Mix and sift dry ingredients, add milk gradually, eggs well beaten, and melted butter. Bake in moderate oven in buttered gem pans. Let stand in oven, after baking,

with door ajar, that crust may be dry and crisp. To be eaten hot or cold.

White Corn Meal Cake.

1/4 cup white corn meal.

1⁄2 teaspoon salt.

1⁄2 cup scalded milk.

Add salt to corn meal, and pour on, gradually, milk. Turn into a buttered shallow pan to the depth of onefourth inch. Bake in a moderate oven until crisp. Split, and spread with butter.

Scald milk, and when lukewarm, add yeast cakes, and as soon as yeast cakes are dissolved add salt and one cup flour. Cover, and let rise until light; then add sugar, butter, eggs unbeaten, and flour enough to handle. Knead, shape, and place close together in two parallel rows two inches apart on a buttered sheet. Let rise again, and bake in a hot oven twenty-five minutes. When cold cut diagonally in one-half inch slices, and brown in a slow

oven.

To shape rusks make small biscuit and roll on part of cloth where there is no flour, using one hand until four and one-half inches long, of uniform size, and round at ends.

Dry Toast.

Cut stale bread in one-third inch slices and remove crusts. Place in wire toaster, lock toaster, and hold over clear fire to dry one side, holding some distance from coals; turn, and dry other side. Hold nearer to coals and color a golden brown, first on one side, then on other. The moisture in the bread should be nearly evaporated, thus making the toast dry and crisp. By this means of toasting some of the starch becomes dextrinized, and the bread is thus rendered easier of digestion. If only charred on the outside and soft in the inside, it forms in the stomach a soggy, indigestible mass.

Toast should never be piled one slice on another, except it be cut in suitable shapes, that it may be piled log-cabin fashion. If a toast rack is not at hand, balance toast against cup placed in warm plate until serving time.

If toast is desired in finger-shaped pieces, triangles, or fancy shapes, it must be cut as desired before being toasted.

Water Toast. 180 Calories.

2 slices dry toast.

1 cup boiling water.

3/4 teaspoon salt.

1⁄2 tablespoon butter. Drop toast, each piece separately, in boiling salted water, remove to hot dish, spread with butter, and serve at once.

Cracker Toast.

Split and toast common crackers. Spread generously with butter, moisten with salted boiling water, put in hot dish, and pour over scalded milk.

2 slices dry toast.

Milk Toast.

4 tablespoon butter.

34 cup scalded milk.

1/4 teaspoon salt.

Butter bread, arrange on hot dish, and pour over milk

to which salt has been added.

Sippets with Milk. 242 Calories.

1 slice dry toast.

1⁄2 tablespoon butter.

34 cup scalded milk.

1⁄2 teaspoon salt.

Cut toast in small pieces of uniform size. Put remaining ingredients in small heated bowl, add toast, and serve at once.

Add cold milk gradually to flour to make a smooth paste. Turn into scalded milk, stirring constantly at first until mixture thickens. Cook over hot water twenty minutes. Add salt, and butter in small pieces. Dip slices of toast separately in sauce. When soft remove to serving-dish, and pour over remaining sauce.

Cut stale bread in two-inch slices, and cut slices in square, circular, or diamond-shaped pieces.

Remove centres, making cases, leaving walls as thin as possible. Brush over with melted butter, and brown in a moderate oven. The top of croustades may be brushed over with slightly beaten white of egg, then dipped in dry, finely chopped parsley. To be filled with creamed vegetables, oysters, or chicken.

CHAPTER XV.

BREAKFAST CEREALS.

BREAKFAST cereals are made from oats, corn, wheat,

or rice. At the present time so great is the number upon the market, that one has an extensive variety from which to choose. They are put up in one or two pound packages, almost all of them having been partially cooked. Printed directions are given for the cooking, the time for which is always insufficient.

Breakfast cereals are valuable, inexpensive foods, and their daily use is strongly recommended. It is a fact to be regretted that they are not more freely employed by the poorer classes in our own country.

Oat preparations rank first as regards nutritive value. They contain a stimulating principle which is lacking in the other cereals. Owing to the fact that they hold a large amount of fat and cellulose, there are many with whom they disagree. In such cases their use should be avoided. As regards heat-giving properties, corn ranks next to oats, therefore both are especially adapted for a winter diet. They are slightly laxative.

A kernel of wheat is deficient in but one of the five food principles, namely fat, to make it an ideal food. For this reason wheat preparations may be used to advantage throughout the year. It is a fact that wheat is more largely consumed than any other cereal, rice holding second place.

Rice contains more starch and less fat than any of the cereals. It has a delicate flavor, but is not as popular in the United States, except in the southern part, as wheat, oats, or corn.

Macaroni is made from wheat flour rich in proteid, and water. It is manufactured to some extent in this country, but the best brands come from Italy. Like the cereals, it is an inexpensive, nutritive food.

All the cereals contain a large percentage of starch, in consequence of which they should be thoroughly cooked. The following points must be followed for the best results: 1. Double boiler, the utensil for cooking.

2. Correct proportions of water, cereal, and salt. 3. Temperature of water, boiling point (212° F.). 4. Time for cooking.

5. Manner of serving.

In cooking cereals the double boiler employed should correspond in size to the quantity to be prepared. The following recipesc all for the use of the smallest ones put upon the market.

Oftentimes where cereals have not proved popular, it is due to the fact that they have been improperly cooked or have been served with poor milk, rather than with rich milk or thin cream. To avoid monotony, vary the kind of cereal, never allowing the same preparation to appear on consecutive mornings.

Digestibility.

Breakfast cereals, if properly cooked, are well digested and absorbed, holding close rank to animal foods. Of the proteid there is a loss of fifteen per cent; of the fat, ten per cent; of the carbohydrate, two per cent.