Cooking the bread
The biscuits, cornbread, pies and cakes were cooked each day. The stove had a firebox, which heated the stove, a water compartment, to heat water, shelves (wire grates). In the oven which to control the tempter when cooking. Some had an over head warmer across the top of the stove. The art was to know about how hot the stove was and how long to let the bread cook until it was ready to turn or remove to another shelf to keep the bread from cooking to fast or burning on one side and uncooked on the other... Cooking on the top of the stove was also some what of a feat, one would need to move the skillets or cooking pots to the hot or colder portion of the stove or slide it off to the warmer, for a cool down as not to burn the food.
Remember, nothing automatic just experience, like the receipts of that day, a pinch of this and a dash of that. That was good food and a delight to see the whole family enjoying it when they all gathered around the big long kitchen table.

Meal time!
Meal time was a highlight of the day, each one had their own place at the big table. The father at the head and the mother at the end and five children on one side and four on the other. Everything was passed in one direction and each one was courteous to pass the food to the others that desired what was nearby.

The table and dishes were not fancy just outstanding food was served to those who enjoyed eating it. After the meal the hot water in the stove reservoir was used to wash the dishes, clean the table and stove. Most of the time there was a tea kettle on the stoves which gave off steam to help the house not to become too dry and the hot water was handy for many uses since there was no water heaters for hot water back then.