Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-06-11
EVOLUTION OF
THE DINING ROOM
Alice F.. whitaker.

AnCc ~; w nuuker.
It was but few generations ago that
the family of moderate means was &C
customed to eat in the kitchen which
was then large enough to be a family
work shop as we'll as room for serving
meals. The next step was to eat once
or twice a day in what was called the
sitting room and afterwards to remove
tho cloth and possibly set the table aside
Later when the value OF n separate room
for serving meals was felt to be con-
venience and a refinement 1t was COM
mon to take n spare bedroom, or room
not originally planned for dining room
1t was sometimes too remote from the
kitchen and made many steps necessary
and 1t was rarely possible to make it at
tractive.
Later the dining room was made a
feature in house plans but was kept sec
ondary in importance to the parlor. At
present in new house everything seems
to cluster roHnd the dining room. II any
room must be curtailed in size or decora-
ton It Is not the dining room. In fact
the reception room, the old time par
Tor is now more often called, Is frequent
ly n small room compared with the more
spacious dining room. Money is expend-
ed in beamed ceilings numerous GU
boards, and closets with loaded glass
doors. plate rails and racks. open fire
place and artistic ways OF lighting. 1t is
even not unusual in pretentious homes to
have the dining room 10 feet long and 25
feet wide. Such rooms are furnished
with genuine old mahogany while taste
and skill in planning decorations and
ycl,i ot icb
prices when tho owners have not the
natural gift of these qualities.
In many OF the new apartments houses,
where every inch Of space is valuable,
the dining rooms are much larger than
the reception rooms Care must be taken
not to crowd small dining room in a
fiat: massive side boards. and other
pieces Of furniture that were appropriate
when the family lived in house. are
entirely out of place In a little room
where buffet or even a serving table
is enough. China cabinets permanently
built or the portable kind. hold many
pieces of china and glass secure from
dust and are valuable in a small dining
| room.
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE.
Put one square Of chocolate and three
level tablespoons OF sugar into IA double
| boiler add teaspoon of hot water and
| stir until smooth, add one tablespoon OF
| cream and 10 drops of vanilla. Beat or
whip one pint of cream until thick and
| beat in ono rounding tablespoon of pow
| dered sugar Stir in the chocolate mix
| ture slowly and turn into Il mold. Put
this into a freezer or large pail and pack
| equal amounts of coarse !lnc salt and
| broken Ice round the mold. Let stand
| three hours.
DATE FLUFF,
| This may be made of dates or prunes.
| Measur one cup OF stoned dates and
| cook in n little water slowly until ten
der. Press through strainer, add one
cup OF sugar in which level teaspoon
| Of cream tartar has been stirred Beat
the whites OF five eggs with a pinch of
salt until stiff and dry. Add the yolks
OF two eggs and beat light. Now add the
dates slowly and turn into a we'll buttered
baking dish. Scatter on one-half cup OF
finely ground or chopped nut meats and
| bake in a moderate oven Is minutes
Serve with thin cream or with beaten
| cream.
RAISlN BREAD.
Mix three cups of graham -four, one
cup of white f,our. three and one-h hal.
teaspoons of soda and one level teaspoon
of salt. Sift twice. add little less than
one-half cup of molasses and two and
one-half cups OF sour milk. Beat well
add one-half cup OF raislns seeded and
| cut fine. turn into a we'll buttered mold
cover closely and steam four hours.
COFFEE CUSTARDS.
Put one-quarter cup or finely ground
coffee into two cups OF milk and heat
In double boiler. Strain through q
cheese cloth, add the yolks of three
eggs slightly beaten, quarter cup OF
sugar, speck Of salt and Is drops q,
vanilla. Strain through gravy straineI
into custard cups and bake in pan OF