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to outdoor eating. For instance, omelet, 

 creamed potatoes, bread and butter, cake 

 and fruit can be changed to hard-boiled 

 eggs, potato salad, and sandwiches, plain or 

 otherwise, and, if the fruit hajjpons to be 

 stewed, it can be carried in a fruit jar. On 

 cool nights, sueli as we have in September, 

 it is fun to build a fire and scramble or fry 

 the eggs out of doors. As a matter of fact, 

 food tastes so much better in the open air 

 that (piantitv is more important than qual- 

 ity. 



There is one j)oint on wiiich we are very 

 j)articular, and tliat is not to let any mem- 

 ber of the picnic party drink any water of 

 doubtful purity. We usually take from 

 home everything we drink. Plenty of milk 

 and water (not mixed) are indispensable 

 for the children, and hot coffee or cold tea 

 is much appreciated by the grownups. Be- 

 fore we had thermos bottles I used to scald 

 a gallon jug, pour boiling hot coffee into it, 

 wrap it tightly in newspapers, and succeed 

 in keeping it hot several hours; and even 

 yet, when the number of coffee drinkers is 

 large I resort to the jug. Water may be 

 kept cold in a jug in the same way. A half- 

 pint can of condensed milk makes a good 

 cream substitute for the coffee. 



There is one drink which seldom ap- 

 pears at a Puerden picnic, and that is 

 lemonade. Perhaps I should not neglect to 

 state that there are a number of other 

 beverages, somewhat stronger, which never 

 appear at our picnics, and I am rejoicing 

 because they will probably soon be a matter 

 of ancient history to all Americans. Now 

 lemonade has a good reputation, but if ever 

 a picnic meal is followed by disagreeable 

 consequences to our children it is when it 

 has been accompanied by cobl lemonade. 

 I believe a hearty cold meal, with cold 

 lemonade as the only beverage, is a sure 

 and speedy indigestion-promoter. 



In order to lesson the work of preparation 

 for picnics I have a simple picnic outfit 

 which is alw^ays in readiness, and the eats 

 taste quite as good as if served from a 

 !i!50.00 automobile hamper. Our picnic bas- 

 ket cost 75 cents, a large tin sandwich box 

 was 60 cents, aluminum cups with handles, 

 which will nest together in a coni])aratively 

 small space, were 10 cents each. Tin forks 

 and spoons are- a comfort, as one need not 

 worry about losing them. Paper naj^kins, 

 paper plates, paper towelling, and oiled pa- 

 per save work, and paper tablecloths may 

 be bought for a tritie. Two quart size ther- 

 mos bottles are the only expensive part of 

 our picnic equipment. " 



Sometimes one hears the renuirk "picnics 

 are always wasteful." It is due to poor 

 management if they are. I'icnic leftovers 

 may be utilized just as successfully as those 

 from the home table. It is wise not to have 

 very many san<lwiches with fancy fillings. 

 The plain ones may have a short session in 

 a hot oven the next morning and appear on 

 the breakfast table as top.st. Take care that 



all left-over food is kept clean and pack it 

 carefully for the return trip. 



Altho we have enjoyed many sujtjH'rs in 

 our ideal dining-room the past summer, curs 

 only -as we appropriate it for the occasion, 

 we have been careful to use no more wheat 

 than- we would at home. Steamed cornbread 

 sandwiches helj) fill the sandwich box, and 

 wheatless cakes, sweetened with honey, 

 fave both sugar and wheat. 



Never start on a i)icnic without h'juey. 

 Even if you do not eat it yourselves, it may 

 help to sweeten existence. There are farn:- 

 ers who do not care to have tlieir pa'-'ture 

 lots converted into outdoor dining-rooms. 

 No doubt they have been justly annoyed 

 by careless picnickers who have failed to 

 leave the beautiful dining-room tidy, or who 

 have left the bars down. It is far easier 

 to prevent wrath with a gift of honey tlian 

 to attempt to "tuin it away with a soft a:;- 

 swer. ' ' 



As to the picture, or what is left of it 

 after the editor and his little scissors were 

 thru, it is not a widower and his five chil- 

 dren disj)laying cheerful resignation. The 

 wdfe of the man hiding behind the big cup 

 is at the other end of the camera, bidding 

 the rest to look pleasant. 



Honey for Canning and Preserving. 

 Now that we are all liuying sugar liy the 

 card and are limited to two pounds per 

 person a month, canning and preserving 

 with honey assumes a new interest, even 

 at the present high prices. In the repij)es 

 below sugar may be substituted for half the 

 honey, if jJieferred. 



As a family we I'uerdens have been ac- 

 customeil to the use of a variety of marma- 

 lades and preserves, as we prefer most of 

 our sweets in that form, or as honey, to 

 sweet pastries. Also, as we never care for 

 sweet in coffee or tea or on breakfast cer- 

 eals, we perhaps crave more of what the 

 Hoosiers call "spreads." But, in spite of 

 that fact, 1 shall ne\'er again "do u])" 

 quantities of marmalades and jellies in tli" 

 hot suinmei- months when there is so nuu-li 

 vegetable and fruit canning to he done. It 

 it better to go w'ithout them than to b'? 

 "done up" yourself. However, it is un- 

 necessary to go without. Enough for pres- 

 ent use may be made every month in the 

 year, even during the cold weather w^lien 

 there is little fresh fruit. They m.ay be 

 made from canned fruits and even dried 

 fruits, and orange marmalade is easily and 

 quickly made at any season. Freshly made 

 j)reserves always have a finer flavor, even 

 if made from canned fruits, and many 

 housekeepers ])refer to can their fruit juices 

 and make it up into jelly, as needed. If all 

 l"^usekeepers followed this plan, the demand 

 for sujrar would be much more evenly dly- 

 tribut^d thruout the year. 



YKLLOW TOMATO PRESiiRVES. 

 1 111. vf'l'ou I li'Ti-y t(i V2 lemon slicod thin 



inalocs rlDVes, stick ciiinainon 



% 11). honey or ginecr tn taste 



Wash the tomatoes, but do not i>'^cl. 

 {Covtimi.cd on Aih-( itixiua Pa-jcc.) 



