OATMEAL SOUP.—­Put two heaping tablespoonfuls of oatmeal into a quart of boiling water, and cook in a double boiler for two hours or longer.  Strain as for gruel, add salt if desired, and two or three stalks of celery broken into finger lengths, and cook again until the whole is well flavored with the celery, which may then be removed with a fork; add a half cup of cream, and the soup is ready to serve.  Cold oatmeal mush may be thinned with milk, reheated, strained, flavored, and made into soup the same as fresh material.  A slice or two of onion may be used with the celery for flavoring the soup if desired, or a cup of strained stewed tomato may be added.

PARSNIP SOUP.—­Take a quart of well scraped, thinly sliced parsnips, one cup of bread crust shavings (prepared as for Brown Soup), one head of celery, one small onion, and one pint of sliced potatoes.  The parsnips used should be young and tender, so that they will cook in about the same length of time as the other vegetables.  Use only sufficient water to cook them.  When done, rub through a colander and add salt and sufficient rich milk, part cream if desired, to make of the proper consistency.  Reheat and serve.

PARSNIP SOUP NO. 2.—­Wash, pare, and slice equal quantities of parsnips and potatoes.  Cook, closely covered, in a small quantity of water until soft.  If the parsnips are not young and tender, they must be put to cook first, and the potatoes added when they are half done.  Mash through a colander.  Add salt, and milk to make of the proper consistency, season with cream, reheat and serve.

PEA AND TOMATO SOUP.—­Soak one pint of Scotch peas over night.  When ready to cook, put into a quart of boiling water and simmer slowly until quite dry and well disintegrated.  Rub through a colander to remove the skins.  Add a pint of hot water, one cup of mashed potato, two cups of strained stewed tomato, and one cup of twelve-hour cream.  Turn into a double-boiler and cook together for a half hour or longer; turn a second time through a colander or soup strainer and serve.  The proportions given are quite sufficient for two quarts of soup.  There may need to be some variation in the quantity of tomato to be used, depending upon its thickness.  If very thin, a larger quantity and less water will be needed.  The soup should be a rich reddish brown in color when done.  The peas may be cooked without being first soaked, if preferred.

PLAIN RICE SOUP.—­Wash and pick over four tablespoonfuls of rice, put it in an earthen dish with a quart of water, and place in a moderate oven.  When the water is all absorbed, add a quart of rich milk, and salt if desired; turn into a granite kettle and boil ten minutes, or till the rice is done.  Add a half cup of sweet cream and serve.  A slice of onion or stalk of celery can be boiled with the soup after putting in the kettle, and removed before serving, if desired to flavor.

POTATO AND RICE SOUP.—­Cook a quart of sliced potatoes in as little water as possible.  When done, rub through a colander.  Add salt, a quart of rich milk, and reheat.  If desired, season with a slice of onion, a stalk of celery, or a little parsley.  Just before serving, add a half cup of cream and a cup and a half of well-cooked rice with unbroken grains.  Stir gently and serve at once.