Barley Water.
Wash the barley carefully. Pour over it the boiling water. Let it simmer for two hours. Strain and sweeten with a pinch of sugar of milk.
Milk-Sugar Water.
Dissolve, and keep closely covered. It will not keep long, so should be made when required to use.
Lime Water.
Take a lump of lime weighing about one ounce. Put in a bottle with a quart of cold water (which has beenboiled). Shake the bottle well until the lime is dissolved, and let it stand for 12 hours. Pour the clear liquid into another bottle, being careful not to disturb the sediment. Keep carefully corked. Water will only absorb a certain quantity of lime, so there is no danger of its being too strong.
As cow's milk is more difficult to digest than mother's milk, it is sometimes necessary to substitute barley water in place of the lime water and milk, using the same amount of cream as given in recipe.
Malted Food.
Mix the flour to a paste with a little water, gradually add a quart of the water; put it in a double boiler and boil 10 minutes. Dissolve the malt extract in 4 tbsps. of the water (cold). Lift out the inner vessel and add the malt and remainder of the cold water. Let it stand 15 minutes, replace, and boil again for 15 minutes. Strain through a wire gauze strainer. (Half this quantity may be made.)
This preparation is used when both barley water and lime-water disagree. It must always be given with milk. It prevents the large tough curds forming, which is such an objectionable feature in using cow's milk.
Peptonized Milk.
In cases of especially weak digestion it may be necessary to peptonize the milk, which may be done as follows: Add 5 grains of extract of pancreas and 15grains of baking soda to 1 pint of milk. (Tablets of pancreatin and soda may be used.)
After adding the peptonizing material put the milk in a double boiler or in a vessel which may be set in a larger one, holding water, as hot as the hand can bear being dipped into quickly, or about 115° Fah. Leave the milk in the hot water about 20 minutes, then place on the ice. If heated too long the milk will taste bitter.
The preparation given in recipe No. 1, or with the barley water added, may be peptonized.
Sterilized or Pasteurized Milk.
(See Milk, Chapter V.)
Put the amount of milk required for a meal into pint or half pint bottles, allowing for the number of times the child is to be fed in 24 hours. Use cotton batting as a stopper. Place a wire frame, or invert a perforated tin pie plate, in the bottom of a saucepan; stand the bottles on this, pour around them enough water to come well above the milk, cover the saucepan or kettle, and when the water boils lift the saucepan from the fire and allow the bottles to remain in the hot water for 1 hour. Keep in the ice box or stand them in cold water until needed. If milk is to be used during a long journey it will be necessary to repeat the above operation three times, letting the milk cool between each time.
Unless the milk is perfectly fresh, and has been handled with great care, it is safer to sterilize or pasteurize it. The former, if any doubt is entertained as to the quality of the milk, the latter in every case.
Temperature of Food.
Food should be "milk warm," or about 99° Fah., when given to a baby. Hot food is very injurious.
Nursing Bottles and Feeding.
Have two plain bottles with rubber tops,without tubes. Bottles with ounces and tablespoonfuls marked on them can be purchased, and are a great convenience in measuring the amount of food required.
After using the bottle, empty the remaining milk; rinse in cold water, then inscalding water.
If particles of milk adhere to the bottle use coarse salt or raw potato cut in small pieces. If the glass looks cloudy, add a little ammonia to the water. Turn the rubber tops inside out and scrub with a stiff brush; boil them every alternate day for 10 minutes.
Absolute cleanliness is a necessityin the care of a baby's food, bottles and rubber tops.
The bottle should be held, while the baby is feeding, in such a position that the top is full of milk. If air is sucked in with the milk stomach-ache will likely result.
Starchy food should not be given to a child until it is able to masticate. (See digestion of starch, Chap. VIII.)
Arrowroot, cornstarch, rice, etc.,must not be given to infants.
Flour Ball.
