Part 34

The bulk of the so-called “cereal” drinks on the market have some commercial coffee in them, as well as chicory. There are a few, however, made of combinations of grains, or of fruits, nuts and grains, only. Those containing chicory require a long boiling, according to the directions on the packages, to destroy the rank, harsh flavor of the chicory; and the ones made of parched grains without caramel in any form are improved by long steeping to develop the mild flavor. But it is a great mistake to boil those having a characteristic, agreeable flavor any more than we used to boil Java or Mocha. To make these, put the cereal (from 1 teaspn. to 1½ tablespn. to each cup of water according to taste) into perfectly boiling water, allow it to just boil up, then stand on the back of the range where it cannot boil, for from 5-10 m. Serve with nice rich sterilized cream (hot better). When cream is not obtainable and the drink must be served, hot scalded milk gives a better flavor than unscalded milk, but as a rule, it is better to omit the coffee when you have no cream.

Never make cereal coffee in a tin coffee pot that commercial coffee has been made in. It would ruin the flavor.

We do not advise the drinking of even cereal coffee, but use it to win people from injurious beverages.

=To Make a Cereal Drink=

It is very convenient to know how to make a cereal coffee, though if one’s time is worth much and a good coffee is to be obtained, it is cheaper to buy it. The following recipe is one that I have used for years and it is excellent. None of the whole grains equal bran for the drink.

1 qt. wheat bran pressed down lightly 1 pt. corn meal ½ cup hot water ⅔ cup nice-flavored dark molasses

Mix bran and corn meal and pour over them the molasses and hot water which have been combined. Rub all together with the hands until smooth; set in a warm oven and stir occasionally until well dried out, then increase the heat of the oven, stirring the mixture often; at the last have the oven very hot and stir almost constantly until cereal is a dark chestnut brown, which will take but a short time at the last. Remove from the oven and stir until cooled a little so that it will not brown more by its own heat, and put into a close covered can.

When preparing to serve, use ½-1 cup of the coffee to each quart of boiling water, let it just boil up and stand for 5 m. Different combinations of grains are browned and ground for drinks. Barley is much liked by some, rye by others. Carrot and celery roots dried and browned are good, and browned peas are excellent.

=Tea-Hygiene=

Celery and raspberry leaf tea have been served in some of the restaurants in New York City for several years and are both good. Either the tops (fresh or dry) or seeds of celery may be used. Crush the seeds before steeping. I have also used mint, anise, tarragon, catnip and thyme for tea and found them all pleasant drinks. Steep them for 15-20 m., strain and serve with cream only. You will be surprised I am sure when you try them. Do not allow catnip tea to stand with the leaves if to be re-heated.

=Bran Tea=

Brown bran delicately. Take 2 tablespns. for each cup of water, boil up well or steep for 20 m. Dried unbrowned bran may be used with longer cooking.

=Cold Cereal Coffee=

Pour hot coffee over cream or cream and sugar. Cool. For luncheon or supper.

=Eggnog=

1 egg, ½-¾ cup of milk, 1 teaspn. or no sugar, flavoring or not. Beat or shake until foamy, pour into glass and serve with or without whipped cream on top. Eggnog does not necessarily contain liquor.

=Hot Eggnog=

Beat 1 egg with or without a teaspn. of sugar and a few drops of vanilla. Pour ½-¾ cup of hot milk over, stirring. Turn into warm glass and serve at once.

=Cream for Coffee=

Beat 1 egg to a foam, add 1 tablespn. white sugar and pour a pint of boiling hot milk over, stirring briskly. Prepare at night for morning.

=Cream for Coffee No. 2=

Pour 1 pt. boiling milk on beaten yolk of 1 egg mixed with 2 tablespns. cold milk. Set back on the stove to scald but not boil.

“Food should not be washed down. No drink is needed with the meals. Eat slowly and allow the saliva to mingle with the food. Hot drinks are debilitating. Do not eat largely of salt; give up bottled pickles; keep fiery spiced food out of your stomach; eat fruit with your meals, and the irritation which calls for so much drink will cease to exist. But if anything is needed to quench thirst, pure water drunk some little time before or after a meal is all that nature requires.”

INVALID FOODS

“Diet in the hands of an expert is far more effective than drugs. I speak from a large experience in both systems.”--_“Food and Condition.” Dr. Yorke Davis, London._

“In many cases of sickness the very best remedy is for the patient to fast for a meal or two, that the overworked organs of digestion may have an opportunity to rest.”

