July 25, 1893
I am leaving next month to join Bill Cody's Wild West Show. I suppose you will wonder what I will be doing then. I ride a horse bareback, standing up shoot my old Stetson hat twice after throwing it in the air before it falls back on my head. I will do all kind of tricks on horse back, shooting stunts and soon when the show gets east maybe you and your daddy Jim O'Neil will be there to see me. Of course you won't know who I am but I will know you are my own little girl, although you are grown up. I must tell you something I just bought from Joe Stager 320 (1/2 section) (320 acres) up Canyon Creek seven or eight miles west of Billings. I have a cabin of logs on it. Paid one dollar per acre to Joe for it. I have always wanted a home to come back to a roof over my head that I can call my home. There is a shack not very far from my hut and a bunch of outlaws living there. I cook lots of things for them they pay me well for everything. What they do is none of my business. I don't disturb them any, let sleeping dogs lie, is my motto, some people say they are horse thieves. If they are I am not running any risk snooping — I baked them two dozen loaves of bread this week eight cakes, fifteen mince pies. They paid me fifty cents a pie, twenty cents a loaf for bread, and one dollar a cake. I am going to write down my receipts for you. Maybe some day you might like to know if I could cook or not. I am proud of my cooking, especially of my fish dishes cakes and pies. I made up receipts and try them out on these outlaws across the way. First I will give you my--
TWENTY YEAR CAKE
25 eggs beaten separate
2 1/2 lbs. sugar
2 1/2 lbs. flour
2 1/2 lbs butter
7 1/2 lbs seeded raisins
1 1/2 lbs citron cut very fine
5 lbs currants
pint brandy
1/4 oz. cloves
lb oz. cinnamon
2 oz. mace
2 oz. nutmeg
2 teaspoons yeast powder
or
2 teaspoons soda and 3 cream of tartar
This cake is unexcelled and will keep to the last crumb twenty years. Pour over cakes while still warm the pint of brandy. Seal in tight crock. This will make 3-cakes eight lbs each. And now for my yeast which I make the best bread in the world. Sometime you try this for yourself and think of me. I call it--
BEST YEAST lN THE WORLD
Monday morning, boil one pint of hops in two gallons of water for one half hour. Strain in a crock and let stand till luke warm add 2 tea- spoons salt and half pint flour also half pint brown sugar. Stir well. On Wednesday add 3 lbs boiled mashed potatoes, stir let stand till Thursday, strain into stone jugs, leave corks loose stirring occasionally and keep near fire. Must be 2 weeks old before using. Then keep in cool place. lt improves with age. Shake jug before using but remove cork before shaking and hold palm of hand over spout to prevent yeast escaping. This receipt makes the grandest bread.
And now for my—
HORSERADlSH SAUCE
A cup grated horseradish
2 tablespoons white sugar
half teaspoon salt
1/2 pints cold vinegar bottle and seal and to make the sauce take 2 table spoons of the above add desert spoon olive oil or melted butter or cream and one spoon prepared mustard. This sauce is delicious.
ln making omelets, beat 4 eggs — 12 strokes is the magic number, too much beating makes the omelet have a thin look. Add 3 tbs milk for each egg — add to yolks the salt pepper and lastly the whites beaten stiff.
Have skillet hot. Never use but 4 eggs to an omelet. Make as many as necessary but only four and add to the whites 1 teaspoon baking powder. When ready to serve, add chicken, ham or any kind of ground meat between the folds— previously cooked and hot or vegetables may be added between the omelet folds, cooked and ready to serve. Grease pan with butter before frying or baking omelet. Butter size walnut. Add baking powder to whites.
Some friends brought me from Missouri pecan nuts which I shell and roll into tiny pieces and often I sprinkle the nut crumbs between the omelet folds or in pan cake dough and call them Nut and Potato pan cakes. I use 1/2 cup mashed potatoes, 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup of broken nut meats, 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups milk enough flour to make batter in which has been sifted 2 1/2 tea spoons baking powder. Everybody likes these served with maple syrup and butter and fried ham or bacon. lf you want to put away a ham for sometime after cutting off some — rub it with corn meal and it will keep without becoming rancid. When fixing Mackerel or Salmon pour fish in baking dish cover with cracker crumbs and heavy cream and bake 30 minutes in hot oven. This fish l call Mackerel Supreme or Salmon High Brow. All biscuit or bread should be pricked with a fork before putting in an oven.
I can't think of any more receipts just now but later on I must tell you about John Tinkler —— recorder - He is a very kind man and said he would help me with my will whenever I want to make one for you. I haven't much but I want you to have my ranch up Canyon Creek also a few keep sakes and pictures. You are all I have.
Now next time I will write from somewhere in the east with Buffalo Bill Cody.make batter in which has been sifted 2I/z tea spoons baking powder. everybody likes these served with maple syrup and butter and fried ham or bacon. lf you want to put away a ham for sometime after cutting off some— rub it with corn meal and it will keep without becoming rancid. When fixing Mackerel or Salmon pour fish in baking dish cover with cracker crumbs and heavy cream and bake 30 minutes in hot oven. This fish l call Mackerel Supreme or Sal- mon High Brow. All biscuit or bread should be pricked with a fork before putting in an oven. l can't think of any more receipts just now but later on l must tell you about John Tinkler—— recorder- He is a very kind man and said he would help me with my will whenever l want to make one for you. l haven't much but l want you to have my ranch up Canyon Creek also a few keep sakes and pictures. You are all l have. Now next time l will write from somewhere in the east with Buffalo Bill Cody. Good night darling. Good night darling.
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