Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-05-02
UPPER SHELF DAINTIES.
The Provident Housewife Prepares for
Unexpected Company-Good
Things Always Ready.

AAoN -" - ANS%AtH
If ore lives in city or large town.
whore The butcher. the baker and the del
icatcsSen store are within easy reach or
telephone CALL there need be no anxiety
over the arrival of the unexpected guest.
for however empty may be the state of
our larder ut that particular time, and
however unprepared we are. it will be but
a few moments before we may offer oar
guest an attractive meal But IN the
country and isolated places il is vastly
Inherent. The arrival of the unexpected
guest sometimes causes considerable in
convenience and anxiety on the part of
me good housewife, who, mingled with
me pleasure of seeing new face. and
having bit Of the outside world como
into her life. experiences that indclinablc
feeling, which man cannot possibly uu-
derStand or appreciate, Of what have /
GOT TO give them to eatT'
However much we may read about the
beauty Of hospitality in Offering our
guests exactly what we We're going to
eat ourselves, the majority of housewives
VIII agree, | am sure, that. try 10 reason
themselves out of it as hard as they will.
they cannot get over the feeling that they
want something n little different from
what they were gcing to have TO offer
their guest, unless, perchancc, they have
already planned = good meal, which, OF
course, is often the case. But there are
times when, perhaps this particular day
Of the week is the only day when YOU
haven't a really presentable meal. Per-
hans il is an eating up" day. or as the
New England housewife will say, YOU are
going to have ''picked-up dinner"
meaning all the odds and ends left from
several days previous, when there isn't
-. L. f,n Ian,
two persons and so each member Of the
family has as il were, separate dinner,
as far rs the kind of food il concerned
Suppose this is what YOU have pre-
pared. and your company arrives. Don't
YOU feel it put out even you, practical
housewife who always claim that what
is good enough for your family is good
enough Tor your company or course
YOU do and what are you going 10 do
about it? Your groceries are not coming
till tomorrow afternoon. and somehow
you have used up the last canned stuff
which would be So convenient ut this
time. You may. perhaps. not even have
eggs in plenty from which to make
foamy. dainty omelet What dc you do?
One woman | know has solved the queS-
ton for herself. my upper shelf" she
says with a smile that explains all to
those who have visited her. Drop in on
ntE WHICH EOu W H. libIHihEs lAlol VI
night You are always greeted with
welcome smile and never feel that behind
the placid brow there is an anxiety over
what she is going to give you 10 eat Il
found | just had to- She explained to
me. Here we are. of in the country.
and we can't get things in n hurry. and
we were always having people come in
Unexpectedly. for ! love company, and
here among the fields and woods my
Il. Z
used to try 10 keep things cooked, for
fear some one would come pudding.
some pies some pressed beef, something
that would be used at once in m cmcr-
gency. but Of course the time came when
we bad to eat them ourselves. Then un-
less | replaced them ut once Of course |
was as badly off rs If ! had never had
them, for company would come just as
the last Of the pudding disappeared and
l was out Of eggs or raisins or something
to make Il new one.
$50 | instituted my upper shelf. II
is very simple, for thousands of women
all over the country have exactly the
same and never give il second thought.
as it is really a forethOught against
emergency. The only claim | can pos
sibly make or mne is. perhaps, that ]
never let il get depleted. OF course.
there are the fruits and jams that | put
up myself in glass jars in the summer
and fall. but ] don't have them all
there. If | did they would suddenly be
gone for we wOuid keep ON taking them
one at n time for family use till the
shelf would be empty. Each year |
put certain number on my upper
shelf just for the unexpected company,
and If by chance ! use the last one some
day. | see to it at once that more is
put In its stead. either from my other sup
ply. or a nice brand If canned fruit from
the store Don't get ont Of anything
that is the whole secret. If you don't
get out Of it you have il and company
has 10 tcrrors for you Well there are
my fruits. Then | always keep canned
beans. peas. corn tomatoes, q jar Of
sugar cookies. a jar with fruit cake and
one Of suet pudding; not the ordinary
suet pudding that tastes Ike ginger
bread. but one full Of rasins and ctr3u,
which is exactly ike wedding cake. and
which. after five minutes steH ming, is
rs soft and nice as when ii was new.
Then / usually have a few cans contain
ing split pea soup. to which the milk
has not been added. Seal these when
hot. as you would fruit, and they will
keep Indefinitely. and when yuur com
pany comes open your can, heat and
aea son. adding the milk. and you have
delicious soup and one which nearly
everyone loves. Among my canned PEGS
| always keep a few cans Of cheap
quality. which ! strain and use for q
soup when ] haven't the other ready
These are ali very simple. as you see,
but the great secret is to have them
there never get ont. repenish rs fast as
you use them NJ. II your company stays