Put a bowlful of flour into a strong cloth, tie it up like a pudding, and place it in a kettle of boiling water. Boil for 10 or 12 hours. When boiled turn it out ofthe cloth and cut away the soft outside coating. When cool, grate the hard inside portion and use a teaspoonful at each feeding, for a baby 8 months old, increasing the amount for an older child. This may be prepared in the same manner as cornstarch or flour. The long boiling converts the starch into dextrine, which is more easily digested than starch. This is especially valuable in cases of diarrhœa, and may be used instead of barley gruel as a food.
Oatmeal Gruel.
Pound a cupful of oatmeal in a pestle or on a bread board. Put in a bowl and pour over it 1 pint of cold water. Stir it up, then let the mixture settle for a few minutes. Pour off the milky fluid, repeat this process. Boil this water for an hour, adding a pinch of salt, and use it to dilute the milk instead of water.
A thicker gruel may be made from oatmeal by allowing 1 tablespoonful to a cup of boiling water. Let it boil 1 hour, then strain through a wire strainer.
Farina Gruel.
Cook for 20 minutes; use as directed for oatmeal.
Beef Juice.
(See page 145.)
Beef juiceis sometimes ordered for delicate babies. For a child 9 months old, 1 or 2 tablespoonfuls may be given once a day.
Albuminized Food.
When milk cannot be taken, albuminized food proves an excellent substitute.
Shake the white of 1 egg with 1/2 a pint of water (filtered or boiled and cooled) in a glass jar until they are thoroughly mixed. Add a few grains of salt.
Children do not require a great variety in their food. Give one article of diet at a time and see how it agrees before trying another.
After a child is a year old the various cereals may be given as porridge instead of gruel, with the addition of a little sugar.
Remember, all cereals should be thoroughly cooked (see page 83).
Biscuits.
Gluten, soda, oatmeal or Graham biscuits may be soaked in milk or given alone. Do not give the fancy or sweet biscuits to young children.
Eggs.
A properly boiled egg (see page 69) may be given every alternate day to a child 1 year old.
Junket.
Junket is much better for young children than custards or puddings, and sometimes agrees well with babies.
Take 1 pint of milk, heat it to 98° Fah., or milk warm. Add 1 teaspoonful of rennet and 1 teaspoonful of sugar.Stir all together and let it stand in a warm place until it becomes as thick as jelly. Remove at once to a cool place or whey will appear.
Baked Potatoes.
Potatoes should not be given to a child under 2 years old in any other form than baked. The potash salts are the most valuable constituent, and are lost when they are peeled and boiled. They should be dry and mealy. A little salt, butter or cream should be added.
Macaroni.
(See page 85.)
Macaroni is an excellent food for young children.
Fruit.
Baked apples and the juice of an orange are the only fruits which should be given to children under two years of age.
Rice.
Rice is an excellent food for young children, but not for infants.
Ventilation.
Foul air is injurious to grown persons, but it is infinitely more dangerous to the sensitive organization of a child. Therefore special attention should be given to the ventilation of rooms occupied by a baby (see page 132).
Fresh air, wholesome food, regular bathing, and plenty of sleep will insure the normal growth of the average baby, and are within reach of every one who has the care of young children.
The writer is indebted to Miss Scovil, Superintendent of Newport Hospital, and one of the associate editors of theLadies' Home Journal, for many of the above hints concerning the diet of infants.
Emergencies.
As frequent accidents occur during the performance of household duties, a few suggestions as to how slight injuries should be treated may prove useful to the young housekeeper.
Cuts.—A cut should be washed with cold water, covered with a small pad of cotton, bound up, and left alone. Should matter form, the bandage must be taken off, the wound bathed with carbolized water, 1-80, and a little carbolized vaseline spread on a bit of linen and laid over it. The washing and dressing should be repeated two or three times a day if there is much discharge.
Bruises.—A flannel wrung out of very hot water, and laid on a bruise, relieves the soreness.
For bruises on the face, apply ice. Brown paper wet in vinegar is an old-fashioned remedy. If the skin is broken, treat as a wound, with carbolized water and carbolized vaseline.
Sprains.—Both hot and cold treatment is recommended. Immerse the joint in water as hot as can be borne. Keep up the temperature by gradually adding more hot water. Let it soak for an hour or more. Then wrap in warm flannel, and surround with hot water bags or bottles.
