446. Wash half an ounce of sago and soak it in a tea cupful of cold water for an hour or more. Drain it and add to it three gills of good milk; put it over the fire and let it simmer until the sago is entirely incorporated with the milk. Sweeten it with white sugar. It may be flavored with vanilla, lemon, or nutmeg, if allowed of by the physician.
ORGEAT.
447. Blanch one ounce of bitter, and two of sweet almonds. Pound them in a mortar with a little milk until they are to a paste. Rub gradually into the pounded almond one tea cupful of milk. Sweeten it to the taste and strain it.
It may be flavored with lemon.
STEWED PRUNES.
448. Pour enough boiling water over your prunes to cover them, and stand them where they will keep hot but not boil. They require six or eight hours to cook. When they are perfectly done add sugar to the taste of the patient.
COCOA.
449. Put three table spoonsful of cocoa to a pint of water. Let it boil slowly for an hour. Put some sugar and cream in a bowl, pour the cocoa over it and serve hot with toast.
EGG AND WINE.
450. Beat the yelk of an egg very light, add to it a glass of wine and sugar to the taste.
SAGO PUDDING FOR INVALIDS.
451. See tapioca pudding, No. 452.
TAPIOCA PUDDING.
452. Pick and wash a table spoonful of tapioca, pour over it a pint of warm milk, and stand it near the fire for about one hour, but do not let it simmer. Then boil it until it forms a semi-transparent mucilage. Stand it aside to cool.
Beat two eggs, stir them into the mucilage with as much sugar as will sweeten it, pour the mixture in a pan and bake it slowly.
It may be eaten with sweet sauce.
Arrow-root and sago can be made in the same manner, only the sago requires more soaking and boiling than the tapioca.
ARROW-ROOT PUDDING FOR INVALIDS.
453. See tapioca pudding, No. 452.
PUDDING FOR THE CONVALESCENT.
454. One pint of milk,
Two table spoonsful of flour,
Three eggs,
Sugar to the taste.
Beat the eggs, add the sugar, then the milk and flour by turns. Put the mixture in a bowl or pan, place it in another pan of hot water, set it where it will cook, and when a custard is formed set it off to cool.
There should not be too much sugar for invalids as it is apt to produce dyspepsia.
INDIAN GRUEL.
455. Stir one table spoonful of Indian meal mixed with a little cold water into a pint of boiling water. Let it boil fifteen minutes and add salt to the taste.
EGG AND MILK.
456. Take a fresh egg, break it in a saucer, and with a three-pronged fork beat it until it is as thick as batter. Have ready half a pint of new milk sweetened with white sugar, stir the egg into the milk, and serve it with a piece of sponge-cake or slice of toast. It is considered very light, nourishing food for an invalid.
Some prefer the yelk and white of the egg beaten separately. The yelk should be beaten till it is very light and thick, then pour it into the sweetened milk; afterwards beat the white till it will stand alone, and add gradually half a tea spoonful of white sugar; pile the white on the top of the milk and serve as before.
SUGARED ORANGE.
457. Select the lightest colored oranges for this purpose, as they are more acid than the dark. Peel off the rind and slice them, latitudinally or crosswise, about the eighth of an inch in thickness. Strew over them some powdered white sugar, in the proportion of a tea spoonful of sugar to each slice. Let them stand fifteen minutes. They are very palatable in fevers, as they serve to cleanse the mouth and keep it cool.
SUGARED LEMONS, No. 1.
458. These may be prepared in the same manner as the sugared oranges (see above,) only they should have a tea spoonful and a half of sugar to each slice; as they are more firm than oranges, they require to stand longer to become perfectly impregnated with the sugar.
They are better to stand about an hour before they are to be eaten. The white skin should be carefully peeled off, as it imparts an unpleasant bitter flavor when permitted to remain long in the sugar. These are very grateful to the sick and feverish.
SUGARED LEMONS, No. 2.
459. Select fine large lemons. Peel off the outer skin and as much as possible of the white skin. Cut them in slices latitudinally or round the lemon, about the eight of an inch thick. Sprinkle them with white powdered sugar, a tea spoonful of sugar to each slice. Let them stand three hours, then strain off as much of the juice as possible from the lemons, put it in a sauce-pan over a slow fire, and as soon as the juice begins to simmer throw in the slices of lemon. Let them cook five minutes, take them out and pour the syrup over them. Should the lemons not prove sufficiently juicy to melt the sugar entirely, a little water may be added.
MULLED WINE.
