Take half or quarter of a pound of the best quality of rice; wash it in a strainer, and put it in a saucepan, with a quart of clean water and a pinch of salt; let it boil slowly till the water is all evaporated—­see that it does not burn—­then pour in a teacupful of new milk; stir carefully from the bottom of the saucepan, so that the upper grain may go under, but do not smash it; close the lid on your saucepan carefully down, and set it on a cooler part of the fire, where it will not boil; as soon as it has absorbed the added milk, serve it up with fresh new milk, adding fruit and sugar for those who like them.

Another nice way to cook rice is to take one teacupful of rice and one quart of milk, place in a steamer, and steam from two to three hours; when nearly done, stir in a piece of butter as large as the yolk of an egg, and a pinch of salt.  You can use sugar if you like.  The difference in the time of cooking depends on your rice—­the older the rice, the longer it takes to cook.

SAMP, OR HULLED CORN.

An old-fashioned way of preparing hulled corn was to put a peck of old, dry, ripe corn into a pot filled with water, and with it a bag of hardwood ashes, say a quart.  After soaking a while it was boiled until the skins or hulls came off easily.  The corn was then washed in cold water to get rid of the taste of potash, and then boiled until the kernels were soft.  Another way was to take the lye from the leaches where potash was made, dilute it, and boil the corn in this until the skins or hulls came off.  It makes a delicious dish, eaten with milk or cream.

CRACKED WHEAT.

Soak the wheat over night in cold water, about a quart of water to a cup of wheat; cook it as directed for oatmeal; should be thoroughly done.  Eaten with sugar and cream.

OAT FLAKES.

This healthful oat preparation may be procured from the leading grocers and is prepared as follows:  Put into a double saucepan or porcelain-lined pan a quart of boiling water, add a saltspoonful of salt, and when it is boiling add, or rather stir in gradually, three ounces of flakes.  Keep stirring to prevent burning.  Let it boil from fifteen to twenty minutes and serve with cream and sugar.

Ordinarily oatmeal requires two hours’ steady cooking to make it palatable and digestible.  Wheaten grits and hominy one hour, but a half hour longer cooking will not injure them and makes them easier of digestion.  Never be afraid of cooking cereals or preparations from cereals too long, no matter what the directions on the package may be.

STEAMED OATMEAL.

To one teacupful oatmeal add a quart of cold water, a teaspoonful of salt; put in a steamer over a kettle of cold water, gradually heat and steam an hour and a half after it begins to cook.