Macaroni is such a nutritious food that it should be used frequently by the young housewife as a substitute for meat on the bill of fare.  Also occasionally serve a dish of baked beans or a dish composed of eggs, or milk combined with eggs, instead of the more expensive meat dish, all equally useful as muscle-builders, and cheaper than meat.  The wise housewife will learn which foods furnish heat for the body and those which produce fat and energy, and those which are muscle-builders, and endeavor to serve well-balanced meals of the foods belonging to the three classes and thus with fruit and vegetables she will make wise provision for her family.

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Put 2 cups or 1/2 pound of macaroni (either the long sticks broken in pieces or the “elbow” macaroni, as preferred) in a kettle holding several quarts of rapidly boiling, salted water, and cook about 25 minutes, or until tender.  Drain in a colander and allow cold water to run over it for several seconds.  This prevents the macaroni sticking together.  Place the macaroni in a buttered baking dish and pour over a hot “cream sauce” composed of 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of water, 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, 2 even tablespoonfuls of butter and a pinch of salt. (Too much salt is apt to curdle the milk.) Spread over the top of macaroni about 3 tablespoonfuls of grated cheese, or, if preferred, sprinkle over the top 3 tablespoonfuls of well-seasoned dried bread crumbs and small bits of butter.  Stand the bake-dish containing the macaroni in a hot oven ten or fifteen minutes, until lightly browned on top.  Serve hot in the dish in which it was baked.  Stewed tomatoes are a nice accompaniment to this dish.  Double the quantity of macaroni may be cooked at one time and a part of it kept on ice; the following day serve in tomato sauce, thus utilizing any left-over tomatoes.

The macaroni may be cooked while the housewife is using the range, early in the morning.  Drain the macaroni in a colander and stand aside in a cool place.  It may be quickly prepared for six o’clock dinner by pouring over a hot cream sauce and grated cheese and quickly browning in the oven.

Or the macaroni, when cooked tender in salt water, may be quickly served by pouring over it a hot cream sauce, before the macaroni has become cold.  Serve at once.

Housewives should be particular when buying macaroni to get a brand made from good flour.

CAKES—­CAKE-MAKING

Sift flour and baking powder together several times before adding to cake batter.  Aunt Sarah usually sifted flour and baking powder together four times for cakes.  Flour should always be sifted before using.  Baking powder should be sifted through the flour dry.  Salaratus (or baking soda) should, usually, be dissolved before using in a teaspoonful of hot water, unless stated otherwise.  Cream of