Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Household Arts/Print version

Baking

Print version
Household Arts General Conference	Skill Level 1
	Year of Introduction: 1945

1. Explain the difference in food value between whole wheat flour and white flour.

Whole wheat retains the bran and germ as well as the endosperm, in contrast to white flour which retains only the endosperm.

Whole wheat foods are nutritionally superior to refined grains, richer in dietary fiber, antioxidants, protein (and in particular the amino acid lysine), dietary minerals (including magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and selenium), and vitamins (including niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin E).

The greater amount of dietary fiber, as much as four times than found in refined grains, is likely the most important benefit, as it has been shown to reduce the incidence of some forms of cancer, digestive system diseases, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Some of these protective effects occur because carbohydrates from whole grains are digested and enter the bloodstream more slowly, avoiding the "sugar rush."

2. Describe the effects of yeast in bread making.

Yeast interacts chemically with sugar in warm water to provide leavening. This allows the bread to "rise".

In more detail, yeasts make up a group of single-celled fungi, a few species of which are commonly used to leaven bread. In the absence of oxygen, yeasts produce their energy by converting sugars into carbon dioxide and ethanol. In baking, the carbon dioxide raises the bread and the ethanol evaporates.

3. Give one Old Testament and one New Testament incident where leavening is mentioned.

Old Testament: Exodus 12:34 & 39 -- The Israelites prepared unleavened bread for the first Passover

New Testament: Jesus mentioned leavening several times including: Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:20, 21

Jesus compares the Pharisees to leaven in Matthew 16:6-12; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1

6. Explain why the use of baking powder and soda should be avoided and why the mixture of milk, sugar, and eggs is harmful to health.

Baking soda and baking powder

In The Ministry of Healing, Ellen White wrote that baking soda and baking powder should not be used for making bread. She wrote, "Soda causes inflammation of the stomach and often poisons the entire system."

Milk, sugar, and eggs

When these ingredients are mixed and eaten, they ferment in the abdomen, giving the same effect as alcohol products.

7. How do you test a cake for being done? How do you keep a cake from "falling"?

You can test to see if a cake is done by inserting a toothpick or butter knife carefully into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean without any "cake goo" attached, then the cake is done.

You can keep a cake from falling by not introducing a cake to temperatures drastically different from the oven too quickly OR by not slamming the door on the oven before the cake is done.

8. Prepare two of the following:

a. Cake from basic ingredients (any flavor)

See the Wikibook Cookbook recipes for Cakes and Cupcakes

b. Cake from a mix (any flavor)

The best advice we can give here is to buy a mix and follow the directions on the package.

9. Make one pie in each of the following categories:

a. Baked, any fruit, including lemon

See the Pie Section in the Wikibooks Cookbook.

b. Unbaked (baked pie shell only), fresh fruit, gelatin, etc.

See the Banana Cream Pie recipe in the Wikibooks Cookbook.

10. Make and bake one recipe of cookies. Make one recipe of refrigerator cookies. It is preferable to use wholesome ingredients such as fruit, oatmeal, nuts, etc.

By definition, refrigerator cookies are made from a stiff dough that is refrigerated to become even stiffer. The dough is typically shaped into cylinders which are sliced into round cookies before baking. Refrigerator cookies are any type of cookie where the dough needs chilled before baking the cookies.

Examples of refrigerator cookies include: Gingerbread cookies Most "cookie cutter" cookies Some types of chocolate chip cookies.

11. Prepare recipe file for all of the items required above and any others desired. See how many recipes you can find using fruit without large amounts of sugar.

Try one of many recipe sites online such as recipesource.com. Or, even better, use this as an opportunity to learn recipes that your parents and grandparents have made over the years! Be sure that you include your favorite recipes!

References

• Wikipedia articles
  • Yeast
  • Whole grain

Basic Sewing

Print version
Household Arts General Conference	Skill Level 1
	Year of Introduction: 1976

1. Describe the proper use of the following:

a. Thimble

File:Thimble.jpg

Thimble

A thimble is a protective shield worn on the finger or thumb. It is used for pushing a needle through a piece of fabric in situations where the pressure applied to the needle would otherwise cause the needle to pierce the skin. A thimble is most usually made from metal, but can also be found made from leather, rubber, wood, glass or china.

b. Tape measure

Tape Measure

A cloth tape measure is used for measuring a person for the purpose of sizing a garment. It is also used to measure cloth.

c. Scissors and shears

Scissors

Scissors are used for cutting cloth.

d. Pinking shears

Pinking Shears

Pinking shears are scissors whose blades are sawtooth instead of straight. Pinking shears will leave a zigzag pattern instead of a straight edge.

Pinking shears are useful for cutting woven cloth. Cloth edges that are unfinished will easily fray, the weave becoming undone and threads pull out easily. The sawtooth pattern does not prevent the fraying but limits the length of the frayed thread and thus limits damage.

e. Needles of various sizes and types

Needles

Needles are used for piercing a fabric and passing a thread through it for the purpose of making a stitch. This can be done by hand or by machine. A hand needle has a hole in it (called the eye) near its back. A machine needle has its eye near the point.

2. Become acquainted with the sewing machine in your home or school. Identify:

a. Balance wheel

1: Balance Wheel; 2: Backspace lever

The balance wheel provides a method of manually moving the needle up or down. It is used to raise the needle out of the cloth when the stitch is finished, or to raise the thread take-up to make it accessible when threading the machine.

b. Thread take-up

Thread take-up

The thread take-up moves up and down with the needle, keeping the thread tight and drawing it from the spool as needed.

c. Presser foot

The presser foot holds the cloth in place while the needle runs thread through it. See the photo below for its location.

d. Presser foot lifter

Presser foot lifter

The presser foot lifter raises and lowers the presser foot. Raise it when you need to place a piece of cloth under the needle (and under the presser foot).

e. Needle

1: Needle, 2: Presser foot, 3: Feed dogs

The needle stitches the thread (green in the photo) through the cloth.

f. Feed dogs

The feed dogs are little tread-like pieces beneath the presser foot. As the sewing machine is operated, the feed dogs advance the cloth forward (or backwards if the backspace lever is activated). The presser foot holds the cloth against the feed dogs so that they can move the cloth along.

g. Bobbin

Bobbin

The bobbin supplies a second spool of thread. Between the bobbin and the needle, two pieces of thread are tied into a knot forming the stitch. The bobbin can be filled with thread by removing it from the position shown and placing it in a mechanism on the top of the sewing machine. It is usually filled with the same color thread as is thread through the needle. The bobbin's thread comes up from the bottom of the machine through a plate between the feed dogs.

h. Control

Control

The control is a foot pedal that is similar to the gas pedal in a car. When it is fully depressed, the sewing machine operates at its maximum speed. When lightly depressed, the machine operates more slowly. When released, the sewing machine stops. Having a foot-operated control frees both hands for guiding the cloth through the machine.

i. Backspace lever

The backspace lever (shown in the photo with the balance wheel) reverses the direction that the feed dogs move the cloth. A stitch is often started an inch or so away from the back edge of the cloth with the backspace lever activated. When the stitch gets close to the back edge of the cloth, the lever is released and the cloth moves forward through the machine. Stiches are also ended this way. Doing this provides a stronger seam and locks the stitch in place.

6. Tell what is meant by selvage, bias, and grain of fabric.

Selvage

the edge of a piece of fabric, specially woven to resist unraveling.

Bias

is a line that would go from corner to corner on a square piece of fabric. The bias of a fabric is very stretchy, crossing the fabric's threads at a 45° angle.

Grain of Fabric

is the internal lay of the fabric - that is how the threads from which the fabric is woven are arranged. The lengthwise grain is parallel to the selvage, and the crosswise grain is perpendicular to the selvage.

Cooking

Print version
Household Arts General Conference	Skill Level 1
	Year of Introduction: 1928

1. Know how to properly operate the kind of stove you have in your home. Know how to put out an oil or grease fire on your stove. Know how to prevent such a fire. Know safety precautions while cooking, including consideration of small children.

Operating a stove

There are two major classes of stoves in common use in the United States today, the gas stove and the electric stove. Gas stoves burn either propane or natural gas and cook with an exposed flame. Most have automatic ignition so you do not need to strike a match to light a burner. Simply turn the knob and set the flame to the desired level. Electric stoves cook with a heating element which converts electrical energy into heat. Like gas stoves, the cook must turn a knob, but unlike gas stoves, there is no flame, so its level cannot be directly observed. Instead, the knobs are marked with numbers generally ranging from 1 to 9 or 10. The settings 1-3 corresponds to low heat, 4-6 correspond to medium heat, and 7-10 correspond to high heat.

Putting out a grease fire

In case of a grease fire in a pan, cover the pan with its lid. This will deprive the fire from oxygen and it will go out. If the cover is already on the pan, you may need to use a fire extinguisher.

Safety considerations

Stoves with knobs along the back of the unit are more appropriate in households with small children because the children cannot reach the knobs and turn the stove on. This does present a lesser danger to the cook, as he or she must reach across the burners to adjust the knobs - don't wear loose clothing when cooking with such a stove.

Another hazard to children involving stoves are pot handles. These should always be turned such that they do not overhang the edge of the stove where a child could grab it or run into it. An overturned pot of boiling water can cause severe burns.

Do not place flammable items on the stove, ever. This includes paper or plastic plates, or food packaging items (boxes and bags). It is easy to accidentally turn on the wrong burner, and if a flammable item is on that burner, tragedy may ensue.

Remember that the burners stay hot for several minutes after they have been turned off.

Many foods (especially pastas) are boiled in water and the water is then drained. Use a colander for this purpose. When transporting a pot full of boiling water from the stove to the sink, do not lift the pot over the head of a child who may be underfoot - clear the area first. While cooking, dishes and cooking implements pile up in the sinks of even the cleanest of kitchens. Remove any dishes from the sink before pouring boiling water into it. The sudden temperature increase can shatter glass, and you do not want boiling water to pool up in any dishes in the sink.

2. Know how to properly use measuring spoons, measuring cups, and if available an electric mixer, a blender, and a food processor.

Measuring spoons and cups

Measuring spoons are used for measuring small amounts of dry or liquid ingredients. It is best to have two sets and use one for measuring dry ingredients and the other for measuring liquid ingredients. This will save you time because you won't have to wash and dry the spoons every time you need to switch between dry and liquid items.

For liquid measures, fill the spoon all the way to the top. For dry measures, level the spoon off with a knife.

Measuring cups are for measuring larger amounts of ingredients, and again, it is wise to have two to avoid mixing dry and wet ingredients during the measuring process, but even more importantly, a dry measure is not the same thing as a liquid measure. A dry measuring cup measures volume while a liquid measuring cup measures weight. It is unfortunate that these units are both named ounces. A one-ounce volume of water very nearly weighs one ounce, but a one-ounce volume of flour weighs quite a bit less than one ounce. Make sure you understand which type of ounce is being specified in a recipe.

Measure dry ingredients with a dry measuring cup using the same procedure as with a measuring spoon - that is, level it off with a knife. Liquid measuring cups are usually made of glass, and the measurements are marked on the side. Fill the measuring cup to the correct level by looking directly across the measuring line, not looking down at an angle.

Mixers

A mixer is a kitchen appliance intended for mixing, folding, beating, and whipping food ingredients. Mixers come in two major variations, hand mixers and stand mixers.

A hand mixer, as the name implies, is a hand-held device. It typically consists of a handle mounted over a large enclosure containing the motor, which drives two beaters. The beaters are immersed in the food to be mixed. Be careful when removing the beaters from the food. If you have a deep bowl and can lift the beaters free of the food without lifting them above the rim of the bowl, you may lift them before turning off the mixer. This will fling food onto the sides of the bowl freeing it from the beaters. If you lift running beaters outside the bowl, you will fling food all over the kitchen, creating an unnecessary mess.

A stand mixer is essentially the same as a hand mixer, but is mounted on a stand which bears the weight of the device. Stand mixers are larger and have more powerful motors than their hand-held counterparts. They generally have a special bowl that is locked in place while the mixer is operating.

Blenders

A blender is a kitchen appliance used to blend ingredients or puree food. The term typically refers to a stationary, upright electrical device, which is to be distinguished from a hand-powered or electric mixer that may be used for similar purposes.

A typical blender is built around a vessel for the ingredients to be blended. At the top of the vessel is a cap to prevent ingredients from escaping when the blender is switched on. At the bottom is a blade assembly, typically removable for cleaning purposes. The bottom seal is most likely watertight. The vessel rests upon a base containing a motor (for turning the blade assembly) with controls on its surface. Most modern blenders offer a number of possible speeds.

Food Processors

A food processor is a kitchen appliance used to facilitate various repetitive tasks in the process of preparation of food. Today, the term almost always refers to an electric-motor-driven appliance, although there are some manual devices also referred to as "food processors".

Food processors are similar to blenders in many ways. The primary difference is that food processors use swappable blades and disks (attachments) instead of a fixed blade. Also, their bowls are wider and shorter, a more appropriate shape for the solid or semi-solid foods usually worked in a food processor.

Its functions normally consist of:

• Chopping Vegetables
• Grinding items such as nuts, meat, or dried fruit
• Shredding or Grating cheese or vegetables
• Pureeing
• Mixing and kneading doughs

The base of the unit houses a motor which turns a vertical shaft. A bowl, usually made of transparent plastic, fits around the shaft. Cutting blades can be attached to the shaft; these fit so as to operate near the bottom of the bowl. Shredding or slicing disks can be attached instead; these spin near the top of the bowl. A lid with a "feed tube" is then fitted onto the bowl.

The feed tube allows ingredients to be added while chopping, grinding or pureeing. It also serves as a chute through which items are introduced to shredding or slicing disks. A "pusher" is provided, sized to slide through the feed tube, protecting fingers.

