FoodNet

A manual of home-making

1919

Page 94

Presented as published in 1919. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
The business of housekeeping needs its recordn, not only those dealing directly with finances — the whence anti whither of the income — , but those showing such facts im the quantities of staple supplies bought each season and the amounts i*eniaining on hand. These reeortls should include tested recipes, varying in quantity or cost from the originals^ anri such data as the comparative cost of supphesj and the time required to carry on different kinds of work in the routine of housekeeping. The filing of correspondence helps to prevent the aeeumulation of unimportant letters and acts as a reminder that replies are due. It also gives latest addresses^ thus replacing the addrass-book which, of necessit3% shows many alterations and is frequently not up to date. Magazine and new^spaper clippings become of greater value when systematically arranged than when allowed to accumulate in a desk <l rawer or when pasted in a scrapbook. Many housekeepers try to preserve data of this nature by mem- ory', dreading the thought of systematizing records to so great an extent. Such organization, however, may l>e carried out graxlu- ally, beginning with the tlata most frc^cjuently used and extend- ing to oilier subjects of interest. The following hst of subjects may suggest a clasflifi cation of household records; (1) accounts; (2) tinancial papers, such as insurance policies; (3) inventories of furniture, hnen, and the like, mth a separate card for each type of equipment, such as chairs, sheets single, sheets double; (4) comparative cost of foods having approximately the same value in the diet; (5) stock of staple food supplias; (6) tested recipes; (7) dishes suitable for each of the three meals, those quickly prepared being 175 I M A MANUAL OF HOME-MAKING listed separately; (8) household hints on laundry, dyeing, and the like; (9) storage record; (10) time record for eerttiin kindn of household work, when no interruptions occur, valuable not only to the woman who supervises the work of others, but to the one who does her own housework; (11) medical and dental record; (12) eorresp>ondence ; (13) gift record, of special value to those who send many gifts at Christmas; (14) plans for the future, such as making gardens; (15) amateur photography. Films may be classified according to place or subject. Prints may be placed with films or separately under a similar classifi- cation. HOW TO KEEP HOUSEHOLD RECORDS A small filing cabinet of pasteboard or wood, in which the information is recorded on cards arranged according to the classification chosen, may !x? used. The general headings jshould be written or printed on cards known as guides, w^hich are of heavier paper than are those for the records and which have on their upper eilge a projection which serves to call attention to the name of the subdivision written upon it. Both classes of cards should be arranged alphabetically. Cards 3 by 5 inches may be used for all records, although they are rather small for recipes and accounts. Many house- keepers use a card 4 by 6 inches for reci|>es and one that is 6 by 8 inches for accounts; but as far as possible the same size should be used in order to avoid having many filing cases.