COOKING By FLORENCE NESBITT AMERICM SCHOOLs^HOME ECONOMICS GIIICAGO, ILLINOIS g>tate QJoIlege of Agriculturs J^t (JnrncU IttliiccBitB The original of tliis book is in tlie Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924003575960 Low Cost Cooking BY FLORENCE NESBITT, B.A. FIELD SDPEKVISOR AND DIETITIAN, DEPAKTMENT OF KELIEF, JUVENILE OOTIBT OP CHICAGO; LECTUBEB FOB THE CHICAGO YISITINO NOBSESl ASSOCIATION; FOKMERLY VISITING HOUSEKEEPER OF THE UNITED CHARITIES OF CHICAGO A MANUAL OP COOKING, DIET, HOME MANAGEMENT AND CARE OF CHILDEEN FOR HOUSEKEBPEES WHO MUST CONDUCT THEIE HOMES WITH SMALL EXPENDITUKE OF MONEY CHICAGO AMERICAN SCHOOL OF HOME ECONOMICS 1915 COPYEIGHT 1915 BY Home Economics Association CONTENTS PAGE Business of Home-Making 5 Food and the Body .... ... 7 A Well-Balanced Diet . . ... 9 Economy in Buying ... ... 11 Tables of Composition and Proportion . . . 16 Setting the Table .... ... 18 Ceneral Household Directions 19 General Recipes 21 Week's Menu for Winter with Directions ... 66 Week's Menu for Summer with Directions ... 86 Additional Three Weeks' Menus for Winter . . loi Additional Three Weeks' Menus for Summer . . .104 Calculation of Cost 107 Household Helps — 1. Home- Made Fireless . ... no 2. Cold Lunches ... 112 3. When Mother Works Outside the Home . . 113 Feeding and Care of Children 117 Index 223 LOW COST COOKING THE BUSINESS OF HOME-MAKING IN MANY ways the business of home-making is the most important one in the world. To carry it on suc- cessfully requires no less thought, study and work than the merchant or mechanic gives to his business. Success is well repaid and failure brings wretchedness. The suc- cessful home-maker has well-fed, well-kept, well-trained children and a husband who, through proper home care, is made able to do his work and earn the money needed to pay the expenses of the home. The unsuccessful home- maker very often has sickly, poorly-developed children and a husband whose work is made less productive by the poor home conditions ; or, in many cases, one who satisfies with strong drink the craving left by lack of proper food. With plenty of money the average woman can easily furnish her family with comfortable living conditions and good food. The smaller the amount of money on which the home must be run and food bought the greater is the need of the home-maker for wisdom and skill in management. This book is compiled especially for the woman who has little money to spend, the endeavor being to give, as simply as possible, the things she most needs to know in order to get the best results from her money. Many women who are compelled to manage with the smallest possible amount have helped greatly in making the book by giving recipes and plans which they have found useful in their attempts to economize. Economizing on food is a most dangerous thing to try unless the housekeeper has an understanding of food values. 5 6 LOW COST COOKING She must know what foods are necessary for the health of her family and in what food materials she gets the most for her money, to be able to decide where it is wise and safe to cut and where unsafe. Every mother should study these things carefully, for she has the health and well being of her family in her keeping. Keeping Accounts No good business man would try to run his business without keeping books to show him just where his afifairs stand, which purchases have been wise and which unwise. Keeping accounts is just as desirable in the business of housekeeping as in that of shop-keeping. It is much sim- pler, of course, and the housekeeper needs only a blank book in which she sets down each day the things she has bought, and the money she has received. For example : July 1st — 2 heads lettuce $ .05 1 peck apples . . . . , 20 10 pounds sugar 50 2 pounds chopped meat 30 $1.05 July 2nd — 2 bunches carrots $ .05 1 bushel potatoes 30 etc. The housekeeper who goes thoughtfully over her own accounts at the end of each week or month will learn much from them. WHAT FOOD MUST DO FOR THE BODY We put coal, gas and other fuel into an engine so it can have the power to work. In exactly the same way we must give food to our bodies, so that our muscles can do the work that we wish them to do. But giving this power to work or "energy" to the body is not the only use of food. The body is itself being constantly worn out, not only by the outside work it does but by its inside work; that is, FOOD AND THE BODY 7 by the beating of the heart, workings of the stomach and other organs. It takes various kinds of food to repair these worn-out parts, and if they are not repaired just as fast as they are worn out, weak places are left in the body where disease germs may easily grow and it becomes dis- eased, perhaps tuberculous ; or, escaping disease, the body is worn out and old when it should be still young and strong. Food for the Child The child, too, needs a great deal of food for energy as it is always moving about in play or work, and it also needs the food to repair the worn-out parts of its body just as the adult does. Besides all this, it needs food to grow on. There is no other way for the child to get the stufif to make larger bones and muscles except from its food. Give the child all the food it needs and it will have a good chance to grow a large, strong, healthy body. If it does not get all of the different kinds of food it needs and enough of them, it cannot possibly be strong and well. Perhaps the growth will be stunted, and the child will not become a well-grown man or woman ; perhaps it will grow large, but will have weak spots in its body where disease germs can easily grow, so that it is apt to take any disease to which it is exposed, such as scarlet fever, diphtheria or tubercu- losis. The city child must be exposed to some of these dis- eases, but if its body is strong and clean it will have a good chance to escape taking them. For these reasons proper food is of even more importance to the child than to the adult. Foods Furnishing Energy The body can use all kinds of food for energy to work on, but the best and cheapest for this purpose are the ones that contain starch, sugar and fat. 8 LOW COST COOKING The chief foods which contain starch are: cereals, flour and meals of all kinds, legumes (beans, peas and lentils) and some vegetables such as potatoes and sweet potatoes. Many vegetables and fruits such as carrots, oranges, etc., contain sugar, but we get most of our sugar in the pure form which has been taken from the juices of sugar cane and sugar beet. The chief foods which contain fat are the fat parts of meat, lard, suet, butter and cream, cheese, cottonseed oil, olive oil, and nuts. Foods for Building and Repairing the Body To repair the worn-out muscles and other tissues of the body, a substance called protein is necessary. It is found in all foods, but in largest quantities in such foods as meat, milk, fish, eggs and cheese. To build and repair the bones and to keep the body clean, strong and able to resist disease, many different kinds of minerals are needed such as lime, iron, sulphur, etc. For these we depend chiefly on fruits and vegetables, although other foods, especially milk and eggs, contain valuable minerals. Balanced Diet A diet which furnishes all of these things which the body needs in the right amount is called a "well-balanced diet." It must contain some high protein foods such as meat, milk, eggs, cheese and fish, for building and repairing; much starch, fat and sugar for energy, and also vegetables and fruits to provide the minerals needed. Too much protein foods will cause disturbances of the kidneys. Too much starch or fat will cause digestive troubles. Too much sugar will produce ansemia and cause disturbances of digestion. In general, a diet for an adult will be well-balanced if it contains meat or fish once a day with a little milk and an CHEAP, WELL-BALANCED DIET 9 egg occasionally; a cereal once; another vegetable besides potatoes once, with fruit twice per day, or vegetable twice and fruit once. In addition the diet should include as much bread and potatoes and some kind of fat as the normal appetite demands. This is simple enough when there is plenty of money, but when it must be done on a small income it becomes a very hard thing to do. HOW TO HAVE A CHEAP, WELL-BALANCED DIET The following classes of food are the ones that give the body the greatest amount of energy for the money, and must be used in large quantities by the housekeeper who wishes to feed her family well for a small amount of money. Cereals, which include everything made from grains, such as flour from which we make bread, macaroni, etc., as well as oatmeal, commeal, rice, rye, etc. Legumes, which include all kinds of beans and peas, also lentils and peanuts. Cheaper Forms of Fat, such as suet, lard, oleo, peanut oil, cottonseed oil, etc. These alone would make a cheap diet, but a very poor one. To them must be added foods which furnish more protein than these have for building and repairing the body, and those that furnish the mineral elements necessary for keeping the body in health. Protein for Children For children milk is the best high protein food. Only milk from good dairies should be given children, and this as a rule is the same price with all of the dairies in the same town. In Chicago it costs 8 cents per quart. When skim milk can be bought at 3 cents to 4 cents per quart it enables lO LOW COST COOKING the housekeeper to economize a little on her milk bill. When milk is skimmed the fat is removed, but the protein and minerals remain, so that it is still a very valuable food. AMOUNT OF MILK DESIRABLE FOR CHILDREN. I pint to I quart per day for each child under 2 years. I pint to 154 pints per day for each child 2 to 5 years. I pint at least per day for each child 5 to 9 years. I pint if possible per day for older children. Eggs are the next best protein food for children. When they are cheap they should be given in abundance; when expensive as many as can be afforded. Meat should be given only in very small quantities to young children. Protein for Adults In order to buy the necessary amount of milk for the children, the protein foods for the grown up part of the family must be bought very economically. American brick cheese can be bought at from 19 cents to 22 cents per pound, and cottage cheese at 10 cents per pound, and at these prices are cheap protein food. Eggs are fairly cheap at certain times in 4;he year, at other times far too expensive for general use. They are easily digested and very desir- able for children and invalids. Meat may be very expensive or quite inexpensive accord- ing to the way in which it is bought. There is about the same amount of nourishment in the cheaper cuts as in more expensive ones. As a rule the cheaper cuts of meat require longer cooking to make them tender and palatable, so that in some cases the cost of fuel must be reckoned. In winter, however, the fire that is used for cooking is also needed for heat, and in summer a fireless cooker will save almost all of the extra fuel needed for the long cooking. Foods Furnishing Mineral The body cannot long remain healthy without vegetables and fruits. Those who are entirely cut off from these ECONOMY IN BUYING II foods are apt to be attacked by the horrible disease, scurvy, found chiefly in shipwrecks and in besieged cities. This condition is rare, but less serious skin diseases, and constipa- tion, with its attending train of diseases, are very common among those who have not enough of this class of foods. This is an expensive part of the diet and can be managed at small cost only by watching the market closely and buy- ing the articles cheapest at the time. In the winter when there are no fruits in season and green vegetables are expensive, the dried fruits and winter vegetables, such as carrots, rutabagas and onions can be used. Fresh fruit should be used at all times when the price will permit. Milk is also very valuable as a source of the minerals needed. The growing child who has sufficient milk rarely suffers from rickets as there is enough lime in the amount of milk recommended above to provide for properly build- ing the bones of the growing child. ECON'OMY IN BUYING These are a few of the things every woman who tries to get the greatest value for the money she spends for f6od should always keep in mind: Work of Others If someone else bakes your bread, cakes or pies, cooks your meat, cans your vegetables, makes your jelly and jam, pays for advertising these things and then sells them to you, you must pay him well for all his work by paying a high price for the food he has prepared for you. Take for instance a cereal, and we can easily see just how much we pay for this work. Cornmeal sells in bulk for 2J/2 cents per pound. A business firm packs the same sort of cornmeal, puts it into a package, names it, advertises 12 LOW COST COOKING it and sells it for 5 cents per pound. Another firm puts corn through a cooking and rolling process, makes it into corn flakes, puts it in a package, names it, advertises it and sells it for 16 cents per pound. The amount of food in the com product remains about the same, but we must pay nearly six times as much for the cornflakes as for the cornmeal, in order to pay for the work done on it. The following table shows how much we pay for cereals by buying them in different ways : TABLE OF CEREALS WITH PRICES. Cornmeal (bulk) 2j^c per lb. Cornmeal (package) 30 oz. for loc, which is.... 5 1/3C a lb. Cornflakes, 10 oz. for loc, which is ,.i6c per lb. Oatmeal (bulk) 3c to sc a lb. Oatmeal, lo-lb. sack for 39c, which is 3 9/ioc a lb. Oatmeal (package) 22 oz. for loc, which is 7c a lb. Farina (bulk) Sc a lb. Farina (package), 14 oz. for loc, which is iij^c a lb. Rice (broken) 3c to Sc a lb. Rice (whole) 7c to 12c a lb. Rice (puffed) 15 oz. for isc, which is i6c a lb. Economical Forms of Fat The most expensive fats in common use are cream, but- ter and olive oil. Cheaper forms are meat fats, such as suet, lard, salt pork, bacon, tallow and oleomargarine ; veg- etable oils, such as cottonseed and peahut oil. The most important difference between these different kinds is the difference in flavor. The first three are also more easily digested than any of the cheaper forms except bacon. In families where there are children it is better to buy as much milk as possible instead of cream or butter, since we get in this way the cream and butter fat, as well as all the other valuable food the milk contains. Bacon is also a very useful fat where there are small ECONOMY IN BUYING 13 children, as it is easily digested. A child one year old can take crisply fried bacon. It is one of the most expensive forms of fat if it is bought from the "best" brands, sliced, 10 cents worth at a time. It is one of the most inexpensive if bought in the form of "bacon brisket," "bacon strips," "bacon butts," which are the odd-shaped trimmings from the sides of the bacon and are sold by the piece at from 14 to 22 cents per pound. Oleomargarine is a useful and desirable substitute for butter. (See page 14.) Some housekeepers make a sub- stitute of their own, using freshly rendered leaf lard and suet, pleasantly flavored with onion, thyme and other savory herbs. The economical housekeeper will do well to buy leaf fat at 10 to 12 cents per pound and render it herself into lard. Cut it into small pieces and heat carefully in oven or on top of stove until the fat is fried out and the scraps are crisp but not brown. These crisp bits ("cracklings") may be mashed fine and used instead of drippings in making shortened com bread. Cost of Canned Foods A i2-ounce can of baked beans costs 10 cents. The raw beans, tomatoes and fat pork which it takes to make an equal amount of baked beans, costs about 2j^ cents. A i2-ounce can of soup costs 10 cents. Home-made soup of similar quality can be made for about 2j^ cents. Other canned vegetables and fruits are not quite so expensive by comparison, but a careful housekeeper can save much by avoiding canned goods, choosing instead the vegetables in season which are the cheapest. Cost of Dried Foods Drying is one of the least expensive ways of preserving foods; therefore dried fruits are inexpensive in winter in 14 LOW COST COOKING comparison with fresh fruit or canned fruit, and dried meats and fish often less expensive than fresh. Fresh appks at 24 cents per peck are equal in expense to dried ^fiples at 12 cents per pound, but when apples are 50 cents J;r peck the dried ones cost only one-half as much. It kes a peck of fresh apples to make 2 pounds of dried _pples. Dried sweet corn is cheap and valuable for giving variety to the winter diet. Cost of Bakery and Other Cooked Foods The baker's loaf ( 12 ounces) of bread costs about twice as much as the flour, yeast, etc., that it takes to make a loaf of the same weight at home. Rolls, cakes, pies, etc., cost more than twice as much as the home-made of the same quality. Boiled ham and beef cost about four times as much as raw, and jellies and preserves are about three times as ex- pensive as home-made ones of the same quality. This is not counting the cost of fuel. The large part of the year when the cook stove is used also for heat, this need not be considered at all. When fire must be especially pro- vided for the baking, the saving is, of course less, but the careful housewife will use her fuel to the best advantage by baking on washing or ironing day and in other ways using all of the heat produced. Cost of Flavor In many foods, the only difference between the expensive kinds and the inexpensive ones is the difference in flavor. This is the chief difference between butter and oleomar- gerine. Oleomargerine is a mixture of the best quality of lard and suet churned with cream, which adds some of the flavor and a percentage of butter to it. It is made under careful United States Government supervision so that it must be clean and wholesome. The uncolored oleo gives ECONOMY IN BUYING 15 the best value for the money, as there is a tax of 10 cents per pound on the colored. It may be colored at home if desired with the coloring matter usually furnished. Nearly all butter is colored. One pound of oleo costs about one- half as much as good butter and contains only a little less food than the pound of butter. Differences in price of meats is partly a matter of flavor. Foods Out of Season When foods out of season are bought, we must pay enough for them to cover the cost of keeping them in cold storage. For example, the apples sold in the spring have been kept for six months or more in cold storage, and this makes them very expensive. Always try to find out what fruits and vegetables are in season and the cheapest to be had at the time, and buy these, waiting for the others until the time for their season comes. In winter when all fresh fruits are out of season, dried fruits can be used. Buying in Quantity Buying each day just the amount of things which are to be used that day is very wasteful. Better weight is given to the customer who buys in large quantities, and usually the price is lower. Try buying 10 pounds of sugar and see how much longer it lasts than five 2-pound packages. When you buy so many small packages you are paying for a large amount of paper at the same price you pay for food. If the housekeeper gets her money once per month, she will save by buying all of the staples, such as sugar, flour, potatoes, cured meats, rice, dried beans, peas, lentils, coffee, tea, dried fruits, etc., that she will need for the month. If she gets her money once per week, she will probably not be able to buy in such large quantities, but she can buy enough of these things to last the week. i6 LOW COST COOKING COMPOSITION OF RAW FOODS. Parts in loo (Approximate). Cereal Pkoducts. Wheat flour .... 12 water 1 1 protein 75 starch Corn meal 12 water 9 protein 75 starch Oat meal 7 water 16 protein 67 starch Macaroni 10 water 13 protein 74 starch Rice 12 water 8 protein 79 starch Legumes. Beans and peas. . 13 water 24 protein 60 starch High Protein Foods. 1 fat 2 fat 7 fat I fat yi fat Food units in I lb. 1,640 1,650 1,860 i,66s 1,630 Beef (round). ..65 water Mutton (leg)... so water Fowl 47 water Fish (salt) 53 water Fish (fresh) 82 water Eggs (nine) ... .74 water Milk (i pint).. 87 water Cheese 33 water Nuts 3 water 20 protein 15 protein 14 protein 25 protein 16 protein 13 protein 3 protein 26 protein 20 protein Fats. S sugar IS starch Salt pork (fat) 8 water 2 protein Bacon (medium fat) 17 water 9 protein Butter II water i protein Oleo 10 water i protein Lard, oils, crisco, etc Food units in I lb. 2 fat i,6ss Food units in I lb. 950 890 76s 410 350 720 310 2,000 3,000 Food units in I lb. 3,670 2,795 3.490 3,410 4,220 13 fat IS fat IS fat V2 fat Vz fat 10 fat 4 fat 33 fat 55 fat 86 fat 62 fat 85 fat 83 fat 100 fat Vegetables. Food units in I lb. Lettuce, celery, etc., 94 water, i protein, 3 starch and sugar, J^ fat 85 Carrots, string beans, parsnips, etc., 8s water, i protein, 9 to 12 starch and sugar, J^ fat 210 Turnips, cabbage, kohlrabi, etc., 90 water, i protein, 8 starch and sugar, ^/i fat 185 Potato, white, 78 water, 2 protein, 18 starch, J4 fat 38s Potato, sweet, 69 water, 2 protein, 27 starch and sugar, yi fat 570 Fresh Fruits. Food units in I lb. Apples, oranges, peaches, etc., 84 water, ^ protein, 14 sugar and starch 210 Tomatoes, 95 water, i protein, 4 sugar and starch 105 TABLES OF COMPOSITION AND PROPORTIONS 17 Dried Fruits. ^°°^ V?'*' ... „ in I lb. Apples, apricots, etc., 28 water, 3 protein, 64 sugar and starch, ij4 fat 1,320 Dates, IS water, 2 protein, 78 sugar and starch, 3 fat 1,615 Prunes, raisins, etc., 22 water, 2 protein, 73 sugar and starch, 2 fat 1,400 Sugar, 100 sugar 1,820 All of the above foods except the sugar, lard and oils contain from ^ to 2 per cent mineral matter, which does not increase their food units but are of great value in the diet. Butter and cheese have 2 to 3 per cent of common salt added. There is also a percentage of refuse in most of food materials which is largest in the meats. TABLE OF PROPORTIONS. For Thickening 1 level tablespoon of flour will thicken I cupful of liquid for soups. 2 level tablespoons of flour will thicken I cupful of liquid for gravy. 3 level tablespoons of browned-flour will thicken i cupful of liquid for gravy. Use one-half as much cornstarch as flour. Use two level tablespoons of cornstarch to I cup of liquid for pudding. Use one egg to one cup of milk for soft custard. Use two eggs to one cup of milk for stiff custard. Use one tablespoon of granulated gelatin to one pint liquid if cooled on ice. Rising Agents Use two level teaspoons baking powder to one cup flour in making mufiins, biscuits, griddle cakes and cakes. If well-beaten eggs are used in cake leave out one-half teaspoon of baking powder for each egg used. Use one-half level teaspoon of soda with one cup of sour milk. Use one teaspoon of soda with one cup of molasses. For Doughs and Batters Use one-third cup liquid for each cup of flour in mak- ing biscuits. Use one-half cup of liquid for each cup of flour in making muffins. Use two-thirds cup liquid for each cup of flour in mak- ing griddle cakes. For Salting , , , ,. . . Use one teaspoonful of salt for one quart of liquid. Use l^ teaspoonful of salt for one cup of flour for bread, etc. l8 LOW COST COOKING SETTING THE TABLE If a tablecloth is used, spread it evenly on the table so that the edges hang down the same length at each side and end. It is often much better, particularly where there are young children, to use doilies instead of a tablecloth in order to save washing. The doilies may be made 12 to 18 inches square of white or colored linen, Japanese toweling, or of any kind of white cloth. The coarse muslin of flour sacks bleached white and neatly hemmed or hemstitched makes very nice ones. If doilies are used, place one in the center of the table, one under the meat dish, and one under each plate. If this makes too much washing, one in the center only may be used, leaving the rest of the table bare. Place the plates an even distance apart, right side up and one inch from the edge of the table. Place knife at right, sharp edge toward the plate, fork at left, tines up, spoon beside knife, bowl up. The napkin lies neatly folded or in a ring beside the fork. Place tum- bler for water at right. Be sure that bread and butter, water, salt, pepper, sugar and other things needed for the meal are on the table. Serve hot things on hot plates and dishes and cold things as cold as possible. Luke warm food is nearly always distaste- ful. One way to heat plates is to leave them for a short time in hot water; another way is to put them in warm oven but they may crack and discolor if set in a hot oven. Every child should be taught while still young that be- fore coming to the table his hair and clothing must be neat and his face and hands freshly washed. Much ill health is caused by children being allowed to eat with dirty, germ-covered hands. GENERAL HOUSEHOLD DIRECTIONS The Kitchen The kitchen is the heart of the home and the whole fam- ily rejoices in its wholesome cleanliness. Dirt may be tolerated better in any other part of the house than in the kitchen, which is the workshop for preparing food. No room is more attractive than a kitchen which is shiningly clean and contains only the things necessary for the work done there, and these arranged in a convenient and orderly way. Kitchen Utensils Keep the cooking utensils where you can get at them easily. Hang them on hooks or place on shelves near where they are used. A narrow shelf near the stove, with tea and coffee pots and supply cans, salt, pepper, kettle, cooking spoon and fork, will save many steps. Hang dishpan, drain- er and towels, also vegetable knife, can opener, saucepans, near the .sink. Near the kitchen table have all the prepar- ing dishes and tools. Keep each thing always in the same place so as not to waste time hunting for it when needed. The Pantry The pantry should be the cleanest, sweetest smelling part of the house. If there is the slightest musty or disagree- able odor, the source of it should be found and removed. Stale odors in the pantry are often caused by foods being shut in there while still warm. Leave left-over food ex- posed to the open air until it is cold, when it should be covered closely and put away in the coolest possible place. A shiningly clean pantry well stocked with food sup- plies is the pride of every good housekeeper. 