Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-09-06
FOR SCHOOL LUNCH
MUCH CARE NEEDED WHEN IT IS
CARRIED IN A BASKET.
Food Must Be Carefully Selected ana
Properly Put Up If They Are
to Make the Appetizing
Meal Desired.

The following suggestions as to me-
nus for basket lunches are taken from
Farmers Bulletin No. 712, "SchooE
Lunches" prepared by Caroline l..
Hunt and Mabel Ward, United States
department of agriculture.
The basket lunch to be eaten at
school Is harder to plan and also 10
prepare than a home lunch, for chill
dren. To begin with, there are many
foods which cannot be included IN a
| basket lunch, either because they are
not good cold or because they cannot
be conveniently packed or easily car.
ried. This leaves fewer foods 10
choose from, and so extra care is nee
| essary TO prevent ''sameness." Extra
care is needed, too, in the preparation
of foods that must be packed in small
compass and kept for several hours be-
fore being eaten and that must very
often be carried over dusty roads.
The number of foods that can be
easily carried has been enlarged OF
late by the possibility of using par
aflin paper and parchment paper, in
which moist foods can be wrapped so
as TO prevent them from sticking TO
other foods. Paper cups. jelly glasses,
jars with screw tops, and so on, are
also help. for in them sliced raw
fruits, stewed fruits, custards, cottage
cheese, and other half-sOlid foods can
be carried.
The quality of the bread used in the
basket lunch is especially important.
because it is commonly served in the
form of sandwiches, and is, therefore,
to be considered not only as food in
itself but also as a means of keeping
other much-needed foods in good and
appetizing condition, or of serving
them in attractive ways.
A few bills of fare for basket lunches
follow, which may help in deciding
what is satisfactory for the purpose.
Many others equally good could be
suggested.
Sandwiches with sliced tender meat
or chicken for filling; baked apple
cookies; or few Jumps of sugar.
Slices of meat loaf or bean loaf;
bread and butter sandwiches; stewed
fruit; small frosted cake.
Crisp rolls, followed out and filled
with chopped meat or fish, moistened
and seasoned, or mixed with salad
dressing; orange, apple, mixture Of
sliced fruits, or berries; cake.
Lettuce or celery sandwiches; cup
custard jelly sandwiches.
Cottage cheese and chopped green
pepper sandwiches or pot of cream
cheese with bread and butter sand
wiches; peanut sandwiches; fruit
cake.
Hard-bOiled eggs; crisp baking pow
der biscuits; celery or radishes; brown
sugar or maple sugar sandwiches.
Bottle of milk; thin corn bread and
butter; dates; apple.
Raisn or nut bread with butter;
cheese; orange; maple sugar.
Baked beans and lettuce sand
witches; apple sauce; sweet chocolate.
Many kinds of lunch boxes, pals and
baskets are now on the market. The
chief advantage of most boxes and
pals is that they are made of metal
and can, therefore, be easily cleaned
and scalded to keep them in safe con
dition. Some boxes have the advan-
tage over pals that they can be folded
when empty and strapped with the
schoolbooks. Baskets are ventilated.
and for this reason suitable for car
rying moist foods which are likely to
spoil. There is no reason, however.
why small holes cannot be punched
in mccall boxes or pals to let in the
air. Baskets can, of course, be washed
or scalded, but not so easily as metal
containers, and they should be fire.
quently cleansed There should. in
fact, be no part of any food container
that cannot be cleaned. For this rea-
son the simplest boxes and baskets are
often better than the more elaborate
ones. with compartments in which to
keep dishes, knives, forks and spoons.