Jasper Republican, Volume 1, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 January 1875 — HOUSEHOLD HINTS. [ARTICLE]

HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

Baked Potatoes.— Have a hot baking oven, select and wash potatoes of uniform size, and put them moist into a clean oven. Do not open the oven if you can avoid it for half an hour; try if they are done in a towel. Eat them hot. Cornstarch Mold. —One quart of milk, three tablespoonfuls of cornstarch, vanilla, salt, quince jelly, sugar, cream. Boil the milk. Wet the cornstarch in a little cold milk. Stir it well; then add the salt and cornstarch to the hot milk, and leave it on the fire until it thickens. When it cools add the vanilla; mold and set on ice. To be eaten with quince jelly, cream and sugar. Never boil coffee. The reason is that not only the better part of it (the exhilarating) escapes, but that the extractive properties, which, if largely used, are unhealthy, are alone present. Bring up to the boiling point, but do not boil. You thus get sufficient of the extractive matter to give body, retaining all ihe volatile, healthy and relishing proper ties.— Exchange. It is known that maple molasses soon loses its flavor. To save this delicious taste make it of the first run of sap, fill good sweet jugs—cork tight. Cut off the corks even with the top, and seal over with wax. Then bury in a cool place, three feet deep in the ground. Then next fall, so soon as buckwheat cakes are ready, call in your neighbors. Harper’s Bazaar tells us how to make rugs and mats of coffee sacks. It says: “ Get those of even texture and work in cross stitch, the same as on canvas, with coarse Germantown wool. They may he made with any design from the very simple to the most elaborate, and may be used for piano stools and covers or other ornamental and useful purposes, as for door and furniture rugs. The edge can he fringed or trimmed with a button holed or even a pinked edge border of cloth. For the latter use they may be lined and wadded to give weight and thickness.”

English Christmas Pudding.— One pound suet chopped fine; one pound sifted flour; baker’s roll, softened in warm milk; one pound currants; one poupd raisins stoned; half-pound citron and candied lemon peel;, one pound granulated sugar; two nutmegs; teaspoonful salt; eight eggs, well beaten; make into as stiff a batter as can be poured into the pudding cloth, which' nmst be of thick cotton, dipped "into boiling water. The pudding must be beaten for a full half hour before being pat into the cloth; leave room to swell. Put a plate in the bottom of the pot; keep filled up with boiling water, and boil four hours. To be served with sweet sauce.