A practical cook and text book for general use

Biscuit. Mix together three level teacups of entire wheat flour, and three level teaspoons of baking powder ; add to this, one and one-half teacups cold water and one table-Spoonful of vegetable butter, stir it thoroughlytogether as rapidly as possible and drop from spoon on an oiled baking plate or pan, or into warm, not hot gem pans ; this will make twelve biscuits ; dip a spoon in oil or cold water press them lightly to shape them, and put in a hot oven ; bake fifteen or twenty minutes or until done. They should rise very quickly and bake without scorching. Equal parts of white flour and entire wheat may be used for these biscuit, or entire wheat and light gluten in equal parts. Shortcake. Made the same as biscuit, with the addition of a little more shortening. Do not mix too stiff, and turn on tin plates or a baking pan, smooth lightly over with an oiled spoon and bake twenty minutes or until done. Should this cake be full of holes and caverns it indicates that the dough was too thin; if lacking in lightness make it less stiff. Equal parts of white flour and entire wheat may be used in the above manner. Dumplings. One pint sifted flour, white or entire wheat, or equal parts of each, and one rounding teaspoonful of baking powder ; sift or mix thoroughly together, add sufficient cold water to make a soft dough like biscuit ; drop from spoon with the aid of a knife — closely together on an ordinary deep pie plate and set at once in a steamer or steam cooker. Be sure the water boils and keep it boiling until they are done, which should be in thirty-five or forty minutes. If these are to be eaten with a rich stew of any kind they do not require shortening ; if they are to be served with stewed or fresh fruit, shorten with one tablespoonful of vegetable butter. These dumplings should be very light ; do not cut, but split them open. Steamed Pudding. Prepare the flour and mix as in the preceding recipe, adding one tablespoonful of vegetable butter and half a cup or more of seeded raisins or other sweet fruit. Do not get the batter too stiff and turn at once into a slightly oiled granitized or earthen dish and set in steamer. Be sure the water boils and keep it boiling ; do not open the steamer for an hour and it may require ten minutes longer — should be well cooked. Serve with liquid sauce. The fruit may be omitted and the pudding served in slices with crushed fresh berries or other fruit. The same batter may be steamed in cups ; a layer of batter and layer of berries or other fruit, with the top layer of batter ; fill cups two-thirds full ; serve with fruit sauce. WHEAT. Each grain of wheat is an epitome of man, a miniature loaf containing the elements comprising the body of man. As it stands in the field waving its golden plumes in the sun it is indeed the *' staff of life," but when it reaches our homes in the domestic flour barrel, it may best be called the staff of death, for animals fed exclusively on it for a few weeks are literally starved to death. Evidently " man plumed with conceit " assumed the right to impoverish and deteriorate the grain by removing the gluten, salts and phosphates that build the nerves, teeth and bones, leaving us only fattening starch to feed upon. Is it then any wonder that children fed on " good bread and butter," are nervous, irritable, rickety or over-fat, are bowlegged or otherwise deformed, when their bread lacks the elements for the building of solid bones ? Cartilaginous "