Beadle's Dime Recipe Book

Beadle's Dime Recipe Book (1859)

This practical household manual, edited by Mrs. M. Metta Victoria Victor and published as a companion volume to Beadle's Home Monthly, provides systematic guidance across five departments. The Parlor section addresses carpet selection, cleaning methods for Turkey carpets and various floor coverings, moth prevention, stain removal techniques using materials like Wilmington clay and potters' earth, and furniture preservation. The Nursery and Sick-Room contains pediatric care instructions, remedies for childhood ailments including whooping-cough and measles, and dietary preparations for invalids (beef-tea, rice jelly, calves' feet broth). The Toilet covers hair care, complexion treatments, tooth-cleaning preparations, perfume recipes, and clothing maintenance. The Kitchen catalogs extensive fruit-canning procedures, food preservation techniques, wine and vinegar recipes, pickle preparations, and basic cookery. Medical remedies throughout address scalds, fevers, apoplexy, cataract removal, and various complaints. The contents emphasize domestic efficiency and elegance achieved through economy.