Foods and home making

How may steps be saved between the kitchen and the dining room ? A tea wagon is a desirable article of furniture. If it has a shelf so that both the top and shelf may be filled with dishes or food, it will save many steps in setting the table and in serv- ing a meal. Because tea wagons are usually made of fine wood, beautifully finished, housekeepers often hesitate to use them every day. In some homes they are used only when company is being entertained. (See Figure 51.) A service wagon is made of metal with a baked-enamel finish or of wood with a finish not easily marred. It can be used with comfort in the kitchen. Such a wagon is truly a step saver. It can be used daily in setting the table, in serving, and in clearing the table. (See Figure 52.) If one has neither a tea wagon nor a service wagon, an ordi- nary tray is a help in carrying dishes and food from the kitchen to the dining room. To make many trips between the two rooms, carrying single dishes or articles of food, is inefficient. SUMMARY For efficiency, kitchen furnishings should be arranged to form 1. Food-preparation center 2. Dish- washing and dish-storage center Efficient kitchens usually have : 1. Washable walls 2. Floors easily cleaned 3. Working surfaces 32 to 36 inches high 4. Easily-cleaned table tops 5. Shallow cupboard shelves 6. Service wagon Courtesy Imperial Furniture Company Figure 51. A Modern Type Tea Wagon This tea wagon is practical because of its glass top and two shelves. It is also very easy to move and guide. Since this movable table is pleasing in design and is beautifully finished, it is suitable for use in either a dining room or a living room. 155 Good Housekeeping Institute Figure 52. A Service Wagon This sturdy wagon is a step saver. It will stand constant use and can bt cleaned easily. Since this service wagon has two shelves underneath the top, much can be carried on it at one time. For daily use, it is convenient in setting and clear- ing the table. It is also very convenient in serving a meal when there is no maid. Kitchen Efficiency and Charm 157 Kitchens may be attractive because of 1. Light a. plenty of windows b. light-colored walls and furnishings 2. Color a. proper color on walls b. curtains of attractive color c. decorations on canisters and other furnishings REVIEW QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES 1. Make a list of utensils which it would be desirable to have placed near the worktable. 2. Make a list of utensils which it would be desirable to have placed near the stove. 3. Make a list of utensils which it would be desirable to have placed near the sink. 4. It would take a very large sheet of paper to draw a plan of a kitchen or house actual size. For convenience house plans are made on sheets of paper of practical size. The size of the plan is thus reduced. When the size of a room or house is reduced, the plan is worthless unless all dimensions are reduced in the same ratio. Plans reduced in size, having the dimensions in the same ratio as actual size, are said to be drawn to scale. A convenient way of drawing a plan to scale is to use graph paper. If quarter-inch cross-section paper is used, the floor plan of a kitchen whose actual size is 9 by 1 2 feet may be drawn using \ inch or 2 square lengths for each foot. The scale would be \ inch to 1 foot.