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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1908-4-23, Page 6C/y Ca -n2 e/2z, WHEN one of my well -beloved constituents lays to my )land the text for the weekly fa- miliar talk with the Ex- change, I rejoice and atm exeet'dingly thankful. I know then that I atm not drawing a bow at a venture. Such defi- nite aim was given nie by "Julia" a fortnight ago. A young housemother in another section of our territory compels my attention today. "I kept my father's house for five years before my marriage. My mother died when I was a child.. Tbtn my eld- est sister took charge of the household and held the reins until she was mar- ried. I was then 1S. I married at 23. another sister taking my place at the head of the table as general manager. "I am telling you this that you may comprehend that I atm no novice in housewifery. I even know how to build a coal fire. (Poor Martha: My heart bled for her.) What I do not know Is hew to train a new cook. In my father's hones we had trained workers. He could afford to pay for them, My John has his way to make in the world and I want to be a true helpmeet. I would have a wining plain cock and train her If I knew how 1.0 set about It. 1 have my eye upon a middle-aged Irish Wom- en, who, her late employer says, 'is neat, willing, sober, industrious and a plain Wok.' I used the same phrase just now. I take it to mean that she does not know bow to make 'fancy des- serts' and entrees. t'pon these I am particularly strong. I am said to have a genius for made dishes. I learned much In this line from a good-natured Frenchwoman who lived with us as 000lc for three years. She took a fancy to me and let me into many secrets of the trade. "Will my 'Bridget' be willing to learn these and other nice branches Of ber profession from me? If so, how shall I go about teaching her? I am board- ing w•llile getting the house in order, and the woman would like to take a month off, She has e. friend In Harris- burg whom elle has not seen in many years, and this interregnum of service seems a good time for visit. 'My sister-in-law (John's sister) dis- eonrages the engagement of this wom- an. She advises me to take h. young girl and train her. She says old cooks are unmanageable. And 5 recollect your Martha's friend was of the like opinion She thought that 'cooks over forty are either drunk or crazy.' Please tell me why: Is there any reason why I should not teach a 40 -year-old woman how to do certain things a little finer and nicer than what she already knows? Ssfy opinion is that she would be more easily taught than a headstrong, bump - 1 Th�r� •s frc��r .%%%I Iia TBf�rra-g Holm young...girl, whose mind is running upon dress and beaux, Let us have a symposium in the Exchange en this head. "Meanwhile, give me a few points upon training a coolc into new woys. Let me say that X said something like the above to Bridget and she took it kindly. She said, 'All mistresses has their own ways, av coarse, mem.' "Wasn't that promising? "ADA I2. (Bradford, Pa.)." It Is alwaysand everywhere en un- gracious task to bring youthful enthu- siasms down on the run. And the -men- tor usually earns the 111 -will of those he would serve. This risk I now incur, de- liberately and, I beg you to believe, un- willingly. For I have yet 1.0 see the el- derly cook who took kindly to training in unfamiliar ways. "Please tell me why?" you ask, and I will try to an- swer in as few words as possible. USUALLY ILLITERATE She is almost invariably Illiterate and unused to menial effort, Daniel Webster said In the last year of his long life that he never took refuge In a blacksmith's or wheeiwrlgbt's shed In a thunderstorm that he didnot learn something while there. But he was Webster and your cook la—Bridget or Thekla or Helms. or Dinah. His mind. grew with what it fed upon. The habit of observation and the love of learning Were practiced all his life, He had am- bitions. Your elderly cook has none. He knew—as-does every ono who has kept up the habits I have named—the meaning of a "divine dissatisfaction" withone's own attainments and the longing for more light and knowledge. Our cook "knows it alt." She may con- descend to admit the right of the "mix- tress" (by courtesy) to have )ler "ways." At heart she Is sublimely con- fident that her own ways and ideas can- not be improved. I had her in my kitchen once. If the truth were known, she has been there repeatedly, and ever with the same re- sult. The "once" to which I allude had been 1n "the one family for seven years" before coming to me. At the end of a fortnight sho informedme tear- fully that she "hadn't expected to bo called upon to do French cookery." When I asked meekly for particulars, I was told that none but French cooks were expected to make soup every day in the week. "Not that sho minded It when there was company." "Why," I hear you repeat, "should a cook's temper be hotter than a wait- ress' or achambermaid's, and why should she bo more unwilling to learn than they?" I have asked myself the question a hundred times. Sometimes I Incline to belief in the explanation one of the trade once gave me: "Shure, mem, and I am thinkin' the fire has somethin' to do with 11.. It kinder hardens as well as' hates." All of which leads me to sec- ond your new sister's advice. When I was many years younger and many pounds lighter than I am now, and not nearlyy, so busy with other matters, I took a keen delight in training young cooks. Now I insist that those I engage shall know their busi- ness. I may add that I have been fortunate in Inspiring them with the belief that I know it even better than they can ever do. This should U0 your first step in the training proem. Let the woman understand that you are wiser in your generation than she is in hers. ARRANGE YOUR KITCHEN Arrange your kitchen to suit your- self before Installing her. Have pot closets, erOCkery shslveS, ere., in order, dish towels in their place and plentyof them, and the range all right as to draughts and pipes. Leave no room for grumbling and no dirt and trash for her to clean away. Go over each de- partment with her to show her that 011 1s decentand in order and that yon ex- pect It to be kept thus. If she be a novice in trio management of the gas or coal range, lnstruet Lar gently and clearly on these points. In giving orders for meals see that silo knows exactly what eke is to under- take. If she be absolutely Inexperienced in the preparation of a dlsll, tell ber that you will be 1n the kitchen at a certain time to show her how it in to be done. Direct her as -to the materials, to be used and that sho must have thein ready against your coming. This is an important step. Make it clear from the start, and keep it before )ler to the finish, that every ingredient Is to bo weighed or meas- ured. Be punctilious in your practice of what you preach in this direction.. Ten Iter that really competent cooks never "guess"; that this is the trick of the careless and the boast of the ignorant. Begin with simple dishes, and let your share in the manufacture of them be as carefully performed as if you were upon your promotion. When she has done a thing properly, praise her and encourage her to repeat it. Be content for a few weeks to have less variety than you and John would like, that the learn- er may advance upon firm ground. ,If sho fail, explain why the disaster has come to her, and show her how 'to avoid it in future. Let hor try again the luckless dish while the lesson is In her mind. As she learns how to obey your orders implicitly, teach her to follow written recipes. I. bold this to be a n0Ce0sary qualification in a cook. Some become excellent workers through the ability and willingness to do it. Others—usu- ally the "settled women"—never acquire the art. I dined one day with a young house- keeper who had for cook a girl of 16 THE HOUSEMOTHERS' EXCHANGE f"! 0 THE housemother who loves pretty things and cannot afford to buy many of them an Illinois member has something t0 say, and says it well: A pretty end novel portiere may be made by muting scr5ps 01. colored or black silks. velvets or worsteds, as for rag earpeling. T1110 done, make long strings of strong Innen thread, run one end through the eye of a largo carpet needle; string the strips, "hit or miss," on the thread, shirring them by running the thread through the middle of oaeh and shoving them down close to- gether. The shorter the strips the prettier ,0111 be the shirred ropes. • Sicxl, make a loop In one end of each tering, and bang the strings up on the cur- tain pole. I make them short In the mid- dle of the pole, and graduate them toward each side, entlh they almost touch the neer ne the casings of the door. 50500 the strings long enough to make tassels at the end b doubling the strands several times, anti ,you have a tassel of She right piss; Then tie a striate around the bunch hbeet two inches from 1110 100, Make it Mtn by sowing all 1.0 the control string. With tiny 10000 fasten each striae to the curtain rod, so ,that 1. Will not slip. Ar- reng0 the 5lrings about two inehee 0110.rt. Now, 11av0 ready another strand long 00000 to feeteee from Oraltoend 01 1.110 0010. and make 100118 In this nbotlt five (001105 9 art, 'rtiere 1 is 10ae yell bare a much proffer 0ffair, a than a Ohenp 0060. or aapnnos0 affair, And 1t 00005 nothing, it Is good rainy day dr ovetleg Work, and dee, not try the h eyes. ent the 0nSfly a ed: limes, and ri rho children 111 annoy the .part Of Mande thorn, 3f you wish to hove the 8(81168 altalike,-. the 1110000 of mut teller that 310n stlw 10001. 