Notable for being published during the year of Canada’s Confederation, The Canadian Receipt Book was created with the needs of the farming or rural family in mind. Its “practical, simple, and useful” recipes offer direction and instructions for preparing common foodstuffs, using techniques such as stewing, candying, boiling, and preserving. Beyond the preparation of food, the book also contains instructions for toiletry and housekeeping, including removing freckles, preventing baldness, and making laundry soap. For goods that could not be produced at home or on the farm, a selection of advertisements from Ottawa-based businesses is provided.

The Canadian Receipt Book: Containing Over 500 Valuable Receipts for the Farmer and the Housewife. Ottawa, Ont.: Ottawa Citizen 1867. Gift of Una Abrahamson. Archival & Special Collections, University of Guelph Library.