When the coals were taken out, the bread was put in, and the oven was shut with two iron doors.

The baking-day was commonly Saturday.
When the bread was taken out Saturday afternoon it was usual to put in a large pot of beans for the Sunday dinner.

They were left there all night and the oven was opened in the morning and enough came out for breakfast, when there was put into the oven a pot of Indian pudding, which was left with the rest of the beans for the Sunday dinner.
The parlor fire was a very beautiful sight, with the big logs and the sparkling walnut or oak wood blazing up.

Some of the housekeepers of that time had a good deal of skill in arranging the wood in a fireplace so as to make of it a beautiful piece of architecture.

Lowell describes these old fires very well in his ballad, "The Courtin'": A fireplace filled the room's one side With half a cord o'wood in-- There warn't no stoves (till comfort died) To bake ye to a puddin'.
The wannut logs shot sparkles out Towards the pootiest, bless her! An' leetle flames danced all about The chiny on the dresser.
Agin' the chimbley crooknecks hung, An' in amongst 'em rusted The old queen's arm thet Gran'ther Young Fetched back from Concord busted.
We did not have fireplaces quite as large as this in my father's house, although they were common in the farmers' houses round about.
In the coldest weather the heat did not come out a great way from the hearth, and the whole family gathered close about the fire to keep warm.