Evening star., 1942-12-03
Report to the Housewife
!. Plenty of Foodstuffs Available,
But Most of the Prices Are High
By Betsy CasweH,

But Most of the Pr
J By Betsy Caswel,
= Women's News Editor.
. II you search far enough and
= thing you want in Washington ms
= have to pay plenty for it. Fruit a
!. very stiff, and unless you shop caref
s.as cabbage, carrots, beets. turnips. o
the produce bill staggering one.
: Tomatoes and peas are soaring
: IN the luxury brackets, too. Celery
reasonable, as are globe artichokes
and you can pick up nice squash ar
markets. Onions and potatoes con
undoubtedly have discovered. Eggp
cauliflower is little sleeper than
range of the average budget. Don't
cheap and very filling vegetable cou
Quality OF Fruits
Seems Poor
Fruits are very expensive. and the
quality is usually poor. There is
quite a variety from which to choose,
but you will have to shop carefully
and wisely If you are to get full
value at little cost. Florida oranges
are improving, but the CALIFORNIA;
are better tasting, especially for
juice. However, they are practically
prohibitive in price.
You can cut down on your fruit
bill tremendously if you can per-
suade the family to drink grapefruit
juice more often than they do
orange Juice. Grapefruit are good.
nicely priced and, with tangerines,
the Victory Food Special beginning
To-Day. Cumquats and lady apples
are available for the fancy fruit
BOWL as are persimmons, California
seckel pears, russell pears and plump
aVocados. You'll find small but
tasty pineapples from Florida. and
a few varieties of melons, such as
Christmas, honeydew and Casaba
about, but they are not for the re-
strlcted purse by any means. Gran
berries are going strong. and fresh
rhubarb from the West Coast is
inexpensive and very good.
Meats. Poultry
And Fish
Lamb Is selling well this week and
there Is some pork and few cuts of
beef to be found in the markets
Butchers report rushing business
N meat sundries such as heart, liver,
kidney and even lungs. This would
indicate that Washington house
wives are educating their families
TO these glandular meats, which is
a swell thing-for these meats are
not on the voluntary meat rationing
plan, they are cheap Except for
sWeetbreads and calls liver) and
they are packed with all sorts of
food values.
Rabbits offer another way to add
to the meat supply without trouble.
There are plenty of them to be had
just now and they are simple to
prepare in any number of ways.
They may be broiled or fried or
baked-and rabbit pie is just about
one of the incest dishes going.
Poultry stays high and roasting
chickens have not been too plentiful.
Ducks are frozen, turkeys good,
guineas and squads to be had. Fry
ing chicken still seems to be about
the best bet.
Fish is fairly reasonable and ade-
quate supplies are on hand. There
has been some scarcity of oysters
and crab meat recently. due to labor
and shipping difficulties, but dealers
hope that is over now. When you
are thinking Of fish, incidentally,
don't overlook the fine smoked Po-
tonlac herring-a dish Of, herring
roe and hominy grits is-hard to beat
on arcold night. Good smelts are
on hand and you will find a num-
Der of tasty little pan fish from
which to choose. in addition to the
usual big mackerel, red snapper,
trout and so on.
Good Coffee Supplies
On Hand; Other Items
The first week of coffee rationing
disclosed good stocks on the erocers'
shelves. with number of brands
from which to choose. More and
more markets are starting to sell
horse meat, ostensibly for your dogs
and cats. -. Don't forget that clever
Of herbs in seasoningS will
dress up the simplest and cheapest
dish so that the family will smack
their lips and call for more Fresh
supplies Of all sorts of herbs and
other seasonings are on hand now.
=. Bacon has become hit and miss
If you hit the butcher
right you get some, if YOU make him
mad you miss out altogether.
Butter and eggs do awful things to
Sour food bill. Try to get along with
out them as much as you possibly
can. Use cheaper grades, and Just
for cooking, If you have to. The
nutritive value is still there.
1t might amuse you to hear the
prices on some bills dated 1878 that
reader sent in to me the other day
six pounds l3 ounces lard. IS cents;
pounds sugar, 81; 7is pounds cod
fish, 81 cents: pound coffee, 80
cents: Q sacks salt, 20 cents; apples.
8 cents; l white wash brush, 60
cents" And back in 1875 the items
ran "l3 pounds l3 ounces ham, 81 SO;
! pound crackers. II cents: l pound
cheese, Is cents; pound corn starch
Is cents"
Now, have fun comparing those
figures with what YOU would pay for
the same items today!
NT.%L n-e%oe