The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1908-12-23
FROM THE
H0USfkfEPER'S
NOTEBOOK
Why Not Have aeon.
pany Closet?
Copyright, by Joseph B. Bowles.)

NO4JAA6ASs NY JOScQu q. bOWleS.l
Eyes, would like to bring a friend
home to lunch, but my wife is never
ready, says she does not have things
in the house for unexpected company
and it is so much bother" remarked
the business man.
you ought to have company clos
ct like my wife has," answered B.
M. number two. II don't know how it
Is, but Name always manages to get
something up if l bring people home
without warning l asked how it was
one day, and she said she had emer-
gency shelves"
So I asked Name what company
closet was. ga company closet?' Oh,
it's two or three shelves in my pantry
that l devote to keeping goods that
can use in an emergency. You know
l started in by doing light housekeep-
Ing and living with chatting dish.
This taught me how to use prepared
food. Then 1 kept house and had
canned tomatoes to make soup if any
one came unexpectedly, but now 1
keep quite an assortment of goods
ready for instant use.
What are they? Well, to begin
with, there are lots of things out of
which / can make sandwiches when
Bob turns up with an old friend from
the place he used to live in, and my
refrigerator is empty. There are all
sorts Of canned pates, among them
chicken, wild duck, grouse, partridge
and quail. Then I keep canned lob
ster, sardines in oil, shrimps, little
neck clans and such things that vary
in price from Is to IS cents, and are
always ready to put in between thin
slices of bread and butter to make de-
licious sandwiches. Out of the shrimps
and lobster l can make salad with my
bottle of salad dressing that is on the
same shelf.
"On another shelf keep all sorts of
canned and bottled soups and it is
astonishing how many varieties there
are. All that is needed is to heat
them up, put in some celery salt if de-
sired, and thicken them with little
macaroni, or one can use them with
out any thickening at all. Among my
canned soups l have mock turtle, to.
mato, OK tail, consomme, julienne,
chicken, celery vegetable, tomato and
okra and beef. buy these cans by
the dozen and get them in this way at
a reduction. They average ten cents
can. When I am very particular l
open can of green turtle soup or
clam chowder, but these cost more.
60 oil rierhf VII
soup in an emergency.
when I do not want to follow my
soup course with sandwiches l can
open some of my potted meats. am
quite proud of the variety have of
these for nearly every kind of meat
comes prepared in this way. For in
stance, corn beef comes for Is cents
a can, good roast beef is % cents a
can, veal loaf, is trif1e cheaper. Be-
sides these, have ham loaf, hamburg
steak, chicken loaf, cooked turkey, vi.
emma sausage, potted turkey and Pc
lite frankfurters. I didn't know there
were so many kinds until began to
stock up my closet. But these aver
age Is to 20 cents a can, the most
expensive is so cents and they are
good cold or can be heated quickly.
'Of course l have shelves with jel-
lies and preserved fruits and when I
want me than l put up myself find
l can get at least dozen varieties
of jelly that are always in the mar
ket, orange marmalade, barbecue
jelly, guava jelly and canned pineap-
pie, cherries, plums and peaches. So
I am never at a loss in the matter of
sauces. To supplement these l keep
on hand different varieties of waters
such as vanilla, fruit, cocoanut, ETC.,
for often l have no cake in the house.
Thus you see l am provided with a
soup course, meat or sandwich
course. and a dessert. At times want
side dishes and for these l keep pea
nut butter which often make in sand
wiches. jars of cheese, pots of made
mustard, olives, cheese sandwiches,
and lots of other fancy goods that are
on the market. When it comes to the
natter of something to drink, of
co'rse / always have coffee and tea
al t'r house, but l also keep on my
ehefse-cy shelf can of cocoa which
can nc tepared easily and rapidly
ana various fruit juices, like grape
and raspberry These last are deli
clous In summe. served with ice. If
l happen to have alemon in the house
put in the juice als,. I always keep
in my company closet box Of nice
layer raisins and two OF three kinda
of nuts. These use for dessert when
do not have fruit and wafer. somo.
times vary these with jar Of Aorev
figs and dates.
Don't think we live on such cannea
goods all the time, but like all fami.
lies we often have enough for two
and not for three. and are without
cake and delicacies one wishes to set
before a guest. My company closet
solves the problem at once Bob thinks
1t is miracle, but know it is simply
that l look ahead for an emergency.
Then, too, with these varieties of
goods l am always ready to serve a
cup Of cholocate with waters to the
afternoon guest who calls in winter,
or if in summer, have my fruit