19 20 LOW COST COOKING No food should ever he left standing in paper sacks. Roaches and ants as well as dust and dirt can get into the sacks and make the food unclean. Glass jars with tight lids are best for sugar, rice, coffee, etc., but tin cans and boxes or crockery jars with tight lids are good. A strip of paper with the name of the article on it should be pasted on the outside of the vessel. Tin or crockery is best for flour and bread. Personal Care Before beginning to cook, make sure that hands and nails are perfectly clean and the hair neatly dressed. Wear a wash dress or a big wash apron over the dress. Measurements All measurements used in these recipes are LEVEL. Unless this is kept in mind, the recipes will all turn out wrong. To get a level tablespoon of flour fill the spoon and scrape off the top with the edge of a knife, leaving it ex- actly level full. It takes 2 tablespoons measured in this way to equal one rounded tablespoonful. For a cup of flour sift the flour, lift it into the cup with a tablespoon and scrape it off the top of the cup with a knife, leaving it just level full. A measuring cup should always be used. The tin ones cost 5 cents. It takes 3 teaspoons to make one tablespoon; 16 table- spoons equal one cup; 2 cups equal one pint. GENERAL RECIPES GRAIN PRODUCTS Cereal grains such as wheat, com, rye and oats are of- fered for sale in various forms to be used as food. The coarser ground forms are used for mushes, soups and gruels and the finely ground flours for bread, cake and pastry. White Yeast Bread 3 quarts flour lyi tablespoons salt 1 quart hot water 2 compressed yeast cakes 3 tablespoons sugar stirred into % cup of 2 tablespoons lard or other fat lukewarm water Put lard, sugar and salt in large pan or bowl and add the hot water. When lukewarm add the yeast and about 5 pints of flour. Stir until smooth, add the remaining flour and mix well. Turn the dough on to a board and knead until it is smooth and elastic. Place in a well-greased pan, greasing the top of the dough and cover with clean cloth. Place where it will keep at a warm, even temperature. When the dough has raised to double its size, which will be in about Ij4 hours, knead it again, form into loaves, grease the outside of the loaves and place them in a baking pan. Let the dough rise until it is again double its size, which it should do in about one hour, and bake for one hour in a moderately hot oven. The temperature at which bread dough is kept is one of the most important things about bread making. Yeast is a plant, and too much heat will kill it, while a low tempera- ture will keep it from growing and forming the gas bubbles which make the bread light. Bread must be baked thor- oughly in order to be wholesome. For this reason it is best not to make the loaves much, if any, larger than the com- mon bakers' loaf, which weighs 12 ounces. This recipe will make eight such loaves. When the loaves are done place them sidewise on a rack 21 22 LOW COST COOKING or table, so that the air will circulate freely around them. If a soft crust is desired, cover the bread while cooHng. When perfectly cold, place in a jar or tin box. A good loaf of bread is light, evenly raised, has a crisp golden-brown crust and a fine-grained tender crumb. Rye Bread 3 cups white flour 2 cups hot water 3 cups rye flour i tablespoon lard or other fat i4 cup sugar or molasses I tablespoon salt I compressed yeast cake stirred into % cup lukewarm water Follow the directions for mixing, kneading and baking given for white bread; if caraway seeds are desired add i teaspoonful while kneading the second time. Graham or Whole Wheat Bread 3 cups white flour i tablespoon lard 3 cups graham or whole i tablespoon salt wheat flour I yeast cake stirred into J4 H cup sugar or molasses cup lukewarm water Follow directions for mixing, kneading and baking given for white bread. Bran Bread 3 cups white flour 14 cup molasses 3 cups bran i teaspoonful baking soda I teaspoonful salt 2 cups sour milk or buttermilk Mix all together, ,ptit into greased bread pan, and bake i}4 hours in a slpw oven. This is very useful in cases of constipation. ^ Cinnamon Rolls At second kneading, roll bread dough to J^ inch thick- ness, spread with fat and sprinkle with sugar and cin- namon. Roll into a long roll, cut into i inch slices, grease these on the outside, place in baking pan. When they have risen to twice their size, bake. Prune Rolls At the second kneading, roll a layer of bread dough to the thickness of J^ inch and spread with a J4 inch layer of the mashed pulp of stewed prunes, cut into strips about 3 inches wide and 6 inches long. Fold each strip of dough so that there will be a layer of prunes between two layers of dough. Grease the outside of each roll, place.._in a greased pan, allow them to rise to twice their size, bake. GRAIN PRODUCTS 23 Coffee Cake I cup hot milk yi cup sugar l4 cup lard i teaspoon salt i^ compressed yeast cake stirred into 14 cup lukewarm water Add hot milk to lard and salt, when lukewarm add yeast, flour enough to make a stiff batter — about three cups — cover dish and let the batter rise. Spread in a well greased pan, sprinkle with sugar and allow to rise; bake. If raisins are desired add ^ cup just before putting into baking pan. Dutch Apple Cake Mix as for coffee cake. Just before baking press into the dough three sour apples, pared and cut into eighths. Sprinkle the apples generously with sugar, and cinnamon if desired. Hot Breads Hot Breads are wholesome if light and baked until thor- oughly done. The inside of a muffin or biscuit should be dry and firm, not soft or soggy. Use of Sour Milk in Baking In any baking recipe where sweet milk with baking pow- der is used sour milk and soda may be used instead. Use yi teaspoon baking soda for each cup of sour milk. This will usually not make the product light enough and there should be J^ teaspoon baking powder added to each cup of flour used. White Flour Muffins 3 cups flour I teaspoon salt lyi cups liquid, half water 6 teaspoons baking powder and half milk 3 tablespoons melted drip- 2 tablespoons sugar pings, suet, or lard Mix and sift dry ingredients, add liquid ingredients, mix well, put quickly into a well greased muffin pan, bake about 25 minutes in moderately hot oven. An egg may be added to the recipe. Graham, Whole Wheat or Rye Muffins Use recipe above, using ij4 cups graham, whole wheat or rye flour and i^ cups white flour. Berry Muffins Use recipe for White Flour Muffins and add ij4 cups of berries — huckleberries, raspberries, blackberries or blue- 24 LOW COST COOKING berries — just before putting into baking pans. If desired to make them more like cake, increase the amount of sugar to I cup, the drippings to J4 cup, and add i or 2 eggs. Oat Meal Muffins 3 cups flour I teaspoon salt lyi cups cooked oatmeal i cup liquid 2 tablespoons sugar I tablespoon fat 5 teaspoons baking powder i egg may be used Mix and sift dry ingredients, add liquid ingredients, mix thoroughly, put quickly into well-greased muffin pans, bake about 20 minutes in a hot oven. Kice Muffins Mix same as above, adding hot cooked rice instead of oatmeal. Bran Muffins 1 cup flour 2 cups milk or water 2 cups bran 6 teaspoons baking powder 3 tablespoons molasses ij^ teaspoons salt 3 tablespoons drippings J4 teaspoon baking soda Mix dry ingredients, add liquids and beat. Bake as other muffins. Baking Powder Biscuits 3 cups flour i}4 teaspoons salt I cup liquid 3 tablespoons fat (lard, crisco, 6 teaspoons baking powder etc.) Mix and sift dry ingredients, add fat, mixing it with flour by cutting with two knives or rub it in lightly with finger tips. Add liquid gradually, mixing with a knife. Turn onto a floured board, roll or pat to half inch thick- ness, cut into rounds with biscuit cutter and place in baking pan. It does not hurt biscuits to stand for a while after being ready for the oven, if the top is brushed over with melted fat in order to prevent a hard crust from forming. Drop Biscuits 2% cups flour S teaspoons baking powder 1 cup liquid i teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons melted fat Mix and sift dry ingredients, add liquid ingredients and melted fat and mix with a knife. Drop by tablespoonfuls in a baking pan, bake in a hot oven. GRAIN PRODUCTS 25 Baking Powder Cinnamon Rolls 2 cups flour ^ cup milk or water 4 teaspoons baking powder % cup oleo J4 teaspoon salt }4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons fat 2 teaspoons cinnamon Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl, work in the fat with the tips of the fingers, add the milk or water slowly and mix all with a knife into a soft dough. Turn on to a floured board and roll lightly into a sheet J^ inch thick. Spread with the mixture of oleo, sugar and cinnamon rubbed together in the mixing ftjwl and roll up the dough like a jelly roll. Cut into J^ inch slices and bake in a hot oven. Plain Griddle Cakes 3 cups flour 3 tablespoons drippings 2 cups liquid 6 teaspoons baking powder V/i teaspoons salt Mix and sift dry ingredients, add liquids, beat and begin to cook at once by dropping on hot greased frying pan, i tablespoonful in a place. Make as many cakes in the grid- dle as it will hold without their touching one another. The most important point about cooking the cakes is to avoid turning them too soon. Do not turn until the cake is cooked through, except for a thin upper layer. When this is done, the gas bubbles will burst over the top of the cake, show- ing cooked substance below. Keep the fire low enough to avoid burning before it is cooked through. Turn and brown on the other side. As the cakes are done, place them on a plate on top of a kettle of boiling water to keep warm. Griddle cakes are hard to digest unless very carefully cooked. Follow directions closely to prevent them from being hard, tough and indigestible or soggy and raw. Graham or Corn Meal Griddle Cakes These are made in the same way by using half white flour and half graham flour or cornmeal. Stale Bread Griddle Cakes Ij4 cups flour I egg 4 cups stale bread crumbs Vz teaspoon salt 1 cup milk S teaspoons baking powder 2 cups hot water 3 tablespoons drippings 26 LOW COST COOKING Pour water and milk over breadcrumbs and soak until crumb? ate soft. Add egg, sift in the flour mixed with salt and baking powder, bake as other griddle cakes. Rice Griddle Cakes l^ cups flour J4 teaspoon salt lyi cups cooked rice 2 tablespoons sugar 1 cup milk or water s teaspoons baking powder Mix liquid ingredients and add rice. Add flour mixed and sifted with salt and baking powder. Bake as other griddle cakes. Com Bread 2 cups cornmeal i^i teaspoon salt I cup flour 3 tablespoons melted drip- l]4 cups sour milk pings 5^ teaspoon baking soda J4 cup sugar Mix and sift dry ingredients, add liquid ingredients, mix thoroughly and quickly turn into hot well-greased flat pan. Bake about 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve hot. Shortened Corn Bread 3 cups cornmeal (white pre- i cup sour milk f erred) 54 teaspoon soda 4 tablespoons cold drippings 2 teaspoons baking powder Mix and sift dry ingredients, add fat, mix the same as for biscuits, add milk, form into large pones about 6 inches long and three inches wide and J4 inch thick. The dough should be stiff enough for the pone to hold its shape. Place in buttered pan, bake 30 minutes, serve hot. "Cracklings" may be used instead of drippings. Com Pone 3 cups white cornmeal iH teaspoons salt I cup boiling water Mix ingredients, form into pone, same as shortened corn- bread, bake in greased pan about j/^ hour. Split open and serve with slices of crisp bacon inside. For Southern Corn Bread see page 71. One mother of five children says: "Cornbread is very cheap, but when served piping hot with syrup I never can get one big enough." TOAST Toast may be most easily made in winter when fire is going all the time by laying the slices of bread in the oven GRAIN PRODUCTS 27 until they are browned. Toast made in this way is dry all the way through, as well as being brown on the outside and is more easily digested than soft toast. When the gas stove is being used and has a broiler, place the toast on it, brown on one side, turn and brown on the other. If there is only a gas burner to use it may be covered by a clean asbestos mat and the bread laid on this. An asbestos mat costs 5 cents. A wire toaster which will toast 4 pieces at once, can be bought for 19 cents. Toasted Rolls or Baking Powder Biscuits These are made by splitting the biscuits or rolls open and laying them in oven or on the toaster until the exposed crumb is brown. French Toast Make a mixture of half milk, half water, J^ cup of each, add an egg and dip slices of stale bread in this mixture. Lay them in a hot greased frying pan and brown on both sides. It may be served with syrup. Cream Toast Cream toast with or without cheese is made by pouring thin white sauce over toasted bread. Cheese may be added after the hot sauce is removed from the fire. Fuller direc- tions are found on page 96. It is seasoned with salt and pepper if cheese is added, otherwise with sugar or with salt and pepper alone if desired. A dash of nutmeg may be added. Milk Toast Toast bread in oven, cover with hot milk, serve with salt and pepper. COOKING BREAKFAST CEREALS Cereals are made from hard grains and contain much starch, so require long cooking to make them easily di- gested. Do not be deceived by directions on the box which say that the contents can be cooked in 15 or 20 minutes. This is never long enough to cook thoroughly and make them fit food for young children. Use a double boiler or a fireless cooker if possible. Sift the dry cereal slowly into salted boiling water, stirring all the while to prevent lumping. Some cereals like graham flour which lump badly should be mixed first with cold 28 LOW COST COOKING water, then poured into the boiling water. Cook S minutes directly over the fire, then place upper part of double boiler over the lower part, cover closely and steam for the time required. If there is no double boiler, set the vessel containing the cereal in a kettle containing boiling water. When the coal range is used, a very convenient way to cook the cereal is to start it cooking at supper time and leave closely covered on the back of the range all night. In the morning it will be found to be well done. Better still, leave it in the fireless cooker over night. Proportions and Time for Cooking Cereals I cup Oatmeal 4 cups water 4 hours I cup Rolled Oats...2j4 cups water i to 2 hours I cup Farina 4 cups water J4 to i hour I cup Cracked Wheat. .6 cups water 6 hours or longer 1 cup Graham Flour... 3 cups water }/^ to i hour I cup Cornmeal 4 cups water 3 hours I cup Hominy 4 cups water 4 hours I cup Rice 3 cups water 30 minutes* I cup Rice 3 cups water 50 minutest * For boiling. t For steaming. Cereal Mush All of the cereals named above may be served hot as mush with cream or milk with or without sugar. Mush may also be served with syrup instead of milk. Cornmeal mush is much liked in this way. If it is difficult to teach a child to eat cereal, adding fruit to make it more attractive will often help. Oatmeal with Raisins I cup oatmeal 54 pound black seedless 4 cups water raisins 2 teaspoons salt Cook oatmeal as directed. Stew raisins according to directions given under Dried Fruit (page 53) and add enough sugar to make them quite sweet. Serve poured over the mush. Dates or figs may be used in the same way and with all of the other cereals. Farina with Dates I cup farina J4 pound dates 4 cups water 2 teaspoons salt Cook farina as directed; 15 minutes before serving add the dates, washed and stoned. Seedless raisins and figs GRAIN PRODUCTS 29 may be used in this way and with all of the different cereals as well as with farina. Fried Com Meal Mush or Hominy Pour cornmeal or hominy mush into a deep pan. When cold cut in slices and fry until brown in drippings, lard or suet. Another method is to use the mush while still hot, drop- ping it into the hot fat, frying it in the form of pancake. CEREAL DISHES FOR LUNCH OR SUPPER Oatmeal and Potatoes % cup oatmeal 6 cups boiling water I onion Sprig of parsley 1 lb potatoes (3 or 4) Add oatmeal to boiling salted water and cook ij^ hours. Add potatoes cut in cubes and boil J^ hour longer. Fry onion until brown in drippings, lard or suet, and add this to the mixture along with the chopped parsley or any other seasoning desired. Left over oatmeal mush may be used for this excellent dish. Oatmeal Soup 2 cups cooked oatmeal 2 cups water I onion 2 cups milk Brown onion chopped fine in drippings, suet or lard, add to the other ingredients, heat to boiling point and serve. Rice with Lentils I cup rice i onion Yi cup lentils T-Yt teaspoons salt Parsley, celery, etc., as desired. Cook lentils, following directions on page 39 ; J^ hour before serving add rice. Fry the onion chopped fine and green flavoring materials (pars- ley, celery, etc.) in drippings or lard, add to the rice and lentils and serve. Rice with Navy Beans Follow directions for rice with lentils, using beans in- stead of lentils. Lima Beans and Barley I cup dried lima beans I onion 54 cup barley i bunch soup greens Salt to taste Cook beans 2 hours, add barley and cook i hour longer. Fry onion and greens in drippings, add to mixture and serve. 30 LOW COST COOKING Polenta 1Y2 cup cornmeal 3 tablespoons salad oil 2 cups cooked tomatoes 3 tablespoons cheese Salt, pepper and small onion for flavoring Follow directions for cooking cornmeal mush. Cook to- matoes, onion and oil i hour or more until the mixture is quite thick. Place layer of hot cornmeal mush in dish, then layer of tomato mixture, more cornmeal mush and tomato on top. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top of dish. Plain Boiled Rice Rice must be cooked differently from other cereals, as there is danger of overcooking and rendering the product soggy. Rice cooked by either boiling or steaming should have each grain standing out separate and whole and at the same time be perfectly tender. Wash I cup rice by placing in a strainer and allowing the water from the faucet to run through until it is quite clean. Have ready 2 quarts of rapidly boiling water, to which has been added 4 teaspoons of salt. Add the rice slowly and boil rapidly 20 minutes. Drain off the water, saving it for soup, and set the pan back on a low fire to dry out all the rest of the moisture. Steamed Rice Use 3 cups of boiling salted water to one cup of rice. Follow directions for boiled rice, allowing the rice to boil for 5 minutes directly over the fire. Cover closely, set pan in larger vessel with hot water and steam 50 minutes. Rice with Stewed Fruit Serve either boiled or steamed rice with fresh fruit, such as black plums, stewed with plenty of water and poured over. Rice with Cinnamon Serve either boiled or steamed rice with sugar and cin- namon sprinkled over the top of the dish. Serve with or without milk. Rice with Cheese 4 cups cooked rice % pound cheese 4 cups thin white sauce or milk Mix white sauce with the rice. Put alternate layers of this mixture and grated cheese in baking dish. Cover with MEATS 31 breadcrumbs and bake in moderate oven until hot through and crumbs are brown. Rice with Tomato — Savory Rice Follow directions for rice with cheese, using strained tomato instead of white sauce. It may be made with or without cheese, and onion or green peppers chopped fine may be added if desired. It may also be served hot with- out baking. MEATS Meat is the most difficult part of the diet to manage where strict economy must be observed. The cheaper cuts of meat, fortunately, contain even more nutriment than the expensive ones, but are cheaper because they are not so tender. The price per pound, however, does not always show which cut of meat is cheaper. The housekeeper must consider carefully the amount of bone and fat that is given with certain cuts in deciding on the kind to buy ; for example, spare ribs at 12 cents a pound cost more than round steak at 20 cents a pound because of the large proportion of bone they contain. The fact to keep in mind is that one pound of lean meat is about equal to another pound of lean, no matter which part of the beef it is cut from and no matter what the dif- ference in price may be ; therefore the housekeeper should choose the piece which gives the most lean meat for the money. Flank steak and lower round are good examples of cheap beef, as they are almost all lean with very little waste and sell for 12 to 16 cents per pound. The fat is valuable, but suet can be bought at 5 cents per pound and leaf fat at 10 cents, which will be cheaper than paying for it with the meat. Always ask the butcher for the trimmings from your own piece of meat. You will find some usable pieces. The tougher, cheaper meats, unless chopped fine, must be cooked by a long, slow process to make them tender 32 LOW COST COOKING and palatable. A fireless cooker is excellent for this purpose. Principle of Cooking Meats. — Whatever process of cooking is used, the following facts should be kept in mind : a high degree of heat (that is, the boiling point in water or a very hot oven or griddle) hardens and toughens the meat, and it should be used only on the outside of the meat where it is good to form a crust in order that the inside may be kept tender and juicy; long cooking at a low temperature softens the hard tissues and makes tough meat tender and digestible. Pork and mutton must be cooked well done, while beef may be safely eaten rare. Stews Of the long, slow processes, stewing is one of the best methods. In choosing meat for a stew, whether it is beef, lamb, mutton, or veal, take a piece containing some bone, as this adds to the flavor. As it is to be cooked a long time, the tougher parts of the animal such as the neck and leg, below the round of beef or mutton, and shoulder of veal or lamb may be used. Remove most of the fat before cooking, as a greasy stew is too difficult to digest for chil- dren and for persons with delicate digestion. If the flavor of browned meat is desired, brown the pieces in a hot, dry kettle. Add cold water and bring slowly to the simmering point. If the meat is not to be browned cover at once with boiling water. In all cases keep the fire very low so that the stew will not boil, as the high heat will toughen the meat. Stews may be flavored with all kinds of highly flavored vegetables, which should be added just in time to cook tender before the meat is done. If the stew is to be the main part of the meal, it can be made more nourishing by adding barley, rice, macaroni, dumplings, and other cereals or flour mixtures. MEATS 33 Brown Stew with Dumplings lyi pounds stew beef 3 sprigs of parsley 1 onion Sear the beef in a hot, dry kettle until