Archives

Baked Halibut, Swedish Style

1-pound slice halibut - salt - pepper - melted butter - 3/4 cup canned tomatoes - 1/2 tsp. powdered sugar - 1/2 onion - 1/3 cup heavy cream. Wipe halibut and remove skin. Place in baking dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and brush over with melted butter. Drain tomatoes and add sugar. Spread over fish, then cover with onion, thinly sliced. Bake twenty minutes in moderately hot oven ( 375 ), pour cream over, and bake ten minutes. Remove onion and serve at once, from dish in which it was cooked. Serves four. Circa 1923.

Cream of Onion And Potato Soup

3 c.scalded milk 4 medium potatoes
1 c. potato water 4 onions
2 Tbl. flour 1 Tbl. chopped parsley
2 Tbl. butter Salt and pepper

Boil the potatoes and onions together, until tender. Drain. Save the water and rub the vegetables through a coarse strainer. Make a white sauce of the liquid, and fat and combine with the potato and onion pulp. Season with chopped parsley,salt and pepper.Beat with an rotary egg-beater and serve with croutons. Circa 1925

Grossmutter's Cookies

2 eggs - 1/2 c granulated sugar - 1/2 c brown sugar - 1/4 c syrup ( molasses and corn syrup mixed ) - 2 squares chocolate, melted - 1 1/2 c flour - 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt - 1/2 tsp. cinnamon - 1/2 tsp. cloves - 1/2 tsp. nutmeg Beat eggs slightly, add sugar, syrup and chocolate, and beat well. Sift flour and measure; sift again with remaining ingredients, and add to first mixture. Pour into two well greased 8 inch square pans. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, and bake in a moderate oven,350 degrees, for 25 minutes. Turn out and when cold cut into small rectangular pieces. 3 dozen. Circa - 1919

Daffodil Cake

1 cup sifted cake flour - 1 1/4 cup sifted sugar - 1 cup egg whites - 1/2 teaspoon salt - 1 teaspoon cream of tartar - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla - 1/2 teaspoon orange extract - 4 egg yolks, beaten until thick and lemon - colored. Sift flour once, measure, add 3/4 cup sugar, and sift four times. Beat egg whites and salt with a flat wire whisk. When foamy, add cream of tartar; continue beating until stiff enough to hold up in peaks, but not dry.
Beat in remaining sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time. Sift flour over mixture in small amounts, folding carefully. Divide in two parts. To one, fold in vanilla.To other, fold in orange extract and egg yolks. Put by tablespoons into ungreased angel food pan, alternating mixtures. Bake in slow oven ( 275 ) and after 30 minutes increase heat slightly to 325 and bake 50 minutes longer. Remove from oven and invert pan 1 hour,
or until cold. Circa - 1932

Petticoat Tails

Shortbread

Cream one pound of butter and gradually add 3/4 cup powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Rub in 4 cups pastry flour and 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg until perfectly blended. Line a shallow baking pan with waxed paper and pack the mixture about a 1/2 inch deep in to the pan. Bake in a moderate oven until delicately browned. Just before it is done, work into wedges with a fork. Serve with hot coffee or tea. Circa - 1925

Fried Sweet Potatoes

Cut sweet potatoes into slips not thicker than a pencil, throw them into hot lard in a frying pan. They are done when they float in the lard. They will fry best with the lard only moderately hot. Being sweet, they are apt to get too dark a color if not watched. Circa 1896.

Norwegian Potatoes

Wash, scrub and pare six medium sized potatoes. Cook in boiling salted water until tender. Drain, pass through ricer. Add six anchovies drained from the oil in bottle and cut in one-fourth inch pieces, one-half teaspoon finely chopped parsley, one-half teaspoon French mustard, salt if necessary, one-eighth teaspoon pepper,a few grains nutmeg, two tablespoons butter, and yolks of two eggs slightly beaten. Beat thoroughly, place on stove and cook slowly three minutes,stirring constantly. Remove from stove, spread mixture on plate to cool, then mold like small eggs. Roll in crumbs, egg and crumbs. Arrange in croquette basket and fry a golden brown in deep hot shortening. Circa - 1908

Pâté `a Choux

1 tsp. butter - 2 -1/2 tsp. milk - 1/4 c flour - 1 egg - salt. Heat butter and milk together. When at the boiling point, add the flour and a pinch of salt, stirring constantly. Remove from the fire, beat in the unbeaten egg, and continue beating until the egg is well mixed with the other ingredients. When cool, drop small pieces from the tip of a teaspoon into deep boiling fat.When brown and crisp, drain on absorbent paper. If desired, two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese may be added to this recipe. Circa 1910.

Orange Fritters

3 large oranges - 1/2 c powdered sugar - 1 1/4 c flour - 1 egg beaten - 2 tsp. baking powder - 1/4 tsp. salt - 1/2 c milk. Peel oranges, removing outer white covering, remove skin from segments, roll in powdered sugar. Beat egg, add milk, mix with flour and baking powder sifted together. Dip orange segments in batter, fry in hot fat. Drain. Use remaining powder sugar, and serve with fish. Circa 1901.

