HOT BEVERAGES
CHOCOLATE
Take a piece of Baker’s chocolate one inch square and melt on a small dish on the stove, set in another dish of hot water over a teakettle of boiling water, or in the oven. Heat two cupfuls milk, stir in melted chocolate and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Serve with cream and sugar, if desired.
A marshmallow may be dropped in each cup just before serving.
A drop of vanilla may be added to each cup.
COFFEE
Have a large bottomed granite coffee pot (because it heats quickly and does not boil over). Take one heaping tablespoonful of ground coffee for each person and one extra tablespoonful for “the pot.” Crush in the hand two or more egg shells (saved for this purpose), stir in with the coffee, add one and one-fourth cupfuls cold water for each person; boil three minutes, allow to remain hot, but not boiling, about two or more minutes.
This makes one cup delicious clear strong coffee for each.
If more than this is desired, add coffee and water in the same proportion. When serving, pour the coffee on the cream, not cream on the coffee.
Add a tiny pinch of salt to coffee for an agreeable flavor.
Adding half a dozen raisins to a pot of coffee is a pleasing change.
A pinch of flour added to the coffee before water is poured over, is another way of “settling.”
When cream is slightly soured, a little soda stirred in will restore its sweetness for use in coffee.
DRIP COFFEE
Pour boiling water into a drip coffee pot to get it hot, then pour it out, and put one tablespoonful finely ground coffee in the bag, fasten it in and pour over it two cupfuls freshly boiling water. When the water has drained through the bag, pour it in again, drain, and continue to pour and drain four times. Remove the bag and if the coffee is too strong, add boiling water. Be sure to clean the bag by scraping off the grounds with a knife, washing it in cold water, and having it perfectly dry before using again. Serve the coffee with cream. This coffee is made in five minutes and is delicious.
TEA
For a tea-pot holding about four cupfuls, put in two teaspoonfuls tea, pour in freshly boiling water, set in a warm place to stand five minutes before serving. Milk should never be used with tea, and only a little cream, if any. To take it with lemon juice is considered by experts the proper way to drink it.