Almost all modern food processors have safety devices which prevent the motor from operating if the bowl isn't properly affixed to the base or if the lid isn't properly affixed to the bowl.

3. What is meant by boiling, broiling, frying, baking, simmering, waterless cooking, and if available microwave cooking? Which are the most healthful ways of preparing common foods? Which are the most unhealthful ways?

Boiling

Boiling is cooking food in boiling water, or other water-based liquid such as stock or milk. Simmering is gentle boiling, while in poaching the cooking liquid moves but scarcely bubbles.

In places where the available water supply is contaminated with disease-causing bacteria, boiling water (and allowing it to cool) before drinking it is a valuable health measure. Boiling water for a few minutes kills most bacteria, amoebas, and other microbial pathogens. It thus can help prevent cholera, dysentery, and other diseases caused by these organisms.

Foods suitable for boiling include fish, vegetables, pasta, eggs, meats, sauces, stock, and soups.

Advantages:

• Older, tougher, cheaper joints of meat and poultry can be made digestible.
• It is appropriate for large-scale cookery
• Nutritious, well flavored stock is produced
• It is safe and simple
• Maximum colour and nutritive value is retained when cooking green vegetables, provided boiling time is kept to the minimum

Disadvantages:

• There is a loss of soluble vitamins in the water.
• It can be a slow method
• Foods can look unattractive

Boiling can be done in two ways: The food can be placed into already rapidly boiling water and left to cook, the heat can be turned down and the food can be simmered; or the food can also be placed into the pot, and cold water may be added to the pot. This may then be boiled until the food is satisfactory.

Broiling

Broiling is a process of cooking food with high heat with the heat applied directly to the food, most commonly from above. As it is a way of cooking without added oil, it is popular in low-fat diets.

In electric ovens, broiling is accomplished by placing the food near the upper heating element, with the lower heating element off and the oven door partially open. Gas ovens often have a separate compartment for broiling, as a drawer below the flame.

Frying

Frying is the cooking of food in oil or fat. Chemically, oils and fats are the same, differing only in melting point, but the distinction is only made when needed.

Fats can reach much higher temperatures than water at normal atmospheric pressure. Through frying, one can sear or even carbonize the surface of foods while caramelizing sugars. The food is cooked much more quickly and has a special crispness and texture. Depending on the food, the fat will penetrate it to varying degrees, contributing richness, lubricity, and its own flavour.

Frying techniques vary in the amount of fat required, the cooking time, the type of cooking vessel required, and the manipulation of the food. Sautéing, stir frying, pan frying, shallow frying, and deep frying are all standard frying techniques.

Baking

Baking is the technique of cooking food in an oven by dry heat applied evenly throughout the oven or only from the bottom element. Breads, desserts, and meat are often baked, and baking is the primary cooking technique used to produce cakes and pastry-based goods such as pies, tarts, and quiches.

Simmering

Simmering is a cooking technique in which foods are cooked in hot liquids kept at or just barely below the boiling point of water (at average sea level air pressure), 100 °C (212 °F). To keep a pot simmering, one brings it to a boil and then adjusts the heat downward until just before the formation of steam bubbles stops completely. Water normally begins to simmer at about 94 °C or 200 °F.

Simmering ensures gentler treatment than boiling to prevent toughening and prevent food from breaking up. Simmering is usually a rapid and efficient method of cooking.

Waterless Cooking

Waterless cooking is a method of cooking food without adding water (there is already water in most foods), fats, or oils. This technique requires the use of some very expensive cookware designed expressly for this purpose, but there are some health benefits too. Boiling water will dissolve some nutrients which are then flushed from the food. Waterless cooking is done in a sealed container that locks in all the moisture already present in the food. Vitamins and flavor are also retained by the food, so there is no need to add butter, salt or oil to liven it up.

Microwave cooking

Microwave ovens have revolutionized cooking since their use became widespread in the 1970s.

Professional chefs generally find microwave ovens to be of limited usefulness. On the other hand, people who are lacking in free time, or not comfortable with their cooking skills, can use microwave ovens to reheat stored food (including commercially available pre-cooked frozen dishes) in only a few minutes.

Food is heated for so short a time that it is often cooked unevenly. Microwave ovens are frequently used for reheating previously cooked food, and bacterial contamination may not be killed by the reheating, resulting in foodborne illness. The uneven heating is partly due to the uneven distribution of microwave energy inside the oven, and partly due to the different rates of energy absorption in different parts of the food.

The first problem is reduced by a stirrer, a type of fan built in to the over (but hidden from view) that reflects microwave energy to different parts of the oven as it rotates, and by a turntable or carousel that turns the food.

It is also important not to place food or a container in the center of a microwave's turntable. That actually defeats its purpose. Rather, it should be placed a bit off-center so that the item travels all around the area of oven's cooking cavity, thus assuring even heating.

The second problem must be addressed by the cook, who should arrange the food so that it absorbs energy evenly, and periodically test and shield any parts of the food that overheat.

Many microwave ovens' performance drops after about 15 minutes of continuous usage, which means food takes longer to cook. When heating several meals, the last meal to be cooked may not be heated properly as a result.

Defrosting is another common weakness, as many microwave ovens may start to cook the edges of the frozen food, while the inside of the food remains frozen.

Closed containers and eggs can explode when heated in a microwave oven due to the pressure build-up of steam. Products that are heated too long can catch fire. Manuals of microwave ovens warn of such hazards.

Tin foil, aluminum foil, ceramics decorated with metal, and products containing other metals can cause sparks when they are used in a microwave.

Several microwave fires have been noted where Chinese takeout boxes with a metal handle are microwaved, and also where "homemade" microwave popcorn bags have been sealed using a metal staple, which is then heated and sets fire to the bag. This type of accident can pose a dangerous situation because of the extremely flammable mixture of popcorn and oil in the bag. Thus, it is good practice to remove any metal utensils or metal containing objects from a microwave oven before operating it, as the behavior of these objects when immersed in a strong microwave radiation field is unpredictable.

Most/Least Healthful Methods

Waterless cooking may be the most healthful way of cooking food, but baking is also a good choice. Fried foods are the least healthful way to cook food, and unfortunately, this is the technique used most frequently by "fast food" restaurants.

4. Demonstrate your ability to properly prepare two different kinds of hot cereal, a healthful hot drink, and cook eggs in two different ways other than frying.

Hominy Grits
Ingredients	Procedure
5 cups water 1 cup hominy grits 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon honey, brown sugar, or maple syrup (optional)	Bring water to a rapid boil in a saucepan. Gradually pour in the hominy grits and stir. Add the butter and stir. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Grits may be sweetened with honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, or jelly. Grits can also be flavored with cheese, sunnyside up egg, or vegetarian sausage. Serve while hot. Recipe adapted from Effigy Mounds National Monument. Serves 8

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Porridge
Ingredients	Procedure
1/2 cup (120 mL) rolled oats or other grain 3/4 cup (180 mL) water 3/4 cup (180 mL) milk or soy milk	Mix oats and water, then bring to a boil covered with a lid. Once bubbling, stir and reduce temperature to the lowest possible to maintain simmering. Replace lid and watch carefully to prevent boiling over. Stir every minute or so. After five minutes, remove lid, stir thoroughly and add 3/4 cup of milk. Mix through, and keep stirring until fully mixed. Serve and add sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, a pinch of salt, honey or inverted sugar syrup to taste. Serves 1

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Hot Apple Cider
Ingredients	Procedure
1/2 gallon apple juice or unfermented apple cider 1/4 cup maple syrup 2 whole cloves 2 sticks cinnamon 2 allspice berries 1/2 orange peel 1/2 lemon peel	Pour the apple juice and maple syrup into a large pan. Place the cloves, cinnamon sticks, allspice, and citrus peelings on the center of a piece of cheesecloth. Bundle it up and tie it up with a piece of string. Place the bundle in the apple juice and cook for 5 to 10 minutes over moderate heat - do not let it boil. Turn off the heat (or turn it way down) and discard the spice bundle. Ladle the cider into mugs and if desired, put another cinnamon stick in each cup. Serves 8 (8 oz servings)

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Hard-boiled Eggs
Ingredients	Procedure
6 to 8 large eggs, depending on appetite and number of people Salt and pepper to taste	Using eggs that have been in the fridge for several days (but are still before the date on the shell or carton), will make it easier to peel the eggs once they are cooked. If you are using really fresh eggs, rather than commodity eggs from the store, you may have to keep them three weeks or more before they will be easily peeled. Two major problems arise when making hard-boiled eggs: overcooking and cracking. You can tell if an egg is overcooked by examining the yolk. If the egg was cooked too long the yolk will be a pale yellow surrounded by a green or greenish band. Overcooked eggs also give off the faint odor of sulfur. Cracking of eggs while cooking is caused by the too rapid expansion of pressure in the air pocket inside the egg. Eggshell is porous and will allow the air to escape as the egg heats and its contents expand. However if the egg heats too quickly the air does not have time to escape. This causes an uneven pressure on the inside of the shell as the air pocket heats at a different rate than the white. The egg then cracks, often leaking into the cooking water. There is one solution to these two problems. Place the eggs to be cooked in a pan or pot of cold water. There should be enough water to cover all the eggs completely. The pot should be large enough for all the eggs to lay on their sides with a little space between them. If they do touch it is alright, but there should be enough space that they don't have to be touching to fit. Turn the stove on and bring the water to a rolling boil. Notice as you heat the eggs, you will see tiny air bubbles coming from the base (the big end) of the egg. This is air from the air pocket escaping. Once the water has been at a rolling boil for about a minute and a half, turn the stove off. Allow the water to gradually cool with the eggs in it. After about twenty minutes the water should be cool enough to reach in with your hands and remove the eggs. Not only have you allowed the air to escape, preventing the egg from cracking, but by gradually heating and then cooling the eggs they won't have overcooked. By the time the center of the egg has become hot enough to start really cooking the water will be cooling it down. Enjoy your eggs! Sources Making Great Hard-boiled Eggs Serves 6-8

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Cottage Cheese Eggs
Ingredients	Procedure
2 Eggs 2 Tablespoons Cottage cheese (Small Curd 4% Milkfat) 1 Teaspoon Mexican seasoning (Or Chili powder)	Preheat a large metal or non-stick skillet to medium heat. Whisk eggs and cottage cheese together in a small container; place in skillet. Sprinkle Mexican Seasoning on eggs (to taste). As eggs begin to cook start folding together, turning as needed, until done cooking. Serve with or on wheat toast. Serves 1

5. Prepare potatoes healthfully by two different methods.

Mashed Potatoes

The first step in making mashed potatoes is to boil them. Old potatoes normally need to be peeled before boiling. Many new potatoes are better when boiled in their skins, but you should of course wash them first. Small potatoes can be cooked whole. Larger potatoes will cook more evenly and quickly if you cut them into roughly egg-sized pieces. Put the potatoes in a large enough pan and add enough water to cover them easily. Add a little salt if you like. Bring to the boil. Potatoes will take around 25 minutes to cook through. To test whether they are done, press the tip of a cook's knife into one. It should be able to slip in and out easily. Drain the cooking water and attack the potatoes with a knife so that they are cut into small pieces. (This is very therapeutic.) You then need to add some milk and butter (according to taste and waistline) and puree all ingredients. Use a potato-ricer or a mixer for best results or a hand held masher for possibly lumpy mash. You can add salt and pepper or other herbs and spices as you wish.

Baked Potatoes

On a cold day, few things are nicer than a baked potato. Use a large potato, with its skin on. Preheat the oven to very hot (gas mark 7) and put in the potatoes for about an hour. Especially when using an electric oven, it is important to protect the potatoes from drying by covering them with foil or coating them in oil. A lid over the whole batch will do, saving on foil and oil. You may put a metal skewer through the potato to help distribute heat evenly. Trial and error are, as usual, your friends. Serve the potato as hot as you can stand it. Fillings can include butter, grated cheese (something strong like cheddar), baked beans, pesto - you name it. And eat the skin - it really is good for you, like your mum said.

6. Cook three other vegetables in the most healthful way.

The most healthful way to prepare vegetables is to wash them and serve them raw (possibly slicing them first), but the requirement does say to cook them, so we'll have to go that route. Most vegetables can be steamed for a short amount of time - the shorter the better, as that's the closest to raw you're going to get and still cook them.

Spinach

Plain cooked spinach is best served steamed or boiled in a minimum amount of water for no more than five minutes. The bulk of the leaves reduces enormously in cooking. Allow about 4 ounces per serving and use the biggest pan you have. Serve with lemon juice, or perhaps with salt.

Spinach is a common ingredient in Indian cuisine, where it is known as saag. Try sprinkling the raw leaves with garam masala before cooking for a slightly different and low sodium alternative to salt.

Green Beans

Wash beans thoroughly in clear, cool water. Beans can be cooked whole, cut crosswise or diagonally, or French-cut (i.e., cut along the length of the bean). If you want sweet tasting, crisp fresh beans, cut them as little as possible. Cut older, more mature beans in the French style (i.e., lengthwise).

Stir-frying is one of the easiest ways to prepare green beans. This method maintains more nutrients than other cooking methods, although it also adds a little fat to them. Whatever cooking method you choose, remember to cook beans as little as possible, using the least amount of water possible.

Boiling, steaming, and microwaving are other common methods for preparing green beans. When boiling, beans may release some nutrients into the water, so try to re-use the bean water to regain some of the nutrients lost. For example, you can use the water to boil rice.

Winter Squash

To cook a decent-sized winter squash in the traditional way, first slice it in half from stem end to blossom end. If the squash is very large, cut it a few more times. Place the pieces into a baking dish. Cover the dish with foil to keep the squash from getting terribly dry. Cook the squash for a fairly long time, not at a very high temperature, so that it gets soft all the way to the inside. The squash is done when you can easily shove a spoon into it. Serve the squash as it is. Add butter and maple syrup at the table.

