1911. 
'THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
549 
Some Comments and Suggestions. 
In Charity Sweetheart’s last letter she 
mentioned the soreness of her fingers 
caused by grating horseradish, and I 
have wanted ever since to advise her to 
use a food chopper for that job. It is 
a great saving of time, fingers and 
eyes, and does the work just as well. 
You can turn your head away from it 
while you grind, and, when your eyes 
begin to suffer, some other member of 
the family can help you; even the small 
children can turn the crank awhile and 
think it great fun. The food chopper 
has come to be almost indispensable to 
me—it is so much quicker and easier 
than the chopping bowl or grater. I 
never buy Hamburg steak at the butch¬ 
er’s, but get, for 10 or 12 cents a pound, 
a nice chunk—usually from the hind 
quarter and just below the last cut of 
round steak if possible—put it through 
the chopper, reserving the bone and 
trimmings for the foundation of a future 
soup. I put no salt or other condiments 
with it as that draws out the juices and 
destroys the steak flavor which I like. 
If there is not enough-fat in the chunk, 
I chop a small piece of suet with it. 
Just before broiling I make it into little 
pats about three inches in diameter and 
a little less than half an inch thick, 
pressing them firmly. Then I grease 
very lightly a frying pan and let it get 
smoking hot and broil my Hamburg 
pats as I would a steak. Care must be 
used in turning them or they will break 
apart, but I prefer to take the care and 
even have them broken some than to 
use flour in making them—it injures the 
flavor so much. Do not salt until they 
are done. If I have so much Hamburg 
that it dries out before I can use it, I 
moisten it with water or milk, but by 
keeping it covered it does not dry out 
quickly. When it threatens to spoil 
before I can fry it all, I make a beef 
loaf of it, and we all enjoy it that way 
for a change. The meat you chop your¬ 
self is far superior to what you can buy 
chopped at the shop. 
The food chopper also comes into use 
for grating cocoanuts and chocolate, 
making hash, mincemeat, chowder, any¬ 
thing that requires grating or chopping. 
I have even heard it advocated for chop¬ 
ping the ice to use in making ice cream. 
I never tried it for that, but may next 
Summer. 
What a beautiful letter L. S. wrote 
us some time ago on “The Secret of 
Hospitality.” We see so much more of 
this hospitality in the count) y than in 
town or city, where the guest is taken 
in just as one of the family without 
strenuous days of cleaning and polish¬ 
ing and cooking of delicacies, wearing 
out the hostess before the guest arrives. 
I so long to be just myself with every¬ 
one, and not try to appear to have the 
same high standard of living as Mrs. 
So-and-so, who hires most of her work 
done. It is a hard matter for simple 
hospitality to thrive in the city. There 
is so much wealth, so much entertaining 
done on an elaborate scale with smart 
receptions, teas, luncheons, etc., that we 
fear our guests will feel insulted if we 
invite them to a simple home dinner. I 
have entertained people who I am con¬ 
fident spoke scornfully of my simple 
ways and did not appreciate their peep 
into our home life. I console myself by 
thinking that they were friends who 
were not worth while. However, I can¬ 
not help but shrink from entertaining 
those whom I know are accustomed to’ 
luxuries which I cannot give them. I 
suppose that I ought to go on being hos¬ 
pitable in my own simple way, and not 
be troubled. As long as the welcome is 
hearty, the food good and wholesome^ 
and the house reasonably clean and or¬ 
derly, it should not matter if the rich 
dessert is lacking, the silver not polished, 
some books and toys out of place, or the 
furniture old. The blessing of exercis¬ 
ing hospitality is one for which we 
should strive and still not live beyond 
our means nor make untrue pretensions. 
Our guest, if he be an honest soul, will 
enjoy his visit better and think all the 
more of us for such entertainment. 
Who would not rather have an honest 
copper cent than a spurious five dollar 
gold piece? G. b. w. 
The Rural Patterns. 
When ordering patterns always give 
number of pattern and measurements 
desired. 