00p1 the ftr't sono, and 11101 want and 050001. tltom I0 hexes Or "Mirk them oaeh ewer separate—and work from (1080. It in quite children pretty to Lav 110 1301 110110rn,-056 the clullil won can d0 0.1 0110 otrinkl]1g 1106 ohlrrmg. It 108On00 thorn varloa0 things, too. Try 101 Another housewifely hint: It you have n0 chopping -knife, or the old one is dull, make a holo In the bottom of an empty ono - pound baking powder can. to permit the air to pass out, and use 1t for a chopper. Of Coarse, tit° top must have been out oft neat - 1y, leaving the edges clean. It ismuch better than a meat -cutter for cabbage and apples, and does not leave the tanto of iron, as the ellOppin ienit0 d0 -¢s,, . It ytg-(0 .6.. ' t. - !Advice to Students 'A mother consults us with regard to a problem that is engaging hundreds Of other minds. She begins her letter with advice to the young student who Staf- fers from chronic drowsiness and who sonnet fix her mind upon her studies for any length of time; btv 001111501 to "M. IO. S." would be 50 go to bed immediately alter supper, then arise and study in the early morning hours. Let her take a Walk before achool, eat something, hetore she beginsto study. oar, et.4 ocloelt A. M.. and the regular breakfaet nater the walk. Let me say here that I think our high 001,0018 require too much of growing children. 1f we only knew what mediae would he of use to them In after life end what then might 5o weal fnngol, thele 100105 would not he 10 burdensome 5nel WOwould b0 easter In mind. When me eldest eon Wan 10 I w001d have gond through 910 and water to Snit forth my. hove 11110001, high Woad. I could not send the aider of the TWO, but the second son Was graduated. Ms brother learned at trade, etudying at night along the linea of that trade, and is now 5,0a10tant fore- man, with the nropeecet et rising 51111 higher. The 000011,1 000, at. Ino ago of 22, Is still undetermine,u Whet to take up es Lia 11MVOw0, 7 may :Mange my mind again in 1110 11011rs0 of limo but now X think it 1055er to put a boy who has to make its living from the start through the common school, and then have him learn a trade. I used 0, fancy that they could learn trades after graduation from the high school. 1 find It doesn't work that way. The high school graduate won't lower himself to do a boy's work, and even should he Overcome his pl9de, nobody wants to em0lgy him. The younger boyo aro preferred. ' I wish other parents would "free their minds" upon this vital question. There Is no doubt that a vast deal of theknowledge learned from the text- books in use i15 our public schools is of no practical value to the average work- ing man in after lite. If the boy have it bias for mechanics, is it not possible for some system of examinaton to re- veal this to the instructor, and the coureo of study to be conducted along lines that will develop and utilize that iolent? It Is easier to criticise than to sug- gest a cure for any evil, But I am con- vinced that the :Placidly uppermost in this mother's thoughts is a stumbling block to many another, when she w0nid fain lend unqualified approval to exist Ing methods of education, and feel that her children are working brains and taxing nerves to the extreme of safety In directions that will insure them sue - cess in manhood and womanhood, In brief, that each ehlld 10 learning what will be of absolute advantage to flim in after life. "Invalid's" Query Answered I send herewith recipe for whole wheat bread asked for by Anemic lnvand," She stipulates that It shall not contain Yeast, Recipe for 'GVhole Wheat Bread. 