the pieces are all well browned on the outside, cover with cold water and cook slowly until tender. Do not allow it to boil. Add onion and parsley after first hour. Dumplings 2 cups flour 4 teaspoons baking powdec 5^ cup liquid i teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon fat Mix the dough for dumplings exactly as baking powder biscuits, and drop by tablespoonfuls over the top of the stew. Cover closely and cook 20 minutes without lifting the cover. If dumplings are removed before being thor- oughly done they fall and are hard and indigestible. A 15-cent knuckle of veal may be used with dumplings where much meat is not needed. Lamb Stew with Rice ij^ to 2 pounds lamb or mutton i pint carrots Follow directions above for stew. When done thicken gravy with two tablespoons flour. Serve on large dish with a border of boiled rice. For stew with vegetables, see page 73. Scotch Broth 2 pounds mutton, from neck, 2 tablespoons each of car- shoulder or shank rots, celery and parsnip 2 tablespoons minced onions 2 teaspoons salt 2 tablespoons minced turnip 3 quarts of cold water Remove fat, cut into small pieces, add seasoning, except parsley, bring to a boil and then continue cooking just below boiling point for three hours. Add J^ cup fine barley after the first hour, and parsley J4 hour before it is done. Braising Braising is another important method for long cooking, which is used in making pot roast, beef a la mode, braised beef, etc. The meat is first browned on the outside, then cooked slowly until tender in small amount of water, either on top of stove or in the oven. 34 LOW COST COOKING Beef a la Mode ip2 to 2 pounds flat piece of beef, such as flank steak or shoulder steak I tablesp'n carrots, chopped fine. I tablesp'n onions, chopped fine Dressing I cup bread crumbs, moistened with cold water I teaspoon onion Salt and pepper to taste Mix ingredients for dressing, spread over the meat, roll, then wrap and tie with twine. Cut slashes in the outside of the meat and press into the openings thin pieces of fat salt pork. Sear the meat in a hot kettle, add enough water to half cover it. Add onion and carrots and cook slowly until ^^^^^^- Braised Cutlets Cut any inexpensive meats such as chuck steak, round steak, flank steak, heart, etc., in pieces for serving. Brown the pieces in a hot pan, place them in a baking dish, cover with gravy made from the browning, add a small onion, chopped fine, salt and pepper to taste. Cover the dish closely and bake until meat is tender. Pot Roast with Vegetables 2 pounds meat (pork shoulder, brisket, etc.) 2 cups each carrots, turnips, parsnip, rutabaga Brown meat on all sides in the hot kettle with a bit of meat fat. Half cover with water, cook slowly for three or four hours, last half hour adding the vegetables, pared and cut in pieces. Chopped Meats To lessen time of cooking, meats may be chopped fine. The chopped meat offered by the butcher is sometimes not quite fresh, as stale scraps are added, and it is better for the housekeeper to choose the pieces of meat and have them ground. ^^^^ Balls a^d Onions 1 54 pounds chopped meat l teaspoon salt I onion, chopped fine J4 teaspoon pepper Mix onions, salt and pepper thoroughly with meat, form into cakes, brown both sides in hot pan. Cover closely and continue cooking at a low temperature until done through. Serve with brown gravy made from the drippings. Meat Loaf I pound chopped meat i or 2 eggs 4 cups breadcrumbs 2 teaspoons salt Pepper and chopped onion to taste MEATS 35 Meat loaf may be made without egg as described on page 85. If it is to be sliced cold the above recipe is better, as it will keep its shape better. Mix ingredients together. If too dry add water or milk to moisten bread. Form into loaf and bake in moderate oven for ij4 to 2 hours. Chopped beef and pork mixed, veal and pork, beef or veal alone, or Hamburger steak may be used. Rice or cold potatoes may be used instead of bread crumbs, and tomatoes may be used for flavoring. Pan Broiling This is a useful way to cook meat quickly, which may be used for all kinds of steaks and chops. Directions must be closely followed to preserve the tenderness of the meat and to prevent it from becoming dry and hard. Pan Broiled Flank Steak Do not allow the butcher to score or slash the flank steak for broiling, as this allows the good juices to escape. Have the pan very hot, grease it slightly to prevent sticking, lay the steak in whole, even if it reaches over the edges of the pan. It will shrink in cooking. After brown- ing on orie side, turn and brown the other. Salt and pepper may be sprinkled on each side after it is browned. As soon as browned, cover the pan closely and continue to cook on a very low fire until done. It will take 10 to 20 minutes, ac- cording to thickness, to cook it well done and from 5 to 10 minutes to cook it rare. In serving cut across the fibre of the meat. All kinds of chops and steaks are pan-broiled in this way. Made Meat Dishes It is sometimes necessary to use very little meat, either for economy or because the health of the family is better with less. A small amount of meat may be made to serve the family by combining with other foods. Scalloped Meats 2 cups chopped cooked meat, beef, pork, fish or fowl 3 cups boiled rice or breadcrumbs 3 cups thin white sauce or brown gravy- Left over meats may very well be used for this dish and different kinds may be used together if they are at hand. 36 LOW COST COOKING Mix rice or bread crumbs with white sauce or brown gravy. Place alternate layers of this mixture and the chopped meat in baking dish. Cover with bread crumbs, bake in moderate oven until crumbs are brown. Meat Croquettes 2 cups chopped meat, beef, pork, fish or fowl 3 cups boiled rice or breadcrumbs 2 cups thick white sauce or brown gravy Leftover meats and gravy may be used for this dish. Make white sauce by recipe on page 42. Mix ingredients thoroughly together. Form into round or oblong balls, bake in oven until brown on outside, or brown on both sides in hot greased pan. Serve as meat balls. Turkish Pilaf 3 cups rice 1% cups water iH cups tomatoes 2 cups cooked meat, chopped I onion Mix rice with tomatoes and onion chopped fine and water, place alternate layers of this mixture and of chopped meat in baking dish, cover with bread crumbs and bake until brown in a moderate oven. Meat ScEilloped with Rice and Onions Partly fill baking dish with alternate layers of cooked rice and thinly sliced onions. Add a layer cooked left-over meat chopped fine or three-fourths pound raw chopped meat. Add hot water to moisten dish, cover with bread crumbs and bake three-fourths hour in moderate oven. Hominy with Bacon Fry 4 slices of bacon until crisp. Cut into small pieces, add 4 cups cooked hominy and reheat. Scraps of any kind of leftover meat may be used instead of bacon and any of the other cereals may be used instead of hominy. Meat Pie Use leftover stew or any remains of meat at hand. Put the meat in a baking dish, add sufficient gravy to cover well, adding parsley, celery, etc., as desired for seasoning. Cover the top with a half-inch layer of dough made as for baking powder biscuits, bake in hot oven until dough is done. Ti.jpg i/^ pounds tripe 2 cups white sauce Cut tripe in small pieces, cover with hot water and cook 15 minutes. Drain, add white sauce, stew 20 minutes. MEATS 37 Brains Soak over night in salt water, remove outer skins, roll in flour or bread crumbs. Brown both sides in hot greased pan, cover closely and cook on low fire about 20 minutes until well done. To scramble, break in small pieces, add i or 2 eggs and cook in hot greased pan, stirring constantly. Stuffed Heart Remove veins and cords of calves or beef heart, soak and clean. Stuff with dressing and braize as described for Beef a la Mode, page 34. Hamburger Steak with Tomatoes lJ4 pounds chopped meat Half can of tomatoes Put chopped meat into hot pan, stirring constantly. When part of it is well browned, add tomatoes, cover closely and continue cooking on low fire until done. FISH Fi^h is one of the high protein foods and may be used at any meal instead of meat. The cheaper kinds are more economical than meat. In buying fish be sure it is fresh. In fresh fish the eyes are bright, the gills red, the flesh firm and odorless. Be sure it is well cleaned before cooking. . Panned Fish Clean the fish, rvijo with salt and dry with a little flour. Lay in very hot frying pan greased with salt pork drippings. Brown quickly on both sides, cover closely and cook on low fire ID to 20 minutes until cooked through. If the fish is large cut into pieces ; if small, cook whole. Baked Fish Bake and clean large fish leaving on the head ; stuff with dressing; lay in pan and bake in a moderate oven. When thoroughly done place whole on a hot dish. Dressing for Fish Put I tablespoon drippings in a sauce pan ; stir in 2 cups of bread crumbs, i teaspoon chopped onion, i teaspoon parsley, i tablespoon chopped suet. Moisten with J^ cup of milk or water. 38 LOW COST COOKING THE COOKING OF EGGS The same principle that applies to the cooking of meats applies also to eggs, as the protein found in each is made tough and indigestible by a high degree of heat. Even if the eggs are cooked hard they should never be tough. Hard Cooked Eggs Place the eggs in a stew pan and cover with boiling water. Do not allow the water to boil after the eggs are in, but keep it hot for fifty minutes. Cooked in this way the whites of the eggs will be solid but tender, and the yolks solid and mealy. Soft Cooked Eggs If the eggs are to be cooked in the shell, they may be put into cold water and the water brought slowly to the boiling point. By this time the white will be solid and the egg hot all the way through. Or they may be dropped into boiling water, the pan set on the back of the stove and allowed to stand from 7 to lo minutes. Poached Eggs Bring to the boiling point enough water to cover the eggs. Break each egg separately in a cup, slip it quickly into the hot water, let it stand, keeping the water hot but not allowing it to boil until the white is firm. This will take about seven minutes. Scrambled Eggs When eggs are expensive, a smaller number may be used for a meal if they are cooked with other foods. In scram- bling milk and flour may be added to enlarge the bulk. Follow the recipe given on page 84. Eggs Scrambled with Potatoes 4 cups cold boiled potatoes 2 to 4 eggs Cut the potatoes in thin slices or in J^-inch cubes, add the beaten egg, cook in a warm greased frying pan over a low fire, stirring constantly until the eggs are cooked and the potatoes warmed through. Eggs Scrambled with Tomatoes % can tomatoes 2 to 4 eggs Add the beaten eggs to the tomatoes, heat, stirring the mixture until the eggs are cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. LEGUMES Legumes are a very useful class of food, as they contain a large amount of nutriment and may be used to replace part of the meat in the diet. Little or no meat should be served at the same time. One pound of any of those in the table following contains as much food as the average pound of flank of beef or fresh ham, and more than twice as much as cuts which contain much bone, such as spare ribs and leg of veal. TABLES OF COMMON LEGUMES Price Time for cooking per pound after soaking Split yellow peas 5 cts. lYz hours Split green peas 6 cts. 2j^ hours Whole green peas 7 cts. 4 hours Black-eyed peas 6 cts. 3 hours Lentils 6 cts. 3 hours Lima beans 8 cts. 3 hours Kidney beans 8 cts. 3H hours Navy beans- S cts. 3 hours The following directions may be used for cooking all of them. Wash carefully. Soak several hours or over night; start to cook well covered with cold water and cook until tender. Add one teaspoonful of salt to each cup. They may then be made into a large number of attractive dishes, which may be divided into the following types : Type I. Tomatoes, cheese, etc., may be added for sea- soning as in the following dishes: Boiled Beans with Tomatoes Follow directions for cooking beans given above. When almost tender add canned tomatoes and seasoning and cook one-half hour longer. Use onion, pepper, salt, etc., for seasoning. Navy beans, kidney beans, lentils, black eyed peas may also be used in this way. Beans with Cheese and Green Peppers ^ pound kidney beans i green pepper Vz pound cheese Add pepper and salt to taste 39 40 LOW COST COOKING Soak beans over night. In the morning cook slowly one hour. Chop peppers and cook with the beans until tender. Just before taking from the fire add cut-up cheese. Serve hot on toast. Type II. The flavor may be secured by adding a piece of meat such as salt pork, end of salt shoulder or ham. Black Eyed Peas with Ham Butts 2 cups black-eyed peas l^ pound salt ham butt Wash and soak the peas over night. Remove the rind from the ham butt. Cover with cold water, cook slowly for 2 hours, add peas, and continue cooking until peas and meat are tender. Navy beans, lima beans, split peas and lentils may be cooked in the same way. Type III. They may be baked with various kinds of seasoning added. Baked Peas with Bacon Use dried peas, either split or whole. When cooked tender evaporate most of the water and turn into the baking dish. Place strips of thin cut salt pork or bacon on top. Bake in a moderate oven until bacon is crisp and brown. Beans, lima beans, and lentils may be baked in the same way. Boston Baked Beans 3 cups beans 2 tablespoons sugar % pound salt pork i tablespoon molasses 2 teaspoons salt Soak beans over night, cover with cold water; cook slowly one-half hour and drain off the water. Scald a piece of salt pork, place one thin slice of pork in the bottom of the baking dish; put in the beans and bury the piece of pork in them, leaving the edges exposed. Mix molasses, sugar and salt, add boiling water and pour over the beans. Add enough boiling water to cover the beans and bake 6 to 8 hours ; uncover the last hour to allow the beans and pork to brown. A five-pound lard pail makes a good baking dish for beans. Type IV. They may be baked in a loaf, as the following : Lentil Loaf 4 cups lentils (cooked) % lb. salt pork or bacon 3 cups breadcrumbs or 2 cups Flavorings — Onions, parsn cooked rice ley, etc., as desired Cook lentils, following directions above. Mash fine, add LEGUMES 41 rice or bread crumbs and flavorings chopped fine. Form into a loaf resembling meat loaf, place in baking pan, lay- pork or bacon, sliced thin, over the top, and bake in mod- erate oven until meat is crisp and brown. Lima Bean Loaf, Navy Bean Loaf, Kidney Bean LoAFj all may be prepared in the same way, or the loaf may be made from leftovers of different kinds, mixed. Type V. They may be creamed by adding white sauce. Creamed Kidney Beans Cook kidney beans according to directions given. For each cup of beans add one cup of white sauce made by recipe on page 70, or by directions given there for creamed carrots. Lima Beans also are especially good creamed. Vegetable Stews Stews may be made with vegetables without meat, or with only a small amount used for flavoring. If one of the legumes is used for the basis of the stew, it will, with bread and milk, form a good lunch or supper. Lentil Stew 1 cup lentils 2 tablespoons flour 2 cups diced potatoes 3 slices bacon or salt pork Wash lentils and soak over night ; boil 3 hours, acM pota- toes and boil for 20 minutes. Fry bacon, remove from pan, and stir flour in the fat. Add i cup water and boil until thick. Add this gravy and the bacon cut into small pieces to the stew. Beans, lima beans, kidney beans, or black-eyed peas may be used instead of lentils. Jungle Stew 154 cup kidney beans _ i onion yi cup macaroni or rice 4 tablespoons drippings J^ can tomatoes seasoning to taste Wash and soak beans over night, boil 3 hours. Brown sliced onions in frying pan, with drippings, add to stew with tomatoes, seasoning and the macaroni broken into bits. Sim- mer a half hour. Navy beans, lentils or lima beans may be used instead of the kidney beans. Split Peas with Carrots 3 cups carrots (cooked) 3 cups green split peas (cooked) Salt and pepper to taste 42 LOW COST COOKING Cut the carrots in }4-inch cubes, mash the peas fine and add enough water to make them like a very thick soup. Minced onions or parsley may be added if additional sea- soning is desired. Put the things all together and reheat. Succotash Succotash is green corn, fresh or canned, combined with beans, green or dried. Lima Bean Succotash 1/2 can corn 2 cups cooked lima beans 2 tablespoons drippings salt and pepper to taste Heat corn and beans together, add seasoning and, if desired, a little milk. For the use of legumes in soups, see page 50. White Sauce White sauce or cream sauce sometimes called milk sauce or gravy, is much used to blend foods and add flavor. It also adds food value in inexpensive form. Milk, flour, fat and seasoning are the usual ingredients. All or part of the milk may be replaced by water, meat, fish, or chicken stock, and fruit or vegetable juices. For the fat, drippings, oleo, butter, lard, crisco, etc., may be used. Thin Sauce. Medium Sauce. Thick Sauce. I tablespoon flour 2 tablespoons flour 3-4 tablespoons flour I tablespoon fat 2 tablespoons fat 2-4 tablespoons fat 54 teaspoon salt J4 teaspoon salt J4-H teaspoon salt Few grains pepper, Few grains pepper, Few grains pepper etc. etc. I cup liquid I cup liquid I cup liquid Suitable for cream- For general use Basis of croquettes, ed potatoes, maca- with fish and most meat loaf, etc. roni, toast, etc. vegetables. ""> Methods of mixing: (i) Melt fat in saucepan, stir until I frothy all over, then add liquid slowly, hot or cold, while ' stirring; cook again until thick, stirring until smooth. (2) Rub fat and flour together and stir into the warm liquid in a double boiler, then cook and stir until thick and smooth. (3) When less fat is used, rub the flour smoothly with a little cold liquid and stir into the remainder, which should be hot, and cook in double boiler until smooth. Then add fat and seasoning. VEGETABLES Besides the starch and sugar they contain, which furnish energy for the body, vegetables have in them minerals which are necessary to health. If we do not get these min- erals in our food, we will probably be compelled to get them in the form of medicine, which means that we must buy the medicine as well as pay a doctor for prescribing for us. For example, the person who has a pallid color is probably anemic. He needs iron, and instead of taking an iron tonic it is much better to get iron into the blood by eating foods rich in iron, such as carrots, spinach, prunes, turnips and other fruits and vegetables. During the summer by watch- ing the markets and wagons we can usually get a good variety of fresh vegetables at reasonable prices. In the winter, we have wiiat is known as winter vegetables. COMMON WINTER VEGETABLES Price per Pound Time for Cooking Carrots i to 3 cts. 40 min. to i hour Rutabaga l to 3 cts. 40 min. to i hour Onion I to 2 cts. 30 min. to 2 hours Beets I to 3 cts. i hour to 3 hours Parsnips 2 to 4 cts. 40 min. to i hour Celery root 3 to S cts. 30 min. to i hour Cabbage 2 to 4 cts. 20 min. to 40 min. Turnip l to 3 cts. 20 min. to 30 min. Directions for Cooking Vegetables When these vegetables are to be served creamed, but- tered, browned, etc., they should first be pared and cut into pieces, after being carefully washed. Cook until tender in boiling salted water. Beets are an exception to this rule, as they should be cooked whole with the skin on. The time for cooking varies with the age of the vegetable and the size of the pieces into which it is cut. As the valuable minerals which the vegetables contain are soluble, much of them go into the water in which the vegetable is cooked. For this reason none of it should be thrown away. If it cannot be served with the vegetable it should be used for soups. In steaming and baking there is no loss of minerals and these methods may sometimes be used. . 43 44 LOW COST COOKING Buttered Beets Cook beets, following directions above. When tender remove outer skin by rubbing it off with the fingers under running water. Slice, and add butter, oleo or drippings, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot. Rutabaga, parsnips, onions, and turnips may all be pre- pared in the same way. Creamed Rutabaga Cook in large pieces until tender. When done cut in half-inch cubes, add white sauce and serve hot. Creamed Carrot, Turnip, Celery Root, and Parsnip are prepared in the same way. Hashed Cabbage When cooked tender, drain off the water in which the cabbage has been cooked, which should be saved for adding flavoring to soup. Chop cabbage fine, add 2 tablespoons of water, 2 tablespoons drippings, salt and pepper to taste. Set back on fire for a few minutes until flavorings are ab- sorbed, stirring constantly. Serve hot. Hashed Turnips and Rutabaga are prepared in the same way. , Scalloped Onion Remove the outer skin from onions ; boill whole until tender. Place onions in baking dish with alternate layers of bread crumbs, cover with milk, water or mijcture of milk and water; cover top of dish with bread crumbs, brown in oven. Scalloped turnips, cabbage and tomatoes are prepared in the same way. Browned Parsnips When parsnips are cooked tender, cut in half-inch slices, long way; brown in oven with bits of bacon over the top, or in a frying pan with drippings. Potatoes Potatoes must be treated differently from other vegeta- bles because of the large proportion of starch they contain. When properly cooked, potatoes are dry and mealy. Soggy, watery potatoes are difficult to digest and unwholesome. Follow directions carefully to avoid this. VEGETABLES 45 Boiled Potatoes Wash and pare potatoes carefully, leave whole or cut in uniform size and drop into boiling salted water. Boil until tender but not longer. Test the potatoes by sticking a knife or fork tine into it to determine when it is tender. They will usually be done in 30 minutes. When done, drain all the water off at once and set the kettle back on a very low fire with the cover partly on until the remaining mois- ture is gone. Add drippings for seasoning. Boiling potatoes with the skins on saves much waste. Wash the potatoes, drop into boiling salted water and boil until tender. Drain off water, break the skin of each potato so that it will not become soggy, and set kettle on back of stove to dry out moisture. Mashed Potatoes Mash boiled potatoes, add drippings and milk, and beat well. Keep hot but uncovered until served. Creamed Potatoes Cut boiled or baked potatoes in half-inch cubes, add white sauce and reheat. To each cup of potatoes add J^ to i cup white sauce. Creamed Potatoes with Cheese Prepare creamed potatoes as above. Set kettle on back of stove and add cheese grated or chopped fine. Stir occa- sionally until cheese is melted, but do not let it boil, as a high degree of heat will make the cheese stringy and tough. To each cup of potatoes i to 2 tablespoons cheese may be used. Hashed Potatoes Chop cold boiled or baked potatoes fine, put into a hot greased frying pan, and brown. Chopped leftover meat may be added. Baked Potatoes Choose medium sized, smooth potatoes, wash, bake for one hour in a hot oven. As soon as they are taken up, break the skin to let out the moisture. If this is left in they will soon become soggy. Scalloped Potatoes Fill baking dish with alternate layers of sliced potatoes and onions, add salt and pepper to taste, add milk or milk 46 LOW COST COOKING and water to cover. Put layer of bread crumbs over top and bake 1 34 to 2 hours or until potatoes and onions are cooked. Leftover potatoes may be used, in which case much less time will be required for cooking. One-half hour will usually be sufificient to cook the onions, if sliced thin. Sweet Potatoes Sweet potatoes contain more nourishment than white potatoes, so that at 3 cents per pound they are about as expensive in proportion to their food value as white pota- toes at 2 cents per pound. They are not, however, so easily digested. They are boiled or baked in exactly the same way as white potatoes. SUMMER VEGETABLES Almost all the vegetables listed under winter vegetables are to be obtained all summer at still lower prices than those named. In addition the vegetables in the following table may, in season, be obtained at reasonable prices: Time for Cooking Spinach and other greens 30 to 40 minutes Beet greens 50 minutes Green corn 15 to 30 minutes Kohlrabi 20 to 40 minutes Asparagus IS to 30 minutes String beans J4 to I hour Peas 20 to 30 minutes Artichokes 30 minutes Lettuce (served raw). (See Salads.) Radishes (served raw). Spinach and Other