The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-01-19
WHAT SHALL WE EATi

With one Of the HARDEST winters for The
poor that has stared them In the face for
many years, and now with this cold month
Of December before them ihRall its rigor, II
behooves them to look about for something
TO eat less costly than roast beef and plum
puddings; for the two dollars day, which
some Of them seem to think would endure
forever, has been cut Of suddenly. It 10
estimated that fifty thousand persons have
been thrown out Of employment, since the
cold weather commenced, by chat caus o
alone. An equal number have been thrown
out by failures and general stagnation Of
business. It Is TO be q winter Of suffering
to those who ore depending upon the labor
of their hands for daily bread for themselves
and families. Whatever will tend, not to
cheaper food, for that we cannot hope for,
but to show them what to eat, less expen-
sive than their accustomed diet, should be
at once adopted. For this purpose we offer
few suggestions :
Fresh meat Of all kinds, at thS prices q,
which butchers nctail il, is not economical
food. Meats will average over shilling o
pound. Ssltod meats are cheaper thar
fresh. In economizing food, meat should b.
fried or boiled. If you would get the most
substance out Of fresh meat, make u into
soup, or stew, or pot-pie. In making soup
soak your meat some hours in cold water
and boil it in the same. Thicken with beans
peas, rice, barley, hominy, or broken bread.
The best meat is the most economical fol
soup. DO not buy bones.
1T you boil meat to eat, never put IL in
cold water. Let il be boiling when you pu,
the meat in the pot. Do not buy fresh mea,
a pound or two at time. Buy a quarter
or half sheep. You get Il at half price.
Beef or pork by the quarter is q quartz,
cheaper.
Do not buy your bread ready baked. I,
is sixpence q pound. Dry -four is tho same
Homemade bread is for moro nutritious
Make use Of corn meal, oat meal, Graham
flour, hominy and cracked wheat for bread
in preference to fine wheat flour, both fol
health and economy. Hero are the relative
retail prices per pound of these articles -
Wheat flour, &c. Gralhm -four, Go. /; crack.
ed wheat, &c. corn meal, 2ho.; hominy,
80. y; oat meal, 41ac. The latter is the most
nutritious breadstuff known. Look ut the
Scotch with their oat meal porridge-as ro-
bust O set Of men as ever lived.
Hominy wo have before given our opinion
upon. It Is an article that no family, desir-
GUS Of praclicing economy, can do without.
It is very cheap, healthy, nutritious food.
| II costs only half the prico per pound oil
flour, and contains no moisture, while the
best Of flour holds from twelve to sixteen
pounds of water in barrel. Cracked whoat
Is excellent for sedentary persons, That
and Graham flour should be used in prefer.
ence, at tho same prce per pound, to white
-four, because more healthy and moro nutri.
tious. One hundred pounds Of Graham -four
are worth twiceas much in o family as ono
hundred and thifty.three pounds ot super6ne
white -four. Corn meal costs less than half
the price Of flour. Il 10 worth twice as
much. Il is not so economical In summer,
because il takes so much Ere to cook it,
The first great error in corn meal Is in grind.
ing It too much, and next in not cooking il
enough. Corn.meal mush should boil two
hours; il is better IL boiled four, and not at
to cut IL boiled less than on, hour. Buck.
wheat -four should never DO purchased by q
family who are obliged to econonize food
1t is dear at any price. IL must be aoated
in dear butter to be eaten, and thon 1t tis not
healthy. Oat meat is rs good in cakes ai
buckwheat, and far more nutritious. But
| il 10 more nutritious, and Is particularly
healthy for children, in the form OF porridge
The cheapest food Is white beans. They
ore worth from Sl.50 to $2a bushel, and
retail for cents quart. Prof. Liebig ha.
stated that pork and beans form scompound
of substances peculiarly adapted 70 support
LIE, and give bons, muscle and fat, 10 prop
er proportions to man. This food will en-
able one to perform moro labor. at less cost.
than any other substance. Aquart Of beans.
cents, half ponnd Of pork, o cents, VIII
feed large family for day., WIN gooa,
strengthening food. And who tnas can
raisca "reminiscences Of old times IN We"
England. but will remember that giorion,:
old fashioned dish called bean poridge' y
We should call it bean soup now. sfour
ouarts Of beans and two pounds Of corned
beaf would give good meal to ffty men
one cent meal.
Potatoes should bc utterly abandoned BY
the poor this winter. They cannot afford 70
eat them. Potatoes are selling. ut iour dol
lars barrel That Is $l.S7 bushel. At
retail tho poor pay $2 70 bushel, or about
Eve cents pound, tw,oo tho price Of corn
meal: 6yo-sixths as much ~ 6ns four ; one
60h more bushel than beans, while one
busbel of the latter arc worth for food a.
much a. cart load Of potatoes. AL other