10 MORE OLD TIME HELPFUL HINTS

 Here are more of the helpful hints for the back of an old cookbook I found.

1. To keep nuts from sinking to the bottom of cake or bread batter, shake them in a paper bag with a pinch or two of flour.
2. Do not discard worn pillow slips. Cut a small hole in the seamed end and slip it over a hanger as protection for clothes.
3. Use cotton swabs dipped in lukewarm soap or detergent suds to clean the grooves of carved furniture.
4. Potatoes soaked in salt water for 20 minutes before baking will bake more rapidly.
5. A pie crust will be more easily made and better if all the ingredients are cool.
6. To cut fresh bread easily, cut with a hot knife.
7. Tablecloths and sheets should be folded crosswise occasionally. It will make them last longer.
8. To prevent the iron from sticking, add a little salt to the starch.
9. To remove iodine stains from linens rub the stained area with a slice of lemon.
10. Fruit stains may be removed with a strong solution of borax, or the stain moistened with water, rubbed with borax, and boiling water poured through.

TEN OLD-TIME TIPS FROM THE BACK OF AN OLD COOKBOOK

 

1. When baking a milk pudding, place the dish in a pan of water in the oven. This prevents the pudding from burning or boiling over.

2. A well-beaten white of egg added to mashed potatoes will add to the looks and taste of the dish.

3. When bread is baking, a small dish of water in the oven will help to keep the crust from getting too hard.

4. To draw out the salt from salted fish, add a glass of vinegar to the water in which the fish is soaking.

5. Add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to cranberries while cooking and they will not require much sugar.

6. To keep milk or cream from souring in hot weather, stir in a small quantity of bicarbonate of soda.

7. All seasonings should be added gradually to soup, or the flavor may be too strong.

8. A little finely grated cheese added to thin soup improves the taste immensely.

9. If parsley is washed with hot water, instead of cold, it retains its flavor and is easier to chop.

10. To prevent the odor of boiling ham or cabbage permeating the house, add a little vinegar to the water in which they are boiled.

There you have it, folks. Ten more tips for everyday use. I especially like #6. But I'm sure that was very important to folks many years ago. Anyway, it is fun to share these tips with you.

DOILY STIFF

My mother and grandmother crocheted a lot and used this recipe to stiffen their doilies after washing them.

3/4 cup cornstarch
2 tbs. turpentine
2 tbs borax
1 quart cold water

Mix water, cornstarch, and borax good. Be sure dissolved. Add turpentine. Dip and squeeze and roll in towel. Let stand for two hours or more.

(Good grief. I never had a clue! No wonder they were always telling us kids to stay away from their handiwork that was so pretty on tables!)

SUBSTITUTIONS WHEN COOKING

Did you ever start to make something only to realize you didn't have a necessary ingredient? I know I have and it can be very frustrating. In going through some old cookbooks, I have figured out ways to make substitutions that won't mess up the finished product. Here are a few of them:

1 tablespoon cornstarch = 2 tbsps flour or 1 1/2 tbsps quick cook tapico
1 cup cake flour = 1 cup - 2 tbsps all-purpose flour
1 cup all-purpose flour = 1 cup + 2 tbsps cake flour
1 square baking chocolate = 3 tbsps cocoa + 1 tbsp shortening
1 cup MELTED shortening = 1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk = 1/2 cup evaporated milk + 1/2 cup water
1 cup buttermilk = 1 tbsp vinegar + enough milk to make 1 cup
1 cup heavy cream = 2/3 cup milk and 1/3 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream, whipped = 2/3 cup well chilled evaporated milk, whipped
1 garlic clove = 1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 tablespoon fresh herbs = 1 teaspoon dried herbs

HOMEMADE HEAVY CREAM

FYI....

TEN OLD-TIME TIPS

Following are some tips I found in the back of an old cookbook. I will post a few tonight with more to follow at other times.

1. Measure a cupful of whipped cream after it is whipped.
2. To avoid lumps in batter, add a pinch of salt to the flour before it is wet.
3. To cream butter and sugar, warm a bowl, put the butter in, then sieve the sugar on top. Beat until the mixture is like whipped cream.
4. To improve the flavor of old potatoes, add a little sugar to the water in which they are boiled.
5. To keep lint from clinging to blue jeans and corduroys, add a half cup of vinegar to each wash load.
6. Bury the yeast cake in salt and it will keep for some time.
7. Heat lemons well before using and there will be twice as much juice.
8. To prevent cakes from burning, sprinkle salt in the oven under the baking pans.
9. Never beat egg-whites in an aluminum pan, it is sure to darken them.
10. If egg yolks become stringy after being added to hot puddings, especially tapioca, use a beater; the lumps will adhere to the beater, and leave the pudding smooth.

HAPPY HINTS

This is from the back of a package of Godchaux sugar my late mother cut out many years ago. The first is how to sugar doughnuts and the second is an orange mixture to put over pancakes. You can click on the picture to enlarge for easier reading.

OLD CLIPPING FOR USING CORNSTARCH

I know this isn't a recipe but thought I would share it anyway.  My late mother had it in with her box of 1960s recipe clippings.  I never heard of doing this but it must have worked for Kay.  I wonder if my mom ever tried it.

Click on picture to enlarge for easier reading.

OLD FASHION TIPS FOR COOKING CHICKEN

I ran across these old fashion tips for cooking chicken and thought you might enjoy reading them.

• For extra-crisp fried chicken, dip each piece in buttermilk before coating with flour.
• When time permits, let coated chicken stand for 30 minutes until dry, then sprinkle any moist spots with more coating before frying.  Moisture creates steam, which causes breading to fall off.
• For a moister whole chicken, place breast side down for the first half of cooking time so the juices run down into the breast.  Turn breast side up for the last half of cooking time to get a nice browned chicken.

QUANTITIES TO SERVE 100

I found this list in an old church cookbook.  It lists quantities needed for serving 100 people.  I thought it interesting that it stated to serve 50 divide by 2 and to serve 25 divide by 4.  Evidently they didn't think women were very good in math!

• 3 lbs coffee
• 3 quarts cream
• 4 pints whipping cream
• 6 gallons milk
• 2 1/2 gallons fruit cocktail
• 5 gallons soup
• 25 lbs weiners
• 40 lbs ham
• 30-36 lbs hamburger
• 35 lbs potatoes
• 5 gallon baked beans
• 10 loaves bread
• 3 lbs butter
• 12 quarts potato salad
• 18 pies
• 8 cakes
• 4 gallons ice cream
• 3 lbs cheese
• 2 quarts pickles
• 3 lbs assorted nuts

CAN-CAN STIFFNER

Does anyone else remember the days when we girls wore the stiff mesh slips that made our dresses stand out like crazy? I remember being caught up in that craze as a preteen and hating myself everytime I sat down in one of those crazy things! In going through a box of my mother's old hand-written recipes, I found her recipe for the rinse she used to dip these "petticoats" in when she laundered them for me and my sister. Her notes say she copied this from a caller on a local radio show called, "The Backyard Fence," where friends and neighbors called in to share recipes, items they wanted to sell, giveaway, etc. Here is the famous recipe:

3/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons turpentine
2 tablespoons borax
1 quart cold water
Stir up.
Dip in & iron dry

Lord, have mercy. We must have been crazy!!