Greens Spinach and other greens must be very carefully washed through 4 or 5 waters until all of the dirt and sand caught in the leaves is removed. When clean drop into boiling water and cook until tender. Evaporate most of the water, add salt, pepper, and drippings or oleo. Beet Greens Leave small beet root and top together. Wash carefully ; cook in boiling salted water until tender. Add seasoning as above, or milk. VEGETABLES 47 Com on Cob Remove husk, cut out any decayed part; wash ears and drop into boiling unsalted water; cook 15 to 30 minutes, according to age. Salted water turns the corn yellow. Serve hot with salt. Kohlrabi Wash and pare; cut in slices or cubes and cook until tender. Add salt, pepper and drippings or oleomargarine. They may also be served creamed by adding white sauce. String Beans Wash, remove strings and break into i-inch pieces. Cook in boiling salted water until tender. Add drippings for seasoning. They may be seasoned by a piece of salt pork which is put on in the beginning and cooked with the beans. Peas Shell peas ; cook until tender in boiling water. Add salt, pepper and drippings or oleomargarine for seasoning; or they may be creamed by adding white sauce. SALADS Vegetable foods that may be eaten raw, such as lettuce, tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, cress and celery, are most suitable for salads. All sorts of cooked vegetables, how- ever, and raw or cooked fruits may be dressed and served cold as salads. Combinations that are good are cold boiled kidney beans with chopped celery, cold boiled peas with carrots, chopped cabbage with celery or nuts, sliced cucum- bers with lettuce, tomatoes with lettuce, apples with celery. Chopped peanuts may be added to all of these if desired. In mixing a salad have all materials as cold as possible. Mix with the dressing. All kinds may be served on let- tuce leaves or with sprigs of cress. Boiled Salad Dressing 1 cup milk 2 egg yolks or whole egg 1/3 cup vinegar i teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons flour J4 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons oleo or crisco % teaspoon mustard Make smooth paste of flour with oleo and part of milk, add remaining milk and boil for five minutes. Set on back of stove, add egg, stirring it well through the mixture, cover and allow to stand 10 minutes in order to cook the egg. Add vinegar, salt, pepper and mustard and mix thoroughly. Oil Dressing for Salad 6 tablespoons oil 2 teaspoons salt I to 2 tablespoons vinegar or % teaspoon paprika lemon juice The oil used may be olive, cottonseed or peanut. Olive oil costs from 65 cents to $1.25 per quart, while cottonseed and peanut oils cost 25 to 45 cents, have the same food value, and a very pleasant flavor. Put salt and paprika in dish with vinegar or lemon juice and mix thoroughly. Pour in the oil slowly, beating all the time. 48 SOUPS Soups may be divided into the two general classes ; those made with meat and those without. Soups with Meat. Meat is used to give flavor. In order to extract the juices which contain the flavoring ma- terial the meat should be started to cook in cold water and cooked slowly for a long time. This leaves the meat itself tasteless, but it still contains most of its food value and should always be used. It can either be served with the soup so that its lack of flavor will not be noticed or it may be served in combination with a highly-flavored vegetable such as tomatoes or onions. Additions to Meat Soups. The soup itself made in this way has a pleasing taste and acts as a stimulant to digestion, but contains very little food. To make it more nourishing other food materials may be added. For example, a cereal such as rice or barley ; a flour preparation such as macaroni, noodles, or dumplings ; or a legume such as beans, peas or lentils. Fat with Soup. Soup containing much fat from the meat should not be given to young children or to adults with delicate stomachs, as it is difficult to digest and may cause digestive disturbances. To remove the fat set the soup aside to cool. When the fat has risen to the top and hardened remove it, reheat the soup and serve. Soup Stock from Bones. Always save the bones of the chicken or other fowl, fish, or those from roast, pot roast or chops. If the bones are large crack them, cover well with cold water and cook slowly five or six hours. Strain out the bones, add vegetables for seasoning and rice or barley for nourishment and cook until these are well done. 49 50 LOW COST COOKING Seasoning for Soups and Stews. The success of a ' soup lies largely in the flavoring. Any cook may by making a few experiments in combining flavors find those most pleasing to the taste of the people for whom she cooks. Do not be afraid to try new combinations of flavoring. Some favorite flavorings are tomatoes, onion, celery, turnip, carrot, cabbage, parsley and bay leaves. A com- bination of several different flavors is usually better liked than a single one. The tough leaves of celery, unfitted for other uses, should always be dried in the sun or oven and kept in a fruit jar for future use. Parsley may be dried in the same way; or better still grown in a window box so as always to be ready for use. No water in which vegetables have been cooked should ever be thrown away, but kept to add flavoring to soups. To Serve with Soup. Bread, toast, croutons or crackers are usually served with soup. Crackers are more expensive than the other materials, as a pound of crackers contains only a little more nourishment than a pound of bread. The crackers cost lO cents per pound in bulk and i6 cents per pound in packages, while bakers' bread costs 6% cents per pound and may be made at home for half that amount. Croutons. Croutons are made of bread toasted a light brown all the way through. Cut stale bread in round, square or oblong pieces or in one-inch cubes and set in a slow oven until brown. In serving, the cubes may be dropped on the bowl of soup just before it is taken to the table. Soups Without Meat. Soups without meat are usually made of vegetables or legumes with or without the addi- tion of milk. Cream Soups. A cream soup is a very thin white sauce, flavored with vegetable. It should be smooth and about as thick as thin cream. SOUPS SI Cream of Lima Bean Soup 3 cups lima beans (cooked) 3 tablespoons drippings or lYi cups milk suet Ij4 cups water 2 tablespoons flour li, teaspoon pepper ij^ teaspoons salt If additional seasoning is desired use i tablespoon each of onion, celery, parsley, etc., or any one of them alone. Melt suet, stir in flour, add water and boil for 5 minutes. If onion or celery is used for flavoring add it chopped fine to the suet before adding flour. Put beans through a colander or mash them fine ; add them and the milk to the soup. Do not boil again, but keep hot until served. Navy beans, kidney beans, split peas, green peas, com and potatoes may be used instead of the lima beans. The potatoes and peas should be mashed fine and the beans and corn crushed through a colander before being added. Purees are thick soups, usually made without milk. Puree of Split Pea 4 cups split peas (cooked) i tablespoon flour 2 cups water l teaspoon salt 2 slices fat pork Ys, teaspoon pepper For additional flavoring, if desired, i tablespoon each of onion, parsley, celery, etc., may be used. Fry pork until crisp and break or cut into small bits. Stir flour into the pork and drippings. Add water and boil 5 minutes. If onion, celery or any of the flavoring mate- rials requiring cooking are used, chop fine and add to drip- pings before stirring in the flour. Add peas, mashed fine, and salt and pepper. This soup may be made more nutri- tious by using milk instead of part of the water. It should be added last so that the mixture need not boil afterwards. Just before serving sprinkle cube shaped croutons over the top of the bowl. Navy beans, lima beans, kidney beans, carrots, green peas or com may be used instead of the split peas. When beans are used tomatoes may be used for flavoring. Sour Cream Soup 4 cups broken bread 3 tablespoons sour cream 3 cups water 3 tablespoons drippings Salt and pepper to taste Stir bread in hot drippings until brown; add hot water and let the mixture stand a few minutes until the bread is soaked. Just before serving add seasoning and sour cream. 52 LOW COST COOKING Potato Soup with Leek S medium-sized potatoes 4 slices salt pork 1 leek 2 tablespoons flour yi onion Salt and pepper to taste Boil potatoes and leek together until soft and mash them in the water in which they are cooked. Fry salt pork crisp, break into small bits, stir flour and chopped up onion into drippings and add the whole to potatoes and leek. Add sufficient water to form thick soup. Bean Soup An excellent household manager says; "A very good soup is made when you prepare beans to bake. Soak the beans over night, rinse and put on to boil in the morning with plenty of cold water. Boil until beans are soft, using a small piece of fat pork or bacon for sea- soning. When soft, take out beans in baking dish, leaving about two cupfuls in the water. Add more water, let sim- mer on back of the stove. Season the beans, using syrup to sweeten if desired, also the pork and arrange in pan to bake. Put them aside for supper, baking slowly with plenty of water on them. About one hour before dinner, cut up about 3 medium sized potatoes, two onions and a carrot into the soup. Let cook thoroughly and serve hot with toast or crackers. This will make a very good dinner, leaving the baked beans for supper. Try this on baking day. The soup will use up all the stale bread, and fresh biscuits with syrup and the baked beans with stewed toma- toes make a fine supper." Thin Soups without Milk Soups of the same thickness as cream soups may be made of vegetables without milk. Bean and Tomato Soup 3 cups boiled beans i small onion 1 cup tomatoes i tajblespoon mixed parsley 2 cups water _ _ 2 tdblespoons flour 3 tablespoons drippings Mince onion and parsley, add to melted drippings and cook. Stir in the flour, add water and boil. Add beans mashed fine and tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Split peas, kidney beans, lentils, string beans, green peas, corn, potatoes or potatoes mixed with parsnips may be used instead of beans. DESSERTS AND SWEETS When a dessert is served it should round out the meal, furnishing something which is lacking. If the meal has not contained enough starchy food use a dessert made of rice, tapioca or bread. Fresh fruit, raw, stewed or baked, makes a good dessert. In cooking, use the skin of the fruit if it cooks tender. Dried fruits are useful in times when fresh ones are most expen- sive. Dried Fruits Wash carefully; soak over night; cook slowly in same water; add sugar to taste. Apples, apricots, peaches, dates, raisins, currants and prunes are to be cooked in this way. Combining two or more of these is sometimes better than one alone. Apples may be combined with either prunes or raisins, peaches with apricots, etc., using a fruit containing much acid with one containing little. Baked Banana Baked bananas are more easily digested than raw ones. Peel the banana and cut lengthwise into halves; lay in baking pan and bake them about 15 minutes in moderate oven. Serve sprinkled with sugar and lemon juice. Baked Rhubarb Wash rhubarb, cut into half-inch pieces, place in baking dish, sprinkle generously with sugar, and add small amount of water, just enough to start it, as it contains much water. Bake in a slow oven for about ij4 hours, or until pieces are tender. Rj^g Pudding I quart skim milk, or i pint J4 teaspoon salt whole milk and i pint water J^ cup sugar J4 cup rice Mix ingredients together, pour in a greased baking dish, bake three hours in a very slow oven, stirring frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the dish. Serve hot or cold. Rice with Fruit Boiled or streamed rice, with stewed fruit which has been cooked with plenty of water, poured over it, makes a good S3 54 LOW COST COOKING dessert. Prunes, black or red plums and peaches are espe- cially good for this. Chocolate Cream Pudding 2 cups milk 3 tablespoons chocolate or % cup sugar cocoa 5 tablespoons flour J4 teaspoon salt Mix flour, sugar and chocolate, add milk and boil, stir- ring constantly to prevent lumping, until mixture thickens. Serve hot or cold with milk or cream. Indian Pudding I quart scalded milk Yi cup cornmeal Yi cup molasses I teaspoon salt Pour the milk slowly on the meal and cook in double boiler for 15 minutes. Pour into a greased baking dish, and bake 2 hours or more in a slow oven. Brown Betty Place a layer of sour apples, pared and cut in thin slices, in the bottom of a baking dish. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon or nutmeg, add layer of toasted bread crumbs and another of apple and so on to the top of the dish. Scatter a few bits of suet over the top layer of crumbs. Add enough water to moisten the crumbs well and bake in a slow oven, covered, until apples are done. Instead of raw apples, apple sauce made of dried apples may be used. Berry Betty, Plum Betty, Date Betty, etc., may be made in the same way, using these fruits instead of apples. Any juicy fruit may be used. The toasted bread may be used in whole slices instead of crumbed. Steamed Fruit Pudding I cup flour I tablespoon oleo, cottosuet 1 egg or drippings 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 tablespoons milk J^ teaspoon salt Sift flour with salt and baking powder. Add drippings and rub through flour with finger tips. Add egg and milk. Mix with knife. Cherries, rhubarb, plums, fresh or dried apples, fresh or dried peaches, etc., may be used for fruit. Stew with plenty of water. While fruit is boiling drop dough on top by tablespoonfuls. Cover kettle and cook for 20 minutes without lifting cover. Remove cover and set in oven for a few minutes. Serve hot. DESSERTS AND SWEETS 55 Flavoring for Desserts The good flavoring extracts on the market are expensive, and the economical housekeeper should study the use of other materials which cost less. Spices, especially nutmeg, mace, ginger and cinnamon, may be used in cake instead of vanilla. Caraway and poppy seed may be used in cookies and sweet breads. Caramel is a pleasing flavor, and when made at home is very inexpensive. Caramel 1 cup sugar Yi cup water Boil sugar and water until it becomes a thick medium brown mixture. Remove from fire, add enough hot water to make a thick syrup. If cold water is put into the hot syrup it will pop out and may injure the cook. Another method is to heat the sugar in a dry pan until it melts and browns, then add hot water and boil until it becomes a thick syrup. Caramel made in this way may be set aside in a covered dish or jelly glass, to be used as needed. It will not spoil and needs only to be kept clean. Cake The success of a cake lies more in the mixing and baking than in the richness of the ingredients. Measure carefully and follow directions closely. In baking, keep the heat of the oven as even as possible and do not allow the cake to be jarred or cold air to strike it while it is baking. When it is done, the edges will shrink from the pan and the. sur- face will be firm to the touch. Plain Cake 2 cups sifted flour i or 2 eggs I cup sugar 3 tablespoons oleomargarine 1 cup liquid 4 teaspoons baking powder (milk, or milk and water) Flavoring — % teaspoon mace, nutmeg or other spices ; I tablespoon caramel, etc. Mix sugar, oleomargarine and tgg yolks thoroughly to- gether. Add the liquid and all except J4 cup of the flour and beat the mixture hard for five minutes. Add the tgg whites beaten stiff, the remaining flour mixed and sifted with the baking powder, mix quickly and pour into a but- tered pan. Bake in a moderate oven. 56 LOW COST COOKING It may be baked in a loaf, in layers, or made into cup cakes by baking in muffin pan. Cottage Pudding Cut plain cake while still warm in squares, and pour over it chocolate, caramel, or lemon sauce, or stewed fruit. Chocolate or Caramel Sauce 1 5^ cups boiling water J4 cup cocoa or grated choco- 54 cup sugar late or 2 tablespoons cara- 3 tablespoons flour mel, made as above Mix dry ingredients together and add cold water to moisten, pour on boiling water, stirring constantly, and boil five minutes. Nutmeg Sauce. Make as above, leaving out the cocoa. Add i table- spoonful oleomargarine and J4 teaspoonful grated nutmeg. Lemon Sauce Make as above, leaving out the cocoa. Add 2 table- spoonfuls lemon juice after it is ofif the fire. Spice Cake 2 cups flour I egg I cup brown sugar J^ teaspoon soda Yi cup melted drippings ij^ teaspoons baking powder Yi cup sour milk I teaspoon cinnamon J4 each teaspoon allspice and cloves Mix egg, sugar, drippings and sour milk. Add flour mixed and sifted with spices, soda and baking powder; mix well; bake in shallow, well-greased pan. If no sour milk is to be had use sweet milk or water, leave out soda and use 4 teaspoons baking powder. Other spices may be used instead of those named. For chocolate cake add ^ cup cocoa. Quick Cup Cakes (Lightning Cake). Place the flour sifter in the mixing bowl and put in it ij^ cups of flour, ^ cup of fine granulated or brown sugar, 3 level teaspoons of baking powder, J4 teaspoon of salt. Sift in the bowl. In the measuring cup melt yi cup oleo or crisco or lard, break in i or 2 eggs, fill up the cup with milk. Add ^ teaspoon flavoring extract or J^ teaspoon of spice. Mix with the dry ingredients and beat well 2 or 3 minutes. Bake in greased muffin tins in quick oven. For Chocolate Cake add 3 tablespoons cocoa in place of spice. DESSERTS AND SWEETS 57 Oat Meal Cookies 2 cups rolled oats 3 teaspoons baking powder Yi cup flour 3 tablespoons oleo or drippings I cup sugar I pinch salt 1 egg 4 tablespoons milk Mix dry ingredients, add beaten egg and milk. Add more milk if necessary to moisten ingredients ; drop by teaspoon- fuls into greased pan, bake in moderate oven. Bran Cookies Beat I ^gg well, add to it J4 cup melted fat,. J4 cup brown sugar, J4 cup milk, and J^ cup molasses. Sift into this ij4 cups white flour to which has been added J^ teaspoonful soda, 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder, and J4 teaspoonful salt. Beat well, then add i^ cups bran and i cup raisins chopped. Mix well and drop from the tip of a spoon onto greased pans. Bake in a moderate oven. — Ginger Bread 2 cups flour I teaspoon ginger 5^, cup sugar H cup molasses Yi cup hot water 2 teaspoons baking powder S tablespoons melted drip- Yz teaspoon soda pings Y2 teaspoon salt Add the drippings and the hot water to the molasses. Mix and sift dry ingredients all together. Add the liquid and beat until thoroughly mixed. Pour into a shallow, well greased pan, and bake 25 minutes in a moderate oven. Suet Pudding 1 cup flour I cup finely chopped suet 2 cups breadcrumbs i cup sugar I cup milk or water J4 teaspoon salt grating of nutmeg 3 teaspoons baking powder Mix the suet well with the flour, add other ingredients, and make into a smooth batter. The pudding may be either steamed or boiled, or baked. For steaming put into a but- tered pan or baking dish, cover with paper or a tin lid, and set in a larger kettle of boiling water. Cook about an hour. For boiling tie the dough up in a floured cloth and boil from 2j^ to '3 hours. It may be baked in the same way that a cake or pudding is baked. 58 LOW COST COOKING Serve with any of the pudding sauces or as a cake without sauce. One or more eggs may be added to enrich the pud- ding, or a cup of raisins, chopped figs, dates, or nuts may be added to give variety. Caramel Junket I quart milk i to 2 tablespoons sugar 1 junket tablet, dissolved in i tablespoon lukewarm water Junket tablets are bought at a drug store for 10 cents a package. When added to milk junket causes it to become solid and it is then more easily digested. Directions must be very carefully followed. It is very useful for invalids and children. Brown i tablespoonful of sugar in a hot stewpan. Add the milk and leave on fire until sugar is all dissolved. Add more sugar if desired, and cool until lukewarm. Add the dissolved junket tablet, stir, pour mixture into dessert dishes and let stand until it jellies. Serve very cold. Lemon Jelly % box gelatin % cup lemon juice ^2 cup sugar Speck of salt Soak gelatin in a little cold water, pour on boiling water to dissolve it, add sugar and lemon juice and make up to i pint with cold water. Strain, set in cool place to harden. Orange and other fruit jellies made in the same way. CANDY A small amount of candy is useful in feeding children. \Vhen made at home by simple recipes, candy is one of our cheapest foods. It should be given children after meals °"ly- Caramel Cream Candy 2 cups sugar ij4 cups water Heat Yi cup sugar in hot stew pan until it melts and turns a medium brown. Add remaining sugar and water and boil slowly so that it will be at least 30 minutes before it is done. Test by dropping }4 teaspoonful into a cup of very cold water. When it is cooked enough the syrup will harden in the water until it can be rolled by the fingers into a firm ball. It should not be hard enough to be brittle. Set aside to cool, and begin to beat when lukewarm. It will become lighter in color, and as soon as it begins to grain very slightly pour into a buttered plate and cut into squares. FROZEN DESSERTS 59 Brittle Brittle is made from melted sugar. It may be combined with nuts and made into peanut brittle, walnut brittle, etc., or left plain. Place the amount of sugar to be used in a stewpan or frying pan, and melt over a low fire. Stir frequently and watch constantly or the sugar will brown too much while melting. It should be a very light brown when done. To cool, turn a tin pie pan upside down and pour the melted sugar on this. Scour the bottom of the pan before using and do not pour on enough to allow it to run over the sides. The nuts, if used, are added just before pouring out. They may be chopped fine or used whole. As soon as the candy is cool it may be easily broken loose from the pan by striking the inside of the pan. The brittle may be made light if desired by adding >4 teaspoonful soda to the candy made from 3 cups sugar. Sift it in and shake pan well to mix, then pour out quickly. FROZEN DESSERTS Frozen desserts are useful in very hot weather and may be made at home instead of allowing children to buy cheap ice cream cones which are often unclean and unwholesome. Ice Cream I quart milk I cup sugar 4 tablespoons flour 2 tablespoons caramel or I egg browned sugar y^ teaspoon salt Mix sugar and flour, add 2 cups milk and boil. Remove from fire, add &gg, well beaten, stir and allow mixture to stand 10 minutes to cook the e.gg. Add other ingredients, cool and freeze. Fruit Ice 4 cups water 2 cups sugar Yi, cup fruit juice (lemon, orange, plum, grape, etc., or a mixture of several) Boil sugar and water for 10 minutes. Cool, add fruit juice and freeze. To Freeze. Place the mixture to be frozen in a granite pail with a lid. The ice cream may be frozen in a good tin pail or in a baking powder can. Place the pail or can in a larger Vessel with layer of chopped ice under inside pail, then pack space between pails with chopped ice mixed with coarse salt. Use i cup salt to 3 cups ice. Turn inner pail 6o LOW COST COOKING constantly until mixture begins to freeze, then scrape from sides of pail, turn again, scrape, and so on until thick. Children love to do the freezing and three pails or cans of ice cream can be frozen at once in a dishpan half full of cracked ice. PRESERVES, JELLIES AND MARMALADES A combination of fruit and sugar, boiled until the fruit is cooked and the product is sweet and thick, is a useful food, and fairly economical when the fruit can be secured at the low price it can often be bought for during the height of the season. In jam and marmalade the whole of the fruit is used and they are for that reason more economical than jelly, which uses only the juice. The two methods may be combined sometimes, jam or marmalade being made from the pulp of the fruit after part of the juice has been drained off for jelly. Jams, Butters and Marmalades Cook fruit until soft with as little water as possible. Remove seeds by running through a colander, add ^ to I cup sugar to each cup of fruit and boil until the desired thickness is reached. Jams and butters are made thick enough to drop from the spoon, while marmalade is a little thinner. They may be made of plums, peaches, apples, grapes, berries of all kinds, tomatoes and many other fruits. Preserves Wash small fruit such as plums and berries and use whole. Large fruits such as peaches