460. Half a pint of wine,
Half a pint of water,
One egg,
Sugar and nutmeg to the taste.
Mix the wine and water together—let it boil. Beat the eggs in a pan, pour them into the wine, then quickly pour the whole from one vessel into another five or six times.
MULLED CIDER.
461. One pint of cider,
One egg,
Sugar and nutmeg to the taste.
Boil the cider. Have the egg well beaten, pour it into the cider, then have ready two vessels and pour the whole quickly from one vessel into the other several times. Add the sugar and nutmeg.
VEGETABLE SOUP.
462. Two potatoes,
Two onions,
Two turnips,
One carrot,
A little parsley chopped fine,
Salt to the taste.
Cut the potatoes in quarters, slice the onions, cut the turnips in quarters, slice the carrots. Put all in a stew-pan with three pints of water, and salt to the taste. Boil it down to one quart. About fifteen minutes before it is done add the parsley. Strain it and serve with light bread or toast.
This is the receipt of a late eminent physician of Philadelphia.
CARRAGEEN OR IRISH MOSS.
463. One ounce of moss,
One pint of water,
Lemon juice and sugar to the taste.
Boil the moss in water until it forms a jelly, and add the lemon-juice and sugar. Vanilla may be substituted for lemon-juice, but the latter is more palatable. Strain it.
ARROW ROOT.
464. One table spoonful of ground arrow-root,
One pint of water.
Mix the arrow-root with a little water, to the consistence of a paste. Have ready a pint of boiling water, pour the arrow-root into it, and let it boil till it looks clear; pour it off and sweeten to the taste. Some add a little lemon juice.
MACARONI.
465. Take a quarter of a pound of macaroni and boil it till it is very tender in water which has been salted. Take it up and drain it. If admissible a tea spoonful of melted butter may be poured over.
LEMONADE FOR AN INVALID.
466. Squeeze the juice out of a fine lemon, pour over it as much boiling water as will make it palatable, and add sugar to the taste. Stand it away to cool; when cold it will be found quite as good as that made with cold water, and is generally preferred by physicians, as the boiling water destroys the unhealthy qualities of the lemon.
OAT-MEAL GRUEL.
467. Mix one table spoonful of oat-meal to a smooth paste with a little cold water. Pour this into one pint of boiling water; let it boil for half an hour.
Sweeten it and serve it with toast. Some prefer a little salt.
BAKED PUDDING FOR INVALIDS.
468. One pint of milk,
Three eggs,
Sugar to the taste,
Two table spoonsful of flour.
Beat the eggs, add the sugar, then the flour, and stir in the milk gradually.
Butter a pan, pour in the pudding, and bake it.
CHICKEN BROTH.
469. Take half a chicken and pour over it three tea cupsful of cold water, with a salt spoonful of salt and two tea spoonsful of rice or pearl barley. Let it simmer slowly until reduced to one half. Ten minutes before it is served, add some celery top, or parsley chopped very fine.
PAP OF UNBOLTED FLOUR.
470. Mix some unbolted flour with a little cold water, and stir it until it is smooth. Pour this into some boiling water, and let it boil fifteen or twenty minutes. Sweeten it and pour cream over it.
Children become very fond of this.
PAP OF GRATED FLOUR.
471. Take a quarter of a pound of flour and pour on just enough water to moisten it. Form it into a ball and tie it in a cloth, closely and firmly. Put it in a vessel of boiling water and let it boil the whole day. Then take it out, dip it in a pan of cold water, remove the cloth, and place it in a cool oven to dry, when it will be fit for use.
To make the pap, grate some of this, mix it to a paste with cold milk, and stir it into some boiling milk; boil it slowly ten or fifteen minutes.
SWEET-BREADS FOR INVALIDS.
472. Put them in a stew-pan, with just water sufficient to cover them, and very little salt.
Let them boil slowly until they are tender, but not broken to pieces, then dish them, and if not quite salt enough, a little may be sprinkled over them. Care should be taken to season the meat for an invalid with very little salt, as it is frequently very unpalatable during convalescence.
After the sweet-breads have been cooked as above described, they may be taken from the water and drained; then heat the gridiron, grease the bars, to prevent the sweet-breads from sticking, and broil them quickly over some hot coals. They should be of a very delicate brown when done.
PANADA, No. 1.
473. Mix two tea spoonsful of grated cracker, with a little cold water, and stir it into half a pint of boiling water. Let it boil a few minutes till it thickens, then sweeten it with white sugar, and flavor it with wine and nutmeg to the taste.