The dress that closes at the front is 
always- practical one for young girls. In 
the illustration it is made of batiste 
trimmed with striped lawn cut on the 
bias, but the model will be found a 
6985 Girl’s Peasant Dress Closing at 
Side Front, IO to 14 years, 
good one for various seasonable ma¬ 
terials. The dress can be worn with 
or without a guimpe. The dress con¬ 
sists of blouse and skirt. The blouse is 
cut in one with the sleeves and has only 
the hack and the under-arm seams. The 
skirt is cut in five gores, the two are 
joined by a belt and the closing is made 
with buttons and buttonholes. For a 
girl of 12 years of age will be needed 5 
yards of material 27 inches wide, 4*4 
yards 36 or 2?« yards 44 inches wide, 
with % yard 27 inches wide for the 
trimming. The pattern, No. 6985, is cut 
in sizes for girls of 10 , 12 and 14 years 
of age; price 10 cents. 
The smaller pictures include 6975, 
Empire coat with body and sleeves in 
one, 34 to 40 bust, with plain or two- 
piece back. 3J4 yards of material 27 
inches wide, 2(4 yards 36, 2 r /i yards 44, 
1H yard 27 for collar and trimming, for 
medium size. 6971, peasant waist with 
bolero effect, for misses and small 
women, 14, 16 and 18 years. % yard of 
plain material 27 inches wide, 36 or 44 
with 1(4 yard of fancy material 27, or 
yards 36 or 44 inches wide, 3->4 yards 
of banding, (4 yard of all-over lace to 
make as illustrated. 1 ->4 yard 27 or 36, 
1(4 yard 44 inches wide, Y& yard of all- 
over lace, 3J4 yards of banding to make 
as shown in back view, for 16 year size. 
6948, tucked peasant waist for misses 
and small woman, 14, 16 and 18 years, 
with lining and round or high neck or 
without lining. 2)4 yards of material 
27 inches wide, 1(4 yard 36, 1(4 yard 
44, yard 27 for bands for waist, 1 % 
yard 36 for guimpe lining, J4 yards of 
all-over lace for yoke and undersleeves 
for 16 year size. 6927, straight gath¬ 
ered skirt for misses and small women, 
14, 16 and 18 years. 3->4 yards of ma¬ 
terial 27 inches wide or 36, 2(4 yards 
44 with 1 yard of contrasting material 
27 for band for the 16 year size. 6986, 
child’s one-piece dress with bloomers, 2 
to 6 years. 354 yards of material 27 
inches wide, 2 J4 yards 36 or 44 for dress 
with bloomers, 2 yards 27, 1(4 yard 36 
or 44 for dress without bloomers, 2 
yards of banding to make as illustrated, 
for 4 year size. 6970, nine-gored skirt, 
23 to 36 waist with inverted plaits or 
habit back, with high or natural waist 
line, in walking or round length. 7 yards 
of material 27 inches wide, 5 yards 36, 
4(4 yards 44 or 52 when material has 
figure or nap, 5(4 yards 27, 4 yards 36, 
3 yards 44 or 52 when material has 
neither figure or nap, width of walking 
skirt at lower edge, 234 yards with in¬ 
verted plaits, 2(4 yards with habit back 
for medium size; price of each 10 CLnts. 
Brcwn Stew with Dumplings.—Two 
pounds of shoulder beef quite fat; cut 
into small pieces. Place in kettle; pour 
boiling water over and let boil rapidly 
for five minutes. Set on top of range 
lid and boil slowly until the water is 
evaporated, and meat begins to fry in 
its own fat. Watch closely and brown 
on all sides. Again cover with boiling 
water, add level teaspoon salt, one- 
fourth teaspoon pepper, one small onion 
minced and two tablespoonfuls of flour, 
blended with one-half cupful cold water; 
cover and boil until within 10 minutes 
of serving time, when the dumplings are 
added (about one and one-half hours). 
For the dumplings, put into a bowl one- 
half pint of flour, one-fourth teaspoon 
salt, and one teaspoon baking powder. 
Mix thoroughly, and add sufficient milk 
to make a soft dough. Drop into stew 
from teaspoon and cook 10 minutes. 
Arrange dumplings around edge of deep 
platter and pour stew into center. 
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■ 'I II 
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