Fairy Muffins

3 tbl. shortening - 4 tbl. sugar - 2 eggs - 1 cup milk - 2 cups flour - 3 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt Cream shortening and add sugar. Add the yolks of the eggs well beaten. Add milk, alternately with the flour, baking powder and salt which have been sifted together. Fold in the stiffly beaten whites of eggs. Pour into greased muffin pans and bake in hot oven. Time in baking 20 minutes. Temperature 400 degrees. 16 small muffins. Circa -1931

German Coffee Cake

Set a sponge with one pint lukewarm milk, a two cent cake of yeast, a half teaspoonful of salt and half a pound of flour. Let rise by the stove for two hours, then stir in half cup melted butter, one cup of raisins, one quarter of a cup of finely cut citron,one cup of sugar, three eggs. Knead in enough flour to make a stiff dough-about one pound- then part the dough in three even pieces, roll them out separately, long and thin, then braid together and form round in the pan. Let rise again and bake a good half hour. Frost. Sufficient for two meals. Circa 1897.

Glorified Rice

1 c rice - 1/2 pint whipping cream - 1 tsp. vanilla - 1 small can crushed pineapple -
8 maraschino cherries, cut - 8 marshmallows, cut - 1/2 c sugar - 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Boil rice in salt water until done; pour cold water on rice and drain well. This keeps rice from sticking together. Drain the pineapple and add rice, cherries, and marshmallows. Whip cream, add sugar and vanilla and fold into rice mixture. Decorate top with a few cherries and marshmallows. Circa - 1952.

Nut Pralines

Two cups brown sugar, a half cup vinegar and water mixed. Boil, and when it " hairs " from the fork stir in all the pecan or hickory nut meats the sirup will hold. The moment it sugars stop stirring, remove from the fire and shake about to separate the nut meats. Circa 1893.

Molasses Fudge

1 c granulated sugar - 1 c brown sugar 1/2 c cream - 1/4 c molasses 1/4 c melted butter - 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, grated - 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla Combine sugar, brown sugar, cream, molasses, and butter. Bring to a boil and boil two minutes. Add chocolate. Boil five minutes longer, stirring until well blended and, then, only enough to prevent burning. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Stir until creamy. Turn into a buttered pan. Chill. Circa - 1934

Yankee Plum Pudding

2/3 cup shortening - 1 cup New Orleans molasses - 3 cups flour - 1 1/2 teaspoon soda - 1 teaspoon cinnamon - 1/2 teaspoon cloves - 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg - 1/2 teaspoon salt - 1 cup sweet milk - 1 cup seeded shredded raisins - 1 cup English Walnut meats broken in pieces. Cream shortening, add molasses; mix and sift flour, soda, spices and salt; add alternately with milk, reserving enough flour to dredge raisins and nut meats; mix well and turn in buttered molds. Steam three hours. Serve with Brandy or Vanilla sauce. Circa - 1915

Roxbury Sauce

1 egg yolk - 1 cup powdered sugar - 1/2 cup scalded milk - 1 tsp. cornstarch - 1/8 tsp. salt - 1/2 tsp. vanilla - 1 Tbl. lemon juice - Grated rind 1/4 lemon - 1 egg white, beaten until stiff. Beat egg yolk until thick and lemon colored. Beat in 3/4 cup sugar gradually. Mix remaining sugar, cornstarch and salt, and add gradually, scalded milk. Cook in double boiler 10 minutes, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Combine mixtures, add flavorings and fold in egg white. Circa 1920.

English Monkey

1 c stale bread crumbs - 1 c milk - 1 tbl. butter - 1/2 tsp. salt - 1/2 c soft mild cheese, cut in small pieces - 1 egg slightly beaten - few grains cayenne. Soak bread crumbs in milk 15 minutes. Melt butter, add cheese, and when cheese has melted add soaked bread crumbs, egg and seasonings. Cook three minutes and pour over toasted crackers which have been spread sparingly with butter. Serves six. Circa - 1896

Grilled Almonds

These are a very delicious candy seldom met with out of France. They are rather more trouble to make than other kinds, but well repay it from their novel flavor. Blanch a cupful of almonds; dry them thoroughly. Boil a cupful of sugar and a quarter of a cupful of water till it " hairs," then throw in the almonds; let them fry, as it were, in this syrup, stirring them occasionally. They will turn a faint yellow brown before the sugar changes color; do not wait an instant once this change of color begins, or they will lose flavor; remove them from the fire, and stir them until the syrup has turned back to sugar and clings irregularly to the nuts. These are grilled almonds. You will find them delicious, as they are to alternate at dinner with the salted almonds. Circa - 1878

French Chocolate Cake

The whites of seven eggs, two cups of sugar, two-thrids of a cup of butter, one cup of milk and three of flour and three teaspoonfuls of baking powder. The chocolate part of the cake is made just the same, only use the yolks of the eggs with a cup of grated chocolate stirred into it. Bake it in layers - the layers being light and dark; then spread a custard between them, which is made with two eggs, two cups of milk, one- half cup of sugar, one tablespoonful of flour or cornstarch. When cool flavor with two teaspoonfuls of vanilla. A fine cake - 1885

Meringued Pears

5 ripe pears - 5 Tbl. sugar - Grated lemon rind - 1/4 c powdered sugar - Candied ginger
2 egg whites - nutmeg. Peel, core pears, place in baking dish. Fill center with little sugar
blended with lemon juice and cut ginger. Cover with beaten egg whites, brown lightly in quick oven. Circa 1922.

