The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-11-22
NURSERY COOKERY.
FOR THE BABIES.
BY Christine Terhune Herrick.
(CnnIinnnl frnn, In.i u.nnLr

by CnllHJlie ! tIhuue ltGlTlck.
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
baby's life. This is her chance to accu-
mulate knowledge for the future. 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 prepare-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 III pTlNdlG ldHllHeS,
| OATMEAL PORRIDGE.
| Put four heaping tablespoonfuls of
fine ground oatmeal into a double boiler
with three cups of warm water and
| 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
I he hale bon
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 a
double boiler. Allow two cups of warm
water to three tablespoonfuls Of the
cracked wheat, and let it boil steadily at
the side of the stove for four hours. 1t
should be cooked the day before it is to
serve as a breakfast porridge, and
warmed and sailed to taste the next
morning.
Mothers make a mistake when they
riety of breakfast cereal, instead of al
ternating them. Both appetite and dl-
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 car
digest a larger quantity of these than
their baby brothers and sisters. Conse-
quently their porridge may be eaten il
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 al
entirely milk diet the cereal should be
given in smaller proportions, To begr
with, it is often prudent to strain the
porridge which should have been made
very soft in cooking, and to give the chile
what passes through the sieve, freed
from the husks. which might irritate the
child's intestines. When he has becom,
accustomed to the new article of food
the unstrained porridge may be added
to the milk, in the proportion Of a table
spoonful Of the cereal to a half-pint Of
the milk, and the quantity If the cerea
may then be increased by slow degrees
A large variety of different kinds o
foods Is not desirable for young baby
His palate has not yet become accus
toned to many articles of diet and doe
not feel a craving for a succession o
surprises craving that grows will
years and cultivation and reaches it
fullest development in the mature cpl
cure. Still, it is beneficial to the child
| health to have an occasional change il
his bill OF fare, and to substitute once il
a while farina or rice porridge for tn
grits or oatmeal, watching carefully t
see whether the innovation causes tn
child discomfort or produces any othe
unusual effect In all new departure:
in diet the mother should be on the alert
and note for her own use and the benefi
of the baby the results of even a Sigh
change of food.
Go be continued next week.