1 Sift two cups of flour with two tea- ' snoontula of baking powder and a quarter I teaspoonful of baking soda; add a salt - spoonful of salt and two teaspoonfuls of 00gar, Make into a stilt dough with two. cups of sweet milk, and steam for two - 101100 and a half, Rub a little butter over the loaf and bake for 1,011 an hour, This In nlo0 for dyspeptics and for table use -1f sliced and set In the oven until a light brown. May I suggest to the anomie invalid to ' drink rotting at meals or for nn hour be. fore end after menlO? Rut she should drink at least two quarts of watera day between meals. Sip a glass of cold water et rising In the morning, Cultivate deep breathing, and (00,0150 as muga es your strength will venni!: but do not get over - fatigued. Avoid sweets and sourfoods— Mich Best as pickles; eat little ment . lamb and poultry are host for you, Mas- lirnto Ihnroughly. Rorer eat more than three Blade of Mood et one meal, and de not overeat, open }hose. 'Without being captiolts, tray I Inquire why you use soda In addition to the baking p01V4er? I do not think I have ever met with another realm that calls for both, unless, indeed, sour milk Were one of the ingredients. 1 see noth- ing in the other ar110100 enumerated that would seem to require the a1ka15 as a eorrectivo. Your advice In the main 18 exeelieht Magazines to Give Away I hevo magazines which some country. member might like to have, It she to w111 - Ing to pay the freight, I will pack them in n box and pay for sending them to the freight office here. I used to send all the back numbers to an aunt who lived far away' from civilization. She appreciated them highly, She Is ho longer living, and 1 have an accumulation of good reading- matter which I shall be happy to Ms - Another Recipe Furnished I saw some time ago a reavest for ma110d buttermilk. I inclose mine and hope It will vlease the Maris! 55 It does my family. h ll'Lulled Buttermilk. Put ono and a halt 05art0 Of fresh but- termilk anon the afore to hent, Add to it an•gg beaten Huth. with half a cObtul of sugar and nutmeg to taste, .Boil up once and take from the fire, It Is good hot or cold. Baked Omelet. Here 1s a reelpe. for baked omelet whleh We consider very flnel Beat tour eggs 'IVY 110)10, With 000 tablespoonful of 1101101 add a tabteOpocnful or mated butter, a pinch 01 salt an a ov of sweet monk. p p Beat Nell and Mit - Into aheated and buttered baking dish. Bake gquickly aid serve immediately, lira 1a soon tall& .-- Waterproof Cement Yea nett In the Exchahgo If rho 00inent5 for wade, 1 0505 recipes W111 wilhstnnd )heat and water? Seine klndo achina will when mended. Othere w111 not, I broke a h05,155me t01teher belonsing (0 It toilet set. I eamted the edges o2 the fracture with white enamel and 0tted the Pieces into place. When 11. was dry I ualnted all around t05 crack, without and within, cad let it dry for some Ive0lts be- fore using It. It has been 1n constant nae over since. I keep 1t 1,111 of water. It itelther cracks nor 1 and tho crack hardly allows at„ ally Using Salts of Lemon I accidentally upset a bottle of 11010 11000 a tnhlecllolh. I have tried 500011,1 doter- eives an, bad the Moth washed, but the stain la little fainter, How should T use 05:10 of 100On? I have been told to apply 11 to rust quota. b0t_S le not 1nn01$ how to do this, • Soak the cloth all night 1n buttermilk, or In s015r 101110. If you have neither, soak in water made sour with lemon juice Or With tllrou lift1ot tartar. s and lay in Morning sun. Wet the gaols hourly With lemon Juice or rub in cream of tar- tar. Ringo at night and pot again 1.in soak as before, Then wash in the usual way. To apply salts of lemon, wet the spots, rub in all the salts they will hold, and lay in the sun, renewing the applica- tion 0ever0l truce, tulwayS Tinkling before rabbing In 0 fresh supply. For Tarnished Brass -' SIMWIIl soap and ammonia will cure the worst cases of tarnished Dross, Jusi molston n cloth with ammonia, rub it briskly over the punt. lee soap and then apply 10 the article to be :leaned. The operation is a girn- p:e and easy one, and the lOalrlla are lminodiato and Most satisfactory. aaretu-•ka q. -a Swede. 