Toast a slice of bread nicely, cut it in pieces about an inch square, put them in a bowl, and pour the panada over.
PANADA, No. 2.
474. Cut some light stale bread in small squares, put it in a bowl, and pour over some boiling water. Sweeten it to the taste with white sugar. Add wine and nutmeg if permitted by the physician. Boiling milk may be substituted in place of the water if approved.
GROUND RICE, No. 1.
475. One table spoonful of ground rice,
One pint of milk.
Mix the rice with cold milk to a smooth paste. Set the pint of milk over the fire, and as soon as it boils, stir in the rice; let it boil for fifteen minutes, but be careful not to let it burn.
Sweeten it to the taste with white sugar; it may be flavored with vanilla if approved of.
GROUND RICE, No. 2.
476. Two table spoonsful of ground rice,
One pint of milk.
Boil the milk, and stir in the rice, which must have been previously mixed with cold milk.
Let it boil slowly twenty minutes; if it should be thicker than a thin batter, add a little more milk. Sweeten it to the taste.
Pour it into tea cups, and serve it with cream if allowed of by the physician.
MUSTARD WHEY.
477. Take two heaping tea spoonsful of mustard seed, mash them a little, and pour over them six wine glasses of milk, boil it till the milk is curdled. Take it off the fire, let it stand to cool, and strain off the whey.
WINE WHEY.
478. Put a pint of milk over the fire, and the moment it boils stir into it two glasses of wine mixed with two tea spoonsful of sugar. Let it boil once again; stand it off to cool, and strain the whey through a fine strainer or sieve.
VINEGAR WHEY
479. Half a gill of vinegar mixed with two tea spoonsful of sugar, stirred into two tea cupsful of boiling milk; let it boil one or two minutes, stand it off to cool, and strain off the whey. This is often recommended in fevers.
Lemon-juice may be used in place of the vinegar.
RENNET WHEY.
480. Wash a piece of rennet about the size of a dollar, and soak it for six hours or more in two table spoonsful of warm water. Pour this into three tea cupsful of lukewarm milk; let it stand near the fire until a thick curd is formed. With a knife break it in pieces and strain off the whey.
TAMARIND WHEY.
481. Stir half a wine glass of tamarinds mixed with three tea spoonsful of sugar into a pint of boiling milk; as soon as it boils stand it off the fire to cool, and strain off the whey.
POTATO JELLY.
482. Grate some white potatoes into cold water, stir it well, and strain it through a hair sieve. Let it stand a couple of hours, till the farina settles at the bottom, then pour the water off, and set the vessel on its side, so as all the water may drip out and the farina become perfectly dry.
Then put it into a box or jar for use.
Take a tea spoonful of this farina mixed smoothly in a little cold water, and pour as much boiling water over it as will make it a thick jelly. Let it boil two or three minutes, sweeten it to the taste, and flavor it with lemon or nutmeg. To be eaten cold.
Milk may be substituted for water.
PORT WINE JELLY.
483. Half an ounce of Russian isinglass,
Half an ounce of gum arabic,
One ounce of rock candy,
Half a pint of boiling water,
Half a pint of port wine.
Cut the isinglass in very small pieces, pound up the candy and gum arabic, pour the boiling water over, and stand it where it will keep hot but not simmer. When the above named ingredients are dissolved, add the wine, and boil the whole a few minutes.
Strain it and set it away to get cold.
TAPIOCA JELLY.
484. Soak a quarter of a pound of tapioca in water enough to cover it. Let it stand several hours, then stir it into a pint of boiling water. Simmer it slowly till it appears semi-transparent. Sweeten it to the taste, and flavor with wine and nutmeg if approved of by the physician. Turn it into cups or moulds.
HARTSHORN JELLY.
485. Take a quart of boiling water and pour it over three ounces of hartshorn shavings. Boil it until reduced to one-half the original quantity. Pass it through a fine sieve, sweeten it, and stir in a table spoonful of lemon-juice and three ounces of sugar with a glass of wine.
It is very good without the lemon-juice and wine.
RICE JELLY.
486. Pick and wash some rice, and pour enough water over it to cover it. Let it soak for three hours. Then simmer it very slowly till the rice is entirely soft. Whilst it is hot sweeten it with white sugar, and flavor it with any thing you please. Strain it and pour it in a mould.
JELLY OF GELATINE.
487. Half an ounce of gelatine,
One quart of water,
The grated rind and juice of two fine lemons,
The whites of four eggs,
Sugar to the taste.
