND TEA CAKES.
Corn Cakes[393]
Another Way[393]
Another[393]
Another[393]
Steamed Johnny-Cake[394]
Corn-Meal Cake with Apples and Suet[394]
Muffins[394]
Another Way[394]
Cream Muffins[394]
Another Way[394]
Raised Muffins[395]
Hominy Muffins[395]
Quick Muffins[395]
Graham Flour Muffins[395]
Raised Waffles[395]
Corn-Meal Waffles[396]
Buckwheat Cakes[396]
Rice Griddle-Cakes[396]
Sour-Milk Griddle-Cakes[396]
Green-Corn Fritters[396]
Mock Oyster Fritters[397]
Corn Oysters[397]
Rice Cakes[397]
Rice or Hominy Cakes[397]
Rosie’s Sally Lunn[397]
Strawberry Shortcake[397]
Cream Toast[398]
SOUPS.
General Directions[398]
Stock for Soups[399]
Tomato Soup[399]
Another[400]
A Vegetable Soup[400]
Mock-Turtle Soup[400]
Bean Soup[401]
Soup with Eggs [402]
Green Pea Soup[402]
Turtle Bean Soup[402]
Nursery Soup[403]
Oyster and Clam Soup[403]
Potato Soup[403]
FISH.
To Boil Fresh Fish[404]
Baked Salmon Trout, with Cream Gravy[404]
Boiled Salmon Trout[404]
Fried Halibut[405]
Fish Chowder[405]
To prepare and dress Cold Fish[405]
Newport Fish Pudding[406]
Fish-Balls[406]
Codfish Balls[407]
Scalloped Crabs[407]
Oyster Pie[407]
Oyster Fritters[408]
To Fry Oysters[408]
Lobster Patties[408]
Lobster Rissoles[409]
Fish Sauce[409]
A good Breakfast Dish[409]
Best Mode of Roasting Fish, Ducks, &c.[409]
MEATS.
BEEF.
Leicestershire Hunting Beef[410]
Spiced Beef[410]
Curried Beef[411]
Meat Pie[411]
Beef Collops[411]
To Cook a Beefsteak[412]
Rump Steak, with Oyster Sauce[412]
A French Broil[412]
Beefsteak Rolls[413]
Beef Croquettes[413]
Mock Duck[413]
A Nice Breakfast Dish[413]
Mock Venison[413]
To prepare Cold Roast Beef or Mutton[414]
Economical Breakfast Dish[414]
A “Two Story” [415]
MUTTON AND LAMB.
Shoulder of Mutton Boiled[415]
Shoulder of Mutton Spiced[415]
Mutton Stew[416]
Roasting a Leg of Lamb[416]
To use Cold Lamb[416]
Mint Sauce[416]
VENISON.
Jerked Venison[417]
Venison Steaks[418]
COOKING IN A “RUMFORD BOILER.”
To Roast Beef or Mutton[418]
To Boil a Leg of Lamb or Mutton[418]
Corned Beef[418]
To Cook a Ham[419]
Fish[419]
VEAL.
Meats for June[420]
Calf’s Head and Harslet[420]
Head and Harslet Hash[420]
Veal Pie[421]
Sweetbread Croquettes[421]
Veal Patty[422]
Minced Veal[422]
Veal Hash[422]
Veal Loaf[423]
Croquettes[423]
POULTRY AND GAME.
Steamed Turkey[423]
Broiled Chickens[424]
To Bake a Chicken[425]
Gravy for Roast or Baked Poultry[426]
Chicken Pot-Pie[426]
Fried Chickens[427]
To Cook an Old Fowl[427]
Roast Duck[428]
To Roast a Goose[428]
Wild Goose[429]
To Roast a Green Goose[429]
To Boil a Goose[429]
To Stew a Goose[430]
To Stew Pigeons [430]
Wild Squabs[431]
Chicken Pudding[431]
Chicken Jelly[432]
Chicken Patties[432]
To make Remnants of Meat, Chicken, etc., palatable[432]
Meat Croquettes[433]
PORK AND HAM.
To Boil a Ham[433]
Broiled Ham[433]
Ham Croquettes[433]
Ham and Toast[433]
Ham Toast[434]
To use Cold Boiled Ham[434]
Another Way[434]
Ham Ball[434]
How a Pig was Roasted on a Sugar Plantation[434]
Good Sausage Meat[435]
A Dutch Dish[435]
SALADS AND OMELETS.
Chicken Salad[436]
Italian Chicken Salad[436]
Lobster Salad[437]
Potato Salad[437]
Plain Omelet[437]
Puff Omelet[438]
Oyster Omelet[438]
Omelet with Jelly[438]
Baked Omelet[438]
Omelette Soufflé[439]
EGGS.
Boiled Eggs[439]
Fried Eggs[439]
Poached Eggs[439]
Hard Scrabbled[440]
Fricasseed Eggs, or Egg Baskets[440]
Egg Toast[440]
Scrambled Eggs[441]
Scrambled Eggs[441]
Dropped Eggs[441]
Cottage Cheese[441]
Cheese Toast [442]
VEGETABLES.