7. Prepare a simple salad. Why do we need fresh salads in our diet?

Green salads are an excellent source of vitamins and dietary fiber. Furthermore, salads are generally low in calories, and if served at the beginning of a meal, tend to satisfy the appetite before high-calorie items are introduced. A simple salad may start out with one or more types of lettuce (iceberg, romaine, etc), and to that other vegetables are added, such as tomatoes, olives, cucumber slices, green peppers, mushrooms, radishes, or onions. This combination is then "tossed" to mix the ingredients together before serving. Salad dressing may be selected and added by the person eating the salad.

8. Know the food pyramid guide. Why is it important that we follow the food pyramid guide in our diet every day? Make a chart for one week of the foods you eat to see if you are following the food pyramid guide.

The food pyramid guide is updated and published by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The 2005 version is shown here:

2005 Version of the USDA Food Pyramid

With the updated version, the USDA did away with "number of servings" criteria, and replaced it with a web-based tool that features individualized plans and statistics. The tool can be found at mypyramidtracker.gov. This tool also allows a person to enter a daily food diary, analyze nutrient intake, and can compare an individual's diet with the food pyramid recommendations. Other improvements to the pyramid include the replacement of "serving size" with the more objective "cups."

Following the food pyramid helps ensure that a person gets a balanced and varied diet. To know the recommendations for a particular individual using the current version of the USDA food pyramid, you must first go to MyPyramid.gov and enter the Pathfinder's profile (age, sex, and physical activity). This will tell you how much of each food category the Pathfinder should eat.

The values in the table below are for children who are physically active for 60 minutes or more per day. Use the USDA website for adults and for less active children.

USDA Food Pyramid

Food Group	Grains	Vegetables	Fruits	Milk	Meat & Beans
10 year-old Male	7 oz	3 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6 ounces
10 year-old Female	6 oz	2.5 cups	2 cups	3 cups	5.5 ounces
11 year-old Male	7 oz	3 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6 ounces
11 year-old Female	6 oz	2.5 cups	2 cups	3 cups	5.5 ounces
12 year-old Male	8 oz	3 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6.5 ounces
12 year-old Female	7 oz	3 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6 ounces
13 year-old Male	9 oz	3.5 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6.5 ounces
13 year-old Female	7 oz	3 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6 ounces
14 year-old Male	10 oz	3.5 cups	2.5 cups	3 cups	7 ounces
14 year-old Female	8 oz	3 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6.5 ounces
15 year-old Male	10 oz	5 cups	2.5 cups	3 cups	7 ounces
15 year-old Female	8 oz	3 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6.5 ounces

9. Set the table properly for your family for an evening meal. Serve a balanced meal that you have planned and prepared as much as possible by yourself. Include main dish, vegetable, and salad.

Properly setting a table means not putting out utensils and dishes that will not be used in the meal. A casual table setting will do for the family evening meal, and since this one requires a salad, vegetable, and main dish, we can dispense with many of the formalities.

Dinner Plate

Start by setting the dinner plate on the center of the placemat (if a placemat is not used, set the plate on the table centered in front of the chair), about two inches from the edge of the table.

Forks

You will need two forks - one for the salad (usually a smaller fork) and one for the main entree and vegetables. Both forks should be placed to the left of the plate, with the dinner fork closest to the plate.

Napkin

Put a napkin to the left of the salad fork.

Knife and Spoon

The knife and spoon go to the right of the dinner plate, with the knife set closer to the plate. The knife's edge should face the plate, and the spoon should be placed right-side up (such that the bowl of the spoon would hold a liquid).

Glasses

The drinking glass should be placed above the knife.

Salad Bowl

The salad bowl should be placed above the forks.

10. Follow a recipe correctly in making a vegetarian entree or a vegetable casserole.

---

Tuno-mac
Ingredients	Procedure
1 can of Tuno 1 15 oz can Cream of Mushroom Soup 1 15 oz can Peas 1 box Macaroni and Cheese Dinner	In a large pot, prepare the Macaroni and Cheese as per the instructions on the box. Drain the peas. Add the peas, Tuno, and cream of mushroom soup to the mac & cheese and mix thoroughly. Heat until warmed through, stirring occasionally. Serve. Serves 4

---

Ratatouille
Ingredients	Procedure
Olive oil 1 onion 1 clove garlic 1 eggplant 1 green bell pepper 2 zucchinis (cucumber also works well) 6 medium tomatoes, ripe (juicy) and peeled salt and pepper to taste Herbes de Provence to taste	Put a large casserole on the stove on medium heat. Chop the onions and garlic. When the casserole is hot, add enough olive oil to just cover the bottom. Add the onions and garlic and brown. Chop the green pepper, zucchinis and egg plant. Add to the casserole. Stir from time to time. Peel the tomatoes. Dice them or cut them into quarters, add to the casserole. Five minutes later, check to see if the tomatoes have made enough juice to almost cover the vegetables - if so, perfect. If not, add water as needed (not too much). Add salt, pepper and Herbes de Provence to taste. In general, 1 tbsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of pepper and 1 tbsp of the herbs will suffice. Cover the casserole and let simmer on low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serves 3-4

---

Potato-Chickpea Curry
Ingredients	Procedure
1 smallish Onion 2 (or so) cloves Garlic Olive oil 1 Tbsp. Curry powder 1 can Coconut milk 2 or 3 Potatoes (yukon gold are good, but use whatever you like) 1 can chickpeas (unsalted, if available)	Chop the onion and mince the garlic. Sauté them, in a saucepan, in some olive oil for 5 minutes or so. Then, add the curry powder, mix, and fry a couple minutes more. Meanwhile, rinse and chop the potatoes. Then, add the coconut milk and the potatoes. Simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. Drain the chickpeas and add them (Note: if doubling the recipe, only drain one can). and simmer for about 20 minutes more, or until the potatoes are cooked. Serve with basmati rice or whatever you prefer. If the curry powder you use isn't spicy enough for your taste, try adding a half-teaspoon or so of cayenne pepper with it. Serves 4

11. Start a recipe file of your own. Put into it 10 recipes of dishes you have personally prepared from entrees, vegetables, salads, and beverages.

This answer book already has nine recipes in it, so the Pathfinder should find a tenth (or more!) recipe on his or her own. Also note that the recipes listed here are only suggestions. Individual taste may dictate that other recipes be used instead, and not only is that fine, it is highly encouraged. Bon Appetite!

References

Some recipes for this chapter were taken, or adapted from Wikibook's Cookbook.

Cooking - Advanced

Print version
Household Arts General Conference	Skill Level 2
	Year of Introduction: 1956

1. Have the Cooking Honor.

Answers to the Cooking honor can be found in the Household Arts chapter of this wikibook.

2. How many cups make a quart? (How many mls to make a liter?) How many tablespoons to a cup? How many teaspoons to a tablespoon?

• There are 4 cups in a quart.
• There are 1000 milliliters in a liter.
• There are 16 tablespoons in a cup.
• There are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon.

3. Prepare two main casserole dishes using macaroni, noodles, beans, or rice.

Some of the hundreds of options include

• Black beans and rice
• Baked ziti
• Spaghetti with marinara or mushroom sauce
• Macaroni bake
• Baked beans

Some of my favorite recipes

Black beans and rice

• Boil rice following box/bag directions. Set aside.
• Open 2 cans of black beans. Heat
• Microwave 1 C. of frozen peas until done al dente (2-3 minutes)
• Chop one small tomato.
• Layer rice and beans in casserole dish.
• Garnish with peas and chopped tomato. Lightly salt to taste.

Baked Ziti

• Boil 1 bag pasta according to box directions
• Spread 1 can marinara sauce over pasta. Lightly toss.
• Spread prepared pasta in casserole dish (8 x 12).
• Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes in a covered casserole dish.
• Serve hot.

Macaroni Bake

• Boil two boxes of macaroni following boxed directions. Drain the macaroni while its still a little bit al dente (somewhat uncooked).
• Toss with cheese packet as the directions instruct.
• Place prepared macaroni in 8 x 12 casserole dish.
• Cover with shredded cheese (1/4 cup)
• Cover with foil and bake at 350 for two hours. Uncover for the last 15 minutes so that the surface becomes lightly browned.
• Serve hot.

Vegetarian Baked Beans

• 2 large cans of Vegetarian baked beans
• 1 small onion, finely chopped. Saute these in water until done.
• (opt.) 3 T. green pepper, finely chopped. Saute with onion.
• Mix together with beans.
• Pour into casserole dish.
• 4-8 fake bacon strips (Stripples) microwaved until heated through.
• Place these strips on top of the bean mix.
• Bake on low for 2 hours covered with foil.

5. Prepare two kinds of salad. How are salads kept crisp?

Basic Mixed Greens Salad: 1 large salad bowl 1/2 head looseleaf lettuce or 1 lb. bag mixed salad greens 1-2 tomatoes baby carrots (as many as desired, may be divided or shredded) 1 can black olives, sliced (opt.) 4 oz of cheese, chopped in squares OR shredded parmesan or mozerella cheese

Salad dressing of choice

Fruit Salad: 1 can each of-- Pears Peaches Pineapple Mixed fruit

garnish with dried cranberries and/or walnuts as desired

Mix together, serve chilled. Garnish with cranberries/walnuts just prior to serving.

6. Know the difference in food value between whole milk, lowfat milk, and non-dairy milk.

Whole milk is 3.7% fat by weight. One cup of whole milk has about 160 calories and 1/3 of the saturated fat needed in a day's diet. For children and others who need a lot of calories to fuel their day (such as athletes and people with non-sedentary jobs) whole milk is an excellent option.

Low-fat milk is 2%, 1%, or skim (0%) fat by weight. One cup of milk has 80 to 120 calories. Most adults live a sedentary lifestyle and thus should avoid whole milk in most circumstances. Instead, most adults should choose 1% or skim milk. Even though the calorie difference is only 40-60 calories, the difference in fat content (.4 gram for skim to 9 grams for whole milk) is significant. The majority of Americans' diets already contain an abundance of fat, well above the recommended daily allowance.

7. Prepare a balanced breakfast using the food pyramid guide.

The food pyramid guide is updated and published by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The 2005 version is shown here:

2005 Version of the USDA Food Pyramid

With the updated version, the USDA did away with "number of servings" criteria, and replaced it with a web-based tool that features individualized plans and statistics. The tool can be found at mypyramidtracker.gov. This tool also allows a person to enter a daily food diary, analyze nutrient intake, and can compare an individual's diet with the food pyramid recommendations. Other improvements to the pyramid include the replacement of "serving size" with the more objective "cups."

Following the food pyramid helps ensure that a person gets a balanced and varied diet. To know the recommendations for a particular individual using the current version of the USDA food pyramid, you must first go to MyPyramid.gov and enter the Pathfinder's profile (age, sex, and physical activity). This will tell you how much of each food category the Pathfinder should eat.

The values in the table below are for children who are physically active for 60 minutes or more per day. Use the USDA website for adults and for less active children.

USDA Food Pyramid

Food Group	Grains	Vegetables	Fruits	Milk	Meat & Beans
10 year-old Male	7 oz	3 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6 ounces
10 year-old Female	6 oz	2.5 cups	2 cups	3 cups	5.5 ounces
11 year-old Male	7 oz	3 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6 ounces
11 year-old Female	6 oz	2.5 cups	2 cups	3 cups	5.5 ounces
12 year-old Male	8 oz	3 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6.5 ounces
12 year-old Female	7 oz	3 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6 ounces
13 year-old Male	9 oz	3.5 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6.5 ounces
13 year-old Female	7 oz	3 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6 ounces
14 year-old Male	10 oz	3.5 cups	2.5 cups	3 cups	7 ounces
14 year-old Female	8 oz	3 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6.5 ounces
15 year-old Male	10 oz	5 cups	2.5 cups	3 cups	7 ounces
15 year-old Female	8 oz	3 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6.5 ounces

11. Know several reasons why vinegar is unhealthful.

There is very little written these days about vinegar's unhealthfulness.

However, back in the 1800's Ellen White wrote:

Letter 9, 1887 -- EGW states "The salads are prepared with oil and vinegar, fermentation takes place in the stomach, and the food does not digest, but decays or putrefies; as a consequence, the blood is not nourished, but becomes filled with impurities, and liver and kidney difficulties appear."

So that we see that vinegar is not the only condiment to which mentions dietary caution, there are several other statements in which she mentions that pickles, chili, mustard, spices, and other condiments are also unhealthful. "Condiments are injurious in their nature. Mustard, pepper, spices, pickles, and other things of a like character irritate the stomach and make the blood feverish and impure." MH 325

However, her general principal seems to be "In this fast age, the less exciting the food, the better." MH 325 While we may ask "so what wrong with a little bit of _____ in our food" the answer is NOT a salvation answer, but rather a matter of healthy choice: Do I NEED that _____________ in order to digest/enjoy my food? In many cases we may find that the answer is "No, not really."

In fact, if we in general simplify our diet, we may find ourselves healthier & happier than we did before!

12. What does caffeine do to the body? List five foods that contain caffeine.

Caffeine is a mild stimulant to the central nervous system. It is not addictive, though it can be habit forming. When caffeine intake is stopped abruptly, some individuals can experience headache, fatigue or drowsiness. Age and body size can make a difference in effect. A child or a smaller person may feel caffeine's effects more strongly than an adult or a heavier, taller person. A cup of strongly brewed coffee or tea has more caffeine than a weakly brewed cup.

Here is a list of some foods that contain caffeine:

1. Caffeinated Coffee
2. Some Soft drinks
3. Some Root Beer
4. Some Teas
5. Chocolate
6. Cocoa
7. Kola Nuts

13. Have 25 recipes of personally-prepared dishes, not more than five of which are candies or desserts.

Here is where you get to be creative! Scan recipe books in your family kitchen, at your grandparents home, or maybe even the library.

