Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 130, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 June 1911 — FOR THE BREAKFAST [ARTICLE]

FOR THE BREAKFAST

MENUS ESPECIALLY ACCEPT*, BLE AT THIS SEASON. '■ : - : ■" ■' Fruit Should Play an Important Part, . and There Are Many Ways of Bervlng It—Crisp Toast the Best. Now when one’s vitality is at its lowest and appetites seem to n«ed coaxing more than at any other season, fruit Bhonld play an important part in breakfast menus, and yet, alas! at no time in the whole year is the housewife so limited in the matter of fruit as at the present, it is too early to buy summer fruits. Even if one can afford to pay for hothouse products the flavor is not at its best. Roughly speaking, there are only apples, bananas, grape fruit, oranges and rhubarb to select from for the breakfast first course—with dried figs and prunes always at command. Don’t serve apples raw at this time of year. Or, if you do, don’t expect they will tempt the appetite of any except the most inveterate apple eater. The flavor even In the most expensive apples has lost its edge. But there are many dainty ways of eeoking apples that are satisfying and healthful. Apples baked with figs are sure to be liked. Select the plumpest and juiciest dried figs you can get and wash them, carefully pinching them into their natural shape. Then select good, firm apples, and wash them. Scoop out the cores and into each of these holes pack two or three whole figs. Place them in a baking pan and bake in a hot oven. While they are baking, baste them with sirup made from the juice of half a lemon, two tablespoonfuls of sugar and half a cup of water. The secret of making good baked apples is to have them thoroughly baked, but not baked to pieces. If when they look done they are not soft to the core, place a cover over your baking dish and let them steam for a few minutes. Then remove the cover and brown the fruit slightly. These apples may be served .either alone or with farina, hominy or other breakfast food. Take special pains in preparing grape fruit for the breakfast table at this time of the year. To begin with, take care in selecting the fruit, which, to be good, should be heavy, firm and thin skinned. Dark spots on the surface are said to denote % superior fruit. To make it especially tempting serve with clean, finely chopped ice. Partly fill with the- ice one of the long stemmed grape fruit glasses, or, if you do not possess these glasses, any dainty glass bowl will do. Then place on this bed of ice a glass cup filled with grape fruit pulp. If you. choose to serve the grape fruit sweetened, prepare it several hours (before serving to give the sugar and fruit time to assimilate. T6' some people hot buttered toast is indigestible, and indeed the dietitians assure us that the soggy, inner portion of soft toast is quite un£i for the human system. Once you have tried crisp toast you will never care to give it up for the softer sort. First dry thin slices of firm bread in the oven. When thoroughly dry, but not browned, put in the toaster and toast, taking great care not to burn. Serve piping hot, unbuttered. This should be served with a daintily turned pat of fresh, sweet butter.