and pears should be pared and cut into pieces. Add J4 to ^ cups of sugar to each cup of raw fruit and cook until the desired thickness is reached. All of the fruits named above may be used for preserves. jeUigs In order to make good jelly a fruit must contain both acid and a substance called pectin. Some of the fruits good for jelly are currants, sour apples, crabapples, under-ripe grapes and plums. Peaches, pears, sweet apples and quinces alone will not make jelly as they do not contain enough acid. Extract the juice of the fruit by boiling; drain off the juice, strain it and add i cup sugar to each cup of juice. Boil S minutes for each cup of juice used, at the end of PRESERVES 6l which time it will usually be found to be done. The inex- perienced cook should test it by setting a small part aside to cool. This time rule will not hold if more than 3 cups of juice are boiled at once. It is better, however, to boil the jelly a little at a time, as large quantities require long boiling, which darkens the jelly. Skim off the dark froth which rises to the top with boiling. Sealing Jams and Preserves. The jam or preserves should be poured boiling hot into hot jars or glasses which have lain in boiling water for at least 3 minutes. A con- venient method for sealing the top is to pour over it when cold a layer of melted paraffine. When the fruit is used wash the sheet of paraffine and keep it for use again. Apple Jelly Wash apples well and cut into small pieces. Apple par- ings and cores alone may be used as these contain more pectin than the rest of the apple. Cook until apples are well softened using as little water as possible. Put into a clean bag made of thin cloth, such as flour or sugar sack and drain until as much juice as possible is out. Put 3 cups juice into stew pan with 3 cups of sugar, boil 15 minutes. Test by putting a few drops on cold plate and if necessary boil longer. Rhubarb and Fig Preserves 4 pounds rhubarb i pound figs 3 pounds sugar Cut rhubarb and figs into i inch pieces, add sugar and let it stand over night. In the morning let it cook slowly one hour, until figs are tender. Stir occasionally. Date and Prune Jam I pound prunes juice from ^ lemon I pound dates J4 cup sugar Cook prunes, remove stones and add dates, stoned and cooked, lemon juice and sugar. Cook mixture until thick. In the same way prunes may be combined with figs, and figs with dates. Sugar may be omitted. Rhubarb Marmalade 2^2 pounds rhubarb 2 lemons 3 pounds sugar 2 oranges Cut rhubarb into half-inch pieces. With a sharp knife pare off very thin the colored part of the lemon and orange, 62 LOW COST COOKING cut it into small pieces and add to the rhubarb. Remove peel of the oranges and lemons, divide them into sections, remove seeds and add to mixture. Boil a half hour, add sugar and boil very slowly ij^ hours longer. APPETIZERS Pickles, catsups, etc., have little food value, but are useful to a certain extent as appetizers. They should not be used at all for children under 7 years of age and very sparingly for older children. They are hard for the delicate stom- achs of children to digest and spoil the appetite for the simple foods they should be taught to eat. The abnormal craving for appetizers is either the result of habit or is caused by the diet containing too little fruit and vegetables. It is much better to satisfy the appetite by adding more of these than by using pickles, etc., in large quantities. Sour Cucumbers 6 large cucumbers J^ cup vinegar Yi cup sugar spices Pare the cucumbers and cut the long way into eighths. Cover with hot salted water and cook until tender. Pour off water, add vinegar and sugar and enough water to cover. Tie i teaspoon ful each of cloves and cinnamon in a thin white cloth and drop into the kettle; simmer Yi hour. The largest cucumbers that come into the market are best for this, which is more easily digested than pickles. Tomato Catsup Yz peck ripe tomatoes 2 tablespoons cinnamon I tablespoon salt 2 tablespoons mace Yi, cup sugar i teaspoon cayenne I cup vinegar pepper Scald tomatoes and remove skins. Add other ingre- dients and boil slowly until reduced one-half, then pass through sieve. Reheat and put into clean jars or bottles that have lain five minutes in boiling water. Seal tightly. Watermelon Rind Pickles Remove all the pink pulp and thin green skin'^from the rind and cut into cubes or strips. Cover with salt and water and boil one-half hour. Drain off the water, make enough syrup to cover, using i cup water and J4 cup sugar BEVERAGES 63 to each cup of vinegar. Let the mixture hoil, add whole cloves for seasoning and pour over the rind. Boil until rind is tender. BEVERAGES When well made, coffee and tea are suitable drinks for adults, but are always harmful to children. They are stim- ulants only and contain no food except what is given them by the sugar and milk added. ,, Coffee One of the most important things about making good coffee is the care of the coffee pot. Coffee should never be used after it has stood on the grounds for an hour or more. Always make just enough for the meal and after- wards empty the pot, wash, dry and leave open to air until next used. If any coffee is left over, however, it may be kept good by draining from the grounds and keeping it in a covered vessel. It may th^n be used cold or reteated. Cold coffee is very refreshingin hot weather. Proportions. 2 level (one rounded) tablespoonfuls cof- fee makes a strong cup of coffee; Ij4 leygl tablespoonful makes medium strong and i level tablespoonful makes weak coffee. See page 67 for recipe and directions. Tea Have teapot hot when tea is put in. Use i teaspoon tea to each cup for strong tea, or as much less as is liked. Pour water into the pot just as soon as it has boiled. Drinks for Children Milk or buttermilk is, of course, the best drink for chil- dren. If a hot drink is desired, cocoa, cambric or cinnamon tea, toast tea or cereal drinks may be given. Cocoa 4 teaspoons cocoa 4 teaspoons sugar 2 cups water % teaspoon flour 2 cups milk I pinch salt Mix flour, sugar and salt. Add enough cold water to dissolve and add remaining water and boil for 5 minutes 64 LOW COST COOKING or longer. Add milk and heat, but do not allow it to boil after the milk is added. Before serving beat with an egg beater until it froths. This will prevent a scum from form- ing on the top. Cambric or Cinnamon Tea 2 cups milk % teaspoon cinnamon 2 cups boiling water 3 teaspoons sugar Serve hot. Toast Tea I cup toasted breadcrumbs 4 cups water Add boiling water to the toasted bread crumbs. Serve with sugar and milk as desired. Cereal Drinks Several cereal drinks, such as Postum, are on the market, but are rather expensive. Directions for making comes on the package. An economical cereal drink may be made by toasting barley, wheat, rye or other grains, grinding them in the coffee mill and boiling until the water is well colored. Serve with sugar and milk as desired. Summer Drinks Any fruit juice left from stewed or canned fruit can be used in making fruit drinks for summer, as well as lemon and orange juice. These are both refreshing and healthful. Cocoa Shells I cup shells 6 cups water Boil slowly 2 hours, strain and serve with milk and sugar. MENUS The menus in the following pages are given as samples of meals which furnish the food necessary to keep the body in health at the least possible cost. If the buying is care- fully done and the cooking all done at home these meals may be served for the amount of money indicated or even less by unusually careful buying. If the buying is care- lessly done, however, or if any of the foods are bought ready cooked they may easily cost twice as much. Only the cheapest materials for furnishing each kind of food needed are used. For furnishing energy, cereals, in- cluding breadstufifs and fats of meat, bacon strips, suet, salad oils and oleomargarine are used. For furnishing protein the cheap cuts of meat, cheese and legumes are used for adults, milk and eggs for small chil- dren. For furnishing the mineral the cheapest fresh vegetables and fruits of each, season are used. In winter dried fruits, root vegetables and canned tomatoes are chiefly used for this purpose. With only these materials to use it is hard to keep the bill of fare from becoming monotonous, and monotony is a destroyer of appetite. The menus therefore are planned to give as many dififerent ways of preparing these food materials as possible and of new combinations. For this reason the same dish is seldom given twice, although of course a dish that is liked may be repeated several times per week without becoming tiresome. For the same reason the dishes in most common use, such as meat soups and stews, although excellent, are seldom used in these menus. Most housekeepers are familiar with them, use them largely and do not need to be reminded of them. Recipes give quantities suitable for serving families of six with two adults, of seven with one. 6s WINTER MEALS BREAKFAST Monday CORN MEAL GRIDDLE CAKES WITH CARAMEL SYRUP FRIED BACON STRIP COFFEE FOR ADULTS, MILK FOR CHILDREN Com Meal Griddle Cakes 2 cups cornmeal lyi cups liquid, milk and 1 cup flour water mixed 2 tablespoons melted drip- 6 teaspoons baking powder pings 1% teaspoons salt Mix and sift dry ingredients, add liquid and mix quickly. Have ready a hot greased griddle or frying pan, drop the mixture in by tablespoonfuls, as many as the pan will hold without their touching. Cook on slow fire until the cakes are brown on the lower side and the bubbles burst in the top; turn each cake to brown on the other side. Cook in this way until the batter is all used. Serve hot. "Drippings" By drippings is meant the fat from roasting, frying or boiling meat, fat trimmings, etc. Every bit of fat coming into the house should be saved and used. When more fat is needed the soft flank fat of beef or pork, which sells for about lo cents a pound, may be used. Cut the fat into small pieces, removing any skin and bits of meat. Cover with cold salted water and let stand for 4 or 5 hours or over night. This improves keeping qualities and flavor. Soak again if there is time. Now melt the fat slowly in the oven or over boiling water and cook until the scraps are crisp but not brown. Strain into clean pails, cans or jars which can be covered. Keep in a cool place. Use like lard, Crisco, etc., which costs about 5 cents a pound more. When using in recipes calling for butter, add more salt and take a little less because butter contains salt and is one-eighth water. Strongly flavored fats from bacon, ham and sausage 66 WINTER MEALS 6/ should be kept separate and used for hashes or warming over potatoes. Caramel Syrup 2 cups sugar Vz cup water Put sugar and water in stewing pan, boil the syrup, stir- ring occasionally until it turns a light brown. Add i cup boiling water, and boil until of thickness desired. Fried Bacon Strips Cut thin slices of bacon from the strip. Remove skin and rind, lay the slices in a cold frying pan, cook until crisp and brown, turning as necessary. Bacon strips are the odd-shaped pieces of bacon cut from the side in the process of trimming. It sells for 14 to 22 cents per pound in pieces weighing 4 to 8 pounds. Coffee J4 cup ground coffee 2 cups (i pint) boiling water Moisten coffee with cold water ; add to boihng water and boil from one to three minutes. Keep hot without boiling for ten minutes longer. Add 2 tablespoons of cold water to settle the grounds and it is ready to serve. If a crushed egg-shell is added to the ground coffee with the cold water when making it will settle more easily and surely. Do not allow the coffee to stand on the grounds; if not served at once, pour off and keep hot. See that the coffee pot is well washed and aired. Ground coffee loses flavor and strength, and if possible it is best to grind the coffee in a small hand mill just before making. Preparing the Meal Put water to boil for coffee; set table except for the plates, which should be heated in some convenient way. Cut and prepare bacon. Make coffee if water has boiled. Meas- ure out ingredients for griddle cakes, mix them and start cooking, placing the cakes as they are done on a plate over a pan of boiling water. When the cakes are half done fry the bacon attending to both at the same time. The hot drippings from the bacon may be used with the cakes. Wash the top of the milk bottle, remove stopper and pour off the top of the milk for coffee; put the rest in glasses for the children. Serve the cakes on the hot plates, settle and pour the coffee. 68 LOW COST COOKING ,, , LUNCH OR SUPPER Monday RICE WITH TOMATOES AND CHEESE BREAD AND OLEO TEA FOR ADULTS — MILK FOR CHILDREN Rice with Tomatoes and Cheese I cup rice 2-inch cube of cheese Yt. can tomatoes 2 teaspoons salt J4 teaspoon pepper Wash the rice, sift it slowly into about 5 cups of boiling, salted water. Boil 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally with a fork. When done evaporate the water by leaving it partly covered on a low fire. Add the tomatoes and pepper and boil. Pour into vegetable dish, and grate the cheese over the top. Tea ij^ teaspoonful tea 2 cups boiling water Put the tea into a hot teapot, and pour the water freshly boiled over it. Steep i to 3 minutes, never longer. Do not make the tea until ready to serve it, for tea becomes bitter and harmful if allowed to stand on the leaves. Preparing the Meal Start the rice a half hour before meal time. While it is cooking, set the table and put on the water for the tea. Finish the rice and make the tea. ,, , DINNER Monday MEAT SOUP WITH CEREAL AND VEGETABLES TOASTED BREAD DRIED APPLE COBBLER COFFEE FOR ADULTS — MILK FOR CHILDREN Meat Soup with Cereal and Vegetables 2j/^ pounds soup beef 2 tablespoons celery leaves or 1 cup barley, rice or parsley macaroni 2 cups turnips or cabbage 2 tablespoons onion 2 cups carrot or celery root Salt and pepper to taste Choose shank, shoulder bone or neck bones, or any cheap cuts of beef, part lean and part bone. A piece which is Yz lean meat, the rest bone with a little fat, is best for soups. WINTER MEALS 69 Wipe the meat clean with a cloth, wet with cold water, remove the fat if there is too much. Try it out in the oven and use as drippings. Do not allow the soup to be so greasy as to spoil the digestion of a child. Cover the meat (cut in rather small pieces) with cold water and allow it to cook slowly, but not boil, for from 6 to 10 hours. Add barley 2 hours before meal time. Wash and pare the vegetables, cut them in J^ inch cubes, and add i hour before meal time. Mince onion and celery leaves fine and add with the vegetables. Dried Apple Cobbler ij4 cups dried apples i teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg Yi cup sugar Wash dried apples very carefully, soak 6 hours, or over night, cook slowly in same water until tender. Add sugar and place in baking dish. Sprinkle more sugar and cinna- mon or nut meg over top. Cover with the crust made as below, bake until brown in a moderately hot oven. Serve hot. Use fresh apples instead of dried when they are as cheap. Crust for Cobbler 1 cup flour i^ tablespoons fat Vi cup milk or water Yi teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder Mix and sift flour with salt and baking powder, rub the fat into the flour with the finger tips, add milk and mix with a knife. Turn the dough on a floured board, and roll or pat to the thickness of J4 inch. Preparing the Meal Wash apples and put to soak the night before. Start the meat to cook for soup immediately after breakfast, and let it simmer on back of range all day. About two hours before dinner time add the barley to the soup, and put the dried apples on to cook. Prepare the vegetables and add them to the soup; J^ hour before meal time make pie crust and put pie in oven. Put bread in oven to toast ; make coffee and set table. Tuesday BREAKFAST OAT MEAL MUSH WITH DATES SERVED WITH TOP MILK TOAST COCOA FOR CHILDREN — COFFEE FOR ADULTS 70 LOW COST COOKING Oat Meal Mush with Dates ij^ cups oatmeal 4 cups boiling water 1 teaspoon salt Sift oat meal slowly into boiling water, stirring constantly, boil three minutes, then cover closely and set pan in a larger vessel containing boiling water. Continue cooking i or 2 hours longer. If placed the evening before in a fireless cooker it will be done in the morning, or it may cook over night on the back of a coal range where it can remain hot. Fifteen minutes before serving add the dates, washed, stoned and cut in halves. Toast Slice stale bread J4 to ^ inch thick, lay in oven until brown, or brown over coals. Preparing the Meal Start oat meal cooking the night before. In the morning put it on to reheat, add dates, and make the coffee. Make toast; set table. Pour off top part of the milk for cereal and coffee. LUNCH OR SUPPER Tuesday CREAMED CARKOTS BREAD WITH CLEG TOAST TEA FOR CHILDREN TEA FOR ADULTS Creamed Carrots Two pints of carrots, 3 cups of white sauce. Wash and pare carrots, cut into pieces Yz inch thick, J4 inch square. Cover with boiling water. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and cook until tender. Remove cover from pan, evaporate the water, and add the white sauce, made separately ; or, more simply, rub together 4 tablespoons of flour and 3 of drippings with y^ cup of water and 2j^ cups of milk ; add to cooked carrots and boil. White Sauce 3 cups milk or milk and 3 tablespoons dripping or oleo water, mixed ij4 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons flour Stir the flour in hot drippings or oleo, add milk gradually, boil, stirring constantly until smooth and thick. WINTER MEALS 71 Toast Tea I cup toast crumbs 4 cups boiling water Roll toast left from breakfast with a rolling pin, add boiling water to the crumbs, stir until partly dissolved. Serve hot with sugar and milk. Preparing the Meal Wash and pare carrots and put them on to cook % hour before meal time; prepare toast crumbs; set table; add dressing to carrots; make toast tea and tea. Tuesday DINNER NAVY BEANS WITH SHANK OF SALT PORK TOMATO CATSUP CORN BREAD STEWED APRICOTS AND PEACHES COFFEE MILK Beans Boiled with Meat 3 cups navy beans 2 pounds shank salt pork Pick over and wash the beans ; wash meat carefully and remove skin and part of fat. (This fat can be fried out by cutting up and heating in a dish in the oven and used for drippings.) Add meat to the beans, cover well with boiling water, cook slowly 4 or 5 hours, adding more water if nec- essary until both meat and beans are tender. This may be done in a fireless cooker. There will be enough beans left from this amount for lunch on the following day. Southern Corn Bread 3 cups corn meal (prefer- i teaspoon salt ably white) i egg lyi cup thick sour milk 3 tablespoons melted drippings 34 teaspoon cooking soda Beat egg in mixing bowl, add milk, sift in meal with soda and salt, and add melted fat. Beat quickly until well mixed, pour into hot, well-greased pan and bake in a mod- erately hot oven. Cut in squares and serve hot. Egg may be omitted. If sweetened corn bread is preferred, use yellow corn meal and add 3 tablespoons sugar. ■Flour may be used in place of one of the cups of corn meal. 72 LOW COST COOKING Dried Apricots and Peaches Vi pound apricots J4 pound peaches Wash the fruit, soak over night in cold water, cook slowly in same water until tender. Add sugar to taste,, about J^ cup. Preparing the Meal Start beans and meat cooking while lunch is being pre- pared. Let dried fruit be cooking at the same time, and set aside to cool when done. Half an hour before meal time make com bread and put in to bake. Twenty minutes be- fore meal time make the coffee, set the table, then serve the dinner. BREAKFAST Wednesday GRAHAM MUSH WITH TOP MILK FRIED BACON STRIP TOAST COFFEE FOR ADULTS MILK FOR CHILDREN Graham Mush V/i cups graham flour 4 cups boiling water I cup cold water 2 teaspoons salt Mix the flour with the cold water to prevent it from lumping when added to the boiling water. Pour this mix- ture into the boiling salted water, stirring all the while. Boil 5 minutes, set in a larger pan of boiling water and continue cooking J^ to i hour ; or leave closely covered over night on the back of the stove, or in a tireless cooker. Preparing the Meal The graham mush should be started the night before. About Yi. hour before breakfast time put it on to reheat. Make coiifee, set the table, fry bacon and make the toast. LUNCH OR SUPPER Wednesday BEAN POLENTA BREAD WITH OLEO HOT STEWED DRIED APPLES TEA FOR ADULTS — CINNAMON TEA FOR CHILDREN WINTER MEALS 73 Bean Polenta 4 cups white beans (cooked) J4 teaspoon mustard lyi tablespoons molasses ^ teaspoon pepper 2 teaspoons vinegar Drain the water from cold boiled beans, mash them fine, and mix with the other ingredients. Form the mixture into cakes and brown on both sides in hot greased pan. Cinnamon Tea 2 cups scalded milk 3 teaspoons sugar 2 cups boiling water J^ teaspoon cinnamon Add the boiling water to the scalded milk and sugar just before serving. Sprinkle the cinnamon over the top. Preparing the Meal Wash the dried apples and put them to soak the night before. About an hour before meal time put them on to cook in the same water. One-half hour before meal time make the polenta, using the beans left from dinner the day before, and put the cakes on to brown. While they are browning put the milk on to heat for the cinnamon tea and set the table. When the polenta is done make the tea and the cinnamon tea. Wednesday DINNER STEW WITH VEGETABLES BREAD SUET PUDDING Stew with Vegetables 154 to 2 pounds stew meat i onion 2 carrots 2 sprigs parsley 2 turnips i tablespoon salt 4 to 6 potatoes % teaspoon pepper Neck or breast of lamb or veal or inexpensive cuts of beef may be used. Have the butcher cut the pieces of meat rather small. Put them into the kettle in which the stew is to be cooked and place over a hot fire, stirring occasionally until the outside is well browned. Cover with hot water and cook slowly, without boiling, until the meat is tender. Add the vegetables pared and cut into pieces, during the last hour of cooking. Thicken the gravy with two table- spoons of flour, mixed with a little cold water, just before serving. 