Domestic

New Zealand Tablet, 17 June 1915, Page 57

Domestic

(By Maureen.)

: -2- KITCHEN ECONOMIES. \ ■„ There is hardly a household in the land where some economies have not had to be 'practised since the war broke out, but in none are they more difficult to make than in homes in which even before the war all expenses were on a modest scale, and the balancing of income and expenditure has always been a rather difficult problem (says a writer in Farm, Field, Fireside). With prices of all necessaries of life considerably higher than usual, and incomes generally considerably lower, it becomes extremely difficult to make both ends meet. First I want to make some suggestions as to how a thrifty housewife may meet the rise in prices without making any very apparent changes in the family menus. It must be remembered that any visible curtailment of supplies is likely to have a depressing effect on the spirits, which in itself is a fruitful cause of indigestion, and lessens the value of what has been provided. So first I would say, don't make fewer cakes, puddings, stews, etc., but just add to your own favorite recipes a slightly larger proportion of flour, breadcrumbs, vegetables, or whatever happens to be the less costly ingredient in the dish in question, but which probably is quite rich in real nutriment. With clothes, furniture, etc., the simplest way to economise is not to buy them, but to make old things do, yet with food it must always be a question of lessening the proportionate amount for the more expensive articles used. For inr stance, in my own recipe for Christinas puddings, breadcrumbs are used instead of flour. So this year I bought all the ingredients as usual, but I used half as many ' breadcrumbs again as usual, with the result that I made six puddings instead of five, and I don't thing any of my family were aware of the difference !

: Then in making ; a large rice or sago pudding; .sub-1 stitute, ■ perhaps, about one quarter of a pint of water in place of so much milk,.or use an ounce or two dess of dripping, butter or lard* to the pound of flour. In making your pastry, put .a little less sugar ‘in : the pies or puddings, and one egg less, and a little , more baking powder instead- in your cakes; and you will find all these small economies constantly "practised go further to reduce the weekly expenses than the more usual; plan of not cooking, but leaving the family hunger to be satisfied on bread and butter for two out of the three meals a day. Bacon is very dear, but a small quantity goes quite a long way if potatoes are fried with it, either in the form, of scones, or by themselves. Cheese, also is dear, and makes the bread and cheese supper (especially where butter is freely used too) father an extravagance than an economy, but if a small quantity of grated cheese is added to a dish, of boiled macaroni, spaghetti, or rice, with a . small piece of butter and salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste, and either served on rounds of toast

or browned in the oven, though this needs more firing, which in the evening can sometimes be saved, a nourishing and very appetising dish is provided at a very small cost.

Meat is one of the articles in which the rise in price is very considerable, but as nearly all our doctors are agreed that we have been in the habit of eating a great deal too much, that need not worry us. We can economise and benefit our health -at the same time. Hut if we lessen our consumption of meat we must, be careful to use a sufficient quantity of one or other of its efficient substitutes, which are cheese, beans, peas, eggs, milk, and last, -but not least, oatmeal, these being the only foods which contain somewhat similar amounts of proteids or body-building material.

Household Hint.

To Clean Lamp Chimneys. is not difficult if you set about it in the right way. An excellent plan is to hold them in the steam from a boiling kettle, rub them dry with a cloth, and polish with a soft newspaper.