“A fruit diet for a few days has often brought great relief to brain workers.”

“Many times a short period of entire abstinence from food, followed by simple, moderate eating, has led to recovery through nature’s own recuperative effort. An abstemious diet for a month or two would convince many sufferers that the path of self-denial is the path to health.”

“There are some who would be benefited more by abstinence from food for a day or two every week than by any amount of treatment or medical advice. To fast one day a week would be of incalculable benefit to them.”

Suggestions

Whatever food is taken to the sick should be prepared and served daintily and neatly. If the tray cloth is ever so coarse or only a paper napkin, have it clean; use the daintiest and prettiest china to be found and serve the food in small quantities, without any drops or streaks on the edge of the dishes. A flower or leaf by the side of the plate, will give zest to the food.

Food should be simple, nutritious and easily digested. Suitable dishes are scattered all through the book. Among the soups are the broths and others, supplying the needs of different cases. There are toasts in variety; they may be served in delicate squares, triangles and crescents.

Rice flour blanc mange, sea moss blanc mange, buttermilk, parched grains, egg creams, fruit whips and ices are suggestive of some of the especially suitable dishes. Fruits and fruit juices are nearly always indicated. Baked apples, sweet and sour, without sugar, are staple invalid dishes. Before serving grapes, remove the seeds with two silver forks on a plate, then put the pulp and juice into a sauce dish or glass. Serve the pulp only, of oranges. (p. 42.)

The most desirable gruels are those made of the dextrinized or parched cereals, but when the undextrinized grains are used they should be cooked as long as for porridges, in a somewhat larger quantity of water, strained, and thinned with milk, or cream and water. They may sometimes be cooked in milk. Cold porridges may be used.

=Granella Malted Milk Gruel=

1-1½ tablespn. granella 2-3 teaspns. malted milk 2 tablespns. thin cream salt water

Cook granella in water to soften, strain, add malted milk, cream and salt which have been blended; heat, serve.

=Egg Gruel=

Poached yolks of 3 eggs, 1-2 cups milk. Rub yolks of eggs smooth, add hot milk, gradually, strain, reheat, salt, serve.

=Parched Corn Broth=

Pour hot milk over parched corn meal or cracked parched corn; let stand 5-10 m., strain. May use water and cream.

=Almond Gruel=

1 tablespn. almond butter, 1 cup water, salt. Mix butter with water, add salt, boil, serve.

=Raisin Gruel=

Boil 1½ cup raisins in 1 qt. milk and water, equal parts, for ½ hour; strain, squeezing well, thicken with 1-2 teaspns. flour blended with water, add salt.

=White of Egg=

Dissolve the whites of 2 or 3 eggs in a glass of water and give a few teaspoonfuls every 2 or 3 hours.

CONFECTIONS

“Sugar clogs the system. It hinders the working of the living machine.”

Children are not naturally fond of sweets, but with few exceptions their taste has been educated to them from the cradle. I have known children who were so unaccustomed to candies that if they were given them they would merely play with them, never thinking of putting them into their mouths, and others who would say when a sweet dessert was given them, “I don’t like that, it is too sweet.”

Much life-long suffering would be avoided if children were given plenty of good ripe fruit, sweet and sour, instead of confections. If, however, it seems best sometimes to make something in this line, select the simplest and least harmful.

=Stuffed Dates=

Mix unsalted roasted nut butter with powdered sugar and a little vanilla, form into pieces the size and shape of date stones and put inside each date; roll in sugar or not, serve on grape or maple leaves.

Serve with wafers, or with rolls and cereal coffee, sometimes.

Almond or Brazil nut butter may be used instead of peanut butter, and rose or other flavoring. Grated cocoanut may be mixed with the almond butter. Fill the dates with marshmallow paste for Marshmallow Dates.

=Cream Stuffed Dates=

Make a roll the size of the stone of confection cream and insert in date. The roll may be larger and allowed to show in the opening.

=Stuffed Figs=

Stuff pulled figs by removing the inside and mixing it with sweetened and flavored nut butter or with coarse chopped English walnuts, almonds and pecans, one or all, and replacing in the skin.

Pile in the center of a dessert plate and surround with sticks or beaten biscuit. Serve with or without cereal coffee.

=Stuffed Prunes=

Soak and steam choice, plump California prunes until tender, cover close until cool, remove stones and fill space with a paste made by kneading together almond butter, white of egg and powdered or confectioner’s sugar.

