A year's cookery

During the boiling the porridge must be stirred frequently to keep it from burning to the saucepan, but each, time this is done the lid must be put on again. When it is done enough it should be poured into a basin or upon a plate, and served hot, with sugar or treacle, and milk or cream. The very best method that can be adopted for making porridge is to soak the coarse Scotch oatmeal in water for twelve hours or more (if the porridge is wanted for breakfast it may be put into a pie-dish over night and left till morning). As soon as the fire is lighted in the morning it should be placed on it, stirred occasion¬ ally, kept covered, and boiled as long as possible, although it may be served when it has boiled for twenty minutes. When thus prepared it will be almost like a delicate jelly, and acceptable to the most fastidious palate. The proportions for porridge made in this way are a heaped table-spoonful of coarse oatmeal to a pint of water. It is scarcely necessary to give directions for making bread and milk, for every one knows how this is done. It may be said that the prepara¬ tion has a better appearance if the bread is cut very small before the boiling milk is poured on it, and also that the addition of a small pinch of salt takes away the insipidity. Rigid economists sometimes swell the bread with boiling water, then drain this off, and pour milk in its place. This, however, is almost a pity, for milk is so very good for children ; and though recklessness is seldom to be recommended, a mother might well be advised to be reckless about the amount of her milk bill, provided always that the quantity of milk be not wasted, and that the children have it. If it should happen that the little ones got tired of oatmeal porridge, or of bread and milk, a variety might be permitted them in the form of rice and barley porridge (June 15th), rice milk (June 18tli), milk porridge (June 13th), and in summer-time plum porridge (August 31st) may be given them. Dinner. — Baked Cod (February 3rd) ; Roast Rump Steak : skewer the meat round firmly, and baste it frequently whilst it is being cooked (March 4th) ; Potatoes (May 12th) ; Greens (Cabbage, June 4th) ; Cabinet Pudding (July 12th) ; Cheese (June 8th). Tea. — Rice Cake (August 2nd). Supper. — Pigeon Pie made on Saturday ; Stewed Rhubarb (May 19 th). Things that must not be Forgotten. 1. Carefully preserve any remains of cod there may be. They can be scalloped for breakfast. 2. Preserve the pigeon-bones and scrapings of the pie to make gravy for the savoury mince at luncheon to-morrow. 3. Turn the beef, and turn and rub the pig’s cheek. January 26th, Breakfast. Luncheon. Dinner. Scalloped Cod. Pig’s Cheek. Toasted Teacakes. Brown and White Bread and Butter. Dry Toast. Bread and Milk. Savoury Meat Cake. Eggs stewed with Cheese. Potato Puree. Boiled Leg of Mutton. Caper Sauce and Mashed Turnips, Carrots, and Potatoes. Roly-poly Pudding. Cheese. Marketing. For the Day.— A well hung Leg of Mutton, weighing about seven pounds ; Suet or Dripping for pudding (June 25th); Turnips, Carrots, Potatoes. For Mutton, see January 8th. The best suet for pudding is the kidney fat of beef. For To-morrow.— Dried Haddock for breakfast.