The Virginia ladies, who are proverbially
good managers, employ themselves, while their servants
are eating, in washing the cups, glasses, etc., arranging the
cruets, the mustard, salt-sellers, pickle-vases, and all the
apparatus for the dinner-table. This occupies but a short
time, and the lady has the satisfaction of knowing that
they are in much better order than they would be if left
to the servants. It also relieves her from the trouble of
seeing the dinner -table prepared, which should be done
every day with the same scrupulous regard to exact neat-
ness and method as if a grand company were expected.*
When the servant is required to do this daily, he soon gets
JNTRODUCnOK til
into the habit of doing it well, and his nuBtreas having
made anrangements for him in the morning, there ia no
fear of bustle and oonf nsion in ronning after things that
may be called for daring the hour of dinner. When the
kitchen breakfast is over, and the cook has put all things
in their proper places, the lady should go in to give her
orders. Let all the articles intended for the dinner pass
in review before her; have the batter, sugar, floar, meal,
lard, given oat in proper quantities; the catsap, spice,
wine, whatever may be wanted for each dish, measured to
the cook. The mistress mast tax her own memory with
all this; we have no right to expect servants to be more
attentive to oar interests than we ourselves are; they will
never recollect these little articles until they are going to
use them; the mistress must then be called out, and thus
have the horrible drudgery of keeping house all day, when
one hour devoted to it in the morning would release her
from trouble until the next day. There is economy as
well as comfort in a regular mode of doing business.
but if temptation be thrown in the way of subordinates,
not many will have power to resist it; besides, it is an im-
moral act to place them in a situation which we pray to
be exempt from ourselves.
"The prosperity and happiness of a family depend
greatly on the order and regularity established in it. The
husband who can ask a friend to partake of his dinner in
full confidence of finding his wife unruffled by the petty
vexations attendant on the neglect of household duties —
who can usher his guest into the dining-room assured of
seeing that methodical nicety which is the essence of true
elegance — ^will feel pride and exultation in the possession
of a companion who gives to his home charms that grati-
fy every wish of his soul and render the haunts of dissipa-
viii nrrnoiyrrcTioN.
tion hateful to him. The sons bried in such a family "ieill
be moral men, of steady habits; aiid the dalnghterSy if the
mother shall have performed the duties of a parent in' the
superintendence of their education as faithfully a^ she has
done those of a wife, will each be a treasure to her husband;
arid being formed on the model of an exemplai^ mother,
will use the same means for secu^ng the happiness of her
own family which she has seen successfully practised un-
der the parental roof.'*
* ■ •
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
rSAST.—BREADS MADE WITH YSAST, AND BISCUIT.
It If
Yeast. — Hannah's Yeast. — Exact Way to Make (Jood Light Bread.—
Sponge. — Potato Yeast. — Biscuit. — Thin Biscuit. — ^Beaten Biscuit.
—Bachelor's Lotff»— Sherwood Biscuit.— EYench Rolls. — Cream
Rolls. — Sally Lunn, Nos; 1 and 2* — Cinnamon Buns. — Hannah's
Rolls. — Hannah's Muffins.— Pren<;h Bread.— French Biscuit: —
Lightened Biflcuks.— Powhatan Loaf.— Powhatan Rolls. — Quick
Biscuits. — Soda Biscuit. — Golden Loaf of Albemarle. — Brandon
Rolls. — Old Maids. — Brown Bread. — Rusks, Nos. 1 and 2. — Apple
Bread. — Salt-rising Bread . * v . .•.•«• . . i «. * Page 1
CHAPTER II.
' »
COBX BREAD, fiREAKFA^T CAKES, AND F4NCY, BREAD OF FIFTY
SORTS.
* » • •
Page 2
Presented as published in 1884. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The Virginia ladies, who are proverbially good managers, employ themselves, while their servants are eating, in washing the cups, glasses, etc., arranging the cruets, the mustard, salt-sellers, pickle-vases, and all the apparatus for the dinner-table. This occupies but a short time, and the lady has the satisfaction of knowing that they are in much better order than they would be if left to the servants. It also relieves her from the trouble of seeing the dinner-table prepared, which should be done every day with the same scrupulous regard to exact neatness and method as if a grand company were expected.* When the servant is required to do this daily, he soon gets
INTRODUCTION
into the habit of doing it well, and his mistress having made arrangements for him in the morning, there is no fear of bustle and confusion in running after things that may be called for during the hour of dinner. When the kitchen breakfast is over, and the cook has put all things in their proper places, the lady should go in to give her orders. Let all the articles intended for the dinner pass in review before her; have the batter, sugar, flour, meal, lard, given oat in proper quantities; the catsap, spice, wine, whatever may be wanted for each dish, measured to the cook. The mistress mast tax her own memory with all this; we have no right to expect servants to be more attentive to oar interests than we ourselves are; they will never recollect these little articles until they are going to use them; the mistress must then be called out, and thus have the horrible drudgery of keeping house all day, when one hour devoted to it in the morning would release her from trouble until the next day. There is economy as well as comfort in a regular mode of doing business.
but if temptation be thrown in the way of subordinates, not many will have power to resist it; besides, it is an immoral act to place them in a situation which we pray to be exempt from ourselves.
"The prosperity and happiness of a family depend greatly on the order and regularity established in it. The husband who can ask a friend to partake of his dinner in full confidence of finding his wife unruffled by the petty vexations attendant on the neglect of household duties — who can usher his guest into the dining-room assured of seeing that methodical nicety which is the essence of true elegance — ^will feel pride and exultation in the possession of a companion who gives to his home charms that gratify every wish of his soul and render the haunts of dissipa-
viii INTRODUCTION.
tion hateful to him. The sons bried in such a family will be moral men, of steady habits; aiid the daughters if the mother shall have performed the duties of a parent in' the superintendence of their education as faithfully a^ she has done those of a wife, will each be a treasure to her husband; arid being formed on the model of an exemplai^ mother, will use the same means for securing the happiness of her own family which she has seen successfully practised under the parental roof.'*
* ■ •
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
YEAST.—BREADS MADE WITH YEAST, AND BISCUIT.
It If
Yeast. — Hannah's Yeast. — Exact Way to Make (Jood Light Bread.— Sponge. — Potato Yeast. — Biscuit. — Thin Biscuit. — ^Beaten Biscuit. —Bachelor's Loaf.— Sherwood Biscuit.— EYench Rolls. — Cream Rolls. — Sally Lunn, Nos; 1 and 2* — Cinnamon Buns. — Hannah's Rolls. — Hannah's Muffins.— Pren<;h Bread.— French Biscuit: — Lightened Biscuits.— Powhatan Loaf.— Powhatan Rolls. — Quick Biscuits. — Soda Biscuit. — Golden Loaf of Albemarle. — Brandon Rolls. — Old Maids. — Brown Bread. — Rusks, Nos. 1 and 2. — Apple Bread. — Salt-rising Bread . * v . .•.•«• . . i «. * Page 1
CHAPTER II.
' »
CORN BREAD, BREAKFAST CAKES, AND FANCY BREAD OF FIFTY
SORTS.
* » • •