OUR BABIES

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 169, 22 March 1915, Page 7

OUR BABIES

(Published -by request of the Taihape Plunket Nurse Society.) OATCAKE, ROLLED OATS, ETC. The following letter was receive! a short time ago: "Kindly answer in pour correspondence column under "Our Babies," the correct way to make the Scotch oatcake and other preparations as recommended by your society towards the eud of last year and oblige. The subject under comment was Children's Teeth,' ai.d th e relation of hard chewiitg whicL- was lecommehded, and the eating of soft foods, such as porridge', which was condemned. The way most people make oatcake with fiat and oatmeal was also condemned. Any good recipe for the preparation of oatmeal and ryemeal, barley, and wheatmeal will be gladly accepted. How is ryebread or biscuits mt;de? Does rolled oats contain the same amount of nutriment as oatmeal? It is of a whiter colour when cooked, skowng that the t/:an is probably takea out oi it." REPLY. "So far as nutriment is concerned, there i s not much to choose between porridge and oatcake, or between porri(\2'a made with oatmeal on the one hand or with rolled oats on the other. The main claim for rolled oats is that in the process of rolling under very hiih treasure the starch grains are crushed in a way that causes the meal when boiled to become soft and palatable more readily than is the case with ordinary oatmeal. However, many pecplo still prefer oatmeal, and I do not think there is anything to show that porridge made in the old-fashion-ed way by prolonged boiling of ordin-ary-oatmeal is excelled by any of the innovations cf the last 20 years.though they are for the most part decidedly more expensive. The question is mainly one of taste. Some cf the mere refined and costly are decidedly less complete foods than oat-, meal, to the removal of a good deal of the outer fatty and albuminous portions cf the grain. Further, the more refined products tend to be less satisfactory as laxative than common oatmeal. "The following recipe f,or rye Ureau is given in 'How to Cook for the Sick and Convalescent,' by Helena V. Sochte, of Philadelphia. I have not tried the recipe, but think it may be relied on: RYE BREAD. . One full cup (half-pint) ' milk. One full cup (half-pint) boiled water Half-ounce compressed yeast-cake. One level teaspoonful salt. Three pints sifted rye dour. Mould into the shape desired., and place in two greased bread-pans. Cover, and stand again in a warm place until it doubles its bulk. This will take about an hour. Then Ijnish the top with cold water, prick in several places with a fork, and bake in a slow oven about an hour. Turn from the pans and cool. Whole wheat bread may be made in the same way by merely substituting whole wheatflour for rye flour. NOTE IN MAKING BREADS OP ALL KINDS. Usually each pint of liquid will require three pints of sifted flour. Flour;; vary slightly, but this will form- a good iguide. There are now a large 1 number of kneading machines ,ar bread-mixers, on the market, at a moderate cost. They are a great convenience, especially for.anyone not accustomed to kneading bread. Put the milk in a bowl and pour in the boiling 'water'. When lukewarm add the salt and the' yeast, which has been dissolved in one tablespoonful of cool water. Add one cup of rye flour and beat thoroughly about five minutes. Cover and let stand in a warm place (75de'g. P.) about two and a-half hours. Then continue adding rye flcur until thick enough to turn from the bowl and knead on a board. Knead until soft and elastic." It must not be supposed that rye is as nutritious a grain as wheat or oats; but, en the othe)' hand, the quantity of nutritive material in a pound cf .food is not by any means the only standard bp "which to judge of its suitability in the rearin|g of children: Bread, along with oatcake and porridge, is rightly regarded as the staff of life for our race; but rye bread fortes a valuable' change fc\r occasional use, and it has been noted that people living habitually on hard, coarse rye bread tend to have exceptionally good teeth. Children, if not spoiled by beinj? pampered with sweet cakes, sweet biscuits, etc., tend to enjoy a change to rye bread, and It is a threat pity that much ( more whole meal bread is not used, White bread is tasteless stuff alongside these more simple foods, which have the further advantage of giving more exercise in mastication. It is easier to train a child to chew plain rye bread or plain whole meal bread than it is to ensure the chewing of white bread, for the simple reason that one can get the full flavour of the coarser breads only by thorough chewirag and mastication; whereas in the case of highly-refined bread, there is almost no flavour to extract, and the child is habiouated to have a flavourir(? matter spread on the surface, which will come off when merely sucked. RAW APPLES FOR EXERCISE. Tried by the test of direct nutritive value, apples are almost valueless —at least, they are a most costly form of

food at ordinary prices. A pound "' flour or oatmeal contains about 10 times as much food as a pound of a; pies, yet when aples arc cheapest tin-; sell at about the price of flour, and when dear they cost three or four time as much. Yet raw apples are invaluable, especialy for children, and should form a part of the daily food, being given at the close of at le-.sl one meal a day. Used in this way. ntieaten without peeling, tbey not only o-ive good exercise for jaws and teeth. but they also cleanse the mouth and teeth by causing a free flow of saliva. Every family should have a few good apple trees wherever possible, and where people cannot grow their own apples they can usually lay in a supply in the country at anything from Id to 2d a pound, if they will only be thrifty enough to secure them at the proper season by the case. Stored in boxes in a cool, damp place under the house, any suitable keeping apple will remain sound and good for six months or more, otherwise they may be scarce ly fit to eat in a month.