New England Fire Cakes

Make a pie crust not quite as rich as for puff paste. Cut off small pieces and roll out to about the size of a breakfast plate and as nearly round as possible. Have a griddle over the fire. Grease and place one cake on it and bake a nice brown. Turn it when done on one side and brown nicely on the other.When done put on a plate and butter it well. Spread a layer of preserved strawberries or raspberries on it.Have ready another cake and bake. Pile one upon the other and butter and spread layers of preserves until all the pastry you have made is cooked. Serve quite hot. Cut down through all the layers. It is an old fashioned New England cake and in olden times was cooked in iron spiders propped up before the kitchen fire; hence its name. It is a very nice shortcake to be eaten hot for luncheon or supper. Circa 1896.

Gnocchi Noodles

2 1/2 c flour - 2 c hot freshly mashed potatoes - 1 tsp. salt - 1 egg Sift flour and measure. Add salt and potatoes and work together until well blended. Beat egg slightly and mix in well. Turn out on floured board and roll out with the hands in long rolls, about 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut in inch pieces, then place one finger in the middle of each piece of dough and press down and toward yourself with a rapid < motion. this causes gnocchi to roll up in a shell like shape. ( if dough is not stiff enough, gnocchi will stick to the board in shaping, and a little more flour may be necessary, because of the difference in water content of mashed potatoes). cook in rapidly boiling salted water for 20 minutes. serve with butter and parmesan cheese, or with parmesan cheese and italian tomato sauce. 6 servings. circa - 1935

One-Meal Dish for Cold Weather

1 lb. hamburger steak - 2 tbsl. butter - 2 quarts boiling water - 1 can tomatoes - 1 can red kidney beans - 5 cents worth of macaroni - 1 tsp. chili powder - salt to taste - Paprika.
Place hamburger and butter in large kettle, add little water, cook until meat separates.
Add remainder of boiling water, salt, tomatoes, and macaroni which has been washed and broken into pieces. Cook until well done or about one hour. Add chili powder and beans. Serve very hot with hot corn bread. Circa 1923.

String Beans A La Francaise

Cut one quart string beans in inch lengths and boil till tender.Drain and return to saucepan. Shake over the fire till quite dry. Add four tablespoons butter and juice of one lemon. Season with salt and pepper and one dessert spoon of minced parsley and shake over the fire till very hot and every particle of bean is covered with butter and lemon juice. Circa - 1889

Salsa

1/2 pound dry red chilis - 1 quart of water - 1 onion chopped - 1 clove garlic minced fine - 1/4 c chopped parsley - 1/4 c oil - 1 tbl. flour - 1/2 tsp. salt - 1 tsp. vinegar - 1 tsp. sugar - 1/2 tsp. Oregano Remove stems, seeds and veins from chilis. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Mash well and let cool. Then puree to remove skins. Fry onion, garlic and parsley in oil until nicely browned. Add flour, and salt and continue cooking until browned. Then add chili pulp, vinegar, sugar, and Oregano and cook slowly for 10 minutes to blend flavors The sauce may be bottled and kept on hand. 1 quart. Circa 1930

Fruit Cake

One and one-half cupfuls of butter, three cupfuls of dark brown sugar, six eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately, one pound of raisins, seeded, one of currants, washed and dried, and half a pound of citron cut in thin strips; also half a cupful of cooking molasses and half a cupful of sour milk. Stir the butter and the sugar to a cream, add to that half a grated nutmeg, one tablespoonful of ground cinnamon, one teaspoonful of cloves, one teaspoonful of mace, add the molasses and sour milk. Stir all well; then put in the beaten yolks of eggs, two tablespoon lemon juice, two tablespoons cold strong coffee; stir again all thoroughly, and then add four cupfuls of sifted flour alternately with the beaten whites of eggs. Now dissolve a level teaspoonful of soda and stir in thoroughly. Mix the fruit together and stir into it two heaping tablespoonfuls of flour; then stir it into the cake. Butter two common sized cake pans carefully, line them with letter paper well buttered, and bake in a moderate oven two hours. After it is baked, let it cool in the pan. Afterward put it into a tight can or let it remain in the pans and cover tightly. Best recipe of all. Mrs S. A. Camp, Grand Rapids, Mich. Circa - 1887

Dried Turnips

Fill a quart measure with nice white turnips pared and cut into dice, boil in as little water as possible until nearly done. A tablespoonful of sugar and a teaspoonful of salt in the water. When boiled as dry as possible without scorching stir in three spoonfuls of cream, a beaten egg and serve. Circa 1900.

