Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-12-07
NURSERY COOKERY.
FOR THE BABIES.
BY Christine Terhune Herrick.
lGnntinnoa fro,,n Ins 81 ,..ool. 4 -

Continued from last week)
AS said, there is not much opportu-
nifty for the mother to exercise herself in
the department of nursery cookery DUR
ing the first six or eight months of her
babys life. This is her chance to accu-
mulate knowledge for the fusure. When
the baby reaches the age when he can
have the addition of cereals TO his food,
there will be room enough and to spare
for the mother to give attention to the
preparation of these. Few and far be-
tween are the maids who can be trusted
to cook long enough or carefully
enough the cereals that are to be given
Into the charge of an infants digestive
organs.
Among several other simple things that
the most ignorant cook is supposed to
know how to prepara-and never does
is oatmeal porridge. The oatmeal should
be carefully selected in the first place,
and those brands avoided that declare
boldly on the wrapper that they need no
more than from three to five minutes
cooking to fit them for the table. Belief
and practice of this heresy are respon-
sible for most of the ill-cooked cereals
found on hotel and boarding tables, and
even In private families,
OATMEAL PORRIDGE.
Put four heaping tablespoonfuls of
fine ground oatmeal into double boiler
with three cups of warm water and a
half teaspoonful of salt. Let it stand at
the back OF the stove overnight. In the
morning, fill the outer vessel with boil
ing water, move to the front OF the stove
and cook for from half an hour to an
hour. Less cooking than the half hour
1t should never have. Beat it hard just
before taking from the pot, and if it is
too stiff to pour very readily, thin it
with boiling water to the desired consist
ency.
PoRRIDGE OF CRACKED WHEAT
OR GRITS.
This porridge requires longer and more
thorough cookery than even oatmeal
Like the latter it should be cooked in
double boiler. Allow two cups of warm
water to three tablespoonfuls of the
cracked wheat. and let il boil steadily at
the side of the stove for four hours. 1t
should be cooked the day before ii is to
serve as a breakfast porridge, and
warmed and salted to taste the next
morning.
Mothers make a mistake when they
confine themselves too long to one va
riety Of breakfast cereal. instead of al
ternating them. Both appetite and di-
gestion are benefited by the occasional
change.
While the cereals may be cooked in the
same way for older children, as for in
fants the latter should not eat them in
the same fashion as the former. The old
er. children need more starches and can
digest a larger quantity of these than
their baby brothers and sisters. Conse-
Guently their porridge may be eaten in
equal proportions with the milk and
cream, or there may even be less Of the
latter than Of the former. With the little
ones, but recently graduated from an
entirely milk diet, the cereal should be
given in smaller proportions. To begin
with, it is often prudent to strain the
porridge, which should have been made
very soft In cooking, and TO give the child
what passes through the sieve, freed
from the huslSs which might irrtate the
nsild's intestines. When he has become
49, istomed to the new article of food,
upc unstrained porridge may be added
SasG milk, in the proportion of table
~. 8ful of the cereal to half-pint of
ne milk, and the quantity If the cereal
may then be increased by slow degrees.
~ idi Sc variety VI inherent klUUS OIL
foods is not desirable for young baby.
His palate has not yet become accus-
toned to many articles of diet and does
not feel a craving for a succession OF
surprises--a craving that grows with
years and cultivation and reaches its
fullest development in the mature cpl
cure. Still, it is beneficial to the child's
health to have an occasional change in
his bill of fare, and to substitute once III
a while farina or rice porridge for ths
grits or oatmeal watching carefully tc
see whether the innovation causes the
child discomfort or produces any Other
unusual effect. In all new departures
In diet, the mother should be on the alert
and note for her own use and the benefit
of the baby the results of even Sigh
change of food.
Ito be continued next week.