The new practical housekeeping

When the essence is bottled, pour about three tea-cups or hoiling water slowly on the grounds, which, when filtered through, will be a very weak coffee. The next time there is essence to be prepared, make this weak coffee boiling, and pour it on the ground coffee instead of plain water ; by this means a better coffee will be obtained. Never throw away the grounds without having made use of them in this manner, and always cork the bottle well that contains this preparation, until the day that it is wanted for making the fresh essence. Iced Tea. — To have it perfect and without the least trace of bitter, put tea in cold water hours before it is to be used, the night previous if for breakfast or twelve-o'clock dinner, and in the morning if for tea ; the delicate flavor of the tea and abundant strength will be extracted, and there will not be a trace of the tannic acid which renders tea so often disagreeable and undrinkable. Use only the usual quantity of tea. Put broken ice in it a few minutes before serving, ced tea can be served with a light froth like that of ale on top, if shaken with the ice in it in two glasses placed one over the other — ^the brims together. Another method is to prepare tea in the morning, making it stronger and sweeter than usual ; strain and pour into a clean stone jug or glass bottle, and set aside in the ice-chest until ready to use. Drink from goblets without cream. Serve ice broken in small pieces on a platter garnished with well-washed grape leaves. Russian Tea. — Place in a teapot three heaped tablespoons English breakfast tea, pour over it three pints boiling water, let infuse for four minutes, navor with vanilla and a few drops of lemon juice, add a little powdered sugar and serve. Or a thin slice of lemon may be used instead of lemonjuice. Tea for Forty, — Have two and one-half gallons boiling water ready, put a quarter pound tea in a box made of perforated tin, or in a muslin bag, and drop it into the water, which must then be kept from boiling and set where it will be kept hot. May be served like coffee with whipped cream or a meringue of whites of eggs on each cup. ^^ • Tea au Lait — Beat a teaspoon or so of sugar with the whipped white of an egg ; stir in a glass of new milk and then a cup very hot tea, beating all up well together and sweetening to taste. A very palatable mixture and valuable for persons who suffer much firom weakness- . ^ Strawberry Acid. — Dissolve five ounces tartaric acid in two quarts water and pour it upon twelve pounds strawberries in a porcelain kettle ; let it simmer forty-eight hours, strain, taking care not to bruise the fruit ; to every pint juice add one and one-half pounds sugar and stir until dissolved, then leave it a few days ; bottle and cork lightly ; if a slight fermentation takes place leave the cork out a few oays, then cork, seal and keep bottles in a cold place. Drink, mixing desired quantity with ice water. To make Royal Strawherru Acid take three pounds ripe strawberries, two ounces citric acid and one quart water ; dissolve the acid in the water and pour it over the berries ; let them stand in a cool place twenty-four hours, draw off, and pour in three pounds more berries and let stand twenty-four hours ; add to the liquor its own weight of sugar, boil three or four minutes each day for three days, then cork ti