A WHOLESOME DIET.

Evening Star, Issue 16777, 4 July 1918, Page 3

A WHOLESOME DIET.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—Some of your correspondents were recently asking for economical wrinkles. These are a few:—A "colonial quilt" is a fine, warm, cheap affair. For a single bed take three new sacks and soak them in water all night, and shake them about in it to make them pliable. When dry, sew them together sideways. Many a time I have used one of these when camping out. The following is a fine, cheap diet. I practically live on it: Boil any kind of meat and carrots till the meat is about done. Then put in all or any of the following:—Potatoes, parsnips, onions, handful of parsley, green peas, celery, and enough rice to absorb the water. When the potatoes are cooked, the whole is cooked. This may be varied in many ways. For instance, barley may be used instead of rice, and the barley must be boiled with the meat, and then the vegetables can be put in aa directed. Instead of the barley and rice split peas or lentils can -be used, and there will be soup. Most likely tapioca could be used. The carrots can be put on with the other vegetables, in which case they must be cut in thin rounds. Any cook knows how | to cut up vegetables to best advantage. Sausages or fish can be put on with the vegetables. Beware of cheap enamelware When there are many cracks it absorbs enough of previous stews to taint the cooking, and spoil the flavor. Seasoning to taste. Beans (two kinds) and cabbage do not do well with this stew, but the water the cabbage was boiled in can be used as stock Nothing is wasted in this way. The rice, barley, etc., absorb everything that is good in the vegetables. Top off with bread, butter, and some plum puelding. For several years past, for health reasons, my breakfast is lib cocoa tin three parts full of thin gruel. Fill up the tin with bread, and mix well, and then sugar and preserved milk, and then I can work and follow a team of horses for four or five hours. The bread gives it substance. The vegetables should be bought I in large quantities at the regular auction sales, then this living costs about Is a day per adult. I will be pleased to answer any inquiries. Jam ought to be much cheaper than it is I am told that in Central Otago, Nelson jams are in common use. Now, the fruit in the shops in towns has nothing like the. fine flavor it has when you pick it in the orchard. It seems to me the best plan would bo to make the jam in the neighborhood of the orchards, and send it to town in bulk, say in petrol tins, and the householders could buy in small quantities. Near the towns there are largo numbers of badly-kept fruit trees, and the result is very inferior fruit, and also very ii'"prior jams. Marmalade ought to bo made whore the oranges grow, and so enable the consumer to get it at half its present price. The wives of the first division men would be doing something really patriotic if they took billets as housekeepers.—l am, etc., * Retired. July 3.