74 LOW COST COOKING Suet Pudding 1 cup flour 3 teaspoons baking powder 2 cups bread crumbs J4 teaspoon salt I cup finely chopped suet Grating of nutmeg I cup sugar i cup milk or water Mix the suet well with the flour, add other ingredients, and make into a smooth batter. The pudding may be either steamed or boiled, or baked. For steaming put into a but- tered pan, or baking dish, cover with paper or a tin lid, and set in a larger kettle of boiling water. Cook about an hour. For boiling, tie the dough up in a floured cloth and boil from 2^ to 3 hours. It may be baked in the same way as cake. Serve with any of the pudding sauces, or as a cake with- out sauce. One or more eggs may be added to enrich the pudding, or a cup of raisins, chopped figs, dates, or nuts may be added to give variety. Preparing the Meal About 3 hours before meal time put the meat for the stew on to cook; add the vegetables to the stew, make the suet pudding; while it is cooking, make the coffee and set the table. Serve the stew on a large platter with the meat piled in the center and the pieces of vegetables ar- ranged around it. Serve the pudding, like cake, cut in squares without sauce. Extra Baking Just before starting lunch mix the bread and set it to rise. It will be ready for the second kneading after lunch is over. Make rolls from part of the bread dough. White Yeast Bread 3 quarts flour 2 tablespoons salt 1 quart hot water 2 yeast cakes stirred into }4 cup 2 tablespoons sugar of lukewarm water 2 tablespoons lard or other fat Put lard, sugar and salt in large pan or bowl and add the hot water. When lukewarm add the dissolved yeast and about 5 pints of flour. Stir until smooth, add the remaining flour and mix well. Turn the dough on to a board and knead until it is smooth and elastic. Place in a well-greased WINTER MEALS 75 pan, greasing the top of the dough and cover with clean cloth. Place where it will keep at a warm, even tempera- ture. When the dough has raised to double its size, which will be in about ij^ hours, knead it again, form into loaves, grease the outside of the loaves and place them in a baking pan. Let the dough rise until it is again double its size, which it should do in about one hour, and bake for one hour in a moderately hot oven. The temperature at which bread dough is kept is one of the most important things about bread making. Yeast is a plant, and too much heat will kill it, while a low tempera- ture will keep it from growing and forming the gas bubbles which make the bread light. Bread must be baked thor- oughly in order to be wholesome. For this reason it is best not to make the loaves much, if any, larger than the common bakers' loaf, which weighs 12 ounces. This recipe will make eight such loaves. When the loaves are done place them sidewise on a rack or table, so that the air will circulate freely around them. If a soft crust is desired, cover the bread while cooling. When perfectly cold, place in a jar or tin box. Rye Bread 3 cups white flour 2 cups hot water 3 cups rye flour 2 tablespoons lard or other fat Yi cup sugar or molasses I tablespoon salt I yeast cake dissolved in % cup lukewarm water Follow the directions for mixing, kneading and baking given for white bread. If caraway seeds are desired add one teaspoonful while kneading the second time. Cinnamon Rolls Roll bread dough to J^ inch thick at second kneading; spread with fat and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, roll into a long roll, cut into J4 inch slices ; grease these on the outside, place in baking pan. When they have risen to twice their size, bake. Prune Rolls At the second kneading roll a layer of bread dough to the thickness of J^ inch and spread with a J4 inch layer of the mashed pulp of stewed prunes, cut into strips about 3 76 LOW COST COOKING inches wide and 6 inches long. Fold the dough so that there will be a layer of prunes between two layers of dough, grease the outside, place in a greased pan, allow them to rise to twice their size, bake. Coffee Cake I cup hot milk J^ cup sugar _ J4 cup lard _ i teaspoon salt Yz yeast cake dissolved in J4 cup lukewarm water Add hot milk with lard and salt; when lukewarm, add dissolved yeast, flour enough to make the stiff batter — about three cups — cover dish and let the batter rise, then spread in a well greased pan, sprinkle with sugar and allow to rise, bake. If raisins are desired add J^ cup just before putting into baking pan. BREAKFAST Thursday RYE MUFFINS FRIED SALT PORK WITH MILK GRAVY COFFEE FOR ADULTS — MILK FOR CHILDREN Rye MufHns V/i. cups rye flour 2 tablespoons sugar V/i cups white flour 6 teaspoons baking powder V/i teaspoons salt 2 tablespoons drippings iYi cup milk or water Mix and sift dry ingredients ; add liquid and melted drip- pings and beat. Put quickly into heated, greased muffin pan and bake about 25 minutes in a moderately hot oven. Fried Salt Pork with Milk Gravy Cut the pork in very thin slices and fry in a hot pan until crisp and brown. Take out pork, pour off all but 3 table- spoons of the drippings, and into this rub 2 tablespoons flour. Add i cup of water slowly, boil well, add a cup of milk. Cut the fried pork in J4 inch pieces and mix with the gravy. Preparing the Meal Put water on to boil for coffee ; make the muffins. While they are baking make the coffee, set the table, fry the pork and make the gravy. WINTER MEALS 'j'j Thursday LUNCH OR SUPPER PUREE (thick soup) OF LIMA BEANS TOASTED MUFFINS BAKED BANANA TEA FOR ADULTS — MILK FOR CHILDREN Puree of Lima Beans 4 cups cooked lima beans 2 slices fat pork 2 cups water i tablespoon flour Salt and pepper to taste For additional flavoring, if desired, use i tablespoon each of onion, parsley or celery, chopped fine. Fry pork until crisp and brown, break or cut it into small bits, stir the flour into the drippings and pork, and if onion or celery is used add this at the same time and cook for a few minutes. Add water and boil, mash the beans fine, and add them. If the whole is too thick, add more water. The soup may be made more nutritious by using milk instead of water. Baked Banana Baked banana is more easily digested than raw. Peel the bananas, cut lengthwise into halves, place in baking pan, sprinkle with sugar and lemon juice, and bake in a moder- ately hot oven for about 15 minutes. Serve hot or cold. The lemon juice may be omitted and the bananas served with milk and sugar. Preparing the Meal Wash and soak beans over night, put on to cook at breakfast time and cook slowly until tender. Twenty min- utes before meal time, put muffins left over from breakfast, and any other scraps of bread, in the oven to toast. Pre- pare bananas and put in to bake. Make the soup, set the table, and make the tea. Thursday DINNER FLANK STEAK BRAISED WITH VEGETABLES BROWNED PARSNIPS STEWED FIGS COFFEE FOR ADULTS — MILK FOR CHILDREN Flank Steak Braised with Vegetables Have the butcher score the steak when it is bought, or, better still, beat it well with a hammer. Dredge well with ^& LOW COST COOKING flour and lay in baking pan. Over it place a thick layer of thinly sliced raw potatoes, then a layer of thinly sliced onion. Pour over this 2 cups of stewed tomatoes, cover closely and cook slowly in oven 2j4 to 3 hours. One-half hour before the meat is done, remove the cover. Add water as necessary, and leave it to cook uncovered. In serving, place it whole on a platter and cut down as through a loaf. Browned Parsnips Pare parsnips, cut in halves, and cook in boiling, salted water until tender. Cut lengthwise into slices Yz inch thick, brown in a hot, greased pan, or in the oven with baking meat. They may be served plain boiled and if any are left over they may be browned at the next serving. Stewed Figs Use dried figs that are not pressed. They are usually sold for cooking at 10 to 12 cents per pound. Wash carefully and soak over night, or for several hours. Cook slowly in the same water until tender. Add sugar if desired. Preparing the Meal After breakfast wash J^ pound cooking figs and put to soak. Three hours before meal time prepare the steak and put it in to bake ; i J^ hours before prepare the parsnips and start them to boil, and put figs on to cook ; J^ hour before lay the parsnips cut in slices in the pan to brown. Make the coffee, set the table. The parsnips might be omitted from this dinner. BREAKFAST Friday FRIED HOMINY MUSH WITH BROWN SUGAR SYRUP TOAST COFFEE FOR ADULTS — MILK FOR CHILDREN Fried Hominy Mush Pour one part hominy slowly into four parts boiling, salted water, stir till it thicketis and then cook slowly in a double boiler for 3 hours or more, or over night in a fire- less cooker. Pour boiled hominy into a deep, greased pan until it is WINTER MEALS 79 3 inches or more in depth. The next day turn the mixture out of the pan, slice in J4 inch slices and brown both sides in hot, greased pan. Brown Sugar Syrup Melt 2 cups of brown sugar with i cup hot water; boil 5 minutes and cool. Preparing the Meal Start 2 cups of hominy to cook as a mush the day before while lunch is being prepared. Let it cook all afternoon and pour the part for breakfast into the pan and leave over- night in a cold place. Set the rest aside to bake with cheese on Saturday. The next morning make the coffee, start to fry the mush, and while it is cooking make the syrup and set the table. LUNCH OR SUPPER Friday RICE SOUP WITH CROUTONS RICE AND CORN MEAL MUFFINS Rice Soup 3 cups rice water i tablespoon chopped onion 2 cups carrots i tablespoon chopped celery 2 tablespoons drippings. 1 tablespoon flour Scrape the carrots, cut in small pieces and cook until ten- der. Heat the drippings, add the onions and celery to it and cook them 5 minutes without browning. Stir in the flour, add this mixture to the carrots, add the rice water with salt and pepper to taste. Croutons Cut stale bread into small cubes or in strips 2 inches wide, ^ inches thick, or in any fancy shapes desired. Dry in a slow oven until crisp and light brown all the way through. Rice and Corn Meal Muffins I cup cooked rice 5 teaspoons baking powder I cup flour 154 cups liquid I teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons melted drippings I cup corn meal Mix and sift dry ingredients together, add rice to liquid ingredients and combine the two mixtures. Beat and put 8o LOW COST COOKING quickly into hot, greased muffin pans. Bake about 20 min- utes in a moderately hot oven. Preparing the Meal A half hour before meal time put 2 cups of rice on to boil. Use the rice for the scalloped fish for dinner and for the muffins, and the rice water for the soup. Prepare the carrots and put them on to cook. Cut the croutons into J^ inch cubes and put them in the oven to brown. Make the muffins and while they are baking, set the table. Finish the soup and serve with the croutons sprinkled over the top of each bowl. „ . , DINNER ^ Friday SCALLOPED SALT FISH BOILED BEETS HOT GINGERBREAD COFFEE FOR ADULTS MILK FOR CHILDREN Scalloped Salt Fish lYi cups salt fish 2 cups thin white sauce 3 cups boiled rice Shred the salt fish and soak in luke warm water for about an hour, or until the pieces are softened. Fill a baking dish with alternate layers of the fish and boiled rice which has been mixed with the white sauce. Cover with bread crumbs and bake until hot through and crumbs are browned. Gingerbread 2 cups flour 54 cup molasses y^ cup sugar Ys cup hot water 1 teaspoon ginger 3 tablespoons melted drip- 2 teaspoons baking powder pings J4 teaspoon soda % teaspoon salt Add the drippings and the hot water to the molasses. Mix and sift dry ingredients all together. Add the liquid and beat until thoroughly mixed. Pour into a shallow, well greased pan, and bake 25 minutes in a moderate oven. Boiled Beets Wash the beets without breaking the skin and boil for 3 hours or until tender.- Drop in cold water and rub off the skins, slice, season with salt and oleo and serve hot. WINTER MEALS 8l Or the sliced beets may be soaked for an hour or two in weak vinegar and used as Pickled Beets. Preparing the Meal Start the beets to cooking at breakfast time if wanted pickled, otherwise later. At % hour before meal time make the gingerbread, prepare the scalloped fish and put in oven. While these are baking make the coffee, skin and slice the beets and set the table. Saturday BREAKFAST CORN MEAL MUSH WITH TOP MILK TOAST WITH DATE AND PRUNE JAM COFFEE FOR ADULTS MILK FOR CHILDREN Corn Meal Mush V/i cups corn meal 6 cups boiling water 2 teaspoons salt Sift the com meal slowly into the boiling, salted water, stirring constantly to prevent it from lumping. After boil- ing lo minutes, place the kettle in a larger pan of boiling water or in a fireless cooker to cook over night. Date and Prune Jam I pound prunes i pound dates Cook prunes, remove stones and add dates, cleaned and stoned. Cook mixture until thick. In the same way prunes may be combined with figs, and figs with dates ; add a little lemon juice for the flavor. Preparing the Meal Make the jam the day before, while preparing lunch. Start the corn meal to cooking the night before. In the morning set on stove to reheat Yz hour before breakfast time. Start the coffee, make the toast, set the table. Serve the mush in cereal bowls with sugar and the top half of the bottle of milk. Saturday LUNCH OR SUPPER HOMINY BAKED WITH CHEESE STEWED RAISINS BREAD WITH OLEO TEA TOAST TEA FOR CHILDREN 82 LOW COST COOKING Hominy Baked with Cheese Put alternate layers of boiled hominy and grated cheese in baking dish. Add enough milk, thin white sauce or water to moisten. Cover with bread crumbs and bake until hot through and crumbs are browned. Stewed Raisins Wash black, seedless raisins and soak over night. Cook slowly in the same water until tender. Add sugar if de- sired. Preparing the Meal Put raisins to soak the night before and cook during breakfast. One-half hour before lunch time prepare the hominy using that left from breakfast the day before and put in the oven to bake. While it is baking, set the table and make the tea. - , , DINNER Saturday CORN BEEF WITH VEGETABLES BAKED POTATOES APPLE SAUCE jCOFFEE FOR ADULTS — MILK FOR CHILDREN Com Beef with Vegetables 2 lbs. brisket of corn beef J4 lb. turnips J4 lb. cabbage i lb. carrots J/^ lb. rutabaga i onion Wipe the meat, cover with cold water and bring slowly to the boiling point. After boiling S minutes remove the scum and continue cooking just below the boiling point for about 3 hours. When the meat is tender, remove it and cook the vegetables in the water. Cut these in uniform size and cook them until tender. If small, the carrots may be cut in halves, if large in quarters, and other vegetables in similar size. Cabbage should be added about lo minutes later than the others. Serve the meat on a large platter surrounded by the vegetables. Almost any other vegetables, beets, peas, etc., may be used instead of part of those named. Apple Sauce Wash 6 sour apples and cut into eighths with skins on. Remove core, and decayed spots. Cover with hot water and WINTER MEALS 83 cook slowly until tender. Remove from fire and add about J^ cup sugar, or to taste. Serve either hot or cold, but not luke warm. Preparing the Meal Four or five hours before meal time put the meat on to cook ; I hour before wash 6 medium sized potatoes and lay them in the oven to bake. Wash and pare the vegetables, remove the meat from the kettle, laying it in the warming oven to keep warm. While the vegetables are cooking make the apple sauce and the coffee and set the table. If more convenient the potatoes may be pared and quar- tered and cooked with the other vegetables. Extra Baking Make bread in the morning so that it will be ready to bake late in the afternoon when the corned beef is cooking. . After the dishes from the noon meal are washed, make and bake the oatmeal cookies for Sunday. Oatmeal Cookies 2 cups rolled oats 2 teaspoons baking powder yi cup flour 2 tablespoons oleo I cup sugar i pinch of salt I egg 3 tablespoons milk Mix dry ingredients, add egg beaten, and milk. Drop by teaspoonfuls into greased pan, bake in moderate oven. _ , BREAKFAST Sunday GRAHAM BISCUITS WITH DATE AND PRUNE JAM SCRAMBLED EGG COFFEE FOR ADULTS — COCOA FOR CHILDREN Graham Biscuits lyi cups graham flour l cup liquid 1^2 cups white flour 3 tablespoons lard or crisco i^ teaspoons salt 6 teaspoons baking powder Mix and sift dry ingredients. Mix the lard evenly through by cutting with two knives, or by rubbing lightly with the fingers. Add the liquid, mixing with a knife. Turn the mixture on floured bread board. Roll or pat to J^ inch thickness. Cut out biscuits and bake 15 to 20 minutes in a hot oven. 84 LOW COST COOKING Scrambled Egg Beat 4 eggs light, add Yz teaspoon baking powder, i teaspoon salt, pepper to taste, and beat again. Boil J^ cup milk or milk and water mixed with i tablespoon flour in the frying pan. Cool a little and add the eggs. Stir the mix- ture constantly over a very low fire until the eggs are cooked but not tough. Preparing the Meal Make the biscuits and leave them standing in the baking pan until ahout 20 minutes before time for breakfast. This may be done the night before in cold weather if each bis- cuit is brushed over with melted fat to prevent a crust from forming and the pan is closely covered to keep out dust and germs. Make the coffee, put the biscuits in oven and scramble the eggs. In serving the biscuits, take out only enough for once around, leaving the others in oven to keep hot. „ , LUNCH OR SUPPER Sunday SCALLOPED TOMATOES OATMEAL COOKIES BLACK OLIVES COCOA Scalloped Tomatoes Place alternate layer of bread crumbs and canned or ripe tomatoes and seasoning of salt and pepper in baking dish with crumbs on top. If desired add an onion finely chopped to the tomatoes. Brown in oven. Preparing the Meal One-half hour before meal time, prepare the tomatoes ar^d put them in the oven. While they are heating make the cocoa and set the table. Serve the cookies made on Saturday. e , DINNER Sunday MEAT LOAF WITH BROWNED POTATOES CREAMED RUTABAGA CABBAGE SALAD BAKED APPLES WITH RAISINS COFFEE MILK WINTER MEALS 85 Meat Loaf 1 pound chopped meat i cup thick white sauce 2 cups bread crumbs Flavor with salt and pepper Mix ingredients thoroughly together, form into loaf and bake in moderate oven for two hours. One tablespoon minced onion may be added if desired. Thick White Sauce 1 cup liquid 2 tablespoons drippings 3^/2 tablespoons flour H tablespoon salt Add liquid slowly to flour, stirring to make a smooth paste. Pour into drippings and boil, stirring constantly until thick and smooth. Creamed Rutabaga Wash and pare the rutabaga and cut in pieces about J4 inch square and }^ inch long. Cook in boiling, salted water until tender. Evaporate the water by leaving kettle uncov- ered on fire. Add 3 cups of thin white sauce made sepa- rately, or stir 3 tablespoons of flour into J4 cup water and add this with 2J/2 cups of milk and water to the vegetables and boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cabbage Salad Shave the cabbage fine and add salt and pepper. Cut two thin slices of bacon into small pieces and fry till brown. While very hot pour over the cabbage. Add a little vinegar. Baked Apple v^ith Raisins Remove the core from 6 medium sized apples. Put them in baking dish, fill the cavity with sugar and seedless raisins, add J4 cup water and bake in a moderate oven until the apples are soft. Preparing the Meal Two hours before meal time prepare the meat loaf and put in oven; i hour before pare 6 medium sized potatoes cut in halves and lay in the pan with the meat. Prepare the apples and start them to baking. Put the rutabaga on and while it is cooking, make the cabbage salad and the coffee, set the table, finish the rutabaga. Serve the Ipaf whole with the potatoes arranged on the platter around it. SUMMER MEALS Monday BREAKFAST POTATO CAKES RHUBARB SAUCE COFFEE MILK Potato Cakes Mix left over mashed potatoes with such scraps of meat, dressing and gravy as may be on hand. Add bread crumbs as necessary to make the mixture stiff enough to form into cakes. Brown cakes on both sides in hot greased pan. If no meat is on hand omit or use a Httle bacon or salt pork. Rhubarb Sauce Wash and peel 8 large stalks of rhubarb. Cut into J4 inch pieces, and add almost enough cold water to cover. Boil gently until the pieces are tender but still whole. Add sugar tq taste and set aside to cool. Part of this juice may be poured ofif to make a fruit drink and the remainder served with the sauce. There will be sauce enough for breakfast and to serve with rice for Tuesday's dinner. Preparing the Meal Make potato cakes and put them on to brown. Make enough coffee for dinner as well as for breakfast, and as soon as the last cup to be used hot is poured, pour the remainder off of the grounds and set aside to cool. This is to be used for iced coffee in the evening. Rhubarb sauce should be made the day before and served cold. Make the toast and set the table. Monday LUNCH OR SUPPER RICE AND CHEESE RAREBIT ON TOAST APPLE SAUCE MILK FOR CHILDREN — TEA FOR ADULTS 86 SUMMER MEALS 87 Rice and Cheese Rarebit ?4 cup of rice 2 tablespoons flour % cup of cheese iH teaspoons salt ij4 cups of milk J^ teaspoon pepper Boil rice in plenty of water. When cooked tender add milk and the flour mixed with % cup of water. Allow this to boil, add salt and pepper, and when it again reaches boiling point, remove from the fire and add cheese chopped fine. Stir cheese through the hot mixture until it melts and serve on toast. Apple Sauce Wash and quarter 6 summer apples and remove cores. Cover with hot water and cook slowly until apples are tender, but do not lose shape. Add J^ cup sugar just before removing from fire. Preparing the Meal Make the apple sauce just after the breakfast is over and set away to cool ; J^ hour before meal time put the rice on to cook. Set the table, finish the rarebit and make the tea. Monday DINNER HAMBURGER STEAK WITH TOMATOES MCED POTATOES HASHED KOHLRABI OATMEAL COOKIES ICED COFFEE — MILK Hamburger Steak with Tomatoes IJ4 pounds chopped beef Half can of tomatoes Put chopped meat into hot pan to brown, stirring con- stantly. When part of it is well browned, add tomatoes, cover closely and continue cooking on low fire until done. Use fresh tomatoes if cheaper. Riced Potatoes Press plain boiled potatoes, hot, through ricer, letting them fall into dish in which they will be served. A potato ricer is a great convenience and may be bought for from 25 cents to 50 cents. Hashed Kohlrabi Pare kohlrabi, cut into quarters and cook until tender 88 LOW COST COOKING in boiling salted water. Evaporate water, chop fine and add 3 tablespoons of drippings. Preparing the Meal Prepare the potatoes and kohlrabi and put them on to cook one-half hour before the meal time. Prepare the hamburger steak. Set the table and add ice to the coffee, or if without ice put into a clean milk bottle and place in a pan under cold running water. Hash the kohlrabi, rice the potatoes and serve the meal. (Use oatmeal cookies made on the last baking day, see page 83.) Tuesday BREAKFAST OATMEAL WITH TOP MILK FRUIT TOAST COFFEE FOR ADULTS MILK FOR CHILDREN Fruit Toast Use 6 slices of toast with 2 cups of stewed fruit. Fruit, such as plums, berries, cherries, rhubarb, etc., stewed with plenty of water, may be used. Pour it over the freshly toasted bread. It may be served hot or cold. Preparing the Meal Set the oatmeal on the fire to reheat after cooking over night. Make stewed fruit by boiling J^ dozen plums or other fruit in plenty of water. Make the coffee and the toast. Tuesday LUNCH OR SUPPER SPLIT PEAS WITH CARROTS PRUNE ROLLS TEA MILK Split Peas with Carrots Use 3 cups split peas, cooked, and 3 cups of boiled car- rots. Mash the peas fine and add salt and pepper to taste. Add carrots, cut in small pieces, and J4 cup of milk. Re- heat and serve. Preparing the Meal Soak 2 cups of peas over night and start them to cook 2 hours before meal time. This will make enough for SUMMER MEALS 89 lunch croquettes on Wednesday also. Wash and scrape carrots and cut in J4 inch cubes. Cook in boiling, salted water for J^ hour before meal time: Set the table and add mashed peas to carrots. Make tea enough for this meal and for iced tea for dinner. As soon as the hot tea is poured, pour off the remainder and set aside to cool. Use prune rolls made on the last baking day. Tuesday DINNER POT ROAST WITH VEGETABLES STEAMED RICE WITH STEWED CHERRIES ICED TEA — FRUIT DRINK FOR CHILDREN Pot Roast with Vegetables 2 lbs. meat 2 cups turnips or cabbage 2 cups carrots 2 cups parsnips 2 cups rutabagas i onion Choose a piece of meat with some bone and a little fat, such as pork or beef shoulder, or brisket. Brown the meat well on all sides in a hot kettle, with a bit of fat. Add 2 cups of water, cover closely and cook slowly for about 4 hours, adding water as necessary. The last three-quarters of an hour add the vegetables, pared and cut in pieces. Serve the meat whole on the platter with vegetables ar- ranged around it. Steamed Rice I cup rice 1 5^ teaspoon salt 3 cups boiling water Wash rice by placing in a strainer and allowing the water from the faucet to run through until it is clean. Add rice to boiling water and boil for 5 minutes. Place stew- pan, closely covered, in larger kettle of boiling water and steam for 50 minutes. Steamed Rice with Stewed Cherries Use I box of cherries to 3 cups of steamed rice. Wash and stone the cherries, cover with water and cook until tender. Add sugar to taste. Pour % cup of fruit over each dessert dish of rice. Preparing the Meal Four hours before meal time put the pot roast on to 90 LOW COST COOKING cook. If a 3-pound piece is used, enough will be left for croquettes on Wednesday. Put rice on to steam, and while it is cooking, stew the cherries and set them aside to cool. As soon as the rice is done set it in a cool place. There will be enough of it for the griddle cakes on Wednesday as well as for the dessert. Three-quarters of an hour before meal time prepare the vegetables and add them to the meat. Set the table, make the fruit drink for the children by adding a little of the cherry juice and 2 cups water to the rhubarb juice left from Monday. Ice the tea for the adults. Finish preparing the dessert. Serve meat on platter with vegetables around it. Wednesday BREAKFAST RICE GRIDDLE CAKES FRIED BACON STRIPS BANANAS COFFEE MILK Rice Griddle Cakes 54 cup boiled rice 2 tablespoons drippings 2 cups flour S teaspoons baking powder 1% cup liquid i teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons sugar Mix the dry ingredients. Add rice to the liquid ingre- dients. An egg may be added. Combine with the dry and beat well. Cook by tablespoonf uls the same as other griddle cakes. Preparing the Meal Make the griddle cakes and start the first griddle full cooking. Make the coffee, slice and fry the bacon, and set the table, attending to the cooking of the cakes at the same time. And when they are finished serve the breakfast. Extra Baking Before starting to cook the noon meal mix the bread and set it to rise. It will be ready for the second kneading soon after lunch, and can be baked before time for the evening meal. Make cinnamon rolls as well as bread. If coal or wood fire is used, plan to keep the top of the stove full while fire is going. Leave no empty space in the oven while it is hot. SUMMER MEALS 9I ,x, . . LUNCH OR SUPPER Wednesday SPLIT PEA LOAF SLICED TOMATOES BREAD WITH OLEO TEA — MILK Split Pea Loaf 4 cups split peas, cooked i beaten egg 2 cups bread crumbs i teaspoon minced onion I tablespoon minced parsley, celery, or other flavoring as desired. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix all the ingredients together. If too soft to hold its shape add more bread crumbs. If too dry, add milk, water or another egg. Form into loaf, lay over it thin slices of salt pork or bacon. Brown in oven. Preparing the Meal Use split peas cooked on Tuesday. A half hour before meal time make loaf and put in oven to brown. Slice the tomatoes. Set the table and make the tea. „, , , DINNER Wednesday BAKED CROQUETTES BAKED POTATOES HOT CINNAMON ROLLS BANANAS WITH LEMON JUICE LEMONADE Baked Croquettes 3 cups chopped meat i teaspoon onion juice 3 cups bread crumbs i teaspoon salt 2 cups thick white sauce Pepper to taste Make a white sauce by stirring j4 cup flour into % cup melted fat, cook till frothy, then add slowly 2 cups milk or water, or the two mixed, stirring all the time, and cook again till thick, stirring till smooth. Add cooked meat — ^beef , mutton, veal or pork — and bread crumbs. Mix well, form into croquettes about 3 inches long, lay them in greased pan, and set in hot oven to brown. Bananas with Lemon Juice Slice 4 bananas, sprinkle with brown sugar and lemon juice. 92 LOW COST COOKING Preparing the Meal Put six potatoes for dinner and four for tomorrow's lunch in oven one hour before meal time, while bread is still baking. Croquettes and cinnamon rolls (see page i6) may be baked together about J^ hour before meal time. Set the table, prepare the bananas and lemonade. Thursday BREAKFAST FARINA MUSH WITH TOP MILK CINNAMON ROLLS (BAKING POWDEr) COFFEE FOR ADULTS — MILK FOR CHILDREN Farina Mush Use % cup of farina to 4 cups boiling salted water. Make the same as other cereal mush. Cook J^ to i hour. Baking Powder Cinnamon Rolls 2 cups flour 54 cup milk or water 4 teaspoons baking powder }4 cup oleo J4 teaspoon salt J4 cup sugar _ 2 tablespoons fat 4 teaspoons cinnamon Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl, work the fat in with the tips of the fingers, add the milk or water slowly and mix all with a knife into a soft dough. Turn on to a floured board and roll lightly into a sheet J^ inch thick. Spread with the mixture of oleo, sugar and cinnamon rubbed together in the mixing bowl and roll up the dough like a jelly roll. Cut into 5^ inch slices and bake in a hot oven. Preparing the Meal Put on water to boil for cereal and coffee; while the farina is cooking make and bake the cinnamon rolls, make the coffee and set the table. Thursday LUNCH OR SUPPER CREAMED POTATOES AND BEETS LETTUCE WITH FRENCH SALAD DRESSING BUTTERMILK Creamed Potatoes and Beets Use 2 cups boiled potatoes, 2 cups boiled beets and 2 cups SUMMER MEALS 93 thin white sauce. Cut the potatoes and beets in J^-inch cubes. Reheat in white sauce made separately; or, add 2 tablespoons flour mixed with J^ cup cold water and ij^ cups milk to the vegetables and boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. French Salad Dressing Mix three parts olive, peanut or salad oil with one part lemon juice or vinegar; add pepper and salt to taste. Preparing the Meal Several hours before meal time wash carefully 2 bunches of lettuce and lay it on ice or in a cool place so that it may be crisp when time to serve. Wash 6 beets and start them to cook at breakfast time. When cooked tender remove from fire. One-half hour before meal time, peel part of the beets, leaving the rest for Friday's salad. Skin the cold baked potatoes cooked Wednesday and cut both in j4-inch cubes. Make the white sauce, add the vegetables and reheat. Set the table and mix the salad dressing. Thursday DINNER FRIED calves' HEARTS WITH BROWN GRAVY MASHED POTATOES LETTUCE AND GREEN ONION SALAD COFFEE MILK Fried Calves Hearts ij^ pound hearts, sliced lengthwise, in J^-inch slices. Soak in cold salt water for i^ hours, roll in flour or bread crumbs and brown both sides in hot suet fat, cover pan and cook on very slow fire until tender. Use beef heart the same way. Brown Gravy 3 tablespoons drippings 2 cups water, or water and 3 tablespoons flour milk mixed Add flour to hot drippings and let it brown. Add liquid gradually, stirring constantly until a smooth mixture is obtained, and boil 3 minutes. Lettuce and Green Onion Salad Wash and trim the tops of the onions. Serve them on lettuce leaves with French dressing. 94 LOW COST COOKING Preparing the Meal One and one-half hours before meal time put the calves' hearts to soak. Prepare the potatoes and put them on to cook J^ hour before meal time. Brown the hearts and while they are cooking make the coffee, set the table, dress the salad and mash the potatoes. Friday BREAKFAST CRACKED WHEAT CODDLED EGGS TOAST COFFEE FOR ADULTS — COCOA FOR CHILDREN Coddled Eggs Put 6 eggs in stewpan with enough cold water to cover. Cook on low fire until boiling point is reached. Preparing the Meal Cracked wheat should be started to cook the night before. Set on to reheat, make the coffee, put on the eggs. While they are cooking, make the cocoa, making six extra cups to serve cold at dinner. Set the table, make the toast. Friday LUNCH OR SUPPER CREAM OF NAVY BEAN SOUP LETTUCE WITH CHEESE AND FRENCH DRESSING Cream of Navy Bean Soup 3 cups cooked navy beans 3 tablespoons drippings lJ4 cups milk 3 tablespoons flour ij4 cups water i tablespoon minced onion Minced celery, etc., as desired for flavoring Stir the flour, onion and other flavorings in hot drippings until they are browned. Add water and boil. Mash the beans fine or put through a sieve or colander. Add salt and pepper to taste. When hot it is ready to serve. Lettuce with Cheese and French Dressing Mix the French dressing, add 3 tablespoons grated cheese. Stir and add to the lettuce. Preparing the Meal Soak 2j4 cups beans over night for soup and for Satur- day's lunch. Start them to cook about 2 hours before meal time. Wash and drain the lettuce and leave in ice SUMMER MEALS 95 box to get crisp. If there is no ice box, put the lettuce in a tin pail with a tight cover in a cool place or under running water. One-half hour before meal time set the table, make the soup and dress the salad. Friday ^^^^ER SALT CODFISH HASH BEET SALAD CUP CAKES COLD COCOA Salted CodHsh Hash 1% cups salt codfish 3 cups potatoes Wash and pare the potatoes and cut them in uniform size. Pick salt cod in small pieces and drop the potatoes and fish into boiling water. Boil until the potatoes are soft. Drain, mash thoroughly and put into a hot greased frying pan until well browned on under side. Serve with one-half folded on top of the other like an omelet. Beet Salad Cut boiled beets in J^-inch cubes. Mix with boiled salad dressing. Serve on lettuce leaves. Boiled Salad Dressing 1 cup milk 2 egg yolks or whole egg J^ cup vinegar i teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons flour % teaspoon pepper yi teaspoon mustard Make smooth paste of flour with part of milk, add re- maining milk and boil for five minutes. Set on back of stove, add egg, stirring it well through the mixture, cover and allow to stand 10 minutes in order to cook the egg. When cool, add vinegar, salt, pepper and mustard and mix thoroughly. Quick Cup Cakes Place the flour sifter in the mixing bowl and put in it ij4 cups of flour, ^ cup of fine granulated sugar, 2 level teaspoons of baking powder, J4 teaspoon of salt. Sift in the bowl. In the measuring cup melt J4 cup oleo or crisco or lard, break in i or 2 eggs, fill up the cup with milk. Add }i teaspoon flavoring extract or % teaspoon of spice. Mix ■ 96 LOW COST COOKING with the dry ingredients and beat well 2 or 3 minutes. Bake in greased muffin tins in quick oven. For Chocolate Cake add 2 tablespoons cocoa in place of spice. Preparing the Meal Wash enough beets for salad and for lunch on. Saturday. Cut off the tops and save them to cook for greens. Cook the beets immediately after breakfast, so they will be cold when needed. Prepare the codfish and potatoes and put them on to cook J^ hour before meal time. Make the cakes and while they are baking set the table, make the salad, brown the codfish hash. Use cocoa left from breakfast. - ^ , BREAKFAST Saturday GRAHAM MUSH WITH TOP MILK CREAM TOAST COFFEE Cream Toast 6 slices toast 2 tablespoons sugar 2 cups milk I egg 2 tablespoons flour J4 cup water Mix the sugar and flour in stewpan, add water and stir until smooth. Add i cup milk and boil until thick. Add remaining milk, heat to boiling point and remove from fire. Add a beaten egg to the hot sauce, stirring it well through the mixture. Pour over hot toast and serve. Preparing the Meal Reheat graham mush which was started to cook the night before. Make the toast, start the coffee and make the sauce for toast. Set the table and finish the toast and coffee. Extra Baking Mix the bread about the same time as on Wednesday, planning to have it baked about the time the evening meal is served. Make plain rolls for this meal and sugar rolls for Sunday breakfast. Mix the spice cake for Sunday J/^ hour before the bread is ready to bake, and bake it first, as it requires a cooler oven than the bread. Cook the plums for Sunday lunch while bread is baking. SUMMER MEALS 97 Saturday ^^NCH OR SUPPER PUREE OF BEANS AND TOMATOES RHUBARB MARMALADE Boiled Beans and Tomatoes 3 cups cooked navy beans 2 tablespoons drippings 1 cup canned tomatoes i tablespoon minced onion I tablespoon minced parsley or celery if desired Salt and pepper to taste Add tomatoes to beans and boil J4 hour. Cook onions and other seasonings in the drippings, add to the beans. Rhubarb Marmalade Syi pounds rhubarb 3 pounds (6 cups) sugar 2 lemons 2 oranges Cut rhubarb into J^-inch pieces. With a sharp knife pare off, very thin, the colored part of the lemon and orange peel. Then cut this into small pieces and add to the rhubarb. Remove remaining peel of the oranges and lemons, divide into sections ; add this to mixture and cook, boiling J4 hour; add sugar and boil very slowly 1% hours longer. Preparing the Meal Make rhubarb marmalade after breakfast is over and put away in sealed jars the part not to be used at once. One-half hour before meal time start the beans and toma- toes and while they are cooking set the table, prepare the seasoning and add it to the beans. DINNER Saturday LAMB STEW — BOILED RICE BEET GREENS COFFEE FOR ADULTS — MILK FOR CHILDREN Lamb Stew with Rice lyi pounds lamb or mutton 2 cups carrots Use lamb or mutton from shoulder, cut into small pieces. Cover with cold water and cook slowly without boiling for 4 to 6 hours. Three-quarters of an hour before meal time add carrots, pared and cut into J^-inch pieces. When done thicken the gravy with 2 tablespoons flour. Serve on large platter with a border of boiled or steamed rice. 98 LOW COST COOKING Beet Greens Wash greens carefully. Cook i hour or more, until tender, in boiling salted water. Season with pepper and drippings. Preparing the Meal Three hours before meal time put the lamb on to stew, using 3 pounds of the meat, so that enough may be left over for Turkish Pilaf on Sunday. Put greens on. Wash and pare carrots and cut in long, narrow strips. One-half hour before meal time add them to the stew. Wash ij4 cups of rice and put on to boil. This will make enough for Sunday also. Make the coffee and set the table. Set aside the meat for Sunday, and thicken the gravy. Evaporate the water from the rice and season the greens and serve. Sunday BREAKFAST FRIED BACON WITH EGG TOAST FRESH PEACHES COFFEE FOR ADULTS CINNAMON TEA FOR CHILDREN Fried Bacon with Egg Fry the bacon. Break eggs and drop them whole into the hot fat. Cook on low fire without turning. Preparing the Meal Make the coffee and toast, put milk on to heat. Set the table. Wash the peaches and serve them whole in a fruit dish. Fry the bacon, remove from the pan, and cook the eggs. Make cinnamon tea. DINNER Sunday TURKISH PILAF HASHED SPINACH WITH EGG RHUBARB TAriOCA SUMMER MEALS Turkish Pilaf 99 3 cups rice 2 cups meat, chopped and 1 5^ cups of tomatoes cooked V/i cups water Mix rice with tomatoes and water, place ahernate layer of the mixture and of chopped meat in baking dish, cover with bread crumbs, bake until brown in moderate oven. Hashed Spinach with Hard Cooked Egg Yi peck spinach 2 eggs Wash spinach very carefully. Cook in boiling salted water until tender, about 30 minutes. Lift the spinach out of the water. Chop fine and season with 3 tablespoons drip- pings. Serve in vegetable dish with a border of hard cooked eggs cut into quarter sections. Save the water in which the spinach was cooked for soup, as it contains valuable salts. Rhubarb Tapioca 4 cups rhubarb J^ cup tapioca 2 cups sugar Soak the tapioca over night in cold water to cover. Drain, add boiling water, and cook until transparent. Add sugar, and rhubarb, peeled and cut into half-inch pieces, and bake until rhubarb is tender. Serve hot or cold with milk. Apple Tapioca is made in the same way. Preparing the Meal Soak the tapioca over night and prepare this dish imme- diately after breakfast and set it aside to get cold. An hour before meal time, cook the eggs for the spinach, follow- ing the directions for hard cooked eggs. Prepare the lamb stew left from Saturday by picking the meat from the bones and chopping it. Make the Pilaf, using this with rice cooked on Saturday, and put in the oven 40 minutes before meal time. Wash the spinach and while it is cooking make the coffee and set the table. Season the spinach, take it up, and arrange the eggs. Serve the Pilaf in dish in which it was baked. Leave the dessert in the ice box until the first part of the dinner is eaten. lOO LOW COST COOKING SUPPER Sunday ENGLISH MONKEY SPICE CAKE STEWED CHERRIES English Monkey 4 cups bread crumbs 54 cup cheese 2 cups milk Salt and pepper to taste Heat the bread crumbs and milk. If the crumbs are not well moistened, add water. When hot, add cheese cut in small pieces, remove from fire and stir until cheese is melted. May be served on toast. Spice Cake I cup dark brown sugar i teaspoon ground cinnamon I cup cold water _ _ Yz teaspoon ground cloves ij^ cups seeded raisins % nutmeg Yi cup drippings or crisco Y2 teaspoon salt Boil the above ingredients together three minutes, then cool. When cold stir in one teaspoon of soda dissolved in a little warm water. Add 2 cups of flour, sifted with J4 teaspoon of baking powder. Bake as a loaf in a slow oven with the "Extra Baking" on Saturday. Nuts are a pleasing addition. Preparing the Meal Twenty minutes before serving, start English Monkey and while it is heating set the table. Add the cheese to the hot mixture and serve. MENUS lOI Wo"' U Er^ M ^ n a« i -< « W t SSa ■1 <) M CQpq tl ^qS ^ -d P *^ Hi ^ i-i < e O a § Sa o ■< M b n „ 03 O O S 59 8 9s W 3 "So a ^ I! g CO 3. w W J " a. "lag if >3 fflM wo H ■^ W -^ .a ^ o a Kg mCQ 9^ si o a "Ha 5n §1 jj ft h- « *i S§8 ra ■§ § M., 5° 1 o a' •D O e " s <« « y o u t-o W t H< h & ! W ' m o a 5? < S n S S2 ■"HH DQ O a^ -fllCO •-•HtO a a a I. X >< a <3 a a «9 « CO a ,fc!3 ^ » &w « g 102 LOW COST COOKING £§ 3 g t< s E s J; a d Hi I « : — w 2« «9 ago MM oQ ^ C3 Q HqEH Pa n Q HO M BO O low p O Ea tog NiB 2"_ so tH--l,^Ct4 o o mS!2 o o ^ U Bh '3 ogo KM Q a >:) HI » H = a l_ < fa -"fa ^ Si B -^O S M g -< i-i H o ^atu <] O fa gHQH U OB O fa n o B o it i >» M m i:^ ■p B Mb B fa Ofa h O a a. -B ■< „ faB ao. e( Bo p, « O .K B gJ „ V »S < (0 u B — fa t-fa CD o cob M p -'B "SI Mj ■^a >t bB 8 MENUS 103 9 ^ i ^"^ h (14 b 5 Hi •4 aa 3 « a g^g tJOlzl S"§ EH m S lis St- «« ^ o Q H IN a o m a S g H — « oS « 00 n §21" u si; OH B fa ->i O H o o W 5" gS ^§ iJ ■a m S 13 HI « ■ sm o o < is n o gg 19 n ME ^ i O t<3 I •s s s m hi Sa § w t et ! >t Q as s •a M » CO P4 O -al fa SI'S R It s OB o M fc fa" a-<"EH SS o Sg a 45 a Q a P 6)0 I- o H n o g fa n gfH§ "o a m CO -dj = aEH > < n >. Sho « ^ fa I. QO I- fa 30 wbS a9 , OH ■* a go ■Eg ■E fa 5 5 o CO S « «Seo Q £ I-* O P^ o K M *^ S ^ s «og IS" 3 " I04 LOW COST COOKING CO i^ «5 MS a H H So ^ H to o9 O H 5 h CO H i w PJZ W s -<4 O t4 m-ilo U " Pi ■^ J -4 MO M S s B OH « E< no n 119 M S a "So aiS M 9 ^ E3 3 I f t)«a a ►> i-iE(P< BS O S f,OM Sin ► g-dIN s H ^ C P r. ^ & Sag s SgKg QQ S ^ Q . O "^ o » fi n HJSg a-<» gau n ri b H H Qoa •*o ^a 0.0 o" o 3° a o § " a a oaio Sr a »~* O CO"^ on ^o eQ» g a a i |a I IS " Is ^_3 ■5a ■23 ^ CO OH S i" a "U ° 3 fH P JZWO m HI4 W a "-I ga ga > -^l ^a ca 3 g MENUS los X >■ MB 03 I" i a WS9 ?«§ S EHH ri Hfci "Ofe OS BM as 15 ;^ =• Qj O ^ iill fc B°» gnn "turn h3 S« a ^ ll H H P HI Sims' ot4 as «!■* Q m OH 00 So o^ B O M o y -a] H &( s cu^ HO-< E faM9 C a Ejia is is" Oh o QO "SO- 03 Sgo <^ a o (J a 00 pj Ess off I «sa SB nzra ^a a c« ^ ON g So u MM S 3s : ft" gg \ WW ' tiM 1. lit p '^ t3 lsg 00 rag M ■ to 3 ■» s H " a o § 3 paag 1:1 "61 gl Bgi O h^ 03 eg a§B Sag; u a a -4 t Wg a "o g « >.o Is ^ itg g ^ i s 3 S 3 HP § ^^ s >:i o S ^"ga a«S ^ Q p B a Q OM Sg 3 n (0 ^^B B 00m O »} «sS e 5 a s o o a 5< a 0 H e as Q M b MS ^1 ' S 00 o» 3g «4 ES as Bam B a a < .— «R M mh a nf m^lH a s n s s < u 1 tA B id Kb- R S >H " Q Q-<1 B B Id V a < oaco B GO Qj >Jb o 00 "^ E3 50 "^ ib3 09 b VB i $» b ho o I a 3 r I GO n ig »od ^05 a n< a ■OOb • o cao g b •0 a GOb- o ei» o« 5 GO DO H PI OQ« ga S f a § I- u sa 2Sga o fa <5B OM S H- g HO . GO n p Bag -iSg OQ BH CQ pq ti ■« COST FOR ONE MONTH The following quantities are estimated as sufficient for a family of man, woman and four children over 4 and under 13 years of age. The same amount of food would be enough for a family consisting of a woman and six chil- dren under 14. In the latter case, however, the menus should be modified to give more milk for the children and less meat will be needed. The cost would remain the same. The prices quoted are those for the year 1914 in Chicago. Of course these vary greatly in different parts of the city,- and prices of fruits and vegetables fluctuate from week to week and even from day to day. If the particular kinds mentioned in the menu cannot be bought at the price named some other kind cheaper that day can usually be found and used instead. Allowance is made for unavoidable loss in cooking and preparing but not for any waste of good food materials being thrown away. WINTER MENUS. Cereals and Breadstuffs. White flour 49 lbs $1.40 Rye flour 3 lbs .15 Graham flour 3 lbs .15 Oatmeal (bulk) 4 lbs .20 Cornmeal 6 lbs .15 Cracked wheat I lb .06 Rice (broken) 3 lbs Rice (whole) i lb Hominy 2 lbs Farina 2 lb Barley I lb Legumes. Navy beans 3 lbs $ .18 Kidney beans I lb .08 Lima beans 2 lbs .16 Lentils 2 lbs .14 Vegetables Split peas 2 lbs Black eyed peas ... i lb $ .12 .07 ■OS .10 .08 $2-53 $ .12 .06 $74 Potatoes I bu Sweet potatoes 3 lbs Turnips 8 lbs Rutabaga 8 lbs Cabbage 8 lbs Beets 6 lbs Carrots 10 lbs Onions i pk Dates 2 lbs Figs 2 lbs AND Fruits. $ .90 Seedless raisins 2 lbs $ .20 .10 Prunes 3 lbs .30 .16 Dried apples S lbs .70 .12 Dried apricots i lb .20 .24 Dried peaches 2 lbs .24 .12 Bananas 2 doz .20 .20 Fresh apples i J4 pks .45 .20 Oranges I doz .24 .20 Lemons 2 .05 .20 Canned tomatoes ...Yi doz .60 $5.62 107 io8 LOW COST COOKING Meats, Eggs, Milk 70 qts $5.60 Hamburger steak.. 7 lbs .84 Beef for stew 4 lbs .40 Mutton for stew... 2 lbs .24 Fresh pork shoulder 3 lbs .42 I salt pork shoulder 8 lbs 1.28 Flank steak 4^ lbs .63 Calves' hearts ij^ lbs .18 Fat salt pork 3 lbs .36 Bacon strips 8 lbs 1.60 Round steak i^ lbs Sugar IS lbs Tapioca i lb Black olives i lb Coflfee 4 lbs Tea J4 lb Cocoa 54 11> -06 Fats, Etc. Corn beef brisket. . Codfish , Salt fish Eggs Cheese Oleomargarine . . . Suet Leaf fat Beef heart Beef for pot roast. 1 lb 2 lbs 3 lbs 4 doz 2 lbs 8 lbs 4 lbs 4 lbs 1 lb 2 lbs $ .14 •30 .40 1.28 •44 1.76 .20 •44 •IS .24 •33 $1; '.23 Miscellaneous. .12 1. 00 Spices, flavoring. Salt Yeast Baking powder. . Salad oil etc, i6cks $ .10 .10 .16 .20 ... .. .10 Total for the Month, $28.89. SUMMER MENUS. Cereals and Breadstuffs. White flour 49 lbs $1.40 Cracked wheat I lb Graham flour 2 lbs .10 Rice (broken) 6 lbs Oatmeal (bulk) 3 lbs .15 Farina 2 lbs Cornmeal (bulk) . . 4 lbs .10 Navy beans 2 lbs Lima beans i lb Legumes. $ .12 Kidney beans 2 lbs. .08 Split peas 2 lbs Vegetables Potatoes 3 pks | .75 Kohlrabi 4 bch .10 Carrots 8 bch .20 Turnips 4 bch .10 Beets 4 bch .10 Spinach 2 pks .30 Kale ipk .10 Large onions 5^ pk .10 Green onions 4 bch .10 Radishes 4 bch .10 Lettuce 12 bch .60 Green beans I J^ qts .12 Cucumbers .05 Dried apricots yi lb .10 AND Fruits. Dried peaches.... i lb Prunes 3 lbs Rhubarb 10 lbs Fresh peaches 4 doz Raisins 2 lbs Fresh tomatoes .... Canned tomatoes. . 2 cans Fresh apples i pk Dried apples lyi lbs Plums I basket Berries 4 boxes Gooseberries 3 boxes Lemons i doz Bananas 2 doz ^2.77 $ .06 .24 .10 $2.15 $.16 .12 $.48 $ .12 •30 .20 .20 .20 •05 .20 •25 .20 •30 .30 ■30 .20 .20 $S^84 COST OF MENUS 109 Meats, Eggs, Fats, Etc. Milk 70 qts $5.60 Buttermilk 12 qts .60 Cottage cheese .10 American cheese.. .254 lbs .55 Lard 4 lbs .44 Suet 3 lbs .15 Oleomargarine .... 8 lbs 1.68 Bacon strips 8 lbs 1.68 Chopped meat 6 lbs .72 Beef for pot roast. 8 lbs .96 Boneless ham butt.. 2 lbs .40 Codfish 3 lbs .30 Beef for stew 6 lbs .72 Lamb for stew 3 lbs $ .30 Mutton for stew... 2 lbs .24 Calves' hearts 3 lbs .36 Round steak ij^lbs .33 Veal for stew 2lbs .24 Flank steak ij^lbs .21 Tripe ij^lbs .15 Neck bones 3 lbs .18 Brains .15 Eggs 8doz 1.92 Salad oil i qt .35 $18.33 MiSCEUANEOUS. Sugar .18 lbs $ .90 Tapioca i lb .08 Coffee 4 lbs l.oo Tea 54 lb .20 Cocoa ^ lb .06 Flavorings, etc $.10 Salt .10 Yeast 16 cakes .16 Baking powder .lO Total for the Month, $29.50. $2.70 HOME MADE FIRELESS COOKER The use of a fireless cooker will save gas, keep the kitchen free from steam and heat and give excellent results with foods which require long, slow cooking. The principle on which it is made is that of keeping in the heat. Food is started cooking, then the kettle is tightly closed and placed where it will be so shut out from the air that the heat is held until the food is cooked. Almost every housekeeper has some large box with a lid, an old trunk or something of the sort which can be used. If not, the grocer can supply a tall cheese box or a butter tub for lo cents. For a cooking vessel choose one with straight sides or sides sloping upwards and a tight lid. A granite pail with a tin lid will do and may be bought for 30 cents. A 5-pound lard pail can be used. Aluminum or granite stock pots made for this purpose with clamped lids can be bought for 80 cents to $2.00. Pack the bottom of the box or tub with an 8-inch layer of excelsior, straw, sawdust or crushed newspaper. Set the vessel to be used on this and pack the excelsior or paper tightly all around to the top of the kettle. When the kettle is lifted out a nest will be left into which it can be put again. Cut a strip of asbestos paper as wide as the kettle is high and long enough to reach around it. Line the nest with this. For the top make a cushion of thin white cloth filled with excelsior or paper. Make the cushion just large enough to fill the top of the box or tub and allow the lid to fit down closely over it. no FIRELESS COOKER III TIME TABLE FOR HOME-MADE FIRELESS COOKER Meats Proportion Time on Fire Time in Cooker Beef Pot Roast 2 lbs. 30 min. simmer 6 hrs. Pork and 2 lbs. Sauerkraut iqt. 30 rain, simmer 6 to 7 hrs. Stewed Chicken I chicken water to cover 30 min. simmer 8 hrs. or more Fresh Vegetables Time on Fire Time in Cooker , Carrots Smin . boil 3 hrs. or more Beets Smin . boil 3J4 hrs. or more Turnips smin 1. boil 2 hrs. Peas smin 1. boil 3 hrs. Cabbage smin 1. boil ihr. String Beans smin I. boil 6 hrs. Potatoes smin 1. boil i}^ hrs. Legumes Time on Fire Time in Cooker Navy Beans after soaking 30 min. boil 8 hrs. Split Peas 12 hrs. 30 min. boil 6 hrs. Lentils 30 min. boil 6 hrs. Cereals Proportions Time on Fire Time in Cooker Rolled Oats I cup Cream of Wheat water 3 cups S min. boil 2 to 12 hrs. Farina water 3 cups S min. boil Cornmeal I cup water 5 cups S min. boil 5 to 12 hrs. Hominy Grits I cup S min. boil 10 hrs. or more Rice water 5 cups I cup S min. boil ihr. Macaroni water 4 cups I box S min. boil ij^hr. Dried Fruits Time on Fire Time in Cooker Prunes — Apricots soak 6 hrs. S min. boil. 4 to 6 hrs. Raisins — Peaches or all night S min. boil 4 to 6 hrs. Apples COLD LUNCHES If a cold lunch must be eaten by any member of the family, it should be very carefully prepared and should have as much variety as possible. A cold lunch soon becomes exceedingly distasteful if it is always the same. The substantial part of the lunch must usually be sand- wiches with fresh fruit if possible and sometimes cake or cookies, or candy. The lunch box or basket may be divided into two or four parts by making partitions of strips of pasteboard. Each compartment should be lined with white paper fresh each day. In this way different kinds of food can be kept separate and it will be possible to carry baked beans and salads of all kinds in one compartment where they will not injure the other foods. SANDWICHES Slice bread for sandwiches very thin, put in the filling and cut them the size and shape desired. It is better to have each sandwich small as this makes them more appe- tizing. They should be very carefully wrapped in oiled paper so they will not dry out. The following are some suggestions for making filling for sandwiches. 