=Sweetmeats--Fruits and Nuts=

1 part each Brazil nuts, almonds and hickory nuts or filberts or English walnuts, and 1 or 2 parts raisins, figs or dates. Grind fruit through finest cutter of mill and mix with nut butter or meal or chopped nuts. Form into caramel shape, small rolls or cones, or into a large roll and slice. Two or more of the sweet fruits may be used, sometimes a little citron. Or, 3 parts chopped hickory nut meats, 2 parts figs and other fruits.

=A Sweetmeat--Fruits=

1 lb. each of figs, from which the stems and hard part have been cut, stoned dates and raisins; mix and grind through food cutter; sprinkle board with confectioner’s sugar, knead mixture, roll to ½ in. thick, cut into any desired shape and size and roll in sugar.

=Kisses=

Whites of 6 eggs, 1 cup powdered sugar. Beat the whites of eggs with a little salt, adding the sugar gradually while whipping until the mixture is stiff enough to hold its shape; add flavoring if desired and drop by spoonfuls on to paraffine paper laid on boards of a size to fit the oven, or on baking tins. Dry in warm oven for about an hour, then brown slightly. If the oven is too warm, they may now be put into the warming oven or on a shelf over the stove until thoroughly dried. If the kisses stick to the paper, turn them over and moisten the paper slightly and they will come off in a little while.

=Cocoanut Candy=

2 cups granulated sugar, ½ cup milk, 1 cup shredded cocoanut. Boil sugar and milk together for 4 m., add cocoanut, flavor to taste and cool in buttered tins.

=Candy Puffs=

2 cups sugar 1 cup water whites 2 eggs 1 cup chopped nuts flavoring

Boil sugar and water till they spin a heavy thread, then pour the syrup over the stiffly-beaten whites of the eggs, stirring constantly. When all the syrup is in, beat until the mass begins to harden; add flavoring and nuts, mix thoroughly and place by teaspoonfuls on buttered plates.

=Confection, or Bonbon Cream=

Beat the white of an egg to a stiff froth, add gradually 8 tablespns. sifted powdered sugar, beat well together and flavor with vanilla or any desired flavoring. Or, one half its bulk of water may be added to the white of egg without beating, with enough confectioner’s sugar to make stiff enough to mold into balls. Different colors and flavorings may be used in cream.

=Nut Creams=

Halve English walnut or pecan meats and put confection cream between the halves; press together and set away to harden.

=★ Confection Potatoes=

Add a little cocoanut to second confection cream, and form into small potato shapes, making dents for eyes; roll in fine powdered coriander or anise seed, or in brown sugar with a little anise mixed with it.

=Marshmallows=

4 oz. gum arabic 1 cup water 1¼ cup powdered sugar whites of 3 eggs 2 teaspns. orange flower water or 1 of vanilla corn starch confectioner’s sugar

Another recipe gives 2 cups powdered sugar and the white of 1 egg only, with the other ingredients.

Soak the gum arabic in the water until soft, strain into inner cup of double boiler, add sugar and cook, stirring until thick and white. Try in ice water and when it will form a firm, not hard, ball, remove from the fire and chop and beat in the stiffly-whipped whites of the eggs with the flavoring. Turn the paste into a shallow pan covered thick with corn starch, leaving it 1 inch in thickness. When cool or in about 12 hours, cut into inch cubes, dust with confectioner’s sugar and pack in boxes. Marshmallows are better to be made as soft as they can be handled.

=Old Fashioned Molasses Candy=

2 cups molasses, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 tablespn. butter. Boil over not too hot fire until a little will harden as soon as it drops into cold water. Pour into buttered tins and pull when cool enough to handle. Candy may have hickory nut or black walnut meats pressed into it when partly cooled, without pulling.

The most important thing for the candy is to get a good flavored molasses. The real Porto Rico is best. Do not be induced to add soda to the syrup. It spoils the rich golden color which belongs to molasses candy, besides making it more unwholesome. Brush the kettle with butter before putting ingredients in.

=Everton Taffy=

1 large cup New Orleans molasses 1½ cup lightest brown sugar ½ cup butter 1 teaspn. vanilla

Boil until a little dropped in water will make fine, brittle threads; pour into buttered pans ¼-⅓ in. thick and cut in squares.

=Lemon Taffy--to pull=

2 cups sugar 1 cup water 2 tablespns. lemon juice 2 or 3 drops lemon extract

Boil sugar and water until nearly done; add lemon juice and cook until a little will harden in cold water; flavor and turn on to buttered plate. Fold the edges toward the center as they cool and pull as soon as cool enough to handle.