Nun's Cake

1 c. butter - 1 1/2 c powdered sugar - yolks of 5 eggs - whites of 2 eggs - 3/4 c. milk -
3 c. pastry flour - 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder - 3 tsp. caraway seeds - 1/4 tsp. salt - 1 tsp. rose extract - 1/2 tsp. extract cinnamon. Beat butter until soft and creamy; add sugar and yolks of eggs, beating well. Stir in unbeaten whites of eggs and beat one minute. Sift flour with baking powder and salt and add alternately, a little at a time with milk. Mix well but do not beat.Sprinkle in caraway seeds and flavoring; mix well.Pour into well-greased and floured loaf pan and bake one hour and forty minutes in 325 º F. Makes one loaf about 71/2 in. in diameter and 31/2 in. high.Circa 1921.

Recipes

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Recipes we don't make and are thankful

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Dandelion Salad

Gather the dandelion when young and tender. That which is cultivated is well bleached and very tender. Wash thoroughly in several waters, cut off the roots and outside leaves. Drain dry on a cloth or in a wire basket. Arrange in salad bowl. Cut thin sweet bacon in tiny shreds crosswise and sauté in frying pan until crisp; sprinkle bacon over dandelion. To the fat in pan ( there should be one-third cup ), add one-fourth cup vinegar diluted with two tablespoons water. Heat to boiling point and pour over dandelions; toss leaves with a fork until well mixed with dressing; serve at once.Circa - 1912

Baked Eggplant Slices

2 medium sized eggplants - 1 egg - 1/4 cup milk - 1 cup crushed dry cereal flakes - 1 tsp. salt - 1/8 tsp. pepper - 3 tbl. butter. Peel eggplants, slice 1/2 inch thick; beat egg, add milk. Dip slices in egg, and cover well with cereal flakes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat butter in large shallow pan. Place slices in pan and bake in a very hot oven, 450 for ten minutes. Turn slices and bake five minutes or until tender. Serves six. Circa - 1918

Home Made Water & Cream Ices

Put the mixture into a round high tin, not more than four inches across ( old corn flour tins will be found very suitable, provided they do not leak ) and place the tin in the center of a large flower pot, measuring ten inches across. The flower pot should be put on two pieces of board, placed over a basin, so that the water can run away into the basin beneath from the hole at the bottom of the flower pot. The freezing mixture, composed of layers of ice and common salt, both broken up very small, in proportions of twelve pounds of ice and six pounds of salt, should be put in between the tin and the flower pot, leaving a little ( about three inches in depth ) to go underneath the tin. Stop up the hole in the flower pot with a lump of salt. The tin must be turned round with velocity; this can be done by placing one finger on the top of the tin firmly, and working it round and round. The top should be taken off in about ten minutes, so that , with a long handled spoon, the mixture, which has frozen to the sides and bottom, may be scraped off and stirred in with the rest, until all is evenly frozen. From - 1872

Buttered Chickweed

Chickweed - butter - salt and pepper - Shallots, spring onions or chives - nutmeg
lemon juice. Chickweed will shrink when cooked, but is well worth while gathering as it tastes like the tenderest early spinach. Wash it and put it in a pan with a knob of butter,salt and pepper, and chopped chives , shallots, or spring onions, and a little nutmeg. Drain and serve it with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Whigs

Half a pound of butter, the same of sugar, six eggs , two pounds of flour, a pint of milk, a gill of yeast, and a little salt. Melt the butter in the milk, and pour into the flour ; beat the sugar and eggs together and stir in. Add the yeast last, and be careful to mix the whole very thoroughly. Bake in tin hearts and rounds, in the stove or baker. Circa - 1859.

White Potatoes

Boil and peel six potatoes; cut them in halves and lay in a vegetable dish. Have ready a sauce like the following; put in a saucepan one cup of milk; stir in carefully one scant tablespoonful of melted butter and two chopped hard boiled eggs, one saltspoonful of salt and a shake of pepper. Heat together thoroughly and pour all over the potatoes. Serve hot. Circa 1902.

Mince Meat

The “Astor House “ some years ago was famous for its “ mince pies. “ The chief pastry cook at that time, by request, published the recipe. I find that those who partake of it never fail to speak in laudable terms of the superior excellence of this recipe when strictly followed.
Four pounds of lean boiled beef chopped fine, twice as much of chopped green tart apples,one pound of chopped suet, three pounds of raisins, seeded, two pounds of currants picked over, washed and dried, half a pound of citron cut up fine, one pound of brown sugar, one quart of cooking molasses, two quarts of sweet cider, one pint of boiled cider, one tablespoonful of salt,one tablespoonful of pepper, one tablespoonful of mace, one tablespoonful of allspice and four tablespoonfuls of cinnamon, two grated nutmegs, one tablespoonful of cloves; mix thoroughly and bring to boiling point and seal in sterilized jars. Chef de Cuisine, Astor House N. Y. Circa 1878.

