The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1878-03-14
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Siftings From the, Kitchen Fire.
MRS. ANNIE L.. JACK.


It is one Of the problems of domestic
economy in hearth and home consulta-
ton, "How can we save time?'' and yet
we go on, wasting the precious hours
over things of little moment; and neglect
more import duties or pleasures. I often
hear ladies' say III tho short days of win
ter, SIT seems as if we do nothing but
cook, the days are so short!' and yet
they make no effort t0=change the order
of things. My own household is reguIat-
ed by the fact that five hours Of the day
are spent in the sclloolroom, where I am
teacher to the merry group; and in the
intermission at noon, We take lunch-as
the children would do if they attended
the district-school. This, if practiced in
many houses when the children come
home ut four. in tkess afternoon, would
leave whole day for the duties of the
household, and the united family csuld
enjoy five o'clock dinner to the gratifi-
cation of the children, whose plate "kept
over " is often q burnt and tasteless re-
minder of the dinner the have missed.
In the matter Of cooking, too, am Of
ten struck with the fact that women, in
their housewives pride, spend too much
energy on their preparations for COM
pany tea, in rural place. How many of
US have hardly found time to sip our tea,
between eating our bread and butter, for
the added duty Of passing cake to our
neighbors! Not long ago, taking tea at
the house of very near and dear friend,
I was called upon to sympathizc with her
tor the misfortune of having no time to
read" The secret was revealed to me
when / found myself afterwards passing
around to those whose plates "ere almost
laden with good th!ngs-nine kinds OF
cake, all home made. What skill, energy
what time such work required! How
toothsome each delicate morsel! what an
amount Of labor expended! Reader,
like cake, but should feel it the dryest
cf sawdust if it robbed me of my time for
mental improvement. With all the other
condiments, no sensible person needs
such a choice of cake, and I feel as if
were considered a gourmand when l find
it displayed before me. The simple
elegance of tea~table is not in overload
ing, but in the bright, CHEEKY, well-kept
furnishings with full supply of what
ever dainty dish is set before use.
Speaking of domestic economy in re-
gard to time, am often called upon to
notice the prejudice against labor-saving
machines for ,comen, that prevails among
farmers who procure (and rightly, too,)
everything to aid farm work. How many
of you can claim as your kitchen aids, a
washer and wringer, clothes sprinkler
and mangle, apple parer and corer, potato
pceler and slicer, syllabub churn and
raiscn stoner, tirst-class egg beater md
carpet sweeper? And yet all these things
would not cost as much as the threshing
machine so necessary to q farmer who
does not like to be considered behind the
times. We too often work on in the
primitive way, using our old implements,
as the farmer might his old fail. But
is it economy when time is SO precious?
Just as I think Of changing the subject
ofmy ''siftings." one Of the crowd comes
in with half dozen new-laid eggs, which
he is eager for me to count l make a
rule, as eggs get scarce in winter to give
the children "an apple for an egg" and
it is surprising how faithfully they are
gathered and kept in count. As an article
VI ulet We Halue tIen AlgHly, anu even
fancy they taste better at this season OF
the year, when four times the price Of the
same article in summer. One of Marion
Harland's housekeepers is made to say
-"givs me half a. dozen egge, few
poonful of gravy and as much crea m,
sp oonful Of butter and a handful of
bread crumbs, and can get up good
breakfast or luncheon" One of her tried
dishes for these meals is so simple yet so
palatable for hurried time, that l can
not help quoting at closing:
Six eggs; ore tablespoonful Of butter.
Melt the butter in a shallow baking dish.
Break the eggs carefully into it, dust
with pepper and salt and put in a moder-
ate oven until the whites 'set." Serve in
the dish in which they are baked.