=Penosia=

3 cups light brown sugar 1 cup milk or cream 1 tablespn. butter 1 lb. English walnuts (1½ cup chopped) 1 teaspn. vanilla

Shell, blanch and chop the walnuts; boil sugar and milk until syrup will harden when dropped into water but will not become brittle; just before it is done, add the butter and vanilla; then the chopped nuts, stirring them in well; pour into buttered pans and with sharp knife mark off the squares. Cool.

Another recipe says dark brown sugar and ½ cup only of cream.

=Lozenges--Wintergreen or Peppermint=

2 cups granulated sugar ½ cup water 4-6 drops true oil of wintergreen, or 3 drops oil of peppermint

Boil sugar and water rapidly for 5 m. after they begin to boil, add the flavoring and remove from the fire. Stir briskly until the mixture begins to thicken and to have a whitish appearance, then drop on to a cold tin dish, oiled paper or a marble slab as fast as possible, in as large or small lozenges as desired. If the mixture hardens too rapidly, set the dish in a pan of hot water. Do not place the lozenges so close that they will run together. The wintergreen drops may be tinted pink with fruit color.

=Maple Candy Cream=

3 cups grated maple sugar 1 cup cream 1 teaspn. butter

Boil all together for 12 m., pour into another dish, stir until mixture thickens, pour into buttered tins and cut in squares.

=Hoarhound Candy=

3 cups water, 2 oz. dried hoarhound, 3 lbs. (2¼ qts.) brown sugar. Steep the dried herb in the water for a half hour; strain, add the sugar and boil until a little will harden when dropped in cold water; pour on to buttered tins and when sufficiently cool cut into sticks with oiled knife.

MEALS AND MENUS

“Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!”

“Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength and not for drunkenness.” Eccl. 10:16, 17.

Many have been greatly benefited by eating the first meal, breakfast, 3-5 hours after rising, according to their work.

“Eat only when hungry, drink only when thirsty.”--_E. H. D._

“Three meals a day and nothing between meals, not even an apple should be the utmost limit of indulgence. Those who go further violate nature’s laws and will suffer the penalty.”

“If you would give it a trial, you would find two meals better than three.”

“The stomach, when we lie down to rest, should have its work all done, that it may enjoy rest as well as other portions of the body. The work of digestion should not be carried on through any period of the sleeping hours. If you feel that you must eat at night, take a drink of cold water and in the morning you will feel much better for not having eaten.”

“It is not well to eat fruit and vegetables at the same meal. If the digestion is feeble, the use of both will often cause distress, and inability to put forth mental effort. It is better to have the fruit at one meal and the vegetables at another.”

As a rule, it is better to serve fruits at the close of a meal.

“In order to have healthy digestion, food should be eaten slowly.... If your time to eat is limited, do not bolt your food, but eat less and eat slowly.”

Masticate food to creaminess. “Enjoy to the full every mouthful of food as long as any taste remains in it.”--_C. C. H._

“Custom has decided that the food shall be placed upon the table in courses. Not knowing what is coming next, one may eat a sufficiency of food which perhaps is not the best suited to him. When the last course is brought on he often ventures to overstep the bounds and take the tempting dessert, which, however, proves anything but good for him. If all the food intended for a meal is placed on the table at the beginning, one has opportunity to make the best choice.”

For some time I have practised either putting the food all on the table or having what was not on the table in sight on the sideboard, or letting guests know in some way the full menu, as I have always felt that while teaching temperance, we were encouraging intemperance by the customary manner of serving.

When working hard, eat light; do not overwork the whole body at the same time.

Perfect rest without sleep for 15-30 m. after meals is a great aid to digestion.

“We should not provide for the Sabbath a more liberal supply or a greater variety of food than for other days. Instead of this, the food should be more simple and less should be eaten in order that the mind may be clear and vigorous to comprehend spiritual things. Overeating befogs the brain. The most precious words may be heard and not appreciated because the mind is confused by an improper diet.”

“Do not have too great a variety at a meal; three or four dishes are a plenty. At the next meal you can have a change. The cook should tax her inventive powers to vary the dishes she prepares for the table, and the stomach should not be obliged to take the same kinds of food meal after meal.”

Three or four dishes, each perfect of its kind, are more satisfying than a great number, not one of which is perfectly prepared and served.

MENUS

The suggestive menus given will admit of variation according to the season and circumstances.

Nut, olive or cooking oil with salt; nut butter of any kind; or cream, may be used instead of dairy butter.

