Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-07-15
LADIES' COLUMN.
COOKING ON THE FARM.

The hours the housewife spends in
fancy cooking and the ironing of
fancy clothing might for her health's
sake, much better be given to resting
andirecreation. The latter is quite as
necessary as the former
Complicated mixtures, such as pies,
cakes, preserves and jellies, are seen
in great abundance on the farmhouse
table, all ofthem producing much heat
without giving corresponding
amount of nitrogen or muscle making
food AS the hard work of the farm
is done during the heated term any
one can see at glance the folly of
such a diet. Butter and cream, ad-
mira bic foods for winter, are unde-
sirable in hot weather and still, dur
ing harvest time when, the men are
at the greatest strain, these so-called
good things of life are most beautifully
bestowed upon them.
The object of eating is, first, to con-
tribute to the growth of the body in
its building period, infancy and man
hood; second, to sustain the body
under labor by providing proper ma
terial for the replacement of the worn
| out particles which are constantly
being cast off; third. to heat the body
and produce energy. The average
bill fare seems to carefully and en-
tirely skip the first two objects, and
the third one is followed as closely in
hot weather as in cold. The average
| farmer eats, with the thermometer at
ninety degrees, a dinner of boiled
ham, potatoes, bread and butter, and
pie. with coffee and cream. This is
not an unusual nor an overdra wn bill
of-fare. With the exception of the
| little lean in the ham the dinner is en-
tirely carbonaceous, leaving the man
who is in the field without nitrogen,
the muscle repair food, of which he
is in need during the working hours.
People who eat day after day in this
way give out quickly and conclude
that farming is a hard way to earn a
| living, which is, of course, true under
such circumstances. The weather is
| hot-very hot, and the dinners which
to keep the body warm with the Their
| mometer at zero; the body is sur
rounded by an oppressive atmosphere,
| almost that of the body heat. How
then can the lungs and heart do their
work in this overtaxed condition? |
Sunstroke or heat exhaustion is the |
common result. The causes of the |
enormous mortality, both of children
and the So called ''overworked," du- |
ring the hot weather, are perfectly |
we'll understood; they are chiefly |
overlooking, lack of pure air in sleep
ing-rooms, dusty beds and carpets
in other words, lack of household |
knowledge. Remedies are equally |
well known; the judicious selection of |
cooling, we'll blended foods taking
the place of the green, succulent veg
etables containing starch; pure water;
light, comfortable clothing; we'll
ventilated sleebing- rooms; regular
bathing, and general hygiene.
AS the working hours of the farmer
are long, no doubt four meals a day
would be better than three. The
eleven O'Clock luncheon, which is
usually sent to the field, instead of
consisting of cake and pie might be
milk and gingerbread, milk and sand
wiches, or some food that would be
sustaining and easily digested without
giving heat. Cold, not iced water
should be taken in abundance, and
no cIzi i,,y To
induce rapid evaporation, which al
ways lowers the temperature of the
body.
Oatmeal and we'll cooked prepare
lions of wheat should take the place
of meat and potatoes for breakfast
Lean meats may be used once or
twice day; eggs, concentrated nitrog-
enous food, may always take the place
Of meat at one meal. In cooking
green vegetables sufficient may be
cooked one day for two, thus saving
the artificial heat of the house and
the strength of the housewife. It re-
quires the same amount of fire to cook
half peck of string beans as il does
to cook smaller quantity; one part
may be put aside and served cold with
a little French dressing for the next
days dinner. Caulif1ower and cab
bage are equally good, cold or hot.
Cold meats, if nicely garnished, are
palatable and slightly. Sundays din
ner may always be prepared on Satur-
day. Fruit should be used during the
summer, and cooked desserts saved for
the winter-Ladies' Home Journal.