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The Queen Cook Book: A Careful Compilation of Recipes and Practical ...

1895

Page 121

Presented as published in 1895. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
To be physically well one must in general be happy. The reverse is not always true. One may be happy and cheerful and yet be a constant sufferer in body. Let us all see that we have the free sun- shine of the soul in our homes. We and our children, as well as all plant life, need the full light of the sun to shine upon us daily, and its subtle tonic has a wonderful curative influence upon both our physical and mental ailments. It pierces into the secret corners, deodorizes the foul places, kills disease germs and brings life, health and joy on The Queen Cook Book 305 ts beams. Let us have the lovely dancing sunlight in our homes. Let fresh air from the outside find access in all the sleeping rooms all the year round (except when down to zero). I believe there are many early graves from breathing foul air at night that has been breathed over and over again. How weak and languid one feels after sleeping in a closed room. Pure air and sun- light go far toward the making of the perfect man, but their action must be supplemented by that of plain, nutritious food to attain the best resfilts. With more simplicity in our homes there would be fewer tired, anxious faces. I will give you a sample of the table for one day of an intelligent lady that did her own work except the washing and scrubbing. Breakfast — White and graham bread, cold meat, fruit, coffee. Dinner — Meat, potatoes, one other vegetable, fruit or a very simple baked pudding. Tea — Bread of both kinds, fruit, cocoa. The problem of how to " make both ends meet '* is a serious one in most of households. Two things are very essential in the management of small resources, either of strength or of means; one should be very careful not to overdraw on either, and it is very neces- sary to cultivate the faculty of making the best use possible of what one has — to cling to the essential and leave the non-essentials till a convenient time. Industry and economy are both as essential in housekeeping as in any other department of life. Economy is simply the art of gathering up all tte fragments so that nothing be lost, fragments of time as well as of material. Nothing should be thrown away so long as it is possible to make use of it. For exam- ple: Save in a box all the twine that comes around 3o6 The Queen Cook Book the packages for the house. Fold up also all the good wrapping paper and keep in a box or drawer, also all the good paper bags; they will all be found useful. When about to furnish a home, purchase as few things as possible, as it is only by experience that one can tell what will be the needs of that home. It is wise to keep an account of all one spends; this answers a double purpose, as it enables one to know whether he is living within his income, and it is also good for reference. No false pride or foolish ambition to appear just like some one else, should ever tempt us to live quite up to our income. To lay up one-sixth or one-tenth for an emergency is a good rule. " Economy is a poor man's revenue; extravagance a rich man's ruin.** True economy is not covetousness, or parsi- moniousness, which is the ruin of many an otherwise happy family. A penurious person is not a happy one, and he is always afraid others will be happy; when his children grow up, he may meet with no penurious reward, if brought up without the love of God in their hearts.