Stir up all packed materials, like mustard in its box, and sift flour before measuring. Fill cup without shaking down, and dip spoon in material, taking up a heaped measure, then with a knife scrape off toward the tip till you have level measure. Pack butter or Cottolene in cup so there will be no air spaces. A scant cup means one-eighth less and a heaped cup about one-eighth more than a level cup.

Divide a level spoon lengthwise for a half measure, and a half spoon crosswise for quarters or eighths. A pinch means about one-eighth, so does a saltspoon; less means a dash or a few grains.

A rounded tablespoon means filled above the rim as much as the spoon hollow below, and equals two of level measure. It also equals one ounce in weight, and two rounded tablespoons if put together would heap a tablespoon about as high as would an egg, giving us the old-time measure of "butter size of an egg," or two ounces, or one-fourth the cup.

Except in delicate cake, or where it is creamed with sugar, and in pastry—where it should be chilled to make a flaky crust, Cottolene or butter may be most quickly and economically measured after it is melted. Keep a small supply in a granite cup, and when needed, stand the cup in hot water, and when melted, pour the amount desired into the spoon or cup. For all kinds of breakfast cakes, it is especially helpful to measure it in this way.

Soda, baking powder, spices, etc., are generally measured with a teaspoon, level measure, for this gives the proportional amount needed for the cup measure of other materials.

STANDARD TABLE OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES