CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD

Mix in a large bowl one cupful of molasses, half a cupful of sour milk or cream, one teaspoonful of ginger, one of cinnamon, half a teaspoonful of salt. Dissolve one teaspoonful of soda in a teaspoonful of cold water; add this and two tablespoonfuls of melted butter to the mixture. Now stir in two cupfuls of sifted flour, and finally add two ounces of and one tablespoonful of butter, melted together. Pour the mixture into three well-buttered, deep tin plates, and bake in a moderately hot oven for about twenty minutes.

CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Beat to a cream half a cupful of butter and one tablespoonful of lard. Gradually beat into this one cupful of sugar; then add one-fourth of a teaspoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of cinnamon, and two ounces of chocolate melted. Now add one well-beaten egg, and half a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in two tablespoonfuls of milk. Stir in about two cupfuls and a half of flour. Roll thin, and, cutting in round cakes, bake in a rather quick oven. The secret of making good cookies is the use of as little flour as will suffice.

ESCALLOPED HAM

Boil six eggs ten minutes. Make a thickening of two tablespoons of flour cooked in two tablespoons of melted butter, and boil it in a pint of milk until thick. Season with salt and pepper. Cut a cup of Armour's Star Ham (cold boiled) into dice and moisten half a cup of cracker crumbs in melted butter. Chop the whites of the eggs fine, sprinkle some crumbs in a buttered dish, then some of the ham, the chopped whites, thickened milk and sifted yolks. Then add the remainder of the ham, whites of eggs and milk, cover with buttered crumbs and bake until brown

BARLEY STEW

Cut ½ a lb. of cold meat into dice; wash ¼ of a cupful of barley, chop 2 onions very fine, put all into a saucepan and dredge with flour, season with salt and pepper. Add a qt. of water and simmer about 2 hours. Pare and slice 5 potatoes, add them to the stew and simmer an hour longer.

STEWED STEAK AND OYSTER SAUCE

Wash 1 pt. of small oysters in a little water, drain into a saucepan and put this water on to heat. As soon as it comes to a boil skim and set back. Put 3 tablespoonfuls of butter into a frying pan and when hot, put in 2 lbs. of round steak; cook ten minutes. Take out the steak and sift 1 tablespoonful of flour into the butter, stir until browned. Add the oyster liquor and boil 1 minute, season; put back the steak, cover and simmer ½ an hour, then add the oysters and 1 tablespoonful lemon juice. Boil for 1 minute and serve.

TOMATO CROUETTES

Tomato Croquettes.

Stew together for 20 minutes ½ a can of tomatoes, 1 tablespoonful of chopped onion, 1 sprig of parsley, ½ a bay leaf, 4 cloves and enough salt and pepper to season highly. Rub through a sieve. In a clean saucepan melt together 2 tablespoonfuls of butter and 5 tablespoonfuls of flour. Add 2 cupfuls of the strained tomato and stir and cook for ten minutes. Take from the fire and set aside until cold. Flour the hands and carefully mould into small croquettes. Dip each into slightly beaten egg and roll in fine bread crumbs. Let stand for 20 minutes, then repeat the dipping and rolling in crumbs. Fry at once in very hot fat and drain on unglazed paper.