What are some of your favorite recipes from your churches' potluck / fellowship lunch? Maybe you could ask the people who cook those recipes to share them with you!

Many Adventist Book Centers offer a complete line of recipe books that show you how to prepare healthy but yummy dishes. Some of our favorites are "Choices" and "More Choices." Both of these books offer recipes with vegetarian and vegan options.

Organize your 25 recipes in a recipe box or book. Your local retailer will have several options to choose from.

Some Categories of recipes:

• Entrees
• Breakfast
• Desserts
• Vegetables
• Side Dishes
• Salads
• Soups

Note: One of the most successful "rules of thumb" for collecting truly successful recipes for YOU is: Does my refrigerator and pantry USUALLY contain the majority of ingredients in the recipe. That way, you can make the recipe when YOU feel like it, without making a last minute trip to the grocery store!

Cultural Food Preparation

Print version
Household Arts South Pacific Division/Island Ed.	Skill Level 1
	Year of Introduction: Unknown

Cook a meal using local methods and foods by yourself.
See example below

In order to satisfy the spirit of this honor, it is important that this requirement be satisfied by adopting the local methods of a Pacific Island. The example cited in the requirement follows this section (with the headings "Materials" and "Method"). It involves cooking a root plant in an earthen pit oven called a lovo. You can dig a lovo yourself, but make sure you have permission from the landowner first. Save any sod so you can re-cover the pit afterwards. You may also need a fire permit in your locality. This method of cooking will take three or four hours, so make sure you have plenty of time before starting.

Materials

1. Raw foods (e.g. Dalo, cassava, yams, sweet potatoes, taro leaves, etc.)

Dalo

Dalo corms

Dalo is also known as taro, and dasheen. Both the root and the leaves of the dalo are used in Pacific Island cooking. Dalo is a traditional staple in many tropical areas of the world, and is the base for making poi in Hawaii. The plant is actually inedible when raw because of needle-shaped members in the plant cells. Severe gastrointestinal distress can occur if the plant is improperly prepared for consumption.

To prepare dalo for cooking in a lovo, simply wash, peel, and slice. You may wish to oil your hands or wear gloves before peeling the dalo, as it may irritate your skin otherwise.

Cassava

Cassava roots

Cassava is called mandioca, aipim, or macaxeira in Portuguese, mandio in Guaraní, maniok in Afrikaans and Rotuman, yuca or mandioca in Spanish, mogho in Gujarati, 'tapioka' in Fijian, kappa or maracheeni in Malayalam, singkong or ubi kayu in Indonesian, tugi in Ilocano, balinghoy in Tagalog, maniok in German, Danish and Czech, manyok in Haitian Creole, lumu in Kichwa, manioc in French, mannyokka in Sinhala, and khoai mì, khoai sắn in Vietnamese.

Yams

Tongan farmer showing off his prize yams

In the southern United States, sweet potatoes are often referred to as yams, but these two plants are distinct from one another. Yam tubers can grow up to 2.5 meters in length and weigh up to 70 kg (150 pounds). In other words, they can get big! Yams are a primary agricultural commodity in West Africa and New Guinea. They are important to this day for survival in these regions. Yam tubers can be stored up to six months without refrigeration, which makes them a valuable resource for the yearly period of food scarcity at the beginning of the wet season. Yams of African species must be cooked to be safely eaten because various natural substances in raw yams can cause illness if consumed.

Sweet Potato

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are native to the tropical parts of the Americas. They spread very early throughout the region, including the Caribbean. They were also known before western exploration in Polynesia.

Sweet potatoes very early became popular in the islands of the Pacific, from Japan to Polynesia. One reason is that they were favored as an emergency crop that could be relied on if other crops failed due to typhoon flooding and the like. They are featured in many favorite dishes in Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines , and other island nations. Indonesia, Vietnam, India, and some other Asian countries are also large sweet potato growers. Uganda (the third largest grower after Indonesia), Rwanda, and some other African countries also grow a large crop which is an important part of their peoples' diets. North and South America, the original home of the sweet potato, together grow less than three percent of the world's supply. Europe has only a very small sweet potato production, mostly in Portugal.

Sweet potatoes may be peeled before or after cooking in a lovo. Once they are finished, they are typically mashed or sliced and topped with brown sugar and butter.

2. Banana leaves or other leaves used in your area.

Banana leaves are very large and are used much like aluminum foil in Western cultures. If available, coconut leaves are also acceptable. You may have success with corn husks as well.

3. Stones

Stones should be smooth river stones, though bricks can do the job as well. They should be 10 cm to 15 cm across, and the more uniform they are in size, the better. You will need enough to line the bottom of the lovo. Be sure to select stones that will not explode when heated (gravel will explode, as will concrete and cement).

4. Firewood

You will need a long-burning hardwood to cook your food. Avoid softwoods such as conifers as they burn far too quickly to be effective. The length of the logs should be slightly less than the width of the lovo pit. You will need enough wood to build a criss-cross fire about four levels high (see below).

5. Banana stems

Banana stems are one material you can use, but not the only material. Banana leaves, corn husks, or coconut leaves will also work.

6. Coconut leaves

Again, coconut leaves are only one option. Any large leaf will work, as will wet newspaper or burlap. See below for more details.

Methods

1. Light the fire first.

The fire is lit in a shallow pit, about 15 cm deep. The pit should measure between 50 cm and 100 cm across, depending on the amount of food you plan to cook.

2. Pile the firewood in order (criss-cross method).

Criss-cross fire

A criss-cross fire (also known as a council fire) generates a lot of heat. This is necessary to heat the stones which will be used for cooking. The initial logs of this structure can be lain before the fire is lit, but the remainder should wait until the fire is going. Pile the criss-cross at least four layers high, and be sure to use a long-burning hardwood. Allow 12 mm to 25 mm between the logs or you will starve the fire of oxygen and it will die.

3. Put all the stones on top of the firewood.

Stone selection is critical here. Smooth river stones work best, but be warned that some types of stone may explode when heated. You can also use bricks instead of stones. The stones should completely cover the top of the criss-cross structure.

4. Let the fire completely burn the wood until you notice that the stones are red-hot.

This should take about an hour.

5. Clean the lovo/oven.

A lovo is an earth oven, essentially a pit dug in the ground for cooking. To clean out the lovo, remove any still-burning wood from the fire. Be sure to extinguish it or transfer it to an area where it will be safe and out of the way. You can also throw it into a campfire. Leave the stones in the lovo and spread them evenly around. Sweep all the ash off the tops of the stones.

6. Put the smashed up banana stems on top of the stones.

Banana stems are not strictly required here. Many cultures use other types of vegetation instead, with large, fresh native leaves being the most common choice. Make sure the leaves are green.

7. Start to put all the raw foods on top of the banana stems

The food is layered on top of the green vegetation laid down in the previous step. Root plants are peeled an marinated first. You can also wrap them in foil before placing them on top of the leaves or stems.

8. Cover it up first with green coconut leaves before you completely cover it with leaves and leave it for one to one and a half hours.

Layer more leaves on top of the food. Some people use wet newspaper or burlap here instead of leaves. Do not use any plastic. May cultures will also cover the whole pit with earth once the leaves are piled on. The idea is to prevent any steam from escaping the pile. If you are cooking a lot of food, you may need to let it cook for up to three hours.

9. Uncover the lovo/oven and the food is ready.

Wear garden gloves when uncovering the pile. The stones should still be warm enough to cause a nasty burn. Transfer the food to serving dishes, say grace, and serve the food!

References

• http://babasiga.blogspot.com/2006/10/making-lovo-underground-oven-in.html
• http://www.geocities.com/adams_dhanjal/recipes/lovo.htm
• http://www.fijibure.com/namatakula/food.htm

Dressmaking

Print version
Household Arts General Conference	Skill Level 1
	Year of Introduction: 1929

1. Have and review the Basic Sewing Honor.

Answers to the Basic Sewing honor can be found in the Household Arts chapter of this wikibook.

Dressmaking - Advanced

Print version
Household Arts General Conference	Skill Level 2
	Year of Introduction: 1956

1. Have the Dressmaking Honor.

Answers to the Dressmaking honor can be found in the Household Arts chapter of this wikibook.

Food - Canning

Print version
Household Arts General Conference	Skill Level 2
	Year of Introduction: 1929

1. Define the following:

a. Botulism

is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin, botulin, that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Foodborne botulism is caused by eating foods that contain the botulism toxin. Outbreaks of foodborne botulism are usually caused by eating contaminated home-canned foods.

b. Steam pressure canning

is a method of canning by placing the food in a pressure cooker. A pressure cooker allows water to be heated to a temperature higher than the "standard" boiling point of 212°F (100°C).

c. Boiling water bath

A boiling water bath is a method of canning that uses a large pot of boiling water. The filled jars are placed on the rack, then the rack is lowered into the boiling water. Process for the required time as listed in the recipe. This method of canning is the most popular technique for processing canned foods.

d. Steam canning

This is a method of canning that involves a shallow pan with water in the bottom. The lid for this method is rather deep, as to allow for the top clearance of the filled jars. The shallow pool of water is heated to boiling as to create steam. The steam processes the filled jars.

e. Open kettle canning

This method of canning uses a large pot where the product to be canned is heated to boiling as to purge out any impurities. The filling is then packed into hot jars after which the seals and bands are processed. The jars will seal on there own. No processing is needed for this method of canning. This method is not endorsed by Bernardian.

f. Pectin

Under acidic conditions, pectin forms a gel, and it can be used as an edible thickening agent in processed foods. This effect is used for making jams and jellies.

g. Hot pack

Food is packed into jars after being cooked and while still hot. It is then placed in a pressure cooker.

h. Cold pack

Food is packed into jars in an uncooked state (or sometimes after being scalded). It is then placed in a pressure cooker.

i. Sterilize

Killing all forms of bacteria and other pathogens present on an item (such as a jar).

j. Scald

Immersing a fruit or vegetable in boiling water for a minute or two. This splits the skin, easing the task of removing the peel.

k. Jelly

A jelly is a sweet or savoury food gel, usually made through the addition of gelatin or pectin to edible liquids. "True" jellies are smooth textured and made from fruit juice, such as grape jelly.

l. Jam

is a type of sweet spread or condiment made with certain fruits or vegetables, sugar, and sometimes pectin. In the United States and Canada, jams are invariably made from mashed or ground fresh fruits.

m. Marmalade

invariably refers to a conserve derived from a citrus fruit, most commonly from oranges. The recipe includes sliced or chopped fruit peel, which is simmered in fruit juice and water until soft; indeed marmalade is sometimes described as jam with fruit peel.

n. Pickles

Pickling is the process of preparing a food by soaking and storing it in a brine containing salt, acid (usually vinegar), or both, a process which can preserve otherwise perishable foods for months. The resulting food is called a pickle.

4. When should food be steam pressure processed?

Foods that are low in acid have a higher pH level and do not contain enough acid to prevent the growth of botulinum bacteria. These foods are processed at temperatures of 240 - 250 degrees F, attainable with pressure canners.

6. Can the following items:

d. One jelly or jam

You can make jelly or jam from almost any fruit you like. Strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, grape, and plum are all excellent choices, but you can also use a variety of wild fruits as well, including rose hip, gooseberry, autumn olive, and elderberry. We present a recipe for plum jam here, but an almost identical recipe for rose hip jam can be found in requirement 4 of the Herbs honor.

---

Plum Jam

Sterilize enough jars for the jelly you are going to make. This can be done by washing them in hot, soapy water and rinsing in bleach water, or by boiling them.

A mix of ripe and nearly ripe plums will work well for this recipe. Wash the plums, place them in a large pot and cover with water. Heat until the plums become soft and squishy and the skins break open. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a chinois or a china hat. A chinois is a cone-shaped sieve with a mounting stand and a cone-shaped pestle. Place a large measuring bowl under the chinois and use the pestle to crush the plums through the holes in the straining cone, catching the pulp in the measuring bowl. The skins and seeds will be left behind. Take note of the amount of pulp obtained, pour it into a large pot and add an equal volume of sugar. Stir in the sugar until it is dissolved, and heat the mixture to a boil. When it begins to boil, reduce the heat and let it boil for 20 minutes. Do not reduce the heat so much that the mixture stops boiling, and monitor it carefully, stirring often. If dark colored sauce can be stirred up from the bottom of the pan, reduce the heat a little more, as this is an indication that the sauce is burning.

After 20 minutes, pour the mixture into jars and seal them. It should gel in about 20 minutes.

Food - Drying

Print version
Household Arts General Conference	Skill Level 2
	Year of Introduction: 1986

1. List at least three different ways to dry foods.

Sun Drying

Food can be dried in the sun, but only if the temperatures are near 100°F (38°C) and the humidity is low. The fruit must be covered with cheesecloth (or something similar) to protect it from insects. If it is dried on a table, the table legs should be set in cans of water to prevent insects from crawling up the legs and getting into the fruit. The fruit will take several days to dry, and the humidity and other weather conditions must be monitored. If the temperature drops significantly during the night, dew may form, and the fruit will absorb it quickly. Because of this, it may be necessary to take the fruit indoors at night.

Oven Drying

This is the fastest way to dry food, but only small quantities at a time can be dried this way. The oven is preheated to about 140°F (60°C) and the food is placed on racks in the oven. The door must be held open about two inches (5cm) for a gas oven, or about 4 inches (10cm) for an electric oven. A thermometer is placed in the center of the rack to make sure the temperature stays near 140°F (60°C). A fan should be placed near the open oven door so that air inside the oven can circulate and allow the moisture to escape.

