This book has been prepared with the special purpose of assisting mothers throughout the country to train their small daughters in the art of cookery. Scarcely any child can be trusted to take a recipe and work alone, as the clearest directions need the watchful supervision of an experienced woman, who can detect the coming mistake and explain the reason for doing things in a certain way. All children like to experiment in the kitchen, and instead of allowing them to become an annoyance, they sh

(For these recipes, unless otherwise specified, make all measurements level. The use of measuring cups, divided into halves and thirds, is strongly urged, as well as the tea and table measuring spoons.) Every mother should begin to instruct her little daughter at an early age in the different branches of housekeeping, and if taught in the right way, none will prove more attractive than cooking. When quite young the child will be eager to experiment, and generally will be careful; and with many o

Every mother, in teaching her little daughter to cook, should impress upon her two essential points—economy and neatness. A cook cannot be too careful to have her materials, her utensils, and herself as clean as possible. So, before beginning work, the child should carefully wash her hands, clean her nails, smooth up any stray locks of hair, and put on the cap, sleeves and apron that are to protect her from spots and flying flour. Then all fruits or vegetables which are to be used should be well

Every little cook should early be taught how to make a variety of soups, as many small quantities of food can be utilized in this way that otherwise might be wasted. Take, for instance, the bones and small trimmings from steaks, chops or a roast, and the remnant of a chicken. These, with a five-cent soup bone, will make the stock, which is the foundation for a great many kinds of soup. If part of the scraps have been fried or roasted, so much the better, as then the stock will be a delicate brow

Fresh fish, in the first place, must be absolutely fresh. They will have little odor, the eyes will be full and clear, and the flesh firm. They are usually delivered from the market cleaned and scaled, but they should be washed with cold water, and sprinkled with salt if not used immediately. Smelts, trout, perch and other small fish, are fried whole, while the larger kinds are cut in pieces called fillets. After washing, drying and seasoning with pepper and salt, each piece should be dipped in

Here let me put in a few words about some easy ways of cooking meat. The recipes are simple, but everything depends on your getting in plenty of seasoning, cooking as directed, and—not burning. Be sure to have veal, lamb and pork well done, as no one likes these rare or even pink, but study the family taste about the length of time to cook beef. I have purposely omitted the ordinary dinner meats (I couldn't tell you everything in one little book!), but if you learn to make what I do tell you abo

Every girl should know how to cook potatoes properly; yet really there is scarcely any other one vegetable that can be prepared in so many ways and still is often so poorly cooked as to be practically unfit to eat. It would seem an easy thing to make a light, appetizing dish of mashed potatoes—and what is more inviting?—but how often are they served wet and soggy! To understand the right way to cook and serve potatoes is as much an art as to make a salad or bake a cake. Plain boiled potatoes, wi

A mother can make the cooking of potatoes and the plainer vegetables interesting if she will use a little tact and stimulate the child's desire to make, first, as many different dishes from each article as possible, and second, to make them as appetizing as she can. Doubtless many a girl who will not eat plain food now could be taught to like things by getting her interested in cooking, for then she has to taste and make sure she has seasoned properly. Such winter vegetables as turnips, carrots

Entertaining can be made easy by some forethought, and a little girl should be made to realize that hospitality, of all things, should be genuine. In the case of expected company it is well to get whatever is needed in plenty of time, but the unexpected guest should receive none the less cordial greeting while the housekeeper hurriedly reviews her resources in the way of material available. One of the most important lessons to teach the little girl is that of making simple dishes so attractive t

Rice is one of our most nutritious foods, and it can be served in such a variety of ways it is one of the first things a child should be shown how to prepare. The very easiest (and cheapest) way is to wash and drain a cup of rice and then sprinkle it slowly into two quarts of boiling salted water. Without stirring, set it where it will simmer slowly, and by the time it has boiled down thick it should be tender enough to crush with the tongue. If not, add a little more boiling water and allow to

The child who has been assisted in preparing the various dishes given in our previous cooking lessons, and who has learned to follow directions, will now be eager to undertake different kinds of baking. The mother should impress on the little student that the first essential to success is correct measurements, and the second, careful mixing. For cake baking a graduated tin cup, marked in quarters and thirds, is almost a necessity, as different people's ideas vary so as to what constitutes a quar

For the hot days of summer, I know the mothers and little cooks will be deeply interested in cold desserts of all kinds—dishes that can be made early in the morning and set away, as well as various frozen dainties. It is well to enjoy the delicious fruits and melons in their season (and really nothing finishes off a dinner better after a close, warm day), but still we all want to know how to make light puddings and jellies for a change. Floating island is a nice dessert, easily made by any child

All children are deeply interested in preparations for company, and in the getting ready for the Thanksgiving dinner every mother will find good opportunity to teach her little daughter many valuable lessons. There is so much to be thought of at this time and so much to be done that the wise woman will take the child into consultation, and by freely discussing plans get help and at the same time train her into the right way to prepare for guests. In the first place, talk over with her and decide

Our little cook, after her experience at Thanksgiving, will probably be most eager to take part in the preparations for the Christmas dinner. Consult her now, as before; tell her all your ideas, get her suggestions, and then make all plans at least a week beforehand. Holidays should be holidays for the hostess as well as the guest, and can be made so by the choice of a dinner that is good and at the same time easily prepared. The suggested menu following will be found attractive enough for any p

All children love to make candy, and the home-made kinds are much purer and better—besides being much cheaper—than those usually sold at the small confectionery stores. Every mother will do well to help her little daughter master this branch of cookery, for it will not only enable her to make wholesome sweets for the family when desired, but also to prepare a dainty box when she wishes to make an inexpensive present. For fine nut candy, have the child first pick out half a cupful of nut meats. P

I should not feel the series of lessons complete without a word to the mothers about how to interest their girls in this important part of cooking. It is so easily done, and my own little daughters took such pleasure in the work, that I hope every woman will let her child try putting up at least one kind of fruit. The first step, however, is to get the fruit jars and glasses all conveniently at hand, clean and dry, with fresh rubbers for the tops. Peaches and pears should be thinly peeled and ha

For picnics, school luncheons, and her evening parties my little maid will want sandwiches, and there are many kinds easily made. And generally she will want the bread cut very thin and spread with soft butter. For ordinary occasions she may use any kind of meat she happens to find in the house, slicing it if she can, then seasoning with mustard, or else putting it through the grinder and seasoning with mustard, a small minced pickle, or finely chopped sweet green pepper. In using the ground mea

Before closing, let us consider some simple every day desserts that every little cook should know how to make. And first comes For a small family, take a quart baking dish, cover the bottom with broken bread, sprinkle with raisins or currants, dot with tiny lumps of butter, and then repeat the process. Over this second layer pour a custard made by beating very light two eggs, adding two cups of milk, a pinch of salt, half a cupful of sugar, and a little grated nutmeg. Bake until a light brown on