The hearthstone; or, Life at home

Graham Flour. — The miller in preparing fine flour extracts from it three-fourths of its nutritious matter, leaving only that which is found in gluten, or starch, and he also takes from it all the phosphate which makes bone, and all the matter which would regulate the digestive organs and purify the blood, and leaves the pure wheaten flour in such a condition that no growing child should feed upon it. Graham flour supplies all the needs of the stomach, and if housekeepers would take pains to make palatable Graham, bread, muffins, gruel, and the like, the nation would not long be what it is called now — one of dyspeptics. Graham Br^ad (i). — Take equal parts of fine flour and Graham, for two loaves of bread, and one cup of good potato-yeast ; mix with sweet milk or water (cold water is preferable in summer), as stiff as can be conveniently stirred with a spoon ; butter the tins ; put in the mixture, and set in a warm place for about three hours, and it will be light enough to bake. It should be baked about one-third longer than fine flour. Graham Bread (2). — Purchase your flour in small quantities, and if possible procure it at the mill where it is freshly made, as it does not retain its sweetness as long as fine flour. Take one quart of milk and warm water, or two-thirds of milk and one-third of water ; stir this into a pint of wheat flour, and add enough Graham. Shaker Bread. — Take half the flour (unbolted) you intend using, and pour on boiling milk (be sure it boils), and have it about the consistency of batter that you would have for making pancakes ; let this stand till cool enough to work, then knead in the rest of your flour just sufficiently stiff to mould on a board. One hour in a middling hot oven is sufficient for baking. Corn Bread ( i). — One cup of hominy ; boil it and stir in some Indian meal ; add a teacup of milk, one egg, a piece of butter half as large as an egg; then make it as thick as pound-cake with Indian meal. Then comes the secret : bake it quick to a light-brown color. Corn Bread (2). — Two cups of Indian meal, one cup of flour, two cups of sour milk, and two small teaspoonfuls of saleratus ; one-half cup of brown sugar. Corn Bread (3). — One pint of buttermilk ; one pint of corn-meal; half a pint of flour; one-third cup of molasses; two teaspoonfuls of soda ; salt. Bake one hour and a-quarter if the oven is right. Cut it with a sharp knife. Corn Bread (4). — Two cups of flour, one of meal, two eggs, a little molasses and a little salt. Mix it with sour milk a little softer than pound-cake; add a teaspoonful of saleratus.