Food for the Sick and Spotty Hamsters?

I know, I know!  I could have used the Oxford comma in the title and thus avoided the ambiguity -  but that wouldn't be half as much fun. 

It's cold and foggy outside,

warm inside.  

Much safer for me to stick with the things I love doing - trawling through my old books, doing some craft work, keeping warm.

Among my favourite books are some well used old cookery books and booklets which date from around 1910/1920.  Here is a selection of recipes which are sure to bring a speedy return to full health... or maybe not.


An Excellent Food for anybody with consumptive tendencies, obtain 1/4lb best mutton suet, and add 1 1/2pints of new milk.  Boil all together, first cutting the suet up fine.  This quantity should be used daily and taken lukewarm or cold.  The patient will find that his chest will get quite strong quickly.  He will also make flesh.
Just reading about the recipe makes me feel sick.


Nervous Breakdown Ox brains, as a diet rich in nutriment are recommended by an eminent doctor to be taken at dinner at least three times weekly by suffers from nervous breakdown due to overwork.  The brains must be soaked in lukewarm water for some time to remove discolouration.  When cleaned, place them in a marinade, leaving thus for two hours.
If I were faced with either making this dish, or having to eat it, I would be well on my way to having a breakdown of some sort.


Raw Beef Juice  Take 3oz of lean beef, shred very fine, and cover with 4oz of cold water, add a pinch of salt, stand in a cool place six to twelve hours.  This is largely used in hospitals for infants and invalids.  In this way you get the albumen of the beef in the pure form.
Disgusting.


Toast Water Toast a slice of bread on both sides till dried through and quite brown, but not burnt.  Put it into a basin or jug, pour over it the boiling water, let it stand till cold, strain.  Toast water is cooling.
I can't think why an invalid would enjoy this.  My curiosity has been piqued, I may give it a try.


White of Egg Flip  This is a doctor's recipe for a nourishing pick-me-up, of which a spoonful or two can be taken at odd moments.  Beat three whites to a stiff froth; add a teaspoonful of good strawberry jam, and beat it well in; lastly beat in one dessert-spoonful of brandy.  Brandy, by the way, should here be regarded purely as medicine, and as you would not willingly administer cheap medicine to an invalid, procure the best cognac that your means will allow.  It pays in the long run.
I reckon you should forget the egg whites and the strawberry jam, then follow the rest of the advice to the letter, but double the dose.  I'll let you know how I get on.


These are some of the spotty hamsters which I made last year.  I found the pattern in a pile of old magazine pull-outs.  They proved very popular so I'm planning a new batch.

This next batch will have a few tweaks here and there and I'll do a couple of girly ones too.  This is a great project because you don't really even need to use a sewing machine - although I often do because I tend to make quite a lot once I get going.


That's my evenings sorted out for a while.