Cook has discovered some little things which help to make her dishes so much above the average.

When next making griddle cakes add a little brown sugar or molasses to the batter, the cakes will brown better and more easily.

Pie crust is best kept cold in the making; to this end an excellent substitute for a rolling pin is a bottle filled with ice water.

When boiling turnips, add a little sugar to the water; it improves the flavor of the vegetables and lessens the odor in the cooking.

Hard boiled eggs should be plunged into cold water as soon as they are removed from the saucepan. This prevents a dark ring from appearing round the yolk.

Instead of mixing cocoa with boiling water to dissolve it, try mixing it with an equal amount of granulated sugar and then pouring it into the boiling water in the pot, stirring all the while.

What gave her peas she served such a nice color and taste was the adding of a lettuce leaf and a tablespoon of sugar.

Do not cover rising bread in bowls and tins with a dry cloth. Instead, cover with a damp cloth which has been wrung out of warm water. In cold weather the damp cloth should be placed over a dry cloth.

As a result, the dough will not dry on the top and the loaves when baked will be much more uniform.

To prevent holes appearing in brown bread prick twice with needle, once when the loaves are placed in tins and once immediately before loaves are placed in the oven.

Cake Hints

For those who would excel in cake making these admonitions are offered:

First—Cream the shortening.

Second—Add sugar slowly and cream it again.

Third—Add yolks of eggs well beaten.

Fourth—Mix and sift the dry ingredients.

Fifth—Add the dry materials to the mixture, which has the baking powder in it; alternate flour and liquid.

Sixth—Cut and fold in (do not beat or stir) the whites of eggs which are beaten to a dry stiff froth.

Seventh—Have a fire and pans ready. Put the cake into the oven quickly; remember that the oven can wait, but the cake never. Bake according to rule.

To test the oven heat—A hot oven will brown flour in five minutes; or you can try if you can hold the hand in it and count twenty.

Time of baking—Layer cakes, 20 or 25 minutes; loaf cakes, from 40 to 80 minutes; gem cakes, from 20 minutes to half an hour.

Never bang the oven door. The cake will fall if you do.

To prevent icing from cracking when it cuts add a teaspoon sweet cream to each unbeaten egg. When boiling syrup for icing add a pinch of cream of tartar.

Brown sugar frosting which will not crack is made of one tablespoon of vinegar, brown sugar enough to mix and the beaten white of half an egg. Beat all well together and add sugar enough to spread.

I have many times been asked how I retained the color of preserved fruits. I allow for all preserves equal measure of sugar and fruit.

It is impossible to have success if you make large quantities. I never make over three pints at a time—usually one quart.

The same method applies to all preserves. If possible, I extract some juice to start with. I then put this with one quart of sugar, (no water if the fruit contains plenty of juice, but if not, I add a little water). Allow this to boil until thick then have fruit ready to drop in; when it boils up, remove scum, and, as the juice is extracted by the boiling, dip off and allow only enough to thicken quickly.

This juice can be used for sauces, beverages of all kinds—Fruit darkens on account of continued boiling.