Macaroni baked in cream sauce left from dinner may be heated and served for the next morning’s breakfast with the addition of tomato or more milk.

Where the two pies are served for dessert, two small pieces should be served on one plate. They introduce to the guests two kinds of crust without lard, and mince pie without meat.

When a hearty soup or dessert are on the menu the other dishes of the meal may be lighter.

Dainty dishes and spotless linen, will have much to do in fitting for that city which has foundations of precious stones and the paving of whose streets is gold.

BREAKFAST

=First Day=

Baked Macaroni in Cream or Tomato Sauce Bread and Butter or Cream Whole Wheat Wafers Apples and Oranges

=Second Day=

Corn Omelet Whole Wheat Gems Apple Sauce Graham Sticks

=Third Day=

Rye Meal Porridge--Nut or Dairy Cream Beaten Biscuit Fresh or Canned Blueberries Molasses Cookies

=Fourth Day=

Soft Poached Eggs on Broiled Trumese or Cutlets of Roast with Brown Gravy Parker House Rolls Cranberry Sauce Crisps

=Fifth Day=

Cutlets of Corn Meal Porridge or Rhode Island Johnny Cakes with Gravy No. 44 or 50 Scrambled Eggs Bread and Butter or Cream Graham Sticks Bananas (Cutlets plain at first and with maple syrup at last of meal)

=Sixth Day=

Trumese Hash Swedish Milk Biscuit Baked Doughnuts Cereal Coffee (Cream Toast may be added)

=Seventh Day=

Nut Rolls Canned Peaches or Baked Sweet Apples with or without Almond or Dairy Cream Apples or Bananas Fruit Bars or Wafers (Granella with cream or hot milk may be added)

DINNER

=First Day=

Mashed Lentils--Cream Sauce Baked Potatoes Boiled or Stewed Cabbage--salt and oil Bread and Nut or Dairy Butter Corn Pone or Water Corn Bread Squash or Pumpkin Pie

=Second Day=

Vegetable Consomme--Soup Balls Peanut Pie Stewed Corn Celery or Lettuce Mayonnaise Bread and Butter or Oil Graham Sticks Tapioca Jelly or Apple Tapioca Pudding

=Third Day=

Succotash Rice--Lentil Gravy Leavened and Unleavened Breads Steamed Apple Dumplings--Creamy Sauce

=Fourth Day=

Mother’s Soup--Cream Noodles Trumese in Tomato Celery, Radishes or Green Onions Squash Cutlets or Mashed Winter Squash Apple and Banana Salad--Cream Dressing

=Fifth Day=

Baked Beans and Brown Bread Scalloped Potatoes Pumpkin or Water Custard Pie Nuts and Raisins

=Sixth Day=

Cream of Corn Soup--Pop Corn Celery Gems and Oil, Cream or Butter Quaker Pudding--Molasses, Maple or other Sauce

=Seventh Day=

Baked Macaroni--Cream Sauce Green or Canned Peas Scalloped Tomatoes Lettuce--Mayonnaise or Lemonade Dressing Fruit Bread or Buns Beaten Biscuit Cream Pie or Gelatine Blanc Mange

SUPPER

=Number One=

Stewed Fresh Tomatoes Bread and Butter White Crackers Fruit and Nut Relish

=Number Two=

Bread and Milk Baked Sweet Apples or Blueberries or Black Raspberries

=Number Three=

Nuts Crackers Apples or Other Fruit

=Number Four=

Rhode Island Johnny Cakes--Honey Cocoanut Crisps Tea-Hygiene

=Number Five=

Rice Cakes or Milk Toast Sliced or Stewed Peaches Old Friend Sponge Cake

=Number Six=

Baked Apples, Pears and Grapes, or Apples, Grapes and Figs, or Sour Apples and Sweet Apples

=Number Seven=

Rusk or Granella and Milk

=Number Eight=

Acushnet Hash Water Corn Bread Whole Wheat Wafers Cereal Coffee

=Number Nine=

Cream of Tomato Soup--Soup Crackers Bread and Butter Apple Sauce

=Number Ten=

Cream of Corn Toast Rolls Honey

MIDDAY LUNCHEON

=Number One=

Tomato Shortcake Crackers Pine Nut Cheese Lemon Egg Cream

=Number Two=

Hot Egg Sandwich Lettuce--French or Mayonnaise Dressing

=Number Three=

Timbales of Corn Whole Wheat Popovers Graham Crisps Cantaloupe

=Number Four=