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Show For Variety in Menus Observe These Ten Commandments Macaroni with Buttered Whole Kernel Canned Corn and Canned Green Asparagus Tips Makes a "Four-Star" Lenten Meal You'll Want to Serve Soon In rechecking these suggestions for menu planning, it is easy, to understand why canned foods such as corn, asparagus, aspara-gus, peas, beets and tomatoes are so valuable to every homemaker, because they may be adapted in one form or another to almost any menu. Since most canned foods are available avail-able in a variety of different grades, shapes or sizes, one should consider how the food is to be used, what kind the family prefers, and whether it is to be used for a tried method or a new recipe. In the case of canned corn, for example, the cream style corn is especially espe-cially fine for making cream soups, souffles, corn pudding and chowders. Whole kernel corn is particularly suited for sauteeing, com cakes, scalloped dishes, for stuffing peppers, for fritters, for use in making dressing for fowl or when served in combination with a food such as macaroni, egg noodles and spaghetti. If you want a different Lenten meal and one that will get a royal welcome, just serve this vegetable platter of buttered but-tered macaroni (pictured above), with buttered whole kernel canned corn, canned green asparagus tips and, to give it added flavor, top each serving with a tantalizing tomato-cheese sauce. It's the kind of meal that will have everyone begging for more. The planning of daily menus, even without considering such important points as the family budget or seasonal restrictions, is a problem for most homemakers. Although every menu should meet the nutritional needs of the family group, the menu planner must also consider many additional factors if she wishes to produce a successful meal. One of the cardinal requirements of a meal is "variety." Since this is the time of the year when minds are particularly nenu-conscious anyway, perhaps the following suggestions, sugges-tions, which might be called the "Ten Commandments of Menu Planning," will prove helpful in enabling you to obtain variety in your menus. 1. Do not repeat the same food in any meal. For example, tomato salad with tomato soup. 2. Avoid using all one type of foodstuff food-stuff in one meal, as rice, potatoes and cornstarch pudding.- 3. Do not serve more than one strong-flavored strong-flavored food in one meal, such as cabbage, cauliflower or onions. 4. Have a good balance between soft and solid food textures. Variety in food textures is most important. 6. Do not serve all hot or all cold foods at one meal. 6. Foods should not be all acid or all sweet. A little of both is required in each meal. 7. Highly seasoned foods should be used sparingly. Too many highly seasoned foods tend to dull the appetite for other foods. 8. Leftovers should appear in new forms. 9. Attractive appearance of food has much to do with good digestion. 10, Do not serve the same food combinations com-binations too often. Ham and eggs are good, but when always served together, they do become monotonous. Vegetable Platter with Buttered Macaroni In selecting vegetables for a vegetable platter, it is well to consider two or three essential essen-tial points; namely, the vegetables chosen should offer contrast in color, texture and flavor. It is well always to include at least one fresh vegetable and the rest may be canned or frozen, as desired. Macaroni, spaghetti and egg noodles are ideal foods to balance the nutritional nutri-tional values in this type of meal, especially if an egg or cheese sauce is to accompany the dish. Following are some suggested vegetable platter combinations you will find pleasing to the appetite appe-tite as well as the eye and the pocket-book. Buttered eoo noodles with buttered canned lima beam, carroti, baby beet, served with cheese sauce. Bettered tpachelll with buttered peas, corn and tor.iaro-choe9 sarfce.' |