Corn[443]
Another Way[444]
Boiling Potatoes[444]
Another Way[444]
To Boil New Potatoes[445]
Mashed Potatoes[445]
Potato Croquettes[445]
Saratoga Fried Potatoes[445]
Scalloped Potatoes[445]
Snow Potatoes[446]
Potato Cakes[446]
To Fry Sweet Potatoes[446]
Macaroni[446]
Egg-Plant[447]
Another Way[447]
Fricasseed Egg-Plant[447]
To Stew Tomatoes[448]
Baked Tomatoes[448]
Scalloped Tomatoes[448]
Boiled Rice[449]
Cooking Rice[449]
Peas[449]
Green Peas[450]
Beans[450]
Asparagus[451]
Spinach[451]
To Boil Cabbage[451]
To Boil Cabbage with Meat[452]
Another Way[452]
Cabbage like Cauliflower[452]
Cauliflower[452]
Hot-Slaw[452]
Cold-Slaw[453]
To Cook Onions[453]
CAKE.
GENERAL RULES.
Loaf Cake[454]
Mrs. Breedley’s Fruit Cake[455]
Rosie’s Raised Cake[455]
Fruit Cake[455]
Farmer’s Fruit Cake [455]
Whortleberry Cake[456]
Olic Cake[456]
Nice little Cakes[456]
Queen Charlotte’s Cake[456]
Lemon Cake[456]
Molasses Drop Cake[457]
Chicago Fruit Cake[457]
Cider Cake[457]
Snow-flake Cake[457]
Cocoa-nut Cake[457]
Macaroons[457]
Delicate Cake[458]
Sponge Cake[458]
Pineapple Cake[458]
Molasses Cup Cake[458]
Loaf Cake[458]
Walnut Cake[459]
Loaf Cake[459]
Western Cake[459]
Snowball Cake[459]
Molasses Cake[459]
Corn-Starch Cake[459]
Moss Cake[459]
Jenny Lind Cake[460]
Sugar Cookies[460]
Cookies[460]
Another Way[460]
Molasses Gingerbread[460]
Plain Gingerbread[460]
Excellent Ginger-Snaps[461]
PIES, PUDDINGS, AND DESSERTS.
Pastry[461]
Puff Paste[461]
Potato Pastry for Meat Pies[462]
Pumpkin Pies[462]
Dried-Apple Pies[462]
Pies of Canned Fruit[463]
Mince Pie[463]
Rice Pie[464]
Apple Puffs[464]
Marlborough Pie[464]
Chess Pie[464]
English Christmas Plum Pudding [464]
A Family Christmas Pudding[465]
A Simple Christmas Pudding[465]
Bread Pudding[466]
Boiled Indian Pudding[466]
Baked Indian Pudding[466]
Palmyra, or Date Pudding[466]
Sponge-Cake Pudding[467]
Steamed Pudding[467]
An Excellent Pudding[467]
Apple and Tapioca Pudding[467]
Sweet-Apple Pudding[468]
Fig Pudding[468]
Barley Cream for Invalids[468]
Apple Float[468]
Sago Pudding[468]
Cocoa-nut Custard[468]
Apple Pudding[468]
Sauce[469]
Nice Cheap Pudding[469]
Orange Pudding[469]
Custard without Eggs[469]
A Quick Pudding[469]
Rice Meringue[470]
Sago Pudding[470]
Lemon or Orange Honeycomb[470]
Apple Snow[470]
Snow Pudding[470]
Cocoa-nut Pudding or Pies[471]
Bohemian Cream[471]
Spanish Cream[471]
Rennet Wine[472]
Cold Custard[472]
Baked Apples[472]
Apple Snow[472]
PRESERVES AND JELLIES.
To Can Peaches[472]
Mixed Marmalade[473]
Jellies[473]
Peach Jelly[474]
Quince Jelly[474]
To Preserve Quinces[474]
Candied Orange Peel[475]
Apple and Quince Sauce [475]
Apple Sauce[475]
Baked Pears[476]
CHEESE.
Stilton Cheese[476]
Cottenham Cheese[476]
Parmesan[476]
Cheddar[477]
Dunlop[477]
New Cheese[477]
Swiss Cheese[477]
Sage or Green Cheese[477]
Cream Cheese[477]
Potato Cheese[478]
Cheese Straus[478]
PICKLES.
Peach Pickles[478]
Pickled Plums[480]
Green Tomato Pickles[480]
To Pickle Green Tomatoes[481]
Pickled Nasturtiums[481]
Pickled Cauliflower[481]
Tomato Pickles[482]
To Pickle Onions[482]
To Pickle Red Cabbage[482]
Cucumber Pickles[482]
To Pickle small Cucumbers and Gherkins[483]
Tomato Catsup[483]
MISCELLANEOUS HINTS.
To make Tea[484]
Substitute for Milk in Tea and Coffee[485]
Bread Crumbs[485]
GLEANINGS.
To Clean Kid Gloves[486]
To keep Grapes[486]
To Clean Oil-Cloths[486]
Fill your Lamps in the Morning[486]
Colored Silk[487]
To Remove Fruit Stains[487]
Bee or Wasp Stings[487]
To Preserve Brooms [487]
Glossy Starch[488]
Salt with Nuts[488]
To take Ink Stains from Mahogany[488]
To keep Quinces[488]
Fruit Stains[488]
Ink Stains[489]
Buying Furs[489]
Drying Umbrellas[490]
A Tight Ring[490]
Scrubbing White Paint[490]
How to wash Graining[490]
To keep Codfish[491]
Zante Currants[491]
To keep Cheese[491]
To keep Smoked Beef and Hams[491]
To keep Preserves[491]
Care of Flour-Barrels[491]
Indian Meal[491]
Coffee and Tea[492]
Raisins and Starch[492]
Household Weights and Measures[492]
To test Flour [492]