Canteens (Establishments) -- Juvenile fiction; World War, 1939-1945 -- Juvenile fiction
“I want to sketch briefly what we must cover in this course,” Miss
Pearson began. “As a foundation every one must know the requirements of
good nutrition, and the value of different kinds of food.”
Kitty thought how little attention she had paid to such matters in the
years she had been concentrating on her music. She had eaten what was
put before her at school, and had given no heed to it unless she became
ill and the doctor restricted her diet.
When Miss Pearson mentioned that she would give assistance in planning
menus to fit food rationing situations Kitty was really delighted. That
planning had been a mathematical problem to her ever since she had
started housekeeping.
Field trips to large kitchens of the community, and to food preserving
plants promised interesting diversions to classroom activities.
“Tomorrow morning I’ve arranged for us to visit the Bayshore Bakery
after class,” Miss Pearson told them. “There you’ll learn a little
about mass production. You see we have to be prepared to cook large
quantities of food in times of emergency.”
Kitty saw that there was going to be real work, also, in the course. At
the bottom of their instruction sheets were some questions that must be
answered next day in class.
“We can discuss these going and coming in the boat,” Kitty suggested to
her friends as they were going out.
“I really think it’s going to be fun,” Lana said.
“And very valuable, too,” said Kitty.
“I noticed a couple of women from over at the oyster cannery
settlement,” said Vera. “Every woman over there ought to be taking this
course for the good of her family. Miss Pearson is going to show us how
to make a little bit go a long way.”
“That’s surely something we can all use,” said Kitty.
Their excursion to the bakery was followed by a visit to the oyster
cannery, the community cannery, a near-by cafeteria kitchen, and to a
school lunchroom, which was most efficiently organized.
“Every person in that lunchroom took our nutrition course when I first
gave it,” explained Miss Pearson.
Kitty found it hard to believe at the end of the first week that half
her nutrition course was already complete. She had enjoyed every minute
of it. To be a part of a great scheme like this, in which everyone was
cooperating for the general welfare gave her a glow of satisfaction.
She didn’t mind at all that she had to work till bedtime to finish her
home duties, to see about Billy’s clothes, and plan her own food
program for the next day. In her carefree days at college she had not
dreamed there was so much to be done in the world.
Classes were held in the evening during the second week of the course.
This was a compromise to fit the needs of several housewives, who found
it difficult to leave home in the morning. This arrangement made it
necessary for Kitty, Vera and Lana to ride the island busses, as the
girls could not go alone in the launch at night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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