Cracker Gruel

2 tablespoons cracker crumbs 1 cup milk.

¼ teaspoon salt.

Mix crumbs and milk and cook in double boiler twenty-minutes; add salt and serve.

Dried bread crumbs may be substituted for cracker crumbs.

Corn Meal Gruel

2 tablespoons corn meal ½ cup milk.

¼ teaspoon salt 2 cups boiling water.

Mix corn meal, salt and milk; add boiling water and cook in double boiler two hours.

Flour Gruel

2 tablespoons flour 2 cups scalded milk.

¼ cup cold water ¼ teaspoon salt.

Mix flour with cold water, add scalded milk and salt. Cook in a double boiler thirty minutes, stirring often.

Flour Ball For Flour Gruel

Knead two cups flour into a ball, adding water to form a stiff dough. Tie ball in a linen cloth and boil in deep saucepan ten to twelve hours, keeping the cloth covered with boiling water all of the time. Dry in cloth, remove cloth, and dry ball in oven. This will keep for years. Scrape two tablespoons from the ball; add one fourth cup cold water and two cups scalded milk; cook in double boiler ten minutes, add salt, and serve.

Oatmeal Gruel

2 tablespoons oatmeal ¼ cup cold water.

2 cups boiling water ⅛ teaspoon salt.

Mix oatmeal with cold water; add salt and boiling water, and cook two hours, or better still over night, in double boiler. Strain and serve; thin with hot water or milk if not of the desired consistency.

Oatmeal Caudle

Add one egg yolk and one tablespoon brandy or sherry to Oatmeal Gruel.

Rice Gruel

2 tablespoons ground rice 2 cups milk.

¼ cup cold water ¼ teaspoon salt.

Mix rice and cold water; add scalded milk and cook in double boiler two hours, stirring occasionally. Strain, add salt, and serve.

Dry Toast

Cut stale bread in one quarter inch slices; remove crust or not as preferred. Dry in oven; place on toaster and toast over clear fire, first on one side and then on the other, having both sides a golden brown. Arrange in toast rack or cover with napkin.

Buttered Toast

Prepare bread as for Dry Toast, and spread with butter as soon as taken from toaster.

Water Toast

Prepare bread as for Dry Toast, dip in hot salted water, drain, and spread with butter.

Milk Toast

3 cups scalded milk 3 tablespoons butter ¼ cup cold milk.

3 tablespoons flour ½ teaspoon salt toasted bread.

Toast bread according to receipt for Dry Toast. Mix flour and cold milk; add to scalded milk and cook in double boiler twenty minutes, stirring constantly at first; add salt and butter; dip toast in sauce; serve in hot dish; add remaining sauce.

Cream Toast

Prepare in the same way as Milk Toast, substituting cream for milk.

Brown Bread Toast

Cut brown bread in thin slices; dry in oven, then toast; butter each slice, and cover with scalded milk.