3 praised an Indian -nook pudding set before us. I "11, is ono of your own reelpes," was the laughing reply, "My cook never• made It: until today, 11115 knows Just enough to obey a reelptt" I carte Lama and )old the recipe— forgotten by myself until it was re. Cal/ed by my hostrss---bcfore my cook. The result was gond, but not what it should be. 11'epalred to the kltehen and held a colloquy with the ctlief In entitle and, "You put too nutria molasses 1n," I informed her, "lou did not measure 1t." "No mahtm—" reluctantly. "11ut I thought I put about enough." That - sante "thought" and "about enough" are the stumbling -blocks with hun- dreds of housewives and cooks, Abol-• ish them from the kltcllen dictionary. Insist that nothing be wasted. Ism glad that you are a 000110laseur In made dishes, That 15 but another name for "lett-overs," Teach your neophyte the dignity at economy and the vulgarity of wastefulness. And let us hear hon' you aro getting on. if you anti other young 1101100- wlvCs W110 knew how to use the pen would give us true pictures of your trials and triumpbs, title would be the banner School for ITouaewlves In all America. FAMILY MEALS FOR A WEEK SUNDAY 1311EA1(S'AST, Grapefruit, cracked wheat and cream, colt's brains breaded and fried, graham gems, toast, tea and coffee. LUNCHEON, 1001 loaf, baked tomato toast, banana end white grape salad with mayonnaise, lemon sponge with cookies, tea. DINNER. Dream of spinach soup, roast lamb. green. peas. whipped potatoes, queen of puddings, black coffee. MONDAY RIlEAT{I'AST. Bananas And ereet0, cereal and cream, salt mackerel with white sauce, potato coke, toast, tea and. mates. LI'NCI1EO5. Veal loot warlOOd up with tomato 60005. (a kit -aver). haln•d putatocs, water 01100 salad with French d,•erstog, tnasl.ui cm01t- rr0 and ehtese, sard5no saldlllrhes, caka and chocolate, DINNER. Rmwned polnto soup: lamb 0000uctten screed upon savory rice to lett-0101 , souf- fle C green peas (a left -over), junket ons cake, black coffee. TUESDAY IIItEAI>3°AST, Oranges, hammy and cream. heron and eggs, b'renvh 50110 u'Obeatedl, toast, tea and eoire0. LUNCHEON. Baked welsh rabbit. stewed potatoes hominy pudding (n left -twill. lettuce s:la,l, with crackers, baked custards, tea. DINNI.IR. Macaroni soup with Parmesan cheese, beefsteak and onions, sweet potatoes, stria beans, bread pudding and hard sauce, black coffee. WEDNESDAY ' • BREAN1AST. Fruit, cereal 5nd e.0eam, Lorne and triad 5,100:0, mudlns, toast, tea and cotteo, LUNCHEON. Savory stow of bref and macaroni (a left- over), potatoea a la lye/ionise, leth,ce mid string bean salad, hot ,.gingerbread and. cheese, lea DINNER. Cream of celery soup, lamb's liver en. casserole, brussels sprouts,tuffed p da - toes, tapioca and rhubarb pudding, black.. coffee. THURSDAY B12EAICbeAST, Oranges, 000001 and cream, poach0,1 eggs m1. 1.0001, cornmeal mualns, tea and 1101110, LUNCHEON, Minced liver (a left -over), 'brussels. sprouts with sauce piquant° (a lett-over), fried hominy, dg and date pudding with liquid sauce. tea, DXNN1bR. Gravy soup with noodles, boiled leg or mutton, yoan turnips, spina1h, baked In- dian meal pudding 105th cream sauce, black • coffee, FRIDAY BREAI{FAST. Grapefruit, oatmeal jelly and cream. butter ash (fried), quick biscuits, toast, tea and coffee. LUNCHEON. Omelet with oyster sauce, fried potatoes, lettuce salad with rreneh dressing, graham bread and cream cheese aandwlches, choco- late cake and lemonade, .DINNER, Clam. broth w'Ith whipped creamon tem baked bluefish. 0pin00h 0nufae to tett-Over). stashed and browned potatoes, orange pie, black coffee, SATURDAY BISI,AI{SAST. 1011111, cereal and 0000,0, fried baron and 5110150, 01113' 1unn, 10001, tea 5130 00(105, LUNCHEON. Creamed fish (a left -ever), duchesse pota- toes (a tett-over), 'celery and endive salad, toasted 0000kers with meant cheese and bar - le -apo nlarmalado. cream puffs, tea. DINNER, Soup n 1a r1ase with poached eggs on. top, -steamed leg of mutton (a lett'over), ermined young °mous, baited bananas, baked caramel custards and cake, black 0oIIoe, Washing Woolen G arnnents THD very best way to wash sweat - ors, babies' sacques; ]oggins and afghans—in Fant, all gat•menta kneeled or crocheted -of wool 110 to sew the article in a bag of eheeseeloth or- mosquito rmosquito netting. Then Wash the bag, with Its contents, in soft water with a. good white soap. '11115 water must 110t. be cold; neither moat 1t be very hot, and, of course, the soap must never be. rubbed into the bag, the water being: soaped beforehand.. - After rinsing In several waters, which. must be of the same temperature as the, soapy water, rlp the garment front the. bag, but do not bang It on a Iino to clry; illy It tat on a table without. stretching; place in the air to dry; it colored, avoid the aun)igllt, as it will: fade It. Some ammonia 10 tho water helps to ]seep wool garments soft, 'rho diens- Ileitis experience that many people have had in washing 01paters Is duo to the; fact that they wring anti stretch 1110535„ 10111011 should never be done. S1mhiiy Ornalt the flag t0 squeeze Ont the watcrp, but do not wring. 1