Imagens da página
PDF
ePub

way to the kitchen stairs." "Now!" said my husband, opening my desk, and, taking up my book, he showed him the last year's expenditure, which was £. "No! no! that is impossible," replied his friend. "But," said Mr. B., "there it is in black and white." " "Why, good heavens!" exclaimed the other, "without giving so many parties, and also two less in family, my expenditure is certainly greater." To which Mr. B. replied, "So I should imagine, from the style in which I saw your table provided the few days we were on a visit to your house; therefore I am not in the least astonished. Here, however, is the account for the closing year, just made up to the 28th December, 1848. Let us see what it amounts to, probably to £50 or £60 more." "So, so," replied the other, "that is an increase."-"Let it be so," said Mr. B., "but you must remember that we are twelvemonths older, and as our business increases, so do we increase our comforts; and this year Mrs. B. with the children had a pretty little house at Ramsgate for two months, which will account for the greater part of it.'

Mrs. L. But, my dear Mrs. B., I am as much astonished as your friend could possibly have been. I should, however, have liked you to explain the matter; but here comes your husband, who will probably initiate me in your culinary secrets.

Good morning, my dear Mr. B., I hope I have the pleasure of seeing you well.

Mr. B. Perfectly so, Madam.

Mrs. L. I have been talking to Mrs. B. about her system of housekeeping, who was relating to me a conversation you had with a gentleman, astonished with its economy. I am also surprised, and should like to take a few leaves out of your most excellent book, if you will allow me.

Mr. B. Certainly, my dear madam; in my wife, without flattering her too much, you see almost an accomplished woman, (in hearing such praise Mrs. B. retired, saying, "How foolishly you talk, Richard;") she speaks two or three different languages tolerably well, and, as an amateur, is rather proficient in music, but her parents, very wisely considering household knowledge to be of the greatest importance, made her first acquainted with the keys of the store-room before those of the piano; that is the only secret, dear madam; and this is the explanation that I gave to my friend, who thought it a good jest, and one of truth. I told him to do the same by his two daughters, which would not only make them more happy through life, but transmit that happiness to their posterity by setting an example worthy of being followed.

I always say, give me a domesticated wife, and with my industry, I would not change my position for a kingdom; "Very true, very true," was my friend's answer, and we then parted.

totally impossible; therefore I beg to propose (if you can afford the time) that you will in writing, give me the description how you lay out your breakfast-table, with the addition of a few receipts for the making of rolls and the other breakfast bread, which I so much enjoyed whilst with you; even how to make toast, and more especially how you make coffee, chocolate, cocoa (tea, of course, I know). And should this meet with your approbation, I will make a little journal, which may some day or other be useful to our families and friends.

Until I hear from you, I shall be waiting with anxiety for your decision upon this important and domestic subject.

[blocks in formation]

MY DEAR ELOISE,-In answer to yours, I agree, with the greatest pleasure, to contribute towards your domesticated idea, which, I must say, is very original, and may, as you observe, prove useful; but why should we confine our culinary journal to breakfasts only? why not go through the different meals of the day? that is, after breakfast, the luncheon; then the nursery dinner at one; and here it strikes me that in that series, we might introduce some receipts, to be called, Comforts for Invalids; even our servants' dinners and teas; then the early dinner at two or three, for people in business, the parlour dinner at six, the coffee after dinner, and even suppers for a small ball or evening party; but all on a moderate scale, leaving the aristocratic style entirely to its proper sphere.

To show my approbation of your idea, I enclose herewith the first receipt, How to make Toast.

BREAKFASTS.

WHEN we first commenced housekeeping, we were six in family, five of whom breakfasted together, the three young men in the shop, Mr. B, and myself. The cloth was laid by the servant girl at half past seven precisely; at ten minutes to eight I made tea, and at eight o'clock we were seated. The breakfast, which was composed merely of bread and butter at discretion, fresh watercresses when plentiful, or sometimes boiled eggs; for variation, once a week, coffee; if in the winter, we had toast, which I never suffered the servant to prepare more than five minutes before we were seated, for, if kept longer, the dry toast becomes tough, and the buttered very greasy, and consequently unpalatable, as well as indigestible. Twenty minutes only were allowed for breakfast, after which the table was cleared, the cloth carefully folded and put by for the next morning,-for we kept a separate one for dinner, and imposed the fine of a halfpenny upon any one who should spill either tea or coffee over the cloth by carelessness. Such was always my plan when in business; and you must know as well as myself, it is not only the expense of the washing, but the continual wear and tear of the linen, which make frequent washings so ruinous; but the cloth used always to look clean, and I am confident that not less than five pounds a year were saved on that very trifling matter, washing, and you know we thought as much then of five pounds as we perhaps now do of twenty.

Respecting our present time and method of setting out our breakfast table, you are acquainted with it as well as myself; it would, therefore, be useless to trouble you with

B

it, but if you consider it worthy of notice you can of course describe it yourself. Now to business: before partaking of a breakfast, you must provide the materials, (which I always select of the best quality,) and require to know how to prepare them. I shall, therefore, give you a series of every description of articles which may properly be partaken of at the breakfast-table.

FIRST SERIES OF RECEIPTS.

1. TOAST.-Procure a nice square loaf that has been baked one or two days previously, (for the new cannot be cut, and would eat very heavy,) then with a sharp knife cut off the bottom crust evenly, and then as many slices as you require, about a quarter of an inch in thickness, (I generally use a carving-knife for cutting bread for toast; being longer in the blade it is more handy, and less liable to waste it.) Contrive to have a clear fire: place a slice of the bread upon a toasting-fork, about an inch from one of the sides, hold it a minute before the fire, then turn it, hold it before the fire another minute, by which time the bread will be thoroughly hot, then begin to move it gradually to and fro until the whole surface has assumed a yellowish-brown colour, then turn it again, toasting the other side in the same manner; lay it then upon a hot plate, have some fresh or salt butter, (which must not be too hard, as pressing it upon the toast would make it heavy,) spread a piece, rather less than an ounce, over, and cut the toast into four or six pieces; should you require six such slices for a numerous family, about a quarter of a pound of butter would suffice for the whole; but cut each slice into pieces as soon as buttered, and pile them lightly upon the plate or dish you intend to serve it on.

« AnteriorContinuar »