1. Sliced Meats. Ham, roast or boiled beef, etc., sliced thin. When such meat is used for the family dinner, cut off some good slices for the next day's lunch. Home-cooked meats cost only about one- third as much as the ready-cooked. 2. Chopped Meats. Ham, pork, beef, mutton, etc., chopped fine, with seasoning such as mustard, salad dressing, etc. All leftover meats can be used in this way and made into tasteful sandwiches. 3. Bacon, fried crisp. Dip one side of the bread to be used in the hot drippings, lay the pieces of bacon inside. This is good with cornbread. 112 SANDWICHES 1 13 4. Lettuce. Spread a leaf of lettuce with cooked salad dressing and place between slices of buttered bread. Or, use cottage cheese instead of salad dressing. 5. Nut Sandwiches. Chopped or ground peanuts or other nuts, moistened with salad dressing or melted butter. 6. Nut and Fruit. Use dried figs, raisins or dates, chopped fine and mixed with ground nuts. 7. Cheese. Make a layer of grated cheese between slices of buttered bread. It may be moistened with syrup. 8. Egg. Hard-cooked egg chopped fine, moistened with hot drippings or butter, or salad dressing; sweet green pepper chopped fine may be added; or fried egg placed between pieces of bread. 9. Baked Beans. Mash the beans fine, add a little mustard and vinegar, or any other seasoning desired, and place between buttered bread. 10. Sweet Sandwiches. Mash the pulp of stewed fruit, dates, figs, prunes, etc., and spread between buttered bread. A thick marmalade may be used for this. WHEN THE MOTHER WORKS OUTSIDE THE HOME Many of the menus given require more of the house- keepers' attention and time than she can give if in addition to her own home keeping she must do outside work for the support of her family. If the fire is to be kept going all day during her absence, stews, meat soups, kettles of legumes with meat, or of cereal, and other dishes requiring long cooking, can be cooked on the top of the stove ; or baked beans, peas, or len- tils be left in the oven to be ready for the evening meal. If the fire is not to be kept, a fireless cooker should be used for such dishes as these. They can be put into the cooker before the mother goes out to work and will cook while she is away. The children can be instructed to put potatoes for . baking in the oven an hour before meal time, so that a good meal will be almost ready when the mother returns. 114 LOW COST COOKING If the children are to eat a lunch prepared by themselves, it will be wise to make milk an important part of the meal. Bread with either hot or cold milk and fruit or jam makes a good lunch, or a creamed soup or creamed vegetable which the children can re-heat for themselves in the Winter, or eat cold in the Summer. The following may help some little housekeeper who wants to have the house in order when her mother returns tired out from the day's work. Program for Work When Mother Is Away From Home Each child old enough to work must help as the house- work is too much for one child under 14 years of age. The older one may plan and have the others work under her direction. 6 :30 A. M. — Rise. On rising, open the beds and leave the bed clothing neatly spread out to air with the windows all open. Have each child do this for his own bed. Wash hands and face and dress fully before starting to cook breakfast. Set the breakfast table neatly and all sit down to eat together. Insist that each child be washed and dressed before coming to the breakfast table. After breakfast wash dishes at once, one child washing, another wiping and putting away. Clean the sink, put every- thing in place, and sweep the kitchen. This much should be finished by 10 a. m. at latest. During the part of the year when the children are going to school they should plan to do this much before dressing for school. The beds may be left to air all day and made when school is over. 10 A. M. — Make the beds, two children working at each bed at the same time; set bed rooms and sitting room in order; brush up floors if necessary, and dust. This should be finished by 1 1 a. m. at latest, so that there will be time for rest or play before getting lunch. After lunch is over wash these dishes at once so that the house will be in order again for the afternoon and there will be time to rest and play before time to start things cooking for the supper. DISH WASHING When children hate dish washing it is because they do not think about what an important and fine thing it is to take articles unfit for use and make them fit. A dirty dish is fit for nothing. To take this and make it beautifully clean and free from germs ready to be used for food is in- teresting work and is pleasant when properly done. Plenty of hot water with soap or soda is necessary. Al- ways fill the kettle after taking water from it. There must also be clean dry towels for wiping the dishes. Sugar sacks, which the grocer sells 3 for 10 cents make excellent ones. They should always be washed out immediately after using as they are hard to wash after drying. They must be boiled every few days to keep them from having unclean odors. Piling and Soaking Scrape all bits of food from dishes on to one plate and empty this in the garbage pail which should be lined with newspaper. Pile dishes of the same kind together and put to soak those that would otherwise be hard to wash. Rinse milk glasses with cold water and soak dishes containing egg or dough in cold water, others in hot water. Fill cooking dishes which have had food burned in them with water in which washing soda has been dissolved, boil until they can be easily washed. Washing Wash the cleanest articles first, glass, silver and cups, in pan of hot water with soap or soda. Rinse in another pan containing clear hot water or pile on a rack and pour over them enough hot water to remove the dirty soapy water. Dry and arrange neatly on pantry shelves. "S Il6 LOW COST COOKING MAKING THE BEDS Turn the mattress over, spread on the lower sheet, stretch- ing very tight and tucking it under the mattress. The broad hem of the sheet belongs at the top, the narrow one at the bottom. Spread on the upper sheet and the blankets or com- forters leaving the sheet 8 or 9 inches longer at the top than the covers so that it may be turned back over them to protect them from getting dirty. Tuck all under the mat- tress with square corners, pulling down tight without crease ; put the spread on evenly and lay the pillows on squarely. SWEEPING AND DUSTING Before sweeping, see that no uncovered food is in the room or anything that dust will injure. Open doors and windows. Sweep out the corners well and sweep towards the center of the room, or open door using short strokes and holding the broom close to the floor so that the dust will fly about as little as possible. In winter snow may be scattered over dusty carpet to keep dust down. Damp saw- dust and coarse salt are also good for this purpose. A soft cloth makes the best duster. Do not forget to wipe the dust off the rungs of the chairs, table legs and other parts of furniture partly hidden. Shake the duster out of window after using, and wash it often. FEEDING AND CARE OF CHILDREN Many foods good for adults are very harmful to the weaker digestive system of a child. A child's stomach can no more do the work of a man than his hands can do a man's work. Since the menus given are planned for a family including children, most of the dishes given may be eaten by children over four years of age. The food for a child under four requires more special attention and must be specially prepared. Things a Child Under Four Must Not Eat 1. Heavy meats, such as ham, sausage, pork, dried beef, corned beef, liver, etc. Give a little scraped beef or mutton, meat broth, or minced chicken. If milk and eggs are freely given it is not necessary to give meat at all. 2. Strong acid fruits, such as lemon and tomato, or pickles. 3. Pie and pastry of all kinds, and nuts. 4. Freshly baked bread, hot rolls, rich cake. 5. Fried vegetables of all kinds. 6. Raw vegetables, such as onions, radishes, cucumbers. 7. Green corn and dried beans, unless these are put through a sieve or colander. 8. Raw bananas and preserved fruits. Stale or very ripe fruits. Fruits with hard seeds. 9. Most important of all — stimulants, such as beer or any alcoholic beverages; tea and coffee. Of these tea and coffee are the ones most likely to be given to children. These are some of the reasons why stimulants should not be given children : (a) If a child is given stimulants he feels satisfied with- out food, or with a smaller amount than is needed, and the result is that his growth is stunted, (b) Coffee and tea having a pleasant flavor spoil the taste of the child for cereals, vegetables, milk and other wholesome foods which have little flavor. 117 Il8 LOW COST COOKING Therefore, it becomes more difficult for the mother to teach the child to eat the things necessary for his proper growth and development. (c) Coffee and tea in excess affect the kidneys and may be responsible for much of the kidney disease now so common among children. (d) Coffee and tea in excess weaken the nervous sys- tem and injure the heart. Regular Habits Not only must a child be taught what to eat but he must be carefully trained as to eating times. A child needs food oftener than a grown-up person, but should have regular meals and be given nothing between. A child under four years needs at least four meals and if five meals suit the mother's arrangements better, this number will not be harmful. His sleeping hours should be arranged to come between meals, and should be kept just as strictly as meal time. School children need a light lunch after school. It should be something that will not tempt them to eat much, so as to spoil their appetite for supper. Bread or cold toast or fruit or milk is suitable. Never give candy or sweets between meals, but always at the end as a dessert. Food for a Child Under One Year If a child must be artificially fed or when the time comes, at 6 to 9 months, when it needs other food in addition to or in place of its mother's milk, the advice of a physician who is a specialist in the feeding of children should if possible be obtained. Bad feeding at this time is exceedingly dan- gerous, as the large number of deaths among small children show. ' A healthy, well grown child of one year can be given clean, fresh milk, whole or mixed with water, strained orange juice or prune juice; several kinds of cereal after they are strained, and a few vegetables such as spinach, carrot, asparagus, and cooked celery which have been mashed through a strainer. FEEDING AND CARE OF CHILDREN 119 When a child first begins to have meat it should be given scraped beef or mutton. To prepare use a piece of lean meat cut like steak across the grain of the meat. In scrap- ing, the substance of the meat can be gotten out, leaving behind the tough fibers. Form into pats and broil. The following sample diet shows the amount and kind of food necessary for young children. Menu for Child iJ^ Years — Weight About 26 Pounds 7:00 A. M. 2 tablespoons farina (measured raw) J4 cup milk 2 tablespoons orange juice 10:00 A. M. I cup junket or milk 12 :30 P. M. I small baked potato I slice bread and butter I slice bacon ^ cup milk 2 :30 P. M. I egg yolk on toast crumbs I slice bread 54 cup spinach pressed through strainer S :30 P. M. 2 tablespoons oatmeal (measured raw) J4 cup milk 3 prunes The farina and oatmeal must be cooked for at least 2 hours and the oatmeal should be strained. Prunes and spinach should be put through strainer. Prunes may be given mixed with the oatmeal. Junket makes the milk easier to digest. Directions for making on page 58. Cook the egg soft and use the soft yolk, hot, on the freshly toasted bread crumbs. Carrot, lettuce and celery, cooked soft and mashed through a strainer, may be used instead of spinach. Bacon must be cut thin and fried crisp. The fat from the bacon may be eaten with the bread instead of butter. I20 LOW COST COOKING Menu for Child 2^ Years — Weight About 30 Pounds 7 :oo A. M. 2 tablespoons oatmeal (measured raw) Yi cup top milk 2 large prunes I cup milk 10 :oo A. M. J4 cup milk I slice toast J4 cup carrot pressed through strainer I slice bacon 2 :oo P. M. I cup milk I small baked potato I egg I small baked apple I teaspoon sugar 6 :oo P. M. Milk toast (2 slices toast, ^ cup milk) 2j^ tablespoons hominy with milk (dry) The same amount can be arranged in 3 or 5 meals. Some physicians are now advising only three meals for children even as young as 18 months. Green beans and peas, spinach, onion, lettuce and celery cooked soft and mashed fine or put through strainer, may be used instead of carrots. Orange juice, ripe mashed peaches, apple sauce and the juice of almost all fruits not too sour may be used as well as those named. Importance of Breakfast for School Children No meal is so important to school children as breakfast. It is easy for the child to form the habit of running away to school without eating at all or with only a cup of coffee. This leaves the child all morning with no food to furnish the body with material for growth, and will surely have the effect of stunting his growth. A cup of coffee is worse than no breakfast at all, because the coffee stimulates the body and makes it wear out faster. Coffee with a sweet roll or cake is almost as bad, as the roll or cake contains only a small part of the nourishment the child needs. A breakfast of cereal and milk does not cost as much as coffee and rolls and gives good material to grow on. FEEDING AND CARE OF CHILDREN 121 It is the aim of every intelligent mother to learn how to save her children from needless illness. Many mothers would like a reliable test by which they may know whether their children are perfectly well and developing properly. A pamphlet lately pubhshed by the National Children's Bureau gives these rules: Every child should show: A steady gain in weight, height and intelligence. Good appetite ; clear skin ; bright, wide-open eyes ; con- tented expression. Very little crying. Bowel movements of the normal number, color and consistency. Quiet, unbroken sleep, with eyes and mouth tightly closed. It adds that the way to secure these results is by giving children proper food at regular times, keeping them clean, giving them plenty of sleep at regular hours, fresh air day and night, and training them in regular habits of living. If a child is not growing and gaining steadily in weight there is something wrong and the mother should try to find out what it is. The following list will give an idea of the weight and height a child of a certain age should have attained. AVERAGE WEIGHT AND HEIGHT OF CHILDREN. ' — Pounds — — Inches — Boys Girls Boys Girls 1 year 20.5 19.8 29.0 287 2 years 26.5 25.5 32.5 32.5 3 years 312 30.0 35.0 35.0 4 years 35-0 340 38.0 38.0 5 years 41-2 39-8 41-7 41-4 6 years 45-1 43-8 44-0 43-6 7 years 49-5 480 46.2 45.9 8 years S4S 52-9 48.2 48.0 9 years 60.0 57.5 50.1 49.6 10 years 66.6 64.1 52.2 51.8 11 years 72-4 70.3 S40 53-8 12 years 79-8 81.4 SS-8 S7i 13 years 88.3 91.2 58.2 58.7 14 years 99-3 100.3 61.0 60.3 15 years 110.08 108.04 63.0 61.4 16 years 1237 "30 65.6 617 122 LOW COST COOKING GOVERNMENT BULLETINS Free. Send to the Department of Agriculture, Washingfton, D. C. No. 391 Economical Use of Meats in the Home. No. 256 Preparation of the Vegetable for the Table. No. 203 Canned Fruits, Preserves and Jellies. No. 389 Bread and Bread Making. No. 565 Corn Meal as Food and Ways of Using It. Other Bulletins and Books Freehand Cooking on Scientific Principles. 10 cents. American School of Home Economics. Lessons in Cooking Through Preparation of Meals, Robinson and Hammel. $1.50 (cloth edition). American School of Home Economics. Low Cost Recipes, Jacobs. 75 cents. Economical Cooking for Two, Gibbs. 20 cents. Housekeeping Notes, Kittredge. 80 cents. INDEX Accounts, Keeping, 6 Appetizers, 62 Apple Baked with Kaisins, 85 Cake, Dutch, 23 Cobbler, 69 Jelly, 61 Sauce, 82, 87 Tapioca, 99 Apricots, Dried, 72 Babies' Food, 118 Bacon, Fried, 67 Baked Apple, 85 Banana, 50, 77 Beans, 40 Croquettes, 91 Fish, 37 Peas, 40 Potatoes, 45 Rhubarb, 53 Bakery Foods, Cost of, 14 Baking Powder Biscuits, 24 Proportions Used, 17 Balanced Diet, 8 Banana, Baked, 53, 77 Bean and Tomato Soup, 52 Polenta, 73 Soup, 52 Beans, Baked, 40 Boiled with Meat, 71 Boiled with Tomatoes, 39 Creamed Kidney, etc., 41 String, 49 With Cheese, 39 Bed Making, 116 Beef a la Mode, 34 Soup, 68 Stew with Vegetables, 32 Beet Greens, 46, 98 Salad, 95 Beets, Boiled, 80 Buttered, 44 Pickled, 81 Beverages, 63 Biscuits, Baking Powder, 24 Drop, 24 Graham, 83 Boiled Beans with Meat, 71 Beans with Tomatoes, 39 Eggs, 38 Potatoes, 45 Klce, 30 Salad Dressing, 48 Boston Baked Beans, 40 Brains, 37 Scrambled with Eggs, 37 Braised Cutlets, 34 Heart, 37 Steak, 77 Braising, 33 Bran Bread, 22 Bread, Bran, 22 Corn, 26 Graham, 22 Rye, 22 White, 21 Whole Wheat, 22 Breakfast Foods, 27 Brittle, Nut, 58 Broiling, 35 Broth, Scotch, 33 Brown Betty, 53 Grary, 93 Stew, 33 Sugar Syrup, 79 Browned Parsnips, 44 Buying, Economy In, 11 In Quantity, 15 Cabbage, Hashed, 44 Salad, 85 Cake, 55 Spice, 100 Calves' Heart, Fried, 93 StutEed, 37 Cambric Tea, 63 Candy, 58 Canned Goods, Cost of, 13 Caramel, 55 Cream Candy, 58 Junket, 58 Sauce, 56 Syrup, 67 Carrots, Creamed, 70 123 124 LOW COST COOKING Catsup, Tomato, 62 Cereal Drinks, 64 Cereals, Cooking, 28 Prices of, 12 Cheese in Cream Gravy, 42 With Beans, 39 With Potatoes, 45 Children, Feeding and Care of, 116 Menus for Young, 119 Milk for, 9 Protein for, 9 Weight and Height of, 121 Children's Drinks, 62 Food, 7, 113 Work, Program for, 114 Chocolate Cake, 96 Cream Pudding, 54 Sauce, 56 Chopped Meats, 34 Cinnamon Rolls, 22 Rolls, Baking Powder, 25 Tea, 63, 73 Cobbler, Dried Apple, 69 Cocoa, 62 Shells, 64 Coddled Eggs, 94 Codfish Hash, 95 Coffee, 62, 67 Cake, 23 Cold Lunches, 112 Composition of Foods, Table of, 16 Cookies, Oatmeal, 57 Bran, 57 Corn Beef with Vegetables, 82 Corn Bread, 26 Shortened, 26 Southern, 71 Corn Meal Griddle Cakes, 66 Mush, 81 Corn on Cob, 34 Pone, 26 Cost of Month's Menus, 107 Cottage Pudding, 56 Cream of Bean Soup, 51 Lima Bean Soup, 51 Navy Bean Soup, 94 Sauce, 42 Soups, 50 Cream Toast, 95 Creamed Carrots, 70 Kidney Beans, etc., 41 Lima Beans, 41 Onions, 44 Potatoes, 45 Rutabaga, 85 Salt Fish, 42 Salt Pork, 76 Vegetables, 44 Croquettes, Baked, 91 Meat, 36 Croutons, 50 Cruist for Cobbler, 69 Cucumber Pickle, 62 Cup Cakes, 56 Desserts and Sweets, 53 Flavoring for, 55 Diet, Balanced, 8 Dishwashing, 115 Dressing for Fish, 37 Salad, 48 Dried Apple Cobbler, 69 Apricots and Peaches, 72 Foods, Cost of, 13 Fruits, 53 Drinks for Children, 63 Drinks, Summer, 64 Dumplings for SteW|S, 33 Dusting, 116 Eating, Habits of, 118 Economy in Buying, 11 Eggs, Coddled, 94 Cooking of, 38 Scrambled, 84 Scrambled with Potatoes, 38 Scrambled with Tomatoes, 38 English Monkey, 100 Farina Mush, 92 With Date Sauce, 28 Fats, Economical, 12, 66 Feeding of Children, 117 Fig Preserves, 61 Pigs, Stewed, 78 Fireless Cooker, Home-made, 110 Flreless Cooking, Time Table for, 111 Fish, 37 Cakes, 95 Flank Steak, Braised, 77 Broiled, 35 INDEX 125 Flavor, Cost of, 14 Flavoring for Desserts, 65 Food and the Body, 6 For Babies, 118 For Children, 117 For the Child, 7, 113 Foods, Composition of, 16 For Building and Bepalr, 8 Furnishing Energy, 7 Furnishing Minerals, 19 French Salad Dressing, 93 Toast, 27 Fried Bacon Strips, 67 With Eggs, 98 Fried Calves, Heart, 93 Corn Meal Mush, 29 Hominy Mush, 78 Salt Pork, 76 Frozen Desserts, 59 Fruit Ice, 59 Puddings, Steamed, 54 Toast, 88 Ginger Bread, 57, 80 Graham Biscuits, 83 Bread, 22 Mush, 72 Grain Products, 21 Greens, Beet, etc., 46 Griddle Cakes, 25 Corn, 25 Rice, 26, 90 Stale Bread, 25 Habits of Eating, 118 Hamburger Steak, 37 With Tomatoes, 87 Ham with Peas, 40 Hashed Cabbage, etc., 44 Kohlrabi, 87 Potatoes, 45 Spinach, 99 Turnips, 44 Heart, Fried, 93 Stuffed, 37 Hominy Baked with Cheese, 82 Mush, Fried, 28, 78 Hot Breads, 23 Ice Cream, 59 Indian Pudding, 54 Jam, Date and Prune, 61 Jellies, 60 Jungle Stew, 41 Junket, Caramel, 58 Kidney Bean Loaf, 41 Kitchen Utensils, 19 Kohlrabi, 47 Hashed, 87 Lamb Stew, 33 With Rice, 97 Legumes, 37 Lemon Sauce, 56 Jelly, 58 Lentil Loaf, 40 Stew, 47 Lentils with Rice, 29 Lettuce and Green Onion Salad, 93 With Cheese, 94 lightning Cake, 56 Lima Bean Puree, 77 Bean Succotash, 42 Lima Beans with Barley, 27 Loaf, Lentil, etc., 40 Lunch for School Children, 118 Luncheon, Cereal Dishes, 29 Lunches, Cold, 112 Making Beds, 116 Marmalade, Rhubarb, 61 Mashed Potatoes, 45 Measurements in Cooking, 20 Meat Balls, 34 Croquettes, 36 Loaf, 35, 85 Pie, 36 Scalloped, 35, 36 Soup, 68 Meats, 31 Menus, 65 For Young Children, 119 Summer, 104 Winter, 101 Milk for Children, 9 Sour, In Cooking, 23 Minerals, Food Furnishing, 10 Muffins, Berry, 23 Bran, 24 Graham, etc., 23 Oatmeal, 24 126 LOW COST COOKING Bice, 24 Blee and Corn Meal, 79 Eye, 23, 76 White Flour, 23 Mush, Cereal, 28 Mutton Stew, 33 Navy Bean Soup, 52 Navy Beans with Bice, 29 Nut Brittle, 58 Nutmeg Sauce, 56 Oatmeal, 28 Cookies, 57 Mush, 70 Muffins, 24 Soup, 29 With Potatoes, 29 With Baislnis, 28 Oleomargarine, 13, 14 Onions, Scalloped, 44 Fanbroiled Flank Steak, 35 Boujid Steak, 35 Pantry, The, 19 Parsnips, Browned, 44 Peas, Baked, 40 Green, 47 With Carrots, 41 With Ham, 40 Pickled Beets, 81 Pickles, 62 Pie, Meat, 36 Pllaf, Turkish, 36 Plain Cake, 55 Planked Fish, 37 Poached Eggs, 38 Polenta, 27 Bean, 73 Potato Cakes, 86 Soup, 52 Potatoes, Cooking, 44 Pot Roast, 34 With Vegetables, 89 Preserves, 60 Protein, 8 For Adults, 19 For Children, 9 Prune and Date Jam, 61 Prune Rolls, 22 Pudding, Chocolate, 54 Cottage, 56 Indian, 53 Rice, 53 Steamed Fruit, 54 Tapioca, 99 Puree of Lima Beans, 77 Pea, etc., 51 Quick Cup Cakes, 56 Raisins, Stewed, 82 Rarebit, Rice and Cheese, 87 Rhubarb and Fig Preserves, 61 Baked, 53 Marmalade, 61 Sauce, 86 Tapioca, 97 Rice, Boiled, 30 Griddle Cakes, 26, 90 Muffins, 24 Pudding, 53 Soup, 79 Steamed, 89 With Cheese, 30 With Fmit, 53 With Lentils, 29 With Navy Beans, 29 With Stewed Fruit, 30 With Tomatoes, 30, 68 Riced Potatoes, 87 Rolls, 22 Rutabagas, Creamed, 44, 85 Rye Bread, 22 Muffins, 23, 76 Salad, Cabbage, 85 Dressing, 48 Dressing, French, 93 Salads, 48 Salt Fish Hash, 95 Pork in Milk Gravy, 76 Proportion to Use, 7 Scalloped, 80 Sandwiches, 112 Sauce, Chocolate, etc., 56 Savory Rice, 30 Scalloped Meat, 30, 36 Meats, 35 Onions, 44 Potatoes, 44 INDEX 127 Salt Fish, 80 Tomatoes, 84 Scotch Broth, 33 Scrambled Eggs, 88, 84 Setting the Table, 18 Sherl^pt, 59 Soft Cooked Eggs, 38 Soup, Beef, 68 Oatmeal, 29 Rice, 79 Soups, 49 Sour Beets, 81 Cream Soup, 51 Milk, in Cooking, 23 Southern Corn Bread, 71 Spice Cake, 100 Spinach, 46 With Eggs, 99 Split Pea Loaf, 91 With Carrots, 41, 88 Steak, Braised, 77 Hamburger, 37 Pan Broiled, 35 Steamed Fruit Pudding, 54 Eice, 30, 89 Stewed Figs, 78 Raisins, 82 Stews, 32 Vegetables, 41 With Vegetables, 73 String Beans, 47 Stuffed Heart, 37 Succotash, 42 Suet Pudding, 57 Summer Drinks, 64 Menus, 104 Vegetables, 46 Supper Cereal Dishes, 29 Sweeping and Dusting, 116 Sweet Potatoes, 46 Syrup, Brown Sugar, 79 Caramel, 67 Table Setting, 18 Tapioca, Apple, etc., 99 Tea, 63, 68 Cinnamon, 73 Toast, 71 Thickening, Proportions of Flour for, 17 Toast, 26 Cream, 27, 96 French, 27 Milk, 27 Tea, 64, 71 Tomato Catsup, 62 Salad, 48 Tomatoes Scalloped, 84 Tripe, 27 Turkish Pilaf, 36 Veal Stew, 32 Vegetable Stew, 41, 73 Vegetables, Cooking, 43 Washing Dishes, 115 Watermelon Rind Pickle, 62 White Bread, 21 Sauce, 42, 70 Sauce, Thick, 85 Whole Wheat Bread, 22 Winter Meals, 66 Menus, 101 Vegetables, 43 Yeast Bread, 21