Old Fashion Spice Cake

2 cup raisins - 4 cups water - Boil until water is down to 2 cups. 1 scant cup shortening 2 cups sugar - 2 tsp. soda - Add to raisins and water. Cool, then add ; 2 tsp. vanilla 2 tsp. cinnamon - 2 tsp. nutmeg - 2 tsp. cloves - 4 cups flour - 2 eggs - 1 cup nuts. Bake at 350 in 9 x 13 pan. Test with broom straw. Circa - 1901.

Glazed Squash Apple

4 pieces Hubbard squash - 2 large apples - 1/2 c brown sugar - 1 tsp. salt - 1/8 tsp. cinnamon - 1/8 tsp. nutmeg - 2 tbl. butter Peel squash and parboil until tender. Peel and quarter apples. Place squash on bottom of greased baking dish. Sprinkle with part of brown sugar and spices. Cover with apples and sprinkle with remaining sugar and spices on top. Dot with butter, cover baking dish and bake 30 minutes in moderately hot oven. Circa - 1926

Tomato Catsup No. 1

Put into two quarts of tomato pulp one onion, cut fine, two tablespoonfuls of salt and three tablespoonfuls of brown sugar. Boil until quite thick; then take from the fire and strain it through a sieve, working it until it is all through but the seeds. Put it back on the stove, and add two tablespoonfuls of mustard, one of allspice, one of black pepper and one of cinnamon, one teaspoonful of ground cloves, half a teaspoonful of cayenne pepper, one grated nutmeg, one pint of good vinegar; boil it until thick. It should be watched and stirred often, that it does not burn. If sealed tight while hot, in large mouthed bottles, it will keep good for years. From - 1885

Oyster Patties

Make a crust of one cup of flour, one-half cup of lard, one- half cup of very cold water, one-half saltspoonful of salt. Mix lightly together, roll out and line small patty pans with it. Take one-half pint of milk, a tablespoonful of flour, the same of butter. Dissolve the flour in a little of the milk, and add to the rest of the milk, which has first been heated. Let this become boiling hot, and then stir in a few gratings of nutmeg and a teaspoonful of lemon juice. Lastly , add one-half pint of oysters, salt and let it boil up once. Then put four oysters and some of the gravy into each patty pan, cover with crust and bake in a quick oven. Circa 1894.

Anchovy Sandwiches

Remove the bones from one dozen anchovies; add the yolks of three hard cooked eggs, and pound to a paste. Mix 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese with a few grains of cayenne; add to the anchovy mixture, with enough cream to make of the consistency to spread. Use for a filling between slices of buttered white bread. Circa 1900.

Vanilla Ice Cream

Boil three quarters of a pint of new milk with a quarter of a stick of vanilla in it ( having previously soaked in the milk for several hours ) also six ounces of sugar; pour this gradually on the yolks of three eggs, well beaten; add three quarters of a pint of cream, then stir gently in a jug placed in a sauce pan of hot water over a slow fire, as for custard; when cold freeze. This receipt makes one and a half pints. Circa - 1872

Walnut Pickle

The walnuts must be quite green and tender. First soak them in fresh water, then rub off with a coarse towel. The walnuts must be kept in brine a week, and then soaked in clear water for several hours. Boil them in vinegar a little while this time put water in the vinegar; then put them in good strong vinegar, a portion of which must be boiled and poured over them four successive mornings. Season with cinnamon, mace, cloves, and add two pounds sugar to one gallon vinegar, or in proportion to quantity of pickle. Circa 1878.

Cottage Cheese Sausage

1 c cottage cheese - 1 c dry bread crumbs, or 1/2 c cold cooked rice, and 1/2 c bread crumbs - 1/4 c peanut butter - 2 tbsp. savory fat - 1/4 c coarsely chopped peanut meats - 1/2 tsp. powdered sage - 1/2 tsp. thyme - 1 tbsp. milk - 1 tsp. salt - 1/4 tsp. pepper - 1 tsp. soda - 1 tbsp. finely chopped onion. The bread crumbs may be made from left over corn, barley, or other quick breads. Cook the onion in the fat until tender but not brown. Dissolve the soda in the milk and work into the cheese. Mix all other dry ingredients thoroughly with the bread crumbs. Blend peanut butter and onion with the cheese, and mix with them the bread crumbs. Form into flat cakes, dust with bread crumbs or corn meal and fry a delicate brown in a little fat in a hot frying pan. Circa 1917.

Tales and Remedies

Remedies Of Old:
Bad Breath

A cupful of strong coffee will remove the odor of onions from the breath. Circa 1865.

Old Wives Tale
Falling Picture

A picture that falls from the wall is thought to foretell a death in the family. Since there seems to be no time limit for this happening, it will always come true. Early 1800

Remedies Of Old:
Corns between the toes

Wash them several times a day with hartshorn, and in a short time they will disappear. Circa 1892.