Stings.—Bathe the part in ammonia, or baking soda and water; wet a cloth in the same, and bind over it.
Burns.—The best household remedies for burns are baking soda and carbolized vaseline. For slight burnsmix the soda to a paste with water, and spread thickly over the part; cover with linen or old cotton. This may be kept wet by squeezing water over it. If shreds of clothing adhere to a burn, they should be soaked with oil, and not pulled off until softened. If the skin is gone, spread carbolized vaseline on linen, and bind on the part until the doctor arrives.
In burns caused by acids, water should not be applied to the parts. Cover with dry baking soda.
If caused by an alkali, such as lye, ammonia, or quick-lime, use an acid, as vinegar or lemon juice, diluted.
Poisoning.—For poison ivy, saturate a cloth in a solution of baking soda, or ammonia and water, and lay over the part.
When poison has been swallowed, the first thing to do is to get it out of the stomach. Secondly, to prevent what remains from doing more mischief. Give an emetic at once. One tbsp. of salt in a glass oftepidwater; 1 tsp. of mustard, or 1 tsp. of powdered alum in a glass of tepid water. A tsp. of wine of ipecac, followed by warm water. Repeat any of these three or four times if necessary. The quantities given are for children; larger doses may be given to adults. It is well to give a dose of castor oil after the danger is over, to carry off any remnants of the poison that may have lodged in the intestines.
After a poison has burned the mouth and throat, plenty of milk may be given, also flour, arrowroot, or cornstarch gruel.
For drowning and other serious accidents, see Public School Physiology.
FURNISHING A CLASS-ROOM.
The furnishing of a class-room should be so complete that each pupil should be able to attend to the appointed task without delay. The furniture should consist of a stove, or range, gas stove if more convenient, a hot water tank or boiler, sink, table (side), towel rack, 2 dozen chairs, or seats with tablet arms, a cupboard or kitchen "dresser" for table ware, a large cupboard or arrangement for lockers, in which caps, aprons, etc., should be kept, a large table—horseshoe shape is the most satisfactory—with drawers, and space for rolling pin, bread board, etc., underneath. The table should be large enough to allow at least 2 ft. 6 in. for each pupil. Twenty pupils is the limit of a practice class. On the table should be placed at regular intervals, 10 gas burners with frame. The teacher's table should stand in the opening at the end of the table so that she may see each pupil while at work, and when demonstrating may be seen by each pupil.
The following list of utensils will be found sufficient for practice work for a class of 20 pupils.
Earthen, China and Glass Ware.
Woodenware.
Agate Ware.
Iron Ware.
Tin and Wire Ware.
Miscellaneous.
While this may seem a formidable list, it will not be found expensive. Some of the above articles may be omitted and others substituted. It must be remembered that the utensils will be well cared for, consequently will last for many years. In country schools, or where gas is not available, oil stoves may be used. In some schools, where space is limited, one small table is used, two or more pupils demonstrating the lesson under the supervision of the teacher, the pupils taking this duty in alternation. The remainder of the class observe and take notes.
The cost of material is trifling. It should not average more than fifty cents per pupil per annum, and for a large number should average less than this amount.
The Boston school kitchens are, many of them, furnished at a cost of from $200 to $300. A fair average cost for Ontario should be about $175.
During the last quarter of school work each pupil should submit a typical menu for breakfast, dinner and supper, allowing for a certain number of people. Consider the occupation, and give reasons for the choice of food for each meal.
State how long it should take to prepare the meal, and give the cost. Insist upon variety in menus, and request the pupil to describe how the meal should be served.System, neatness and promptness should be especially emphasized. Clean table linen—no matter how coarse—is possible for every one. A dish of fruit or flowers, if only a bunch of green foliage, improves the appearance of the table.
During the school course a special lesson should be devoted to setting the table and serving meals, with and without a waitress, so as to give a knowledge of how a meal should be served, no matter what the pupil's position in life may be or what part she may have to perform.
A Few General Hints on Setting the Table.
