digested if a pinch of baking soda is cooked with it. To keep cheese moist and fresh, brush the cut surface with melted paraffin. Save left-over Welsh rarebit for sandwich filling. The shells of Edam or pineapple cheeses should not be thrown away, but be filled with creamed macaroni, spaghetti, or rice, covered with crumbs, and baked in a hot oven.

FRESH VEGETABLES

A variety of vegetables should be served daily, and those which contain a large amount of protein, such as beans, lentils, and peas, should be used not only as an accompaniment to meat, but, in combination with other vegetables, sauces, bacon or other fats, as the substantial dish of the meal.

DRIED VEGETABLES

Dried vegetables should be soaked in cold water for twelve hours or longer, and then cooked slowly until tender; dried julienne should be soaked for twenty-four hours before cooking.

MACARONI, NOODLES, RICE, CEREALS

Macaroni, noodles and similar pastas, rice, and the cereals furnish much nutriment at low cost; oatmeal and corn meal are among our cheapest foods.

Ready cooked cereals, though they are convenient and give variety to the diet, are more expensive than raw cereals well cooked; not only do they yield less food value, but, being dry, they require more cream or milk to make them palatable.

LEFT-OVER VEGETABLES

Left-over vegetables and cereals, even in small quantities, should be saved for use in entrées, desserts, salads, sauces, and soups. Celery tops should be saved for flavoring and garnishing, the root stalk chopped and added to the stock pot, and the outside stalks stewed, creamed, or used for cream soup. The outside leaves of lettuce should be shredded for salad, or, for any large quantity, cooked the same as spinach.

CANNED VEGETABLES

The flavor of canned vegetables is improved if, before being cooked, they are rinsed with cold water and exposed to the air. Parsley and chives may be kept growing in pots in the kitchen window to be used as needed.

SALADS

Salads should be freely used at all seasons, and be made light or nourishing according to the foods served with them. They offer an opportunity to the housekeeper to exercise her ingenuity in combining various vegetables, meats, and fruits, especially left-over bits. Crisp white cabbage, shredded, may be used in place of celery.

SALAD DRESSINGS

Salad dressings need not necessarily be made of olive oil, for there are other good and less expensive vegetable oils well worth using, and many of the cooked salad dressings without oil are excellent.

BREAD

Various kinds of bread should be freely used, especially whole wheat and other cereal breads, and those containing raisins, dates, and prunes. Watch the bread-box, and see that every bit of bread is used in some way; the unused crusts should be dried, rolled, sifted, and kept in a covered jar for stuffing, crumbing croquettes, brown bread, puddings, or other dishes in which the color is not objectionable; cold toast or cut slices should be made into croutons, or used for canapés or French toast; other pieces should be used for croustades, or made into crumbs, both coarse and fine, for use in fondues, griddle cakes, omelets, sauces, and soups. Bits of crackers should be dried, rolled, and used the same as bread crumbs.

CAKE

None of the recipes for cake require more than two eggs; many, only one; and some, none at all. Water may always be used in place of milk, and any clean, fresh shortening may be substituted for butter, especially in the recipes which include molasses and spices. These cakes will not keep moist like richer cakes, however, and should be used soon after making.

Slices of stale cake and crumbs should be utilized in making other desserts in combination with custards, ices, preserves, etc.

BAKING POWDER

Do not use more baking powder than is necessary for good results; two level teaspoons to each cup of flour is the usual allowance, but one and one-half teaspoons each to each cup will be sufficient if the muffins, biscuits, or cake are quickly and lightly handled and properly baked.

FLAVORING EXTRACTS

When volatile flavoring extracts are used in cake, much of their strength is wasted during baking; grated rind or spices could well be used in their place, or only the icing or filling flavored. All desserts, whenever practicable, should be flavored when cold.

COLORING

The small package of red coloring which comes with gelatine is useful for coloring cakes, icings, and other desserts as well as jellies.

FRUITS

Fruits, either fresh, dried, or preserved, should be served at least once a day; dried fruits, such as apricots, peaches, and prunes, should be soaked in cold water for twelve hours or longer and then cooked slowly until tender. Raisins, dates, and figs yield a large food value at comparatively low cost. Bananas, which contain more nutriment than most fresh fruits, should be used for salads or desserts when the other courses are light. In cooking acid fruits, such as cranberries, plums, and cherries, less sugar is required if added after cooking. Parings and cores from quinces and apples can be made into excellent jelly; the rinds of watermelons are the foundation of a delicious sweet pickle; orange and grape fruit peel, when candied, are well worth the trouble of making. Surplus orange, lemon, and grape fruit peels, when dried, are not only useful for flavoring, but make an interesting and aromatic fuel for the fire-place; the nut meat found in prune stones tastes much like that of bitter almonds and can be used in place of them.

When making jelly remember that the pulp of the fruit after the juice has dripped from it may be made into excellent marmalade: cover with water, heat to boiling point, press through a sieve, add three-quarters of the amount of sugar, and cook until thick.

CANDIES

In spite of its cost, candy is now classed by many with the necessities rather than with the luxuries. After a little practice even the most elaborate candies can be successfully made at home, and the difference between the cost of a pound of the best ready-made candy and the cost of the raw materials is astonishing. For those who can spare the time, candy-making will prove both fascinating and economical. Recipes for a few after-dinner candies are given.

CONDIMENTS

A small supply of condiments and relishes, including kitchen bouquet, ketchup, and sweet herbs, and one or two table sauces, should be kept in stock, as they make possible a greater variety of flavors. Many home-made sauces and relishes can be easily and quickly prepared and are usually much cheaper than the ready-made varieties.

CANDLE STUBS

Candle stubs should be melted, strained through cheesecloth, and used for sealing ketchup, jellies, and preserves.

GARNISHINGS

Any dish, attractively garnished and served, pleases the eye, stimulates the appetite, and often lifts a simple meal out of the commonplace. Parsley, mint, celery tops, red and green peppers, olives, pickles, capers, cooked beets and carrots, hard-cooked egg, lemon cut in various shapes, nuts, cherries, and other small fruits are all effective if not too lavishly used.

UTENSILS

A reasonable equipment of kitchen utensils and a convenient, systematic arrangement of them will save time and