March, 1912 
set to work to change the old order of things in her life 
that may have led to her being careless of the importance 
of such matters. 
There are many small families living on small incomes 
who are only able to employ help occasionally. These 
housekeepers must, of necessity, spend much of their time 
in the kitchen. Meals must be cooked and dishes must be 
washed regardless of any other work, and, because of this 
fact, economy of both time and labor must be secured in 
planning the construction 
and equipment of the 
kitchen. The large 16x16 
kitchen that used to be the 
right thing, modern use 
has proved to be an un- 
wise arrangement. What- 
ever the size of the kitchen 
may be, however, one can 
control the arranging of 
furniture and tools so that 
no extra steps need be 
taken. Each housekeeper 
must study out this prob- 
lem for herself, accord- 
ing to her surroundings, 
but certain rules apply to 
all. Painted walls and 
shelves, and a smooth 
floor, either covered with 
linoleum or painted, for 
instance. Linoleum, var- 
nished once or twice a 
year, makes the best floor 
of all. The next essential 
is plenty of light upon your 
work. I hate sinks in a 
back corner. A_ sink 
should have a window all 
its own. 
Then ventilation should 
be worked for. There 
should always be some 
good method of ventila- 
tion in every kitchen. 
Windows opposite a door, 
according to construction, 
is the very best way. 
There should be a good 
light over the stove, if 
possible. If there is no 
gas jet available, put a 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
TWO ATTRACTIVE WAYS OF SERVING EGGS 
By Charlotte Kendall Mooney 
Poached Eggs with Celery Sauce.—Poach the desired number of 
eggs in the usual manner and arrange them on a hot platter. 
stalks of celery in one pint of milk until tender. 
the milk with one and one half tablespoons each of butter and flour 
rubbed together, then add the celery cut in small pieces. 
pour around the eggs, garnishing the dish with celery tops. 
107 
a tendency to employ open shelves, with a rack behind, 
which arrangement enables one to see the pans and plates 
needed. Eternal vigilance will keep these free from dust, 
and wiping off before using does not take the time it does 
to get down on your knees to a shut-in cupboard and hunt 
out your needed article. Small screws can be put in under- 
neath such shelves, and measuring cups, spoons and many 
other things suspended from them. How many times has 
one dusted a drawer with flour while hunting hurriedly for 
a special spoon, even 
getting cut in the hurry, 
because knives will get 
mixed in where they do 
not belong! 
Stock up with good 
kitchen utensils, and keep 
them clean! If you have 
a jar of sal-soda near the 
sink, and put some into the 
porcelain or granite dishes 
when they get stained and 
you put them to soak, the 
stain or food which has 
become stuck to the dish 
will come off readily with- 
out scraping and scouring, 
which spoils the surface. 
A bit of soda put into a 
frying pan, when putting 
to soak after use, will save 
much time when the wash- 
ing time comes. 
Steel frying pans are 
much preferred nowadays, 
but I think because they 
heat up so quickly, but the 
old-fashioned iron spider 
I can’t do without. It 
holds the heat without 
burning, and does not 
need watching every 
minute. Graniteware ket- 
tles have taken the place 
of the heavy iron kettles, 
and we older ones all can 
tell of the joy it is to be 
rid of the old iron tea- 
kettles. We are being 
helped at every turn; it is 
for us to make the best use 
of such helps, and every- 
Cook six 
Remove them; thicken 
Reheat and 
bracket lamp, with re- 
flector, where the light can 
be thrown on the stove. 
Many steps may be saved 
right there. 
A kitchen table which 
ee 
Eggs a la Bechamel.—Shell and quarter ten hard-boiled eggs. Have 
ready one pint of Bechamel sauce made in the following proportions: To 
each tablespoonful of flour and butter allow one and one half cups of 
milk, seasoning to taste of salt and pepper, and a small bouquet consisting 
of two or three sprigs of parsley, a stalk of celery, a bay leaf, a bit of 
thyme, and one or two cloves. Cook together for fifteen minutes and 
where to bear in mind the 
economy of steps which 
means such economy of 
time, and that in turn 
affects the whole house. 
A Frenchman once said 
can be drawn up near the 
stove will save steps, and 
neither stove or table 
should be placed far from 
the sink. If the table is covered with white oilcloth, have 
some squares of wood, in which can be placed screw-eyes 
for hanging them at the side of the table, and always being 
at hand, they can quickly be placed under a hot pan or 
kettle. 
The most desirable thing in the cupboard line is the cup- 
board around the wall. With sliding doors of glass, a cup- 
board of this sort is the perfection of convenience and easy 
to care for. In many small houses and bungalows there is 
strain. 
To this sauce add the eggs, heat thoroughly, and serve with a 
garnish of fried croutons and parsley. 
that the greatest menace 
to American prosperity 
was not the influx of im- 
migrants, but her garbage 
pails. As long as they were filled with what would keep a 
French family going for a day, nothing but hard times 
could be the result. While this may be a statement some- 
what exaggerated, still there is much truth in it. Far too 
much is thrown away by those who should know better 
than to waste. ‘Take, for instance, the matter of bread. 
There are endless ways of using up the scraps—and yet I 
have seen bread sufficient for several families thrown out 
as waste on the lift in a New York flat. Bread toasted 