Old Wives Tale
Wrong Side Of Bed

If you feel cranky, the reason could be you got up on the wrong side of the bed. You must always get out of bed on the same side each day. Not doing so will leave you ill of sorts the whole day. From 1864.

Remedies Of Old:
Ringworm Cure

Yellow dock, root or leaves, steeped in vinegar, will cure the worst case of ringworm.

Circa - 1875

Remedies Of Old:
Cure for Cramp

Wet a cloth in spirits turpentine and lay it over the place where the pain is felt. If the pain moves , move the cloth. Take five drops spirits turpentine at a time on white sugar till relieved

Old Wives Tale
Bay Leaves

In olden times, Bay Leaves were used to decorate the house for weddings and at Christmas. If a Bay Tree withered, it was thought to foretell an evil happening. The Ancients wore Bay Leaves as a Protection against Thunder.

Remedies Of Old:
Lumbago

Mix one half pint of wine with two ounces of mustard and two drams of camphor. Let it stand for two or three days tightly corked. Strain and bottle closely. Circa - 1790

Old Wives Tale
Cure For Jaundice

Fill a quart bottle a third full of chipped inner cherry bark. Add a large teaspoonful soda and fill the bottle with whiskey or brandy. Take as large a dose three times a day as the system will tolerate. If it affects the head unpleasantly, lessen the quantity of bark. It will be fit for use in a few hours. Circa 1868.

Remedies Of Old:
Remove Freckles

The following lotion is highly recommended: One ounce of lemon juice, a quarter of a dram of powdered borax, and half a dram of sugar; mix in a bottle, and allow them to stand a few days, when the liquor should be rubbed occasionally on the hands and face. Another application is: Friar's balsam one part, rose-water twenty parts. From - 1887

Old Wives Tale
Itchy Hands

If the palm of your right hand itches you are going to receive money. If the palm of your left hand itches you are going to pay out or give money to someone.

Remedies Of Old:
Chilblains

Take common furniture glue from the pot, spread it on a linen rag or piece of brown paper, and apply hot to the chilblain, letting it remain till the glue wears off. Circa 1870.

Old Wives Tale
Hair and Heartburn

It is a known fact to all women expecting a child. The amount of hair the baby will have is in direct per portion to the amount of discomfort from heartburn of the expectant mother. If a lot of heartburn is experienced, the baby will no doubt have a full head of hair at birth.

Remedies Of Old:
Cure for Cold in the Head

Muriate of morphia, two grains; powdered gum arabic, two drachms; sub. nit. bismuth, six drachms. Mix and snuff Frequently. Circa 1872.

Old Wives Tale
Coughs

To make a syrup to take for coughs, boil a couple of onions in molasses. Cool and strain. Take the liquid that is left as needed. Circa - 1874

Remedies Of Old:
A Good Liniment

One egg beaten light, half a pint spirits turpentine, half a pint good apple vinegar. Shake well before using. Good for sprains, cuts, or bruises. Circa 1872.

Old Wives Tale
Jaundice

An old wives tale from New England says a live spider (a small one I hope ) taken in a spoonful of molasses is a good cure for jaundice.

Remedies Of Old:
Pneumonia

Wool from a black sheep,covered with fried onions and applied to the chest will cure Pneumonia. Early American Folk Lore.

Remedies Of Old:
White Spots

To remove white spots from your fingernails, melt equal parts of pitch and turpentine in a small cup; add to it vinegar and powdered sulphur. Rub this on the nails and the spots will soon disappear. Circa - 1880.

Old Wives Tale
Sneeze

Sneeze on Monday, sneeze for danger.

Sneeze on Tuesday, kiss a stranger.

Sneeze on Wednesday, sneeze for a letter.

Sneeze on Thursday, something better.

Sneeze on Friday, sneeze for sorrow.

Sneeze on Saturday, see your beau tomorrow.

Sneeze on Sunday, the devil will have you the rest of the week.

Remedies Of Old:
Eye water for weak eyes

One teaspoonful laudanum, two teaspoonfuls Madeira wine, twelve teaspoonful rose water. Circa 1872.

Old Wives Tale
Freckle Lotion

Two drams oxide of zinc, 1/4 dram subiodide of bismuth, 1 3/4 drams of dextrin , 1 1/2 drams of glycerine. Spread the paste upon the freckles at night before going to bed. In the morning remove what remains with a little powdered borax and almond oil. Circa 1899.

Remedies Of Old:
Hairwash

Take equal amounts of plantain, sage, rosemary, and honeysuckle boil together in water to cover. Add a tablespoonful of honey to each pint of liquid. This is an excellent gargle for a sore throat or mouth. Also a good hairwash.

Remedies Of Old:
Draughts for the feet

Take a large leaf from the horse-radish plant and cut out the hard fibers that run through the leaf; place it on a hot shovel for a moment to soften it, fold it, and fasten it closely in the hollow of the foot by a cloth bandage.Burdock leaves, cabbage leaves and mullein leaves are used in the same manner; to alleviate pain and promote perspiration. Circa - 1899

Remedies Of Old:
Broom

Brooms will last much longer, if dipped in hot soap and water once a week. Circa 1896

Old Wives Tale
Whooping cough

Whooping cough used to be a very serious illness, especially for babies. There are many so called cures that were passed down through the years. This is one of many. A cure was to let a snail crawl over brown sugar, when the sugar was covered with the slime a dose was given to the to the child that was ill. Sounds awful.

