November, 1921 



HAVE you a 

 pet econo- 

 my such as 



turning out the 

 hall lights at the 

 risk of your hus- 

 band's tripping 

 over the f urni- 

 ture, saving 

 bread crumbs or 

 using egg shells to clear coffee? If you 

 haven't, now is a good time to start such a 

 pet and it might be well to adopt some pet 

 economies of your neighbors as well. Sev- 

 eral years ago we economized because the 

 cost of living was soaring away above the 

 average income. Now that the average in- 

 come seems to be volplaning down much 

 faster than the cost of living, it is up to us 

 housekeepers to be still more economical if 

 we do not want our household finances to 

 take a nose dive to disaster. 



After all, economy is not a bad word at all. 

 It is not penury or stinginess. Economy is 

 the use of our resources, whether money, 

 time, strength, or anything else, to the best 

 possible advantage, which covers spending 

 as well as saving. 



Suppose we consider just a few of the 

 many ways in which we can reduce the cost 

 without lowering the standard of living. In 

 the first place, it is unwise to cut down on 

 the quality of food or skimp the quantity. 

 Milk, butter, eggs, meats, or other tissue- 

 building foods, vegetables, and fresh fruits 

 in season are among the necessities, and bee- 

 keepers at least would add honey to this 

 list. But luxuries, such as rich and indiges- 

 tible desserts, canned relishes and condi- 

 ments, expensive fruits and vegetables out 

 of season, candies, etc., may be cut down 

 without injuring anyone unless it is the 

 family doctor or undertaker. 



If we wish to feed our families economic- 

 ally it is necessary to have a knowledge of 

 food values in order to be able to substitute 

 cheaper foods for expensive and yet assure 

 a balanced ration. Also, if certain classes 

 of foods are omitted from the diet while 

 others are served to excess, nature creates 

 a feeling of dissatisfaction which results in 

 a constant craving, altho the unfortunate 

 may not realize why he is always hungry. 

 He may be actually starving while eating 

 to excess every day. Fed on a balanced 

 ration that same person will eat much less, 

 feel satisfied, and enjoy better health. 



THERE are many ways in which the meat 

 bill can be kept down without danger 

 of malnutrition. Meat substitutes, 

 such as fish, eggs, milk, cheese, nuts, grains, 

 dry beans and peas may be used. While 

 authorities differ as to the importance of 

 meat in the diet we all know healthy in- 

 dividuals who eat practically no meat, and 

 it is rather significant that centenarians al- 

 most invariably state that they have eaten 

 very little meat. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



697 



The meat fla- 

 vor may be ex- 

 tended by com- 

 bining meat 

 with vegetables, 

 noodles, maca- 

 roni, dumplings, 

 and biscuit 

 dough in meat 

 pies, etc. 

 Insist on having all trimmings sent with 

 your meat when ordering. You pay for 

 them at the rate of the meat from which 

 they are trimmed. Savory stews and soups 

 may be made with the bones as a founda- 

 tion, and the fat may be tried out for use 

 in cooking or for homemade soap. 



Save every scrap of cooked meat. After 

 serving the best portions sliced cold the 

 rest may be cut up, and if tough, simmered 

 in a very little boiling water with or with- 

 out vegetables until tender, and then used 

 in any way desired. Less desirable piecc;s 

 will add flavor to soup stock. 



Don't confine your orders to the so-called 

 best roasts and steaks. Other portions of 

 the animal are quite as nutritious, just as 

 tempting if properly prepared, afford an 

 agreeable variety to the diet, and are much 

 cheaper, altho one must take into account 

 the fact that certain cheap portions have so 

 much waste that there is little or no econ- 

 omy in buying them. 



EGGS are such a valuable food that at 

 this time of year, when their price is al- 

 most prohibitive, it is wise to use them 

 as the main dish at a meal rather than as a 

 part of a more or less indigestible dessert. 

 When used in custard or ice cream serve a 

 meal which is otherwise light in protein. 



(Don't put food over a gas burner with- 

 out an asbestos mat, go into another room, 

 become interested in writing an article on 

 food economy, forget the food cooking on 

 the range and let it scorch. This bit of 

 advice was born of experience, for I have 

 just this minute done it.) 



The ready-to-serve breakfast foods are 

 great time savers, but the old-fashioned 

 rolled oats, cracked wheat, and cornmeal 

 mush are nutritious, afford variety, and 

 help keep down the food bill, especially if 

 they are homemade on a hand gristmill run 

 by boy power. 



Use an abundance of fresh vegetables, in- 

 eluding the leafy, uncooked vegetables. 

 Their value in the diet is quite out of pro- 

 portion to their cost. They provide us 

 with the necessary soluble minerals and 

 vitamines, help to counteract the acid-form- 

 ing properties of meats and grains, and thus 

 keep the blood stream alkaline and able to 

 resist disease, and furnish "roughage." 



ACCUEATE recipes, carefully followed 

 with the use of standard, graduated 

 measuring cups and spoons, prevent 

 waste of materials and tend to eliminate 