The food trays must be rotated every 30 minutes because the heat inside the oven will not be distributed evenly. Rotate the trays from front to back, top to bottom, and left to right.

Food Dryer

Food dryers can be purchased or home-built. They can dry more food than an oven but it takes a little longer. They also use less electricity than an electric oven. A food dryer is an enclosed box with a heat source, a fan, and a set of racks upon which the food is placed. Most home-built food dryers use a 100 watt light bulb as the heat source. It takes four to six hours to dry a batch of food in a food dryer, and like ovens, they operate at about 140°F (60°C).

You can build your own food dryer by lining a cardboard box with Styrofoam insulation, and then covering the Styrofoam with aluminum foil. Alternately, you can use insulation board with the foil already attached (this is available at most home improvement stores). It is very important that you line the insulation with foil, as this reflects the heat away from the insulation which would otherwise melt. Make an insulated lid for the box as well, but leave a gap at one end for moisture to escape.

The next thing you will need is a light fixture. Use a simple porcelain base, and mount it to a steel ceiling box (both of these are available in the electrical section of a hardware store). If desired, you can also use the thermostat from a water heater to control the temperature. These thermostats are generally settable between 40°C- 65°C - you will want to set it to 60°C. If you buy a deep ceiling box, you can mount the thermostat inside it, but make sure it makes good contact with the ceiling box so that heat is conducted to it. If you cannot mount the thermostat inside the box you will need to cover the terminals, as they will both carry household voltage (which is enough to kill a person who comes in contact with it).

The last item you will need is an extension cord. Cut the "female" end of it off and throw it away. Make a hole in box and poke the cut end through. Then run it through an opening in the ceiling box. Strip the ends of the wire and connect them to the porcelain light fixture. Tighten the clamp on the ceiling box to hold the extension cord in place. Screw in a 100 Watt bulb and plug in the cord. If the light does not turn on, unplug and check your wiring.

If you opt to use a thermostat, wire the "hot" wire on the extension cord (this is the one that connects to the narrower of the two blades on the plug) to either terminal of the thermostat. Run a wire from the remaining terminal of the thermostat to the light fixture. The neutral wire (connected to the wide blade of the plug) should be connected to the remaining terminal on the light fixture.

Finally, mount the fixture inside the insulated box and rig up a rack to hold your food trays. Keep a close eye on it the first time you use it.

If you do not use a thermostat, place a thermometer inside the box and keep an eye on it. You can control the temperature by varying the width of the gap in the lid, or by using a different wattage light bulb.

2. Why and how do you sulphur fruits?

Commercially prepared dried fruit may contain sulfur dioxide which can trigger asthma in sensitive individuals, though dried fruit without sulfur dioxide is also available, particularly in health stores. The sulphur is added to "fix" the colour of the product. "Organic" dried fruit is produced without sulphur which results in dark fruit and the flavor is much more characteristic of the fresh fruit. The color of some fruits can also be "fixed" to some extent, with minimal impact on flavor, by treating the freshly cut fruit with a preparation rich in Vitamin C (e.g., a mixture of water and lemon juice) for a few minutes prior to drying.

Sulphuring fruit is accomplished by burning a block of sulphur in an enclosed box (such as a dehydrator) with the fruit inside. The burning sulphur gives off sulphur dioxide which fixes the color of the fruit. This should only be done outside.

3. How is dried fruit stored and protected from insects?

As soon as it cools, dried fruit should be packed into insect-proof containers, such as glass jars or metal cans with tight-fitting lids. Do not let sulphured fruit touch metal, as this will cause the fruit to become discolored. You can pack fruit into plastic bags and then place that in a metal container. Plastic bags are not 100% insect (or rodent) proof, so make sure you store the fruit in a place where they cannot get to it. A cool, dry place is best.

4. How are dried foods reconstituted?

Just add water. You can also simmer them in boiling water for 15 minutes.

5. What is important in selecting fruit to be used in making fruit leather?

The fruit must be ripe, or slightly overripe. Be sure to use good quality fruit, as it will make good quality fruit leather. Select fruit that is fresh, and fully sound - basically, the same things you look for when selecting fruit for the table. Cut out any bad parts of the fruit. The saying, "one bad apple spoils the whole lot" applies to fruit leather, as a bad piece of fruit can impart a bad flavor to any of the fruit it comes into contact with. In making fruit leather, the fruit is pureed before drying, so the bad fruit will come into contact with all the fruit.

6. How are dried nuts stored?

Dried nuts must be stored in a cool, dry place in air-tight containers to prevent reabsorption of moisture.

7. Dry the following and provide samples for testing:

a. Bread. Make crumbs and use in a recipe for sampling.

Bread can be dried without the use of special equipment by placing several slices in a large bowl and covering it with a towel. The bowl should be kept indoors. After several days, the bread will be dry (also known as "stale") and it can then be crumbled. The usual use for bread crumbs is to make stuffing. You may use any stuffing recipe you like (as long as it uses bread crumbs), or you can use this one:

Ingredients

• 1 small onion
• 1 stalk of celery
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon sage
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 4 cups bread crumbs

Procedure

Finely chop the onion, celery, and garlic, then sauté them in the margarine in a 2 quart pot until transparent. Add the sage and thyme and vegetable broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the bread crumbs, folding them into the mixture. Let it sit for 10 minutes, fluff, and serve.

b. Fruit leather

Wash the fruit and puree it in a food processor. Line a shallow pan with wax paper, being sure to bring the edges up so that the pureed fruit cannot run under it. Pour the fruit puree into the pan until it is about a quarter inch deep (0.6 cm). Place it in the food dryer set to 140°F (60°C). Check it after four hours (but it may take much longer). Remove the fruit when it is tacky to the touch. Remove it and the wax paper from the pan and slice into thin strips, leaving the wax paper attached. Roll the strips (and wax paper) into a spiral and place in a sealable plastic bag. Store in a cool dry place. Fruit leather can be stored for up to six months.

c. Vegetable leather

You can make vegetable leather from just about any type of vegetable so long as it is pureed first. A shortcut is to use baby food as the starting point, and then procede as with fruit leather. Here are two other recipes (in case your Pathfinders rebel at the thought of eating baby food).

Pumpkin Leather

• 2 cups of canned pumpkin, or 2 cups of fresh pumpkin, cooked and pureed.
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (powdered)
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves (powdered)

Combine ingredients and dry at 140°F (60°C) (same as for fruit leather).

Tomato Leather

Core and slice ripe tomatoes into quarters. Boil for 15 minutes. Remove from water, force through a colander or a sieve. Add salt (if desired for flavoring), and simmer until thick. Spread on a plastic or wax paper lined tray and dry at 140°F (60°C) (same as for fruit leather).

d. Fruit slices

Most fruits need to be pretreated before they are dried. Apples should be cored, peeled, and sliced. Fruits with pits (such as peaches, nectarines, and cherries) should be split in half and pitted.

Thin slices of fruit dry quicker than thick slices, so it is important to slice fruit into uniform thicknesses so that it dries evenly.

Fruit with thick, waxy skins (such as blueberries and cherries) must be cracked before it is dried. Cracking the skin allows the moisture to escape. To crack the fruit, drop it in boiling water for 30-60 seconds, and then quickly move it to very cold water.

Some fruits, such as apples, pears, and apricots become discolored quickly after they are peeled and sliced. To prevent them from turning brown, mix two teaspoons of ascorbic acid in one cup of water, and dip the fruit in this solution as you work with it. One cup of this solution should be enough to treat five quarts of fruit. Ascorbic acid (more commonly known as Vitamin C) is available in most drug stores. You can also crush a 500mg tablet of Vitamin C and mix that with a quart (one liter) of water. Soak the fruit in that solution for two to three minutes.

Once the fruit has been prepared, arrange it in a single layer on a drying tray with the cut side up (if cut in half). Finally, place the trays in a food dryer, and wait. The amount of time varies depending on the fruit, how thick the slices are, et cetera. It should take between four and ten hours to dry.

e. Vegetable slices (such as carrots) or pieces (such as peas)

Select ripe, high quality vegetables. Cut out any bad spots, discard overripe pieces, and slice into thin, uniform pieces (unless you are starting with small vegetables such as peas).

Nearly all vegetables need to be blanched before they are dried. Blanching stops enzymes from destroying the vegetables. Drying by itself does not stop the enzyme action. To blanch vegetables, drop them in boiling water for a minute or two. Then cool them in ice water for the same amount of time that they were blanched. Blanching does remove some nutrients from the vegetables, so be sure to blanch them for only the minimum specified time (see table).

Arrange the vegetables on a drying tray in a single layer. Place the trays in the dryer at 140°F (60°C) with a minimum of one inch between trays. Drying will take between four and twelve hours. Turn the vegetable pieces every thirty minutes and rearrange them on the tray so that they are dried evenly (different areas on the trays will dry at different rates). The pieces are dry when they are hard and brittle. You can test them by striking a piece with a hammer. If it shatters, the vegetable is dry.

Vegetable	Blanching Time (minutes)	Drying Time (hours)
Asparagus	3.5 - 4.5	1 - 3
Green Beans	3 - 4	2.5 - 4
Carrots	3.5	2.5 - 4
Corn	5 - 8	4
Onions	do not blanch	1 - 3
Peas	3	3
Potatoes	6 - 8	2 - 4
Summer Squash	1.5 - 2	2.5 - 3
Tomatoes (3/4" thick)	1	3.5 - 4

f. Vegetarian jerky

• 1 lb firm tofu
• 1/2 cup Bragg Liquid Aminos
• 3-4 tablespoons liquid smoke
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 cup water

1. Drain and slice the tofu into quarter-inch (5mm) thick, long, narrow slices
2. Mix all the ingredients, adding the tofu slice last in shallow baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Dry at 140°F (60°C) 4-6 hours, turning hourly.

Easy Vegetarian Jerky

• Stripples (Worthington)

1. Spread Stripples out in a single layer in food dehydrator or oven (set on lowest temperature setting).
2. Turn stripples once or twice as needed for even drying, throughout drying time.

g. Parsley or some other herb

Fresh parsley, mint, oregano, basil, marjoram, and rosemary can be dried without any special equipment. Simply bundle the fresh herbs and hang them in a dry corner of the kitchen out of direct sunlight for a couple of weeks. You can also dry them by spreading them out on a dish towel.

8. Reconstitute a vegetable and cook for sampling.

Vegetables can be reconstituted by soaking them in water for two or three hours. They should return to their full size. Cook any way you like.

References

• http://extension.usu.edu/files/foodpubs/fn330.pdf Utah State Extension
• http://www.extension.uiuc.edu/~vista/html_pubs/DRYING/dryfood.html University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
• http://www.thefarm.org/charities/i4at/surv/dryguide.htm
• http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu/8005.pdf Storing nuts

Food - Freezing

Print version
Household Arts General Conference	Skill Level 2
	Year of Introduction: 1986

1. Define the following terms:

a. Blanching

Blanching is a food preparation process wherein the food substance, usually a vegetable or fruit, is plunged into boiling water, removed after a brief, timed interval and finally plunged into iced water or placed under cold running water (shocked) to halt the cooking process. It is best to place the food in a wire basket so that it can be lowered into boiling water, lifted out, and then lowered into the cold water. This is easier than pouring off the boiling water or wasting time trying to fish the food out of a pot of boiling of water. Furthermore, this will allow you to reuse the boiling water for the next batch without having to wait for it to reheat.

b. Quick freeze

Quick freezing is used to quickly freeze perishable food items. In this case, water contained inside the food items is subjected to temperatures well below its melting/freezing point 0°C. This causes the water inside the foods to freeze in a very short period of time.

c. Freezer burn

Freezer burn is a condition that occurs when frozen food has been damaged by ice crystals, due to air reaching the food. It is generally caused by non-airtight packaging. Freezer burn often results in change of texture and discoloration of the affected food. It appears as grayish to brown leathery spots on the food. Although freezer burn affects the quality of food, it does not make it unsafe or unhealthful to eat.

2. What kinds of containers can be used for freezing foods?

Plastic containers work the best. Metal containers also work well. The important considerations are that the container be food-safe, air-tight, and not be damaged by freezing.

3. What are the essential things to be considered when selecting vegetables or fruits for freezing?

First check the quality as you would for any fresh fruit or vegetable. Wash thoroughly and make sure the fruit or vegetable has no salt on it. When you freeze the fruit or vegetable make sure that is is not bumped or otherwise damaged.

4. How do you thaw frozen vegetables for the table? How do you thaw frozen fruits for the table?

Vegetables

Most vegetables should be cooked without thawing first. Corn on the cob should be partially thawed before cooking, and leafy green vegetables should be completely thawed. Thawing should not be done at room temperature. Food is safe indefinitely while it is frozen, but as soon as the temperature rises above 4°C, it is susceptible to bacteria (which can cause food poisoning). Instead, thaw it in the refrigerator 6-8 hours ahead of time, or under cold (below 21°C) running water for 30 minutes. Do not remove the vegetables from their packaging, as this allows bacteria to get in. Turn the package every few minutes.

Drop frozen vegetables in boiling water, and quickly return the water to a boil. Pry the vegetables apart as it thaws so that it can cook evenly.

Fruits

Do not thaw fruit at room temperature, for the same reasons you do not thaw vegetables at room temperature. Instead, thaw fruit in the refrigerator 6-8 hours ahead of time. If you are in a hurry, you can also thaw fruit by running cold water over it, as long as the water temperature is below 21°C, turning the package every few minutes or so. This will take about half an hour for one pound of fruit. If you are going to use the fruit right away, you can thaw it in a microwave oven at a low setting. Do not thaw the fruit completely, as the ice crystals will give it a bit of firmness that freezing takes away.