Remedies Of Old:
Cure for Dyspepsia

Best Turkish rhubarb, one ounce; gentian root, bruised, one half ounce; columbo, one half ounce; orange peel, one half ounce; fennel seed, one half ounce; best French brandy, one quart. This will bear filling up several times. Circa 1876.

Old Wives Tale
Earache

Take a bit of cotton batting, put on it a pinch of black pepper, gather it up and tie it, dip it in sweet oil, and insert it in the ear; put a flannel bandage over the head to keep it warm. It often gives immediate relief. From 1876.

Remedies Of Old:
Cough

To help a cough, boil two or three snails in barley water. Take as needed.

Old Wives Tale
Mirrors

When one is at the vanity table, care must be taken as not to break one of the mirrors. The extra care is well worth the alternative of seven years of bad luck the broken mirror brings. From - 1846.

Remedies Of Old:
Elderflower Cream for Massage

Almond oil, 1 1/2 ounces - white wax, 2 1/2 drams - spermaceti, 21/2 drams - lanoline, 1/2 ounce - oil of bitter almonds, 1/2 dram - elderflower water, 1 1/2 ounces - witch hazel, 1/2 ounce. Melt the wax and spermaceti in an earthen dish set in a basin of boiling water, add the lanoline, and beat in the oils slowly.Remove from the heat and add the witch hazel elderflower water. Apply at night or before going out of doors. In the latter case dust on powder. Circa 1900.

Remedies Of Old:
A Good Liniment

One egg beaten light, half a pint spirits turpentine, half a pint good apple vinegar. Shake well before using. Good for sprains, cuts, or bruises. Circa 1872.

Old Sayings
(what do they mean)

What do they mean???
Old Sayings

I thought I would start printing these old sayings I've heard all my life. A great many don't make much sense while others make perfect sense. But I need your help. Please send me your favorites, with your help we can continue to enjoy "Yesteryear "!

Don't let the grass grow under your feet

Sober as a judge

No such thing as a free lunch

Her hair looks like a rats nest.

He was three sheets in the wind.

He would gripe if they hung him with a new rope.

Two peas in a pod

Their cut from the same cloth

Everyone has their own ax to grind

The proof is in the pudding

Slippery as an eel

Let the chips fall where they may

Always put your best foot forward

Died with his boots on

If a cat has kittens in the oven you can't call them cookies

The pot calling the kettle black

Dumber than a post

Haven't seen you in a coons age

There's a fly in the ointment

Too hot to handle

Quiet as a church mouse

He's not out of the woods yet

Don't cut off your nose to spite your face

I wouldn't trust him as far as I can throw him

So quiet you can hear a pin drop

Tomorrow never comes

Like a moth to a flame

Home is where the heart is

Waste not want not

Living on borrowed time

Idle hands breed the devil

Died with his boots on

He'll be there till the cows come home

This old Amish saying was sent to me by Arthur Bish.
Rain before seven it will be over by eleven

Doesn't stand a snowballs chance in hell

A penny for your thoughts ?

Don't lead with your chin

So quiet you could hear a pin drop

If wishes were horses would beggars walk ?

He doesn't let any grass grow under is feet

Home Economics

Home Economics:
Red Ink

Bicarb. potash, half an ounce; cochineal, half an ounce; bitart.potash, half an ounce; powdered alum, half an ounce; pure rain water, four ounces. Mix, and add ten drops creosote. Circa 1872.

Home Economics:
Dressing for Blisters

The first dressing should be of collard leaves, prepared thus. With a sharp knife carefully pare smooth all the stalk and veining. Then scald and squeeze each one to a pleasant moisture, keeping them blood-warm until applied. Second dressing - pure lard or mutton suet spread evenly and thinly on a soft linen rag. Circa 1869.

Home Economics:
Custards

The usual rule for custards is, four eggs to a quart of milk; but a large molded custard should be made of six. With the addition of a level tablespoonful of sifted flour, thoroughly blended in the sugar first, before adding the other ingredients five eggs can be used. Custards may be baked, boiled or steamed, either in cups or one large dish. It improves custard to first scald the milk and then cool it before being used; a few grains of salt adds to the flavor. A very small lump of butter may also be added, if one wants something especially rich. To make custards look and taste better, duck eggs should be used when obtainable; they add very much to the flavor and richness. When desired extremely rich and good, cream should be substituted for the milk, and double the quantity of eggs used, omitting the whites. When making boiled custard, set the dish containing the custard into another and larger dish partly filled with boiling water, placed over the fire. Let the cream or milk come almost to a boil before adding the eggs or thickening, then stir it briskly one way every moment until smooth and well cooked; it must not boil or it will curdle. To bake a custard, the fire should be moderate and the dish well buttered.Everything in baked custard depends upon the regularly heated slow oven. If made with nicety it is the most delicate of all sweets; if cooked till it wheys it is hardly eatable. Circa 1884.

