Object of the Work. — The object of this work is not to furnish a meal, but some warm food to supplement the cold lunch brought from home; to make the noon meal- time serve as a social hour; to furnish a pleasanter place for eating lunch than the school steps, the wood pile, the entry way, or the various other places where pupils have been accustomed to eat their lunches; to teach table manners, politeness, and common social customs; to teach boys and girls to share work; to teach some things about serving foods and planning meals; to interest pupils in cooking, in knowing the nutritive value of foods, the rela- tion of foods to health; to interest pupils in gardening, raising of foods, — vegetable and animal; to bring school and home more closely together by interesting mothers in the work ; to give school credit for work done at home under the guidance and direction of mother and teacher; to give to pupils in the rural schools some of the advantages and opportunities which all pupils in the city schools enjoy. How to make a Success of the Work. — Keep in mind that the object of this work is not slum or settlement work. 198 TEACHING COOKING IN RURAL SCHOOLS That, except in rare instances, people in the country can all afford to furnish good, nutritious meals for their children. That the reasons why this work is attempted are social, ethical, and educational rather than philanthropic. That the work should not be an additional task for a teacher already overworked, but should be a pleasant diversion for the pupils after they have spent the morning in academic work. ‘That the teacher should not be the only one inter- ested and responsible, because. no pupils remain interested -unless they share work and responsibility. Insist on parents sharing the responsibility. Invite the mothers to school on a certain day and plan lunches with them. Have dif- ferent mothers provide foods occasionally, —as a pot of baked beans, cold potatoes and meat for hash, or loan fat for a frying lesson of doughnuts or saratoga chips. Always remember that no community work is worth while unless the labor is shared by all, and all share the pleasure. Nor- mal children like to work with their hands. SCHOOL EQUIPMENT FOR SERVING LUNCH An oil stove with oven, unless cooking can be done on the stove used for heating. A kitchen table or a large box covered with an oil cloth. 2 dishpans A large spoon and ladle Soap A board for cutting bread, A frying pan | meat, or for rolling out A drip pan for oven cookies, doughnuts, etc. Atparing knite . 4 A large kettle A butcher knife A garbage pail A large bowl A water pail A fireless cooker would be desirable. TEACHING COOKING IN RURAL SCHOOLS 199 Dish towels and wiping towels, made out of flour sacks which may be brought from home or purchased at the bakers, in town, for a very small sum. Dishes enough to serve the pupils — each pupil may bring his dishes from home, but do not use old, discolored, nicked dishes. ‘They tend to make the dishwasher care- less and to lower the taste of the pupils in regard to neat- ness and attractiveness of table service; they sometimes spoil the appetite. . A dry goods box may be fitted with shelves and a curtain, and placed against the wall. This will hold utensils when they are not in use.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Object of the Work. — The object of this work is not to furnish a meal, but some warm food to supplement the cold lunch brought from home; to make the noon mealtime serve as a social hour; to furnish a pleasanter place for eating lunch than the school steps, the wood pile, the entry way, or the various other places where pupils have been accustomed to eat their lunches; to teach table manners, politeness, and common social customs; to teach boys and girls to share work; to teach some things about serving foods and planning meals; to interest pupils in cooking, in knowing the nutritive value of foods, the relation of foods to health; to interest pupils in gardening, raising of foods, — vegetable and animal; to bring school and home more closely together by interesting mothers in the work ; to give school credit for work done at home under the guidance and direction of mother and teacher; to give to pupils in the rural schools some of the advantages and opportunities which all pupils in the city schools enjoy. How to make a Success of the Work. — Keep in mind that the object of this work is not slum or settlement work. That, except in rare instances, people in the country can all afford to furnish good, nutritious meals for their children. That the reasons why this work is attempted are social, ethical, and educational rather than philanthropic. That the work should not be an additional task for a teacher already overworked, but should be a pleasant diversion for the pupils after they have spent the morning in academic work. ‘That the teacher should not be the only one interested and responsible, because. no pupils remain interested -unless they share work and responsibility. Insist on parents sharing the responsibility. Invite the mothers to school on a certain day and plan lunches with them. Have different mothers provide foods occasionally, —as a pot of baked beans, cold potatoes and meat for hash, or loan fat for a frying lesson of doughnuts or saratoga chips. Always remember that no community work is worth while unless the labor is shared by all, and all share the pleasure. Normal children like to work with their hands. SCHOOL EQUIPMENT FOR SERVING LUNCH An oil stove with oven, unless cooking can be done on the stove used for heating. A kitchen table or a large box covered with an oil cloth. 2 dishpans A large spoon and ladle Soap A board for cutting bread, A frying pan | meat, or for rolling out A drip pan for oven cookies, doughnuts, etc. A paring knife A large kettle A butcher knife A garbage pail A large bowl A water pail A fireless cooker would be desirable. Dish towels and wiping towels, made out of flour sacks which may be brought from home or purchased at the bakers, in town, for a very small sum. Dishes enough to serve the pupils — each pupil may bring his dishes from home, but do not use old, discolored, nicked dishes. ‘They tend to make the dishwasher careless and to lower the taste of the pupils in regard to neatness and attractiveness of table service; they sometimes spoil the appetite. . A dry goods box may be fitted with shelves and a curtain, and placed against the wall. This will hold utensils when they are not in use.

Principles of cooking