5. Freeze two vegetables (corn and another of your choice), then prepare and serve for sampling.

Vegetables must be blanched before they are frozen. To blanch, drop the vegetable in boiling water for the "blanching time", then transfer to cold water. When packing into containers, always leave a bit of headspace. Water expands as it freezes, so you must leave room for this expansion or the container will be forced open and the food will get freezer-burned.

When freezing any food, do not fill the freezer with too much warm food at a time and do not stack the packages until they are completely frozen. If you fill the freezer with a lot of warm food all at once, it will take longer for it to freeze which will make for a lower-quality end product. Ideally, you want the food to freeze as quickly as possible. Once it is frozen, you can stack it however you want.

If you have two freezers (say a chest freezer and a refrigerator/freezer), it would be a good idea to lower the temperature of the fridge-freezer to its minimum. Then use this freezer to initially freeze the food. Once the food is completely frozen, transfer it to the chest freezer (at normal temperature) for storage. When you are finished freezing the food, you can raise the fridge-freezer back to its normal setting.

Be sure to label the food packages as you freeze them. It can be difficult to tell them apart later (pumpkin does not go so well in a peach cobbler).

Corn

For corn on the cob, blanch for seven minutes. For kernel corn, blanch for four minutes. Allow it to cool completely. For kernel corn, cut it from the cob leaving one third of the kernel on the cob. Package in freezer bags and place it in a freezer.

Carrots

Cut off the tops and wash. Freeze small carrots whole, but cut large carrots into thin slices or into 1.5cm cubes. Blanch small whole carrots for 5 minutes, and blanch sliced or cubed carrots for 2 minutes. Drain and package into freezer bags, then freeze.

Okra

Blanch small pods for 3 minutes, large pods for 4. Slice into "coins", package, and freeze.

Pumpkin and Winter Squash

Cook in boiling water until the pulp is soft. Remove the rind and mash the pulp. To cool, place the container of pumpkin pulp in cold water. Package and freeze.

Summer Squash and Zucchini

Cut into 1.25cm slices, and blanch for 3 minutes. Package and freeze.

6. Quick freeze a vegetable for easy pouring.

Blanch the vegetables as in the previous requirement. When you are ready to freeze them, place them on a tray in a single layer and separate them so they do not touch one another. After the vegetables are frozen, place them in a container, seal, label, and return to the freezer. The vegetables will separate easily and can be poured right out of the package when you need them.

7. Why is salt not put in vegetables to be frozen?

Salt lowers the freezing point of water from its normal temperature of 0°C to -21°C. Most food freezers operate at -18°C, which is higher than the freezing point of salt water. If food to be frozen contains enough salt, it will not freeze in a regular freezer. If it contains only a little salt, the freezing point will be lowered, but not by as much. Even a small amount of salt will prevent it from quick-freezing.

8. Freeze some peaches in light syrup and also some in orange or pineapple juice. What is the reason for using ascorbic acid in the syrup and not in the fruit juice? Why is ascorbic acid used in freezing peaches?

Packed in syrup

First, you'll need to make the syrup which is just sugar and water. For peaches, you will need a 40% syrup, which is made by dissolving 250ml of syrup in 1000ml of lukewarm water. Chill the syrup before using.

Wash and peel the peaches. Add 2.5ml of ascorbic acid to the syrup. Place the peaches in a container and cover completely with the syrup, leaving some headroom. Wad up some wax paper and place it on top of the peaches to keep them submerged. Seal and freeze.

Packed in Fruit Juice

Wash and peel the peaches. Place the peaches in a container and cover completely with the the fruit juice, leaving some headroom. Wad up some wax paper and place it on top of the peaches to keep them submerged. Seal and freeze. Acsorbic acid is not needed when packing in fruit juice because the fruit juice has acsorbic acid in it already. The acsorbic acid will prevent the peaches from turning brown.

9. Freeze one type of berry without added sweeteners.

Wash and drain the berries (except for blueberries which should not be washed). Pack them into containers leaving some headspace, and freeze.

10. Make one kind of freezer jam.

Wash 500ml of strawberries or blackberries, being sure to select only fully ripened ones. Remove any caps and stems, and crush the berries. If desired, you can squeeze blackberries through a sieve to remove any seeds. Put the berries in a large bowl, add 1000ml of sugar, mix well, and let sit for 20 minutes. Dissolve one package of powdered pectin in 250ml of water and boil for one minute. Stir the water/pectin into the berries and sugar for two minutes. Then ladle into containers and freeze.

References

• Wikipedia articles
  • Blanching
  • Brine
  • Flash freezing
  • Freezer burn
  • Refrigerator

• http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/index.html

Housekeeping

Print version
Household Arts General Conference	Skill Level 2
	Year of Introduction: 1929

1. Have the Laundering Honor.

Answers to the Laundering honor can be found in the Household Arts chapter of this wikibook.

2. List items used in keeping a house clean.

• Broom and dustpan
• Vacuum cleaner
• Mop and bucket
• Dust cloths
• Toilet brush
• Scrub brushes
• Paper towels
• Furniture polish
• Window cleaner
• All-purpose cleaners
• Sponges

3. Describe the best way to keep stoves, microwave ovens, and refrigerators clean.

The best way to keep these items clean is by cleaning them often. As soon as something is spilled on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in the fridge, it is a lot easier to clean then than it will be later when the spilled item hardens.

4. Under what conditions do germs and pests thrive? Give ways of cleaning each of the following: basement, closets, cupboards, sinks, floors and toilets.

Germs and pests love filth, and that is the primary reason for keeping things clean. Germs and pests carry and spread disease, so keeping the house clean will also help keep its occupants healthy.

Basement

Basements should be swept frequently and kept as dry as possible. If the basement is prone to wetness, it should not be carpeted and nothing should be stored on the floor. Rather, everything should be placed on top of pallets or shelves so that the dampness cannot get into the items stored and cause them to mold. A wet basement should be treated for mold and mildew.

If possible, find the source of the wetness and have it repaired.

Closets

Closets should be kept neat and orderly. Closet organizers, shoe racks, and shelves are excellent aids in this endeavor. It's a good idea to air out the closet occasionally, and the floors should be swept or vacuumed whenever the house is cleaned.

Cupboards

Cupboards should be periodically emptied and wiped down. If the shelves are lined with shelf paper, the paper can be changed every now and then to freshen the look of the cupboards.

Sinks

Sinks should be cleaned frequently. This can be done with dish soap and a sponge or a wash cloth. Stainless steel sinks can be scrubbed with steel wool. If the sink has a garbage disposal, the rubber gasket around the drain should be removed and cleaned frequently too (they get pretty gross). Run citrus peels through the disposal to freshen it up.

Floors

Hardwood, tile, or linoleum floors should be swept and mopped. Carpeted floors should be vacuumed frequently and steam cleaned every now and then.

Toilets

Toilets should be scrubbed on the inside with a toilet brush. Especially important is the area just under the rim. A toilet cleaner should be used to do this. The seat, rim, and lid also need to be wiped down with a general-purpose cleaner, as does the outside of the bowl and the tank.

5. State the proper way to prepare dishes for washing, either in the sink or dishwasher. State the order in which silver, glass, table, and kitchen dishes should be washed.

Scrape all leftover food into a garbage disposal or into the trash. Dishes with tough, stuck-on food may need to be soaked before it can be cleaned. Oatmeal becomes almost cement-like if it hardens in the bowl or pot, so soaking is almost absolutely a requirement. This is true whether the dish will be hand washed or machine washed.

Modern dishwashers do not require that the dish be rinsed before running it through the cycle - the dishwasher will rinse them at least as well as you will. If washing them by hand, it is a good idea to rinse them off first so that you do not spoil the water. It is difficult to get anything clean with dirty water! Once the dishes are prepared for washing, they should be stacked.

Glasses should be washed first, followed by silverware, table dishes, and finally kitchen dishes. In general, the order is to wash the cleanest items first, saving the dirtiest items for last. Glasses are difficult to get clean unless the dishwater is grease-free, so that is the reason they should be done first even if they are more dirty than the silver or table dishes. Keep an eye on the dishwater - if it becomes disgusting, change it!

6. How should rugs, carpets, pillows, upholstered furniture, papered walls, painted walls, floors, and windows be cleaned?

Rugs

Rugs can be taken outside and shaken out, or even hung over a line and beaten. Keep shaking or beating the rug until dirt stops coming out.

Carpets

Carpets should be vacuumed frequently and steam-cleaned every now and then. If something is spilled on a carpet, it should be cleaned up right away. The best way to do this is by placing an absorbent material (dish towel, wash cloth, or paper towel) over the spill and pressing. As it absorbs the spill, move a dry area of the towel over the spill and continue until it no longer comes up wet. Some spills should be treated with an upholstery/carpet cleaner immediately after this or the carpet will be permanently stained (juices) or bleached (vomit).

Pillows

Pillows usually have an outer covering that can be removed and machine washed. Let the padded portion of the pillow air out while the cover is laundered.

Upholstered furniture

Furniture upholstered with cloth can (and should) be vacuumed whenever the carpets are vacuumed. Remove the cushions and vacuum the undersides, as well as the portion of the furniture underneath them. They can also be touched up with an upholstery cleaner. Follow the directions on the bottle.

Furniture upholstered with leather can be wiped down with a damp cloth, and should be cleaned occasionally with a leather cleaner. Be sure that the leather cleaner you choose is for furniture, or you may end up with stains on your clothing.

Papered walls

Papered walls should be cleaned with a slightly dampened cloth. Be careful not to get the paper too wet or it may peel off.

Painted walls

Painted walls are more durable than papered walls, so they can be scrubbed down with soapy water. Glossy finishes clean easier than satin or flat finishes, so when choosing a paint, keep that in mind. A bathroom, kitchen, or small child's room might be better served with a glossy finish. A ceiling or master bedroom can be painted with a flat paint (if desired).

Floors

Hardwood, tile, and linoleum floors should be swept frequently and mopped occasionally. Always sweep right before mopping. To mop a floor, fill a mop bucket half way with warm or hot water, and add a floor cleaner to it. Submerge the mop under the water, pull it up, wring it out, and then pass it over the floor, "painting" the entire surface of the floor. Plan out where you will mop so that you do not have to walk over the damp floor. It is best to do this chore when small children are outside, not home, or asleep, as they sometimes have difficulty understanding that they should not walk on a wet floor.

Windows

Windows should be washed with window cleaner or with a mixture of vinegar and water. Spray the cleaner on the glass, and then wipe it off, being careful to not leave streaks. When washing both sides of the glass, make the last pass horizontally on the inside and vertically on the outside (or vice versa) so that you can tell which side of the glass a streak is on.

7. How is trash disposed of in your community?

This answer book cannot know how trash is disposed of in your community. You will need to check with your local government for that information. Waste is most commonly placed in a landfill or incinerated. Some communities require that waste be sorted - yard waste, recyclables, construction waste, household waste, and toxic waste are all treated differently.

8. What precautions should be taken in cleaning out a fireplace?

The main danger to be concerned with when cleaning out a fireplace is that of starting an accidental fire. Be sure the ash contains no embers by waiting until no fire has been burning for at least 12 hours. Cover the ashes with damp newspaper to keep the dust down, then shovel the ash into a bag, seal and take the bag outside. You may wish to wear a dust mask when doing this, and you may wish to cover the hearth with a tarp to contain the mess. Do not douse a fire in a fireplace with water except in an emergency, as this can cause the firebox to crack. It will also cause the ash to harden and stick to the brick, making it difficult to clean.

Be sure to have the chimney cleaned by a professional annually so that soot and creosote do not build up - this is a fire hazard.

9. What is meant by keeping a home "baby safe"?

Babies have ways of making their own danger. A house that is "baby safe" has been examined and actions taken to prevent a baby from endangering itself (or others). Unused outlets are covered so that the baby cannot insert paper clips, coins, or other conductive items into them. Cleaners, poisons, and other toxic items are stored out of the baby's reach or locked where they are inaccessible. Stairways are gated so the baby cannot fall down (or climb up and then fall down). Items smaller than a golf ball should also be stored out of a baby's reach, as these are choking hazards. Babies explore the world with their mouths, so they may try to "eat" anything that they can fit into their mouths.

10. Plan and do the work in a house for one week.

Whoever normally does this task will thank you, and if that person is you - well, at least you're getting an honor out of your effort now.

References

• http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/67462/cleaning_a_fireplace.html

Laundering

Print version
Household Arts General Conference	Skill Level 1
	Year of Introduction: 1928

1. Why is important to read the labels in garments before laundering them?

The labels often include the manufacturer's recommended washing instructions as well as the types of material the garment is made from. Instructions often include:

• Wash temperature
• Rinse temperature
• Ironing temperature, and sometimes ironing method (such as "on the reverse side," or "through a cloth").
• If the article is only suited for dry cleaning
• Drying method (tumble dry, drip dry, lay flat, etc)

2. What is the proper way to prepare clothes for washing?

Remove all items from all pockets, zip up any zippers, fasten snaps and cover Velcro. Also tie any strings back so they won't get tangled in the agitator or with other garments. Remove any pins, your name tag, and the "scribe" or "captain" tag from your Pathfinder uniform before washing it. Brush off any caked-on dirt. Turn permanent press and garments with silk screened patterns (such as your field uniform) inside-out. This will help the permanent press items from gathering lint, and it will protect the silk screening from wear.

Place small items (such as a toddler's socks) and hosiery in a mesh bag before putting them in the washing machine. This will prevent small items from being flushed out with the rinse water, and it will help prevent runs in hosiery.

Separate your laundry into like items:

• Whites from colors
• Color-fast from colors that may run
• Durables from delicates
• Very dirty from lightly soiled
• Lint givers (towels, sheets, flannels) from lint takers (corduroy, permanent press)

Wash these types separately, because each of the types of loads listed above need different settings on the washing machine. Finally, pretreat any stains with a stain remover.

