The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1909-02-23
FROM THE
H0USEKEFPfR'S
NOTEBOOK
Why Not Have a Com.
pany Closet?



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 a company clos |
ct like my wife has" answered B.
M. number two. Il don't know how 1t |
Is, but Name always manages to get
something up II l bring people home
without warning. l asked how 1t was
one day and she said she had emer-
gency shelves"
So ! asked Name what a company
closet was. "A company closet?' Oh,
It's two or three shelves In my pantry
that ! devote to keeping goods that l
can use in an emergency. You know
l started in by doing light housekeep-
ing and living with a chatting dish.
This taught me how to use prepared
food. Then / kept house and had
canned tomatoes to make soup II any
one came unexpectedly, but now
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 l 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 l keep canned lob
ster, sardines in oil, shrimps, little
neck clans and such things that vary
in price from Is to 35 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 1t 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 a little
macaroni, or one can use them with
out any thickening at all. Among my
canned soups / have mock turtle, to-
mato. OK tail, consomme, julienne
chicken, celery, vegetable, tomato and
. okra, and beef. l buy these cans by
the dozen and get them in this way al
, a reduction. They average ten cents
, a can. When l am very particular
open a can of green turtle soup OF
. clam chowder, but these cost more
So you see l am all right as regards
soup in an emergency.
When | do not want to follow m.
1 soup course with sandwiches l cal
open some of my potted meats. l an
quite proud of the variety l have o
> these for nearly every kind OF mea
comes prepared In this way. For In
stance, corn beef comes for Is cent
= a can, good roast beef Is % cents
n can. veal loaf, is a tribe cheaper. Be
sides these. l have ham loaf hambur
;. steak, chicken loaf, cooked turkey, V
q emma sausage, potted turkey and p<
=, tite frankfurters. l didn't know Their
- were so many kinds until I began
:. stock up my closet. But these ave
:. age Is to 20 cents can, the mos
- extensive is 80 cents and they Al
- good cold or can be heated quickly.
"Of course l have shelves with je
, lies and preserved fruits and when
y, want more than put up myself fin
-. can get at least a dozen varietit
~ of Jelly that are always In the ma
~ ket. orange marmalade, bar-le-dl
10 Jelly. guava jelly and canned pinea
ple. cherries, plums and peaches.
~ am never at loss in the matter
SO sauces. To supplement these l ket
Ut on hand different varieties of wafe
such as Vanilla fruit, cOcOanut, ct
lie for often l have no cake in the hous
mt Thus you see l am provided with
no soup course, meat or sandw1
'et course. and dessert. At times wa
III side dishes and for these l keep pc
nut butter which often make in sar
i'd wiches, jars of cheese, pots OF ma
err mustard, olives, cheese sandwich
ey and lots of other fancy goods that q
on the market When 1t comes to
he matter OF something to drink,
nd course l always have coffee and
ice in the house, but l also keep on !
,he emergency shelf can OF cocoa wnl
rm can be prepared easily and rapi'
and various fruit juices, like gra
he and raspberry. These last are d.
ave cious in summer, served with Ice.
en- 7 happen to have a lemon in the ho'
adv I put in the juice Also l always kt
in nv company closet box OF
LAYER raisins and two or three XII
of nuts. These l use for dessert WI
ion I do not have fruit and waters. Sol
Of times vary these with jar OF hon
diff figs and dates.
c.p Don't think we live on such cam
dua goods all the time. but like all ia
ose lies we often have enough Tor
,wn and not for three, and are with
ont cake and delicacies one wishes to
no before a guest. My company Gle
=, solves the problem at once. Bob thi
Mt. II is a miracle, but l know 1t Is sim
an;- that | look ahead for an emergeI
,,oh Then. too, with these varieties
.s goods | am always ready to serv
Gun OF cholocate with waters to
afternoon guest who calls In win
or if in summer. l have my I
,u,ces TO serve with a thin. sweet
Cor II Is really as simple as can