Oatmeal to be palatable and wholesome should be thoroughly cooked, that is, steamed over a hot fire two hours or longer.  Use a double boiler of agateware.  Place in the upper half of the boiler about 5 cups of water and stand directly over the hottest part of the range.  When the water boils furiously, and is full of little bubbles (not before), stir into the boiling water about 2 cups of oatmeal (if porridge is liked rather thick), and about 1 teaspoonful of salt.  (Tastes differ regarding the thickness of porridge.) Let stand directly on the front of the range, stirring only enough to prevent scorching, and cook ten minutes, then stand upper part of double boiler over the lower compartment, partly filled with boiling water; cover closely and let steam from two to three hours.  In order to have the oatmeal ready to serve at early breakfast the following morning, put oatmeal on to cook about five o’clock in the evening, while preparing supper, and allow it to stand and steam over boiling water until the fire in the range is dampened off for the night.  Allow the oatmeal to stand on range until the following morning, when draw the boiler to front part of range, and when breakfast is ready (after removing top crust formed by standing), turn the oatmeal out on a dish and serve with rich cream and sugar, and you will have a good, wholesome breakfast dish with the flakes distinct, and a nutty flavor.  Serve fruit with it, if possible.  A good rule for cooking oatmeal is in the proportion of 2-1/2 cups of water to 1 cup of oatmeal.

The cereals which come ready prepared are taking the place of the old-time standby with which mothers fed their growing boys.  If you wish your boys to have muscle and brawn, feed them oats.  To quote an old physician, “If horses thrive on oats, why not boys who resemble young colts?”

For example, look at the hardy young Scot who thrives and grows hearty and strong on his oatmeal “porritch.”  Chopped almonds, dates or figs may be added to oatmeal to make it more palatable.  Use cup measuring 1/2 pint for measuring cereals as well as every other recipe calling for one cup in this book.

COOKED RICE

Boil 1 cup of whole, thoroughly cleansed, uncoated rice in 3 quarts of rapidly boiling water (salted) about 25 minutes, or until tender, which can be tested by pressing a couple of grains of rice between the fingers.  Do not stir often while boiling.  When the rice is tender turn on to a sieve and drain; then put in a dish and place in the oven, to dry off, with oven door open, when the grains should be whole, flaky, white and tempting, not the soggy, unappetizing mass one often sees.  Serve rice with cream and sugar.  Some prefer brown sugar and others like crushed maple sugar with it.  Or rice may be eaten as a vegetable with salt and butter.  Rice is inexpensive, nutritious and one of the most easily digested cereals, and if rightly cooked, an appetizing