3. What types of clothes should be washed in hot, warm, and cold?

HOT	WARM	COLD
Permanent Press	Permanent Press	Bright Colors
Whites	Whites	Dark Colors
Very dirty clothing	Delicates	Delicates/Knits

4. What precaution should be used when using chlorine bleach? What are the advantages of powdered oxygen bleach? Why should chlorine bleach and ammonia never be mixed?

Precautions: Bleach is a powerful chemical. It can burn your skin, and it can dissolve cloth. Do not get it on your skin; if you get it on your skin, wash it off right away. If you spill it on your clothing, rinse immediately. If too much bleach is used on cloth, the cloth will disintegrate. Bleach will remove dye, so it must not be used on anything other than white cloth.

Powdered Oxygen Bleach: The greatest advantage offered by powdered oxygen bleach is that it removes stains without the use of toxic chemicals. For some stains, it works even better than chlorine bleach. It brightens fabrics and can be used on upholstery and carpet. It is non-toxic to humans and animals, and it breaks down into environmentally friendly components when the oxygen is released (the release of oxygen is what removes stains).

Mixing Bleach and Ammonia: Bleach and ammonia should NEVER be mixed because doing so causes a chemical reaction that releases poisonous gases. The primary gas released is chlorine gas which was used as a chemical warfare agent during World War I. Chlorine gas is highly toxic. Other gases that can be released include nitrogen trichloride (which can explode in your face), and hydrazine (a component of rocket fuel).

5. What precautions should be taken when using liquid fabric softeners?

Liquid fabric softeners leave an invisible residue on the garments which prevents static cling, softens the fabric, and imparts a light fragrance. It should only be used in the rinse cycle when no soap is present in the water, because it will react with soap and leaving a sticky, visible residue which resembles lint. If your washing machine has a fabric softener dispenser use it and the fabric softener will be added at the right time in the cycle. Otherwise, you must add it yourself at the beginning of the rinse cycle. Be careful to not pour it directly on clothing, but rather into the water.

6. Know how to remove the following stains:

• Blood: If the blood is fresh, wipe it up with a sponge soaked in cool, salted water. Then rinse with clear water. If the blood is dried, use diluted hydrogen peroxide (one part peroxide, nine parts water).

• Chewing gum: Scrape off as much as possible first. This is easier if you cool the gum down with ice cubes first, as that makes the gum brittle rather than gummy. If the item is washable, apply a little kerosene or dry cleaning fluid and rinse it off. You may have to repeat this several times.

• Crayons: Place the stained item in the freezer and leave it there until the crayon freezes. You can then literally break the crayon stain out of the garment. If there is any residue left after this, place the item on a paper towel or a blotter. Then place a second paper towel (or blotter) on top of the item. Appy a warm iron. This will melt the crayon, and the paper towels should soak up the stain. Change the paper towels as often as is necessary.

• Grass: If the garment is white, you may soak it in a solution of chlorinated bleach, then rinse and launder. Otherwise, apply methylate alcohol (wood alcohol) to the stain, rinse in warm water, and then wash.

• Grease: Scrape away as much of the grease as you can. Rub petroleum jelly into the stain, and then wash with a laundry powder or liquid detergent. You can also try a spot removing product.

• Fruit: Try to remove the stain before it dries by rinsing it in cold water. Otherwise, soak white garments in a chlorinated bleach solution. For colored garments, treat with sodium percarbonate or a warm borax solution.

• Ink: Place a paper towel under the stain and then spray the stain with hairspray. Hairspray breaks up many type of ink, and you will want the paper towel there to catch the ink and not allow it to stain another part of the garment. Hairspray may discolor the fabric though, so test in an inconspicuous place first.

• Rust: Sprinkle the stain with salt and rub it in. Then wet it with lemon juice and place it in the sun. Keep the stain moistened with lemon juice until the stain disappears.

• Grape fruit: Blot the stain first to remove any juice that's still there. Then lightly dab the stain with cold water.

6. Why must stains be removed before laundering?

Putting a stained garment in a dryer will set the stain, making it even more difficult to remove. Always remove stains before laundering.

7. How are woolen and wool like garments laundered?

Soak the garment in cold water for about 15 minutes. You can use shampoo instead of detergent, or you can use detergent specially formulated for wool. You can then change the water and soak the garment in clean water for another 15 minutes, or you can put it in a washing machine. If you decide to put it in a washing machine, make sure to select a setting that will not agitate the load. Also, be sure to use cold water.

Do not wring the wool out, and do not hang it up to dry. You can roll it in a dry towel, or just lay it flat to dry, but be careful to not stress the fabric while it is wet, or it may become misshapen.

8. Why is it important to remove garments from a dryer immediately when the cycle is complete?

When a garment is still hot from the dryer, hanging it immediately will prevent it from getting wrinkled. If you forget to remove the garments from the dryer and wrinkles set, try throwing a damp washcloth into the dryer with the clothing and run the dryer for a few minutes. This may reduce the wrinkling.

9. What points are to be considered in selecting a washing machine, dryer and iron? How should these items be cared for?

The primary concern when selecting a washing machine or a dryer is financial. Remember that the initial cost of the appliance is only a part of its operating cost though. Buying an energy efficient appliance - even if it is more expensive - can save you a lot of money in the long run.

Another factor to consider is the amount of laundry you intend to do with the appliances. If you are going to do laundry for a family of six, you will need a larger machine than if you are going to do laundry for a family of two.

When selecting an iron, look for features that enhance safety. Many irons today will shut themselves off automatically if left idling for too long.

Wipe down your appliances regularly, and use appliance touch-up paint to repair any chips in the finish. An untreated chip will lead to rust which can destroy your appliance. Also be sure to clean out the lint trap of your dryer between every load, and clean the exhaust duct regularly. Lint build-up in the exhaust duct is a fire hazard.

Do not iron over silkscreen designs, as this will melt the paint on the garment and stick to the iron. This residue is extremely difficult to remove from an iron, and if left there, will transfer to any other garments you use it on.

10. Know what type of materials should be dried only on the lowest heat setting of a dryer.

Some items should not be dried in a dryer at all. Particularly, any item containing foam rubber should not be placed in a dryer except on a no-heat setting, as it can easily burst into flame.

Knits and delicates (such as silk and nylon) should only be dried on the lowest heat settings.

11. Show a blouse or shirt that you have properly ironed.

The most obvious garment to show is your class A uniform. This requirement can be met before a club inspection or on a campout (assuming the uniform has been washed by the Pathfinder ahead of time).

12. Properly launder and fold clothes for your family for one week.

The regular launderer in your family will thank you for this. Make sure you tell that person "You're welcome!"

References

• BBC, Dangers of Mixing Bleach and Chlorine
• Oxygen Bleach Research
• Stain Removal Guide (from New Zealand)
• Kansas State Research and Extension

Mat Making

Print version
Household Arts South Pacific Division/Island Ed.	Skill Level Unknown
	Year of Introduction: Unknown

1. In your culture name the materials which are used in mat making.

• Coco.jpg

  Coconut

• 

  Bullrush

• Hemp stem fibre.jpg

  Hemp

• 

  Straw

• 

  Date palm

• 

  Screw pine

Mats are made of many, many different types of material, including:

• Coir (coconut fibers)
• Reeds
• Bullrushes
• Hemp
• Rattan (cane)
• Various grasses
• Straw
• Palm leaves
• Screw pine (Pandanus) leaves

2. Explain and demonstrate how to prepare this material.

Rattan

Generally, raw rattan is processed into several products to be used as materials in furniture making. The various species of rattan ranges from several millimetres up to 5-7 cm in diameter. From a strand of rattan, the skin is usually peeled off, to be used as rattan weaving material.

3. Name plants that can be used for making dyes in your culture. Tell where they come from and how to prepare them for dying.

Rattan

The fruit of some rattans exudes a red resin called dragon's blood. This resin was used as a dye for violins, among other things. The resin normally results in a wood with a light peach hue.

Nutrition

Print version
Household Arts General Conference	Skill Level 1
	Year of Introduction: 1981

1. Draw the food pyramid guide. List the number of servings required from each group per day. Why is it important to eat a balanced diet?

The food pyramid guide is updated and published by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The 2005 version is shown here:

2005 Version of the USDA Food Pyramid

With the updated version, the USDA did away with "number of servings" criteria, and replaced it with a web-based tool that features individualized plans and statistics. The tool can be found at mypyramidtracker.gov. Other improvements to the pyramid include the replacement of "serving size" with the more objective "cups."

2. Explain the difference between the following:

The prefix lacto means milk, and can be found in words such as lactose (a chemical found in milk).

The prefix ovo means egg, and can be found in words such as oval (which means egg-shaped).

These prefixes are used to describe the exceptions to a vegetarian diet as follows:

a. Lacto-ovo vegetarian

A lacto-ovo vegetarian is a person who eats no animal products (such as meat) except for milk (and milk products such as cheese, ice cream, and yogurt), and eggs.

b. Ovo vegetarian

An ovo vegetarian is a person who eats no animal products (not meat and not milk) except for eggs.

c. Vegan vegetarian

A vegan is a vegetarian who eats no animal products at all.

3. Plan a two-day menu, containing a balanced lacto-ovo vegetarian diet utilizing the food pyramid guide.

To do this using the current version of the USDA food pyramid, you must first go to MyPyramid.gov and enter the Pathfinder's profile (age, sex, and physical activity). This will tell you how much of each food category the Pathfinder should eat.

The values in the table below are for children who are physically active for 60 minutes or more per day. Use the USDA website for adults and less active children.

USDA Food Pyramid

Food Group	Grains	Vegetables	Fruits	Milk	Meat & Beans
10 year-old Male	7 oz	3 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6 ounces
10 year-old Female	6 oz	2.5 cups	2 cups	3 cups	5.5 ounces
11 year-old Male	7 oz	3 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6 ounces
11 year-old Female	6 oz	2.5 cups	2 cups	3 cups	5.5 ounces
12 year-old Male	8 oz	3 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6.5 ounces
12 year-old Female	7 oz	3 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6 ounces
13 year-old Male	9 oz	3.5 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6.5 ounces
13 year-old Female	7 oz	3 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6 ounces
14 year-old Male	10 oz	3.5 cups	2.5 cups	3 cups	7 ounces
14 year-old Female	8 oz	3 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6.5 ounces
15 year-old Male	10 oz	5 cups	2.5 cups	3 cups	7 ounces
15 year-old Female	8 oz	3 cups	2 cups	3 cups	6.5 ounces

4. What is another name for Vitamin B₁ and B₂?

Vitamin B₁ is also known as thiamine. Beriberi is disease cause by a vitamin B₁ deficiency.

Vitamin B₂ is also known as riboflavin. It is required for red blood cell formation.

5. List at least three significant food sources of the following nutrients:

• a. Vitamin C: Citrus fruits (lime, lemon, orange, grapefruit), tomatoes, and potatoes are good common sources of vitamin C. Other foods that are good sources of vitamin C include papaya, broccoli, brussels sprouts, black currants, strawberries, cauliflower, spinach, cantaloupe, and kiwifruit. Also, cranberries and red peppers are good sources of the vitamin.

• b. Vitamin A: Milk and eggs are both animal sources of vitamin A. Carrots and spinach are both good plant sources of vitamin A.

• c. Vitamin B₁: Good sources of vitamin B₁ include whole grains (wheat, oats, rice, etc), apricots, pineapples, legumes, turnip greens, and pistachio nuts.

• d. Vitamin B₂: Milk, cheese, leafy green vegetables, liver, yeast, almonds and mature soybeans are good sources of Vitamin B₂, but exposure to light will destroy the riboflavin in these natural sources.

• e. Iron: Good sources of dietary iron include meat, fish, poultry, lentils, beans, leaf vegetables, tofu, chickpeas, black-eyed pea, strawberries and farina.

• f. Calcium: Dairy products, such as milk and cheese, are a well known source of calcium. However, some individuals are allergic to dairy and even more people, particularly those of non-European descent, are lactose-intolerant, leaving them unable to consume dairy. Fortunately, many other good sources of calcium exist. This includes nuts and seeds (like almonds and sesame), beans; whole wheat; collard greens; okra; rutabaga; broccoli; and fortified products such as orange juice and bread.

6. Why is it important to drink plenty of water every day? How much water should you drink every day?

It is important to drink plenty of water so that you do not get dehydrated. Your body needs water to help eliminate waste and to keep the cells in the body hydrated.

You should drink water whenever you are thirsty. A persistent myth is that a person needs to drink 8 eight ounce glasses of water every day. While following this rule will cause no harm, it is completely unsupported by scientific evidence ^{[1] [2]}. A person should replace the same amount of water he or she loses in a day. Water is lost through urination, bowel elimination, sweating, and breathing. Remember that drinking is not the only way to replace lost water: food contains a lot of water, and your body can absorb water through the skin. Again, the general rule is to drink water whenever you are thirsty or whenever you want some.

1. ^ Urban Legends
2. ^ Intelihealth.com

7. Name three common diseases that can be controlled by diet.

Diabetes: The most important forms of diabetes are due to decreased or the complete absence of the production of insulin (type 1 diabetes), or decreased sensitivity of body tissues to insulin (type 2 diabetes, the more common form). The former requires insulin injections for survival; the latter is generally managed with diet, weight reduction and exercise in about 20% of cases, though the majority require these strategies plus oral medication (insulin is used if the tablets are ineffective).