Home Economics:
To Preserve Eggs

There are several recipes for preserving eggs and we give first one which we know to be effectual, keeping them fresh from August until Spring. Thoroughly mix one part of silicate of soda with nine parts of boiled and cooled water. Pack eggs, small end down, in a large three gallon crock. Pour solution over to completely cover eggs. Cover and store in a cool place. Silicate of soda or sodium silicate is popularly known as water glass. It is commonly sold in two forms, as a powder and a thick liquid. If the powder is used, less is required for a given quantity of water. The water used should be pure and soft water is preferred. The eggs should be clean but not washed for packing. Another manner of preserving eggs is to pack them in a jar with layers of salt between, the large end of the egg downward, with a thick layer of salt at the top; cover tightly and set in a cool place. Some put them in a wire basket or a piece of mosquito net and dip them in boiling water half a minute; then pack in sawdust. Still another manner is to dissolve a cheap article of gum arabic, about as thin as mucilage, and brush over each egg with it; then pack in powdered charcoal; set in a cool dark place.
Eggs can be kept for some time by smearing the shells with butter or lard, then packed in plenty of bran or sawdust, the eggs not allowed to touch one another; or coat the eggs with melted paraffin. From - 1880.

Home Economics:
Onions

A little onion is not an injurious article of food, as many believe. A judicious use of plants of the onion family is quite as important a factor in successful cookery as salt and pepper. When carefully concealed by manipulation in food, it affords zest and enjoyment to many who could not otherwise taste of it were its presence known. A great many successful compounds derive their excellence from the partly concealed flavor of the onion, which imparts a delicate appetizing aroma highly prized by epicures. Circa - 1875

Home Economics:
Potted Shad

Take three or four fresh caught shad, and when nicely dressed, cut them down the middle, and across in pieces about three inches wide; put these pieces into a jar in layers, with salt, whole cloves, pepper-corns, and allspice sprinkled between. When all is laid in, put in sharp vinegar enough just to cover them, and bake in the oven. It is the best way to put the jar into a brick oven after the bread is drawn, if considerable heat still remains, and let it stand two or three hours, or put it into a range oven at night, to stand till morning. This will keep several weeks, even in hot weather. Almost any fish the size of shad may be done in the same way. Circa - 1869.

Home Economics:
Recipe- Bandoline- Hair Gel

To one quart of rose water add an ounce and a half of gum tragacanth; let it stand forty- eight hours, frequently straining it, then strain through a coarse linen cloth; let it stand two days, and again strain; add to it a dram of oil of roses. Used by ladies dressing their hair, to make it lie in any position CIrca 1899

Home Economics:
Remedy for Chicken Cholera

Dip a small feather or brush into tincture of iodine, hold the chickens mouth open, and mop the inside of the throat thoroughly with the iodine. This treatment has proved successful whenever tried. Circa 1875.

Home Economics:
Bad Days

In the best of regulated families there will be some laborious, perplexing days. Adverse and inconvenient circumstances will cluster together. At those times, guard against two things, -- discouragement and irritability. If others look on the dark side, find something cheering to say; if they fret, sympathize in their share of the trial, while you set them the example of bearing your part in it well.
Miss Hamilton's three maxims, so often quoted, are worthy of an indelible inscription in every house:
" Do everything in its proper time."
" Keep everything to its proper use."
" Put every thing in its proper place."
She should have added, Do every thing in the best manner; for the habit of aiming at a perfect standard, is not only of the highest importance in our moral interests, but also proportionately so in reference to the common affairs of life.
Written by Mrs. Cornelius in 1859

Home Economics:
Lotion That Keeps the Hair in Curl

Of the many preparations recommended to keep the hair in curl, none is easier for amateurs to make, or is more effective, even in damp weather, than bandoline, made from quince seed. It is harmless, and keeps straight locks in curl. The only objection to it is that when dry it assumes a powdery aspect suggestive of fine dandruff.
An old method for preparing this toilet preservative is to add a tablespoonful of the seeds, bruised, to a pint of soft water. Boil gently until the quantity is reduced to three gills. Then strain, and when cold, two tablespoonfuls each of cologne and alcohol are added. If the hair is naturally oily, one-half a teaspoonful of powdered alum may be added, dissolving it first in the alcohol. For applying to the hair a small sponge is the best agent. This lotion must be put on before using curlers. Circa 1905.

Home Economics:
Breast Salve

Linseed oil ( raw ), four ounces; mutton tallow, four ounces; yellow wax, two ounces; Burgundy pitch, one ounce; Venice turpentine, one ounce; oil lavender, one half ounce; rosin, one half ounce. Melt together and strain through flannel. Spread lightly on a soft linen rag, apply to the breast, and the relief is almost instantaneous. Circa 1882.

Recipes

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