Pour a quart of boiling water over the gelatine, and stand it near the fire to keep hot until the gelatine is dissolved. Add the rind and juice of the lemon with the sugar (which must be loaf or pulverized white;) let it boil once, take it off, strain it, and when lukewarm add the beaten whites of four eggs with the shells (which must have been washed and wiped dry.) Strain it till the jelly is perfectly clear. Pour it in moulds and set it to cool.
SLIPPERY-ELM TEA.
488. Strip your slippery-elm in small pieces; take two table spoonsful of these pieces and pour over them two tea cups of boiling water. Let it stand until it becomes mucilaginous, then strain it.
FLAX-SEED TEA.
489. Pour two tea cups of boiling water over two table spoonsful of unground flax-seed. Cover the vessel, and stand it in a warm place until a mucilage is formed. Be careful to keep it closely covered, as it soon becomes stringy if exposed to the air. When sweetened and flavored with lemon-juice it is a very palatable drink.
The lemon-juice should be scalded.
VEAL TEA.
490. Cut one pound of a knuckle of veal in thin slices, pour over it a quart of cold water. Cover it, and let it simmer for an hour and a half.
When boiled to a jelly it will keep for three or four days, and may be used at any time by pouring over it a little boiling water and letting it stand near the fire. Add salt to the taste.
BEEF TEA.
491. One pound of beef,
One quart of cold water.
Cut the beef in thin slices, and pour on the water. Cover it and set it in a warm place for three-quarters of an hour, then put it over a slow fire where it will simmer for half an hour. Strain it, and serve it hot or cold as recommended by the physician.
Salt it to the taste.
ESSENCE OF BEEF.
492. Select some lean, tender beef, cut it in small pieces, put them in a bottle and cork it.
Set the bottle in a pot of cold water, let the water boil six hours. The heat of the water will extract all the juice from the beef in the bottle.
MUTTON TEA.
493. Slice one pound of mutton, remove all the fat, and add one quart of cold water. Cover it, place it near the fire for an hour, then simmer it for two hours, strain it, and serve it warm.
Add salt to the taste.
CHICKEN TEA.
494. Cut a quarter of a chicken in small pieces, take off the skin, and remove all the fat, add to it a pint of cold water; cover it, and let it simmer till reduced to one-half. Strain it, and serve warm with toast lightly browned.
Add salt to suit the patient's taste.
GUM ARABIC WATER.
495. Pour one pint of boiling water over two table spoonsful of gum arabic; add lemon-juice and sugar to the taste. Stand it away to get cold.
TAMARIND WATER.
496. Pour half a pint of boiling water on a table spoonful of tamarinds. Stand it away to get cold. Pour off the water, and add sugar to the taste. If it should prove too acid, cold water may be added.
GRAPE WATER.
497. Put in a tumbler a table spoonful of grape jelly. Fill the tumbler with cold water.
MULLED WATER.
498. One egg,
Half a pint of boiling water,
Sugar to the taste.
Beat the egg well; pour the water gradually over it, but be sure to stir it all the time. Sweeten it to the taste of the patient.
Serve it with light bread or dry toast.
Wine may be added if approved of by the physician.
APPLE WATER.
499. Slice three large pippin apples, and pour over them a pint of boiling water. Stand them in a cool place, when perfectly cold strain off the water, and sweeten it to the taste.
Toast may be added.
BARLEY WATER.
500. Wash and pick one ounce of pearl barley, pour over it one tea cupful of water, and let it boil for ten minutes. Drain it, and pour over it three tea cupsful of boiling water; set it over the fire, and boil it down one half. Strain it through a hair sieve or piece of muslin.
Gum arabic is sometimes dissolved in it; the liquid sweetened to the taste, forms a very agreeable drink.
TOAST WATER.
501. Toast two or three slices of bread of a dark brown all the way through, but do not burn it. Put the toast in a deep bowl, and pour over it one quart of water, let it stand for two or three hours. Then pour the water from the bread.
Some flavor it by soaking a piece of lemon-peel with the bread.
ALMOND WATER.
502. One ounce of sweet almonds (blanched,)
Half an ounce of white powdered sugar,
Three half pints of water.
Pour boiling water on the almonds, and in a few minutes the brown skin will come off by taking each kernel between the thumb and finger and gently pressing it. After having blanched them in this manner, put them in a stone or wedgewood mortar with the sugar and a little water. Add the water gradually until the almond is perfectly smooth. Strain it through a fine hair sieve or cloth.
More or less sugar may be added according to the taste.
