Breakfast.—Breakfast should consist of porridge and milk, a boiled or poached egg, and a rasher of bacon if necessary.
The porridge should be made overnight. Half a breakfast cup of Provost or Quaker Oats, with a good pinch of salt, should be put into a saucepan. A cup and a half of boiling water must be poured over it and well stirred. Put on the lid, and allow the whole to boil for ten to twenty minutes. Leave it by the side of the stove all night, and it will only want heating up in the morning, which can be done on a paraffin stove. Do not forget to put water in the lower half of the saucepan.
It will only take a few minutes to boil an egg or fry some bacon.
When going out early in summer, it may be convenient to make a hot cup of tea, and for this the spirit lamp will be useful.
Midday meal.—If lunch has to be prepared by oneself, bread and cheese, cold meat, soup, a hard-boiled egg with salad, will be the most easily managed. Tinned food should not be relied upon; it is dear and unwholesome. If a hot luncheon can be obtained it will be better. I only give the above suggestions to those who have to manage for themselves.
Supper.—As work ceases at 6 p.m., there will be plenty of time to prepare a meal for 7.30 p.m. A gourmet boiler is most useful. Put in meat, potatoes, onions, etc., and a teacupful of water. Place the boiler in a large saucepan, and fill up with water to the rim of the boiler. If this be put on the fire at luncheon time, a good stew will be ready in two hours, and a still better one in eight hours’ time. One visit to replenish the water in the saucepan will be necessary
Beefsteak pudding, too, can be left on for hours, with the assurance that it will be all the nicer for long cooking.
Many dishes can be prepared beforehand, and heated up when required. It only needs a little thinking out.
Coffee.—Buy the whole berries roasted. Grind them as they are wanted. Small mills can be procured cheaply. Put the coffee in an earthenware coffee jug, and place it upon the stove for ten minutes or until it gets thoroughly heated. Pour on boiling water, and let it stand for five minutes. Stir it up, and then let it settle.
Tea.—Should the locality be one where the water is “hard,” “Hardwater tea” should be obtained. This is economical. Other blends are expensive, because the water does not extract the full flavour, and more tea has to be used.