The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-07-25
NURSING.
Some Suggestions for the Care Of the Slot
I'm Country Places.


Some Suggestions for the Care Of the Slot
in Country Places.
Cookery for the sick should do half
the work Of the patients digestion, and
when there is little appetite, the food
must be SO nicely prepared and served.
that the convalescent is tempted into
making good meal when it seemed
impossible to touch morsel. 1t is use
less to ask an invalid what he would like
to eat. for the chances are ten to one
that he does not know, or can not exert
himself sufficiently to choose, while If
some delicate preparation is brought to
him, he will take it with relish. II the
appetite is good, as is the case in re-
covery from diseases. 1t is only neces-
sary to furnish nourishing food and to
restrict the quantity eaten within the
limits of prudence; but when 1t is Ian
guild and capricious, very little must be
presented at once, and every art used
to persuade the sufferer to take it.
Broth or soup should be put into hot
bowl, and served very hot, with small
piece of thin bread, or little square Of
toast, accompanying it. Sometimes
vegetable soups are more relished than
those made with meat, and If milk
enters into their composition, they are
equally nourishing. Take half a pint
of canned tomatoes, let 1t come to
boil, strain, and replace it on the fire;
add one pint of milk. salt, very
little red pepper. and when 1t boils
teaspoonful OF corn starch rubbed up
with small teaspoonful of butter; as
soon as it thickens, the soup Is done.
An excellent white soups made by boil
ing three good sized potatoes, and when
soft, MASKING them perfectly smooth;
stir In gradually one pint OF milk, salt,
and dessertspoonful of butter; flavor
with little mace or nutmeg; strain
the whole through sieve. and stir over
the fire until it boils. Cream of celery
is delicious. and this vegetable is rec
commended as a specific in rheumatism.
Wash good-sized head of celery and
cut off the roots: boil il In sailed water,
sufficient to cover 1t, until it is tender
enough to rub through sieve. Save
this water. as it contains a good part Of
the valuable constituents of the celery.
The French never throw away the
water in which vegetables have been
boiled, but keep 1t as an indispensable
addition to their potage. Mix together
one teaspoonful Of butter and one large
tablespoonful of flour, add gradually
one pint of hot milk and cupful of the
water in which the celery was cooked,
put in the celery, and, II obtainable.
half cupful of cream; let it boil once,
and serve.
To make savory beef tea for conva-
lescents, put dessertspoonful of butter
into frying pan; have ready one pound
of lean beef, cut in small pieces, and
one onion, finely shredded; stir these in
the pan over the fire for few moments
until the meat produces thin gravy; add
three teacupfuls OF cold water, q Glove,
pepper and salt, and let it simmer gently
three-quarters of an hour; skim off eve
ry particle of fat, strain and serve.
Veal or mutton may be substituted for
the beef. leaving out the Glove if desired.
If tender chicken can be procured
for the convalescent, after the breast has
been broiled or stewed with green peas,
the inferior parts remaining can be
made into broth. An old, tough fowl
makes as good broth as a young one,
which is best reserved to be cooked in
some other way. Divide the chicken
into several pieces, cracking the loins
when possible, and cover with one quart
of cold water, adding pepper, salt and
mace if liked. When it comes to boil
simmer gently for an hour and half;
then strain, and when cold, skim off the
fat carefully. Heat again when it is
required.
Hot bread or fresh rolls should not be
given to an invalid. For breakfast or
tea, dip toast may be substituted, made
in the following manner: Beat together
dessertspoonful of butter and tea
spoonful of flour, wet with little cold
pint of boiling milk, and pour the
mixture over two slices of toast. A we'll
beaten egg may be put in the milk just
before it thickens, but it is very nice
plain.
There is nothing more suitable for
the breakfast Of a convalescent than
eggs, and they can be prepared in so
many different ways as to produce a
constant variety. They are not digest
ible when boiled hard; If put ON in cold
water, and left until it comes to boil,
the white will be soft as well as the
yelk. Lightly boiled eggs are positively
disgusting to some persons. and then
they must be cooked in some other mode.
Break an egg into bowl. and put with
it one tablespoonful of milk, a tiny piece
of butter and little salt; slip it into
frying-pan, and stir quickly back and
forth until it is done. Do not leave it
too long, or it will be watery, like over
done custard. A little practice will
make perfect. Turn into hot dish, on
a square of toast, and serve Immediately.
To poach an egg, break it gently into a
saucer; have ready some sailed water
boiling in pan, and slide the egg into
it, being careful not to break the yelk
twill be cooked in about three minutes.
when lift it out with broad-bladed
knife. and serve on toast.
Veal sweetbreads make a most deli
cate and delicious dish for an invalid.
They were formerly thrown away as
useless, but now they are in such de-
mand in cities that they command a
good price, and should always be saved
when calf is killed. They spoil
quickly, and should be put in cold
water as soon as brought in. They
may be baked, stewed or fried, and
must be parboiled in salted water for
twenty minutes before cooking them in
either way. To bake them. drain them
carefully; dip them into beaten egg and
roll them in bread crumbs; repeat the
operation; put small pieces of butter
over them and bake for nearly three
quarters of an hour. Make little
brown gravy and pour around them.
They can be roasted plain, without egg
and bread crumbs. when stewed they
are allowed to simmer gently for hall
an hour in as little water as possible:
take up and add teacupful Of cream
to the water, which is thickened with q
heaping teaspoonful of corn starch; add
salt, lemon juice Gf desired), and