Cardiovascular Disease: Attempts to prevent cardiovascular disease take the form of modifying risk factors. Some, such as gender, age, and family history, cannot be modified. Smoking cessation (or abstinence) is one of the most effective and easily modifiable changes. Also important is a low-fat, low-calorie diet, which helps one to maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI) and preventing obesity. Regular cardiovascular exercise (aerobic exercise) complements the healthful eating habits. Sometimes, the combination of diet and exercise will improve lipoprotein (cholesterol) levels; if not, a physician may prescribe "cholesterol-lowering" drugs, such as the statins. Treatment of cardiovascular disease depends on the specific form of the disease in each patient, but effective treatment always includes preventative lifestyle changes discussed above. Medications, such as blood pressure reducing medications, aspirin and other treatments may be involved.

Cancer: The consensus on diet and cancer is that obesity increases the risk of developing cancer. Particular dietary practices often explain differences in cancer incidence in different countries (e.g. gastric cancer is more common in Japan, while colon cancer is more common in the United States). Studies have shown that immigrants develop the risk of their new country, suggesting a link between diet and cancer rather than a genetic basis.

8. What is the difference between whole wheat flour and white flour, and which one has the higher nutritive value?

The two biggest differences between white bread and whole wheat are the processing and the nutritional value. Whole wheat flour has the higher nutritive value.

Flour is made from wheat berries. The wheat berry is made up of the bran, the germ and the endosperm. All parts are filled with nutrients and are used in whole wheat flour.

White bread on the other hand, uses only the endosperm - the starchy inner layer. There are a total of 30 nutrients present in whole wheat bread that are missing in white bread. The nutritional difference is immense and has measurable impact on our health.

The fiber content of whole wheat bread has several health benefits.

Fiber helps the digestive system. It also creates a 'full' sensation and thus can help with weight control. Research has been conducted by Harvard and other organizations that shows men and women who eat high-fiber foods are less likely to have heart attacks and strokes as compared to those who don't.

There is also an increased risk of diabetes in children who eat refined white flour - a risk that has been proven by the increase in cases of childhood diabetes.

9. What does RDA stand for? What does it mean?

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is the daily dietary intake level of a nutrient that is considered sufficient to meet the requirements of nearly all (97-98%) healthy individuals in each life-stage and gender group. The RDAs are established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the (US) National Academy of Sciences.

10. Why is it important not to take excessive amounts of some vitamins and minerals?

Fat-soluble vitamins may be stored in the body and can cause toxicity when taken in excess. Water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body, with the exception of Vitamin B₁₂, which is stored in the liver.

Some of the most common causes of vitamin poisoning are vitamins A, B₃ and B₆. Conversely, certain vitamins do not produce toxicity in excess levels: vitamin C has been used in clinical trials in dosages over 100,000 mg — over 1000 times the daily recommended intake — without ill effects.

Excess doses of mineral supplements can also lead to poisoning. Either or both of vitamin poisoning and mineral supplement poisoning can occur due to excessive intake of multivitamin supplements.

References

• Wikipedia article on Recommended Dietary Allowance
• Wikipedia article on Vitamins
• Wikipedia article on Vitamin Poisoning
• Wikipedia article on Cancer
• Wikipedia article on Cardiovascular Disease
• Wikipedia article on Diabetes
• MyPyramid.gov
• VitaminsDiary.com

Nutrition - Advanced

Print version
Household Arts General Conference	Skill Level 3
	Year of Introduction: 1986

1. Have the Nutrition Honor.

Answers to the Nutrition Honor can be found in the Household Arts chapter of this book.

2. Read a book about Nutrition.

Suggested books include:

• Foods for Thought: Nutrition's Link to Mood, Memory, Learning and Behavior Bernell Baldwin, Vicki Griffin, Evelyn Kissinger, Review and Herald, 152 pages.
• An Ounce of Prevention: Your Pathway to Abundant Health, Review and Herald, 64 pages.
• Counsels on Diet and Foods Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, 512 pages.
• Dynamic Living Hans Diehl, Dr.H.Sc., Aileen Ludington, M.D., Review and Herald, 208 pages.
• Foods that Heal George D. Pamplona-Roger, M.D., Review and Herald, 94 pages.

3. Keep a food diary on yourself for one week.

This can be done with pencil and paper or with an online tool such as the one provided by the USDA at www.mypyramidtracker.gov.

4. Calculate the total nutrients of the following in your diet each day:

• a. Calories
• b. Protein
• c. Iron
• d. Calcium
• e. Vitamin A
• f. Thiamine
• g. Riboflavin
• h. Niacin
• i. Vitamin C or ascorbic acid

If you have access to the Internet, you can visit the USDA's MyPyramidTracker.gov web site. Once you register, you can enter all the foods you eat in a day, and it will analyze your nutrient intake (among other things) based on this information. MyPyramidTracker can retain the information you enter for up to a year, so tracking it for a week will be easy.

If your Pathfinders do not have access to the Internet, have them record their diets on paper. You can then use the website to extract the necessary data by entering each food individually, or you can find a cookbook that has nutrient values of various foods in an appendix. Another option would be to meet in a place that has public Internet access, such as a library or Internet cafe. Then your Pathfinders can enter the data they have collected for a week and analyze it there.

5. How do the number of nutrients in your diet compare with the Recommended Daily Allowance chart?

The USDA's MyPyramidTracker.gov web site will compare your nutrient intake with the RDA chart.

6. Explain why a high fiber diet is important, and tell how this can be obtained.

Fiber promotes the wavelike contractions that keep food moving through the intestine. Also, high-fiber foods expand the inside walls of the colon. This eases the passage of waste. Fibrous substances pass through the intestine undigested. They also absorb many times their weight in water, resulting in softer, bulkier stools. Insoluble fiber is found in wheat, rye, bran, and other grains. It is also the fiber found in most vegetables. See [3]

7. Name three diseases due to malnutrition, and describe the symptoms of each.

Scurvy

Scurvy is a disease that results from insufficient intake of vitamin C and leads to the formation of livid spots on the skin, spongy gums, and bleeding from almost all mucous membranes. The spots are most abundant on the thighs and legs, and a person with the ailment looks pale, feels depressed, and is partially immobilized. Scurvy was at one time common among sailors whose ships were out to sea longer than perishable fruits and vegetables could be stored and by soldiers who were similarly separated from these foods for extended periods.

Beriberi

Beriberi is a nervous system ailment caused by a deficiency of vitamin B1 (thiamine), the symptoms of which may include weight loss, emotional disturbances, impaired sensory perception, weakness and pain in the limbs, and periods of irregular heartbeat. Swelling of bodily tissues is common. In advanced cases, the disease may cause heart failure and death. The origin of the word is from the Sinhalese (Sri Lankan) language meaning "I cannot, I cannot".

Beriberi occurs in people whose staple diet consists mainly of polished white rice, which contains little or no thiamine. Therefore the disease has been seen traditionally in people in Asian countries (especially in the nineteenth century and before) and in chronic alcoholics with impaired liver function. If a baby is fed the milk of a mother who suffers from a deficiency in thiamine, the child may develop beriberi.

Rickets

Rickets is a disorder which most commonly relates directly to Vitamin D deficiency, which causes a lack of calcium being absorbed. It can also arise, however, from other causes such as certain types of rare tumors or any phosphate-wasting disease. Because calcium is an essential nutrient which aids bone rigidity, the lack of it being absorbed into the body causes fragile or malformed bones, which are unable to support the weight of a growing body. Rickets causes bone pain, slowed growth in children, dental problems, muscle loss and increased risk of fractures (easily broken bones).

Pellagra

Pellagra is a vitamin deficiency disease caused by dietary lack of niacin and protein, especially the essential amino acid tryptophan. Symptoms of pellagra are red skin lesions, diarrhea, dermatitis, weakness, mental confusion, and eventually dementia. This disease can be common for persons who obtain most of their food energy from corn, as corn is a poor source of tryptophan. Therefore this disease can be common amongst people who live in rural South America where — during winter — they live on corn. Usually the symptoms show during spring, and disappear over summer, to return the next spring, after another long winter.

8. What are the symptoms of vitamin B₁₂ deficiency?

Early, noticeable symptoms of Overt B₁₂ Deficiency: Unusual fatigue, faulty disgestion, no appetite, nausea, loss of menstruation. Also numbness and tingling of the hands and feet, nervousness, diarrhea, mild depression,etc. See [4]

9. What advice would you give a person who decided to be a total vegetarian?

http://philipngcc.homestead.com/

http://www.dietobio.com/dossiers/en/vegetarism/index.html

http://www.giveusahome.co.uk/articles/vegetarianism.htm

Because Vitamin B₁₂ cannot be obtained through plant sources, total vegetarians are advised to eat foods with B₁₂ added (such as fortified soy milk, fortified margarines, or many commercial breakfast cereals), certain brands of nutritional yeast, or take dietary supplements (a good multivitamin will likely include B₁₂ in sufficient quantities).

10. What is the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats? Which is the most healthful, and why?

Saturated fats and trans fatty acids are the kinds of fats most likely to cause heart disease. Saturated fats are found mainly in animal products (eggs, butter, cheese, whole milk, and whole milk products), and in coconut, palm, and palm kernel oil. Trans fatty acids appear in foods containing hydrogenated fats like margarine and crackers. To reduce the risk of heart disease, replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats like canola oil, olive oil, flax seed oil, nuts, avocado, soy products, and nut butters. Choose margarine, cookies, crackers, and snack foods that do not contain hydro-genated fats (read the label). See [5]

11. Why is it advisable to use less sugar in the diet? List several ways in which this may be accomplished.

There are a several reasons why sugar is ruining your health: Sugar can suppress the immune system; Sugar leads to cancer of the ovaries; Sugar can cause heart disease; Sugar can cause appendicitis; Sugar can cause multiple sclerosis; Sugar can increase cholesterol; Sugar can increase the systolic blood pressure; Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children; Sugar can contribute to Alzheimer’s disease; Sugar can lead to prostrate cancer; Sugar can cause liver tumors; etc. [6]

Several ways to use less sugar: Cut down slowly; go half and half; establish rules about dessert; If you must eat sweets, eat them with meals; Choose the right breakfast cereal; Don't skip meals; Don't add sugar to foods; ot for a walk when you crave sweetness; Go fat-free if you must have sweets. [7]

12. What are amino acids? How many are needed to make all the proteins in the body? What is meant by essential amino acids? How many of them are essential? Where can you get all the essential amino acids?

Definition of Essential Amino acids

the nine a-amino acids required for protein synthesis that cannot be synthesized by humans and must be obtained in the diet: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.

Note: http://www.google.com enter definition essential amino acids to get this and other related definitions! [8]

Of the 28 amino acids needed by humans, 9 of them cannot be manufactured by the body and are thus termed "essential."

Only some foods contain all the essential amino acids. These are: milk and dairy products, eggs, fish, meat and poultry. If you don't eat animal products, the only way you can get all the essential amino acids is by combining plant foods. For example: corn plus peas or beans, rice plus beans, lentils plus bread. [9] Google results:[10]

Another term that comes up when we talk about protein nutrition is the term essential amino acid. Our bodies can make quite a number of amino acids from other chemicals that are contained in the body and can convert some amino acids into other amino acids. However, there are some amino acids we are not able to synthesize ourselves. Those particular amino acids and they must be provided to us in our diet. Those amino acids are referred to as the essential amino acids. It's not to say that the non-essential amino acids are not necessary, it's just that it is not necessary for them to be in our diet because other things in the diet can be used to make them. [11]

13. Know the difference between water and fat soluble vitamins. What are two common vitamins that are fat soluble? What are two vitamins that are water soluble?

The fat soluble vitamins are soluble in lipids (fats). These vitamins are usually absorbed in fat globules (called chylomicrons) that travel through the lymphatic system of the small intestines and into the general blood circulation within the body. These fat soluble vitamins, especially vitamins A and E, are then stored in body tissues. Two common vitamins that are fat soluble (A, D, E, and K). Two vitamins that are water soluble (B and C). It determines how each vitamin acts within the body. [12]

14. Using the book Counsels on Diet and Foods by Ellen G. White, write a paragraph on the benefits of a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet.

Use the "search the writings" feature on http://www.egwestate.org

References

• Wikipedia article on Scurvy
• Wikipedia article on Beriberi
• Wikipedia article on Rickets
• Wikipedia article on Pellagra

Quilting

Print version
Household Arts General Conference	Skill Level 2
	Year of Introduction: 1976

Like many honors, the requirements for Print version differ from one division to the next. If your division is not listed below, use the General Conference version.

Print version (General Conference)
Print version (North American Division)

Tailoring

Print version
Household Arts General Conference	Skill Level 3
	Year of Introduction: 1938

Tapa Cloth

Print version
Household Arts South Pacific Division/Island Ed.	Skill Level Unknown
	Year of Introduction: Unknown

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The "Invariant Sections" are certain Secondary Sections whose titles are designated, as being those of Invariant Sections, in the notice that says that the Document is released under this License. If a section does not fit the above definition of Secondary then it is not allowed to be designated as Invariant. The Document may contain zero Invariant Sections. If the Document does not identify any Invariant Sections then there are none.

The "Cover Texts" are certain short passages of text that are listed, as Front-Cover Texts or Back-Cover Texts, in the notice that says that the Document is released under this License. A Front-Cover Text may be at most 5 words, and a Back-Cover Text may be at most 25 words.

A "Transparent" copy of the Document means a machine-readable copy, represented in a format whose specification is available to the general public, that is suitable for revising the document straightforwardly with generic text editors or (for images composed of pixels) generic paint programs or (for drawings) some widely available drawing editor, and that is suitable for input to text formatters or for automatic translation to a variety of formats suitable for input to text formatters. A copy made in an otherwise Transparent file format whose markup, or absence of markup, has been arranged to thwart or discourage subsequent modification by readers is not Transparent. An image format is not Transparent if used for any substantial amount of text. A copy that is not "Transparent" is called "Opaque".

Examples of suitable formats for Transparent copies include plain ASCII without markup, Texinfo input format, LaTeX input format, SGML