Although every housekeeper has her own method for serving meals, a few general principles govern all properly regulated service. When setting the table, cover first with a canton-flannel or felt cloth, in order to prevent noise and protect the table. Place each article in its proper place and not in a confused "jumble." See that the tablecloth is spread smoothly, that the corners are of equal length, that the crease—if the cloth has been folded instead of rolled—is exactly in the centre. Place the fruit or flowers in the centre of the table.
For each person place knife, spoon and glass on the right, fork and napkin on the left. Place the glass at the point of the knife. Turn the edge of the knife towards the plate and the fork tines up, the spoon with the bowl up. If soup is to be served, place a square of bread or a roll on top of the napkin or between the folds. Place the pepper and salt at the corners of the table, unless individual salts are used, when they should be placed at the head of the plates, where the dessert spoon may be placed—the handle towards the right—for convenience.
The general rule in serving simple family meals, with or without a waitress, is for the hostess to serve the porridge and coffee at breakfast; the soup, salad and dessert at dinner, and pour the tea at the evening meal. When luncheon is served in the middle of the day the hostess usually does the greater part of the serving, as luncheon is considered to be the most informal meal of the day.
A Few Hints for Waitresses.
Learn to move quickly and quietly. Be scrupulously clean and neat in every detail of dress and habit. Before serving a meal see that hands and finger nails are clean. Always have a fresh white apron ready to put on before the meal is announced. Look over the table and see that everything is in its place before announcing a meal. Fill the glasses with water either before the family enter the dining room or immediately after they are seated. Lift the covers from hot dishes and turn them over at once in order to prevent the steam from dropping on the cloth. Take the plate from the host or hostess, and place before each person from the right side—keep the thumb wellunder the plate. When passing anything from which the persons seated at table help themselves, such as vegetables, sauces, etc., always go to the left, so as to leave the right hand of the one to be served free. Keep a watchful eye over the table and pass anything apparently required.
Learn to receive instructions from the hostess in an undertone. Do not get excited and try to do too many things at once. It is an accomplishment to be a good waitress, as it requires special refinement and deftness, which are scarcely compatible with an untidy nature.
When serving meals without a waitress, the daughters of the house should consider it their special privilege to save the mother any annoyance or discomfort during the meal time. Never allow dishes, which have been used, to accumulate on the table or allow the table to become disordered. As much of the food as possible should be placed on the table before the family are seated, and the plates or dishes removed at once after using. No matter how simple the meal may be, every housekeeper should see that it is served neatly and on time. Teachers may exercise a far-reaching influence in the refining of home life by impressing upon the pupils the importance of these—too often considered—minor matters, and by giving minute instructions in the setting of table and serving the meal. One carefully plannedpracticelesson will convey more knowledge of such matters than any number of lectures or pages of theory.
The following menus and analyses are taken from bulletin No. 74, prepared in the United States Experiment Stations, and are inserted so as to give some idea of the cost and relative value of various foods in combination.It must be remembered that the prices given are in excess of prices in Ontario, therefore the cost per menu would be less than is given in these illustrations.The more expensive menus have been omitted. The writer of the article says:—
"In planning a well balanced diet the following points must be considered:—
(1) The use of any considerable amount of fat meat or starchy food should be offset by the use of some material rich in protein. Thus, if roast pork is to be eaten for dinner, veal, fish, or lean beef might well be eaten for breakfast or supper, or both. Bean soup furnishes a considerable amount of protein, while bouillon, consommé, and tomato soup are practically useless as a source of nutriment. Skim milk also furnishes protein, with but very little accompanying fats and carbohydrates to increase the fuel value.
(2) The use of lean meats or fish for all three meals would require the use of such foods as rice, tapioca, or cornstarch pudding, considerable quantities of sugar and butter, and more vegetables, in order to furnish sufficient fuel value.
(3) Since flour, sugar, and butter or lard enter very largely into pastries and desserts, the larger the quantitiesof these dishes that are consumed the larger does the fuel value tend to become as compared with the protein."
The principal classes of food materials may be roughly grouped as follows as regards the proportion of protein to fuel value, beginning with those which have the largest proportion of protein and ending with those which contain little or no protein:—
The Menus.
To illustrate the ways in which milk may be combined with other food materials, to form daily dietaries with about the amount of protein and the fuel value called for by the standard for men at moderate muscular work, a few menus are given in the following pages. These menus are intended to show how approximately the same nutritive value may be obtained by food combinations differing widely as regards the number, kind, and price of the food materials used to make up three daily meals. They also illustrate how the cost of the daily menu mayvary greatly with the kind and variety of materials purchased, though the nutritive value remains the same. These sample menus should not, however, be regarded as in any sense "models" to be followed in actual practice. The daily menus for any family will necessarily vary with the market supply, the season, and the relative expensiveness of different food materials, as well as with the tastes and purse of the consumers. The point to which we wish here to draw especial attention is that the prudent buyer of foods for family consumption can not afford to wholly neglect their nutritive value in making such purchases.
With reference to the following daily menus, several points must be definitely borne in mind. (1) The amounts given represent about what would be called for in a family equivalent to four full-grown men at ordinary manual labor, such as machinists, carpenters, mill-workers, farmers, truckmen, etc., according to the usually accepted standards. Sedentary people would require somewhat less than the amounts here given. (2) Children as a rule may be considered as having "moderate muscular exercise," and it may easily be understood that the 14-year-old boy eats as much as his father who is engaged in business or professional occupation, both requiring, according to the tentative standard, 0.8 of the food needed by a man with moderate muscular work. (3) It is not assumed that any housewife will find it convenient to follow exactly the proportions suggested in the menus. The purpose is to show her about what amounts and proportions of food materials would give the required nutrients.
A family equivalent to four men having little muscularexercise—i.e., men with sedentary occupation—would require but about 0.8 the quantities indicated in the following menus. It would be very doubtful, however, if they would eat proportionally less of every food material. It would, in fact, be more probable that the amounts of meat, fish, eggs, potatoes, and bread eaten would be reduced in a much greater proportion than fruit, pastry, coffee, etc.
Pecuniary Economy of Milk and Other Foods.
Amounts of actual nutrients obtained in different food materials for 10 cts.
Food Material.Lbs.Oz.WholeMilk,10cts. per qt.20""8"28""7"214""6"35""5"40""4"50Skim"3"611Skim"2"100Butter,24cts. per lb.07Cheese,16"010Beef, round,12"013" sirloin,18"09Mutton, loin,16"010Pork, salt12"013Cod, salt6"19Eggs,22cts. per doz.011Oysters,30cts. per qt.011Potatoes,60cts. per bushel100Beans, dried,8cts. per qt.28Wheat flour,3cts. per lb.35
MenuI.—For family equivalent to 4 men at moderate muscular work.
Food materials.Weight.Cost.Protein.FuelValue.Breakfast.Lbs.Oz.Cents.Pounds.Calories.Bananas, 4 (or grapes, 1 pound)146½.009362Breakfast cereal4\/ .031421Milk8} 3{ .016162Sugar1½/\...175Veal cutlets1020.200775Potatoes101½.018325Butter36...653Rolls124.0771,148Coffee...3½.010410——————————Total44½.3614,431Dinner.Pea soup:Split peas8\/ .121820Butter1} 5{...217Flour1/\ .007103Roast beef, chuck rib11221.2751,260Potatoes141⅓.022406Turnips81.00567Cottage pudding with lemon sauce:1 cup flour4\/ .028410Sugar3\/...350Butter1½/ 6½\...3251 cup milk8/\ .016162Sugar4\/...465Cornstarch1½} 2½{...172Butter½/\...108Coffee...3½.010410——————————Total41.4845,275Supper.Milk toast:Milk20\/ .066650Bread12\ 18/ .1071,356Butter4/\...869Cornstarch2/\...228Canned salmon88.098340Fried potatoes:Potatoes8\ 1/ .009162Lard½/\...132Cake64.026619Coffee or tea...3½.010410——————————Total34½.3164,766==================Total for day1201.16114,472==================Total for one Man30.2903,618