Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-12-13
HOME INTERESTS.

BROWN BREAD.-Two cups of rye meal
or Graham flour, three cups OF cornmeal,
three cups of sweet milk, one cup OF mo-
laSscs, one cup of raisins. Salt and one
teaspoonful of soda. Steam four hours.
RICE PUDDING cup Of rice, which
should be soaked over night in enough
water to cover 1t; six eggs, one cup white
sugar, five quarts sweet milk. Bake two
hours, stirring often till nearly done; flavor
with nutmeg.
DELICIOUS FRUIT CAKEs.-One pound
flour, one pound butter, one pound white
sugar, twelve eggs, a large glass of brandy,
one glass rose water, one pound citron,
two pounds raisins, two pounds currants,
two tablespoonfuls cloves and cinnamon,
two nutmegs. Aaother Uithoaa eggs
Two pounds flour, one and three-fourth
pounds sugar, one pint milk, one-half
pound butter, one-half teaspoonful salt,
one-half teaspoonful soda dissolved in
little hot water, one nutmeg, one pound
r;risins, one glass brandy. This makes
the salt-work the sugar and butter to
cream, add the milk, then the flour, then
soda, lastly spice and fruit.
PoP-CoRN AT DEssERT.-I think need
not tell how to popco need L? 1t is the
best way to have corn-popper; then you
can watch the progress of the corn and
vary the degree of heat as seems necessa-
ry. Many Imagine that the popcorn is
more tender or brittle if taken from the
hot fire and shaken about in the cold air as
quickly as possible. Children are not to
stuff themselves with popcorn when they
are not in the least need of meal. Pop
corn is food, and such crowded condition
of the stomach produces discomfort, and
so popcorn is supposed to be unwhole-
some. 1t is quite the contrary if eaten as
| food with the regular meal and properly
chewed. Try it with milk and apple
sauce, or with any good fruit sauce.-Er-
change.
RAIsIN CAKE.-Wash well one pound of
sweet butter, and cream with it one pound
of white sugar. In winter, when the but
ter is very cold, it is better, before washing
ii, to set il near the stove, where it will
soften but not melt, and use tepid water
for washing it. When the sugar and but
ter are well creamed, add slowly one quart
of tepid new milk and four pounds of
sifted flour; mix well into it teacupful
of lively homemade yeast, and put in a
warm place until light. This should be in
four or five hours, then mix into this bat
ter another pound each of butter and sugar,
| q
little more flour. Have ready two pounds
of raisins, seeded and cut fine, and half a
pound of currants.. Mix small quantity
of flour through the fruit, and stir into the
batter with very small portion of pulver-
lied mace. Let the batter rise again, stir
well with spoon or the hands, and pour
into thin well-buttered tins, putting them
in warm place until they commence to
rise again; then set into slack oven, in
crcasing the heat gradually until hot
enough, and bake about an hour and q
quarter, trying them with a broom splinter
before taking out.
ALUM FOR EXTERMINATING INSECTS
Mrs. S. o. johnson writes to the Countr,
Gentleman: Powdered alum or borax
will keep the chintZ bug at a respectable
distance, and travellers should always carry
: bundle of it in their handbags to scatter
over and under their pillows in holes, etc
While staying at hotel in Denver, Col.
with party, most OF whom complained
sadly of the nightly attacks of these dis.
gushing insects, | was able to keep them
entirely at BAY by its use, and distributed
the contents of my bundle among the
party, not only to their great relief, but tc
the utter discontinue of the bugs, who
4 were forced to seek new pastures. No in
sect which crawls can live under the appli
cation of hot alum water. 1t will destroy
red and black ants, cockroaches, spiders
chintz bugs and all the myriads of crawling
pests which infest our houses during tho
heated term. Take two pounds of alum
and dissolve it in three or four quarts O
boiling water; let it stand ON the stove
until the alum is all melted; then apply il
with n brush while nearly boiling hot, tC
every joint and crevice in your closets
bedsteads, pantry shelves, and the like
Brush the crevices in the floor, of the skirt
ing or mop boards, if you suspect they
J harbor vermin. When whtewashing
[ ceiling plenty of alum should be added tC
the lime; it will also serve to keep insects
at distance. Cockroaches will flee tn,
paint which has been washed in cool alum
water. Sugar barrels and boxes can b,
, freed from ants by drawing a wide chall
mark just around the edge of the top O
them. The mark must be unbroken, OF
. ithcy will creep over it; but oontinuou:
chalk mark. half an inch in width, will sci
their depredations at naught.