Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-10-09
Mrs. Rootentoot's Recipe for
Mlnce Pies.

"Well, as for tellin' any one how to
make mince pies, it can't be did
Some likes one kind and some anoth-
er. But for good strong pie | can
lay over any woman that ever mould
ed pie crust, and give me shortening
enough and / can make q crust thai
will throw you into fits when you
bite into, though l say 1t as shouldn't
"Yes," replied we, "every one
knows that; but how do you make
them"
"WeIl, as far rs l am concerned, ]
never brag Oh my pies-they always
speak for themselves, like an old
cheese. They amt 90 puffy as some,
but they are rich, and what insides i
put into 'em always stays there, for
my mother always said to me, Ketura
always keep the insides In your pies
for If they slop over into the oven and
burn, it kind o. scents 'em up 90 that
they amt fit for a pig, and your father
can't bear 'em."
"Yes, your pies have a splendid rep
utation, Mrs. R0otentoop said we.
"But what meat do you use 2"
"Well, l declare, meat! why, new
er puts meat in 'em; some folks al
ways takes the hash left from break
fast and throws it into pie crust for
dinner, but for my part 1 don't see
how pig can stummick them, they
always sicken me. / can't stand so
much dead hog in pies. When you
have got a lot of scraps and don't want
to make up soup with 'em it is we'll
enough to make 'em up into pies and
sell 'em to the hotel keepers, but ]
never put pie of that kind on my
table but once, and that was when we
had the sewin' society at our house,
and old mother Cavendish called 'em
Dyspepsia tablets but she eat two
pieces and was laid out stiffer'n a
wedge before morning. Since then
work in more fruit and less meat, and
for a good strong pie
eyes, but how many apples do you
use ~
We'll, ! declare, apples? Why
bless your American heart, / am the
most particular about my apples ol
any thing in the lot. generally take
about as many as / think I shall want
though sometimes have to throw q
lot into the swill-barrel. But if
want good batch Of pies, or If the
minister or schoolmaster is comm
allow for them, and fling in more
cores and parings, they work up beau.
tiful, there amt one man in ten that
can tell what's in a pie, anyhow
Some folks put in the seeds and
worms, never do; am the most
particular woman in the world abou,
that. If there's anything l hate, it.
apple seeds in pie. They are etern
ally gettin into your holler teeth, and
then you have to work an hour to ge
'em out, and one night the baby (w,
always call him the baby though b,
is going on seven, now kept us awak,
all night just because Of pesky seei
in his tooth. Father gave him two
bottles of Godfrey's Cordial, q bowl
full Of peppermint tea, spanked him
and finally took string and pulled OF
sound tooth, thinking he had tn,
toothache; but nothin' done any gool
until ! went to work and pryed out al
apple seed bigger'n a chip, when h
quit cryin' imejitly. Once in Will,
set the hired girl to chopin up tn
apples; but she always eats more'l
she chops, and so always make 1t
pint to hash my stuff up finer thar
chicken feed. If l don't"
eyes, that is very important, Mrs. r
What next2"
"Welll of course what nextl wh,
the butter. Mince pies amt worth
goose-quill without butter; it make
It slip down eaaier, and besides"
| UHOw much hutfar dn yn,, xaba ~