Chapter C: F. S

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In these days of high prices, when home-makers are striving to feed their families well, at as low cost as possible, it is often the saving of little things that keeps down the provision bill. One should know how to combine left overs so they may realize the best results both in the amount of money saved and the amount of nourishment given. Save the liquor in which a ham has been cooked. The fat from the top may be used for sautéing potatoes or pressed sliced cereals, or with scrambled eggs, and lends a delicious flavor when so used. The cooled liquor forms a "jelly" rich in extractives. There are frequently pieces of bread left that are in good condition. These pieces of bread, also left-over buttered toast, may be used to thicken pea soup; and the bone from the ham, cracked so that the marrow may slip out, and also the "jelly" from the cold ham liquor may be used to flavor the soup. If the ham is very salt, care must be taken not to add too much "jelly." It is best to add the "jelly" about one-half an hour before the soup is done.

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Some exquisite centerpieces from outdoor flowers are made of marsh marigolds and ferns, or buttercups and ferns, in cut glass or carved Parian marble; of violets, purple and white, in a silver bowl, and apple blossoms, in polished copper.

Following is a dessert recipe much enjoyed in my own family:

Rhubarb Sponge

Clean and cut in one-half inch pieces one pound of rose rhubarb. Do not remove the skin. Stew until quite tender in one-fourth a cup of boiling water, just enough to start the steam. Soften one ounce of granulated gelatine in one-third a cup of cold water. Strain the cooked rhubarb, pressing out all the juice, and add enough boiling water, if necessary, to make three cups. Mix one and three-fourths cups of sugar and one-half a teaspoonful of ground ginger. Stir in the rhubarb juice, and add to the gelatine, stirring until the gelatine and sugar are dissolved. Add the grated rind and strained juice of one lemon and set the mixture to chill. When it begins to thicken, add the stiff-beaten whites of three eggs and beat till stiff. Mold. Serve with beaten and sweetened cream. Cut nuts or macaroon crumbs may be passed with this dessert. M. T. R.

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Tempting a Delicate Child to Eat

Every mother knows how hard it is to get children to eat at times, especially when they first begin to take solid foods, or when they are convalescent, while there are some children who seem to have a natural and persistent aversion toward whatever is nourishing and particularly good for them. Mothers are sometimes at their wits' end to know what to prepare, and almost sick with discouragement when wholesome, necessary foods are persistently refused.

Sometimes a little ingenuity and an appeal to the child's imagination or eye will induce him to eat a good-sized meal when, at first, he rejected everything.

There are many simple ways of doing this, and the mother will find any number of her own by experimenting.

It is an old custom to cut a slice of bread into slips, naming them for members of the family or friends, but it is a procedure which seems to fascinate most little ones and make the bread more palatable. They get so interested in the various characters, represented by the slips of bread, that it disappears before they realize it.

Slices of bread and butter can be cut into various shapes, such as diamonds, squares, circles, etc., also to represent animals, dogs, cats and horses. The shapes may be crude and mystifying to behold, but children are not critical, and generally accept these representations with approval and credulity.

Often quite a good-sized meal can be coaxed down by putting it into the doll's dishes, filling the tiny cups with milk and putting little squares of bread on the small plates. One child was known to eat a good-sized meal in this way when he absolutely refused the food in other form.

Another way is to provide a pretty china plate with a picture on it, and tell the child to eat the contents so that he will see the picture.

Sometimes an interesting story can be told--with the proviso that the child "eat his dinner" or the mother will not tell the story. He will get interested in the story and forget how much he is eating until it is all gone.

One little boy persistently refused rice, which the physician had ordered for him and his mother had tried in every way to make him eat. One day she conceived the idea of forming the rice into a small mound like an Eskimo hut, smoothing it around to make it an exact reproduction. On the top she placed a small square of butter, which she called the chimney. It happened that the little boy had been much interested in pictures of Eskimo children and their homes, and it appealed to his imagination at once. The mother then buttered a slice of bread and cut it into strips--some large and some small--which she called the family who lived in the hut--father, mother, girls, boys and baby. For this she had the satisfaction of seeing the little fellow eat two good slices of bread and the whole saucer of rice--a thing he had never done before--and with enjoyment.

These are but a few devices. Any mother can supplement them with successful ones of her own, and she will find that by the use of a little imagination and ingenuity a child can be tempted to eat almost any kind of desirable and necessary food, and enjoy it. A. G. M.

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In order to preserve weathered oak furniture and keep it fresh, rub it with floor wax, Johnston's or some other wax for hard floors. Do this once or twice a year.

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Instead of throwing away the flour left after rolling meat for frying, save it and use again for similar purpose.

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Cut a groove around the handle of the broom about three inches from the end. Make a cap with a draw string of some dark soft material and fasten this over the end of the broom. Then when the end of the broom rests against the wall there will be no marred places on the walls. This idea is especially good where one has white walls.

J. R. W.

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There is nothing that equals the boiled icing, and by boiling the sugar and water without stirring until it spins threads when run off a spoon or fork, then turning this syrup on the whites of the eggs, which have been whipped dry, then beaten until cold, one will have a delicious covering.

Menu for Church Supper

Given in May, but suitable for other months--about 200 covers.

Cold Tongue
Creamed Potatoes
Lobster Salad
Rolls
Jelly
Coffee
Pineapple Ice
Cake

Cost of materials:

8 cans tongue @ $0.62½ $5.00
100 lbs. lobster @ .16 16.00
1½ doz. lettuce @ .90 1.35
Salad Dressing:
2 cans oil $1.80
2 qts. milk .16
Box mustard .30
1 qt. vinegar .07
2 doz. eggs .64 2.97
½ bushel potatoes
400 rolls 3.34
4 lbs. coffee 1.52
2 qts. cream 1.20
1 can milk .60
6 eggs .16 3.48
20 glasses jelly donated.

Pineapple Ice, 4½ gal.:
12 cans pineapple 2.40
6 lemons .10
Sugar .65 ?
Freezing 2.50
Dipping 1.00 6.65

Served only 150
1 box domino sugar $0.48
1 can milk for potatoes .60
2 lbs. flour .10
1 lb. crackers (scant) .13
Parsley .10
5 lbs. print butter 2.10
1½ lbs. tub butter .52
Ice .15
Help 7.00
22 loaves cake (2 left), donated.
Laundry 3.00
Express .25
Soap, etc. .20
---- 14.63
------
$53.42

Recipe for Pineapple Ice

12 cans of grated pineapple
6 quarts of water
6 quarts of sugar
6 lemons

Boil the water and sugar fifteen minutes, add the pineapple, let boil five minutes; when cold strain, add lemon juice and freeze as usual.

B. N. W.

Goin' to School

By Laura R. Talbot

At a progressive porch party the young women sharpened their wits with the following:

I

ALPHABET

"If an alphabetical servility must still be
urged." --_Milton._

1. A river in Scotland.
2. A printer's measure.
3. Owned by the Chinaman.

_Answers_

1. D (Dee).
2. M (em).
3. Q (queue).

II

GEOGRAPHY

"In despite o' geography."
--_Butler._

FIND THE ISLANDS

1. Eat a ---- when you are hungry.
2. The cat caught my ----.
3. Jack had a ---- pony given him.

_Answers_

1. Sandwich.
2. Canary.
3. Shetland.