White of Egg

may be made more attractive for little folk if poached by spoonfuls for a minute or two in boiling milk, and served with a little pink sugar dusted over.

Orange Egg Jelly.

Rub 2 ozs. loaf sugar on the rinds of 2 oranges till it gets as much flavour as possible, then put in a basin with the strained juice and a teaspoonful lemon juice.  Bring a very small quantity of vegetable gelatine—­previously soaked for an hour in cold water—­to boil in a breakfastcupful of water.  One-eighth of an oz. of this gelatine is enough as it is so strong.  Stir till quite dissolved and strain over the sugar, &c.  When cool add the yolks of two eggs beaten up, and whisk till white and frothy.  Beat the whites very stiff and add them.  Beat all thoroughly, and when just about to set pour into a wet mould.  Or allow to set and then pile up by rocky spoonfuls in a glass dish.

When an invalid is getting past the “sloppy” stage and is able for solid nutriment

Steamed Barley

is perhaps the most valuable food of any, and dyspeptics who experience difficulty in getting any kind of food to agree would do well to go on a course of this—­not for one day or two, but for weeks and months together.  Wash well in cold water a teacupful of pot barley.  Put on in clean lined saucepan with plenty of cold water, bring to boil slowly, and if there is the least suspicion of mustiness, drain and cover with clean water.  When it comes a boil again, turn into a pudding basin or double boiler, cover and steam for at least six hours.  Twelve hours is much better, and it is safest to put on one day, what is wanted for the next.  Onions, celery, tomatoes, &c., may be added at discretion.  When to be used, this barley should turn out firm enough to chew, and may be eaten with thin dry toast or “Triscuits.”

Besides these home-made preparations, there are many valuable foods to be had ready for use, or requiring but little preparation, thus affording change and variety, not only to the patient, but to the nurse or cook, who must often be heartily tired of making up the same gruels and mushes for weeks or months together.  The Barley Mint, Patriarch Biscuits, and Barley Malt Biscuits to be had from the Wallace Bakery, 465 Battersea Park Road, London, S.W., come in very handy.  The Barley Malt Meal can be made into a gruel or porridge, while Barley Malt itself may be added to any ordinary preparation to aid digestion.  Barley Malt Meal Gruel has been found a sovereign remedy for constipation, obstinate cases yielding to it when all other treatment had failed.  Make in usual way and add one or two large spoonfuls treacle or honey.  The biscuits may be grated and made into a mush with hot milk, &c., or they may be soaked over night in as much hot water, milk, or diluted Extract as they will absorb, and then be put in the oven to warm through.  Gluten Meal is another among many valuable Invalid Foods which there is space only to mention here; while the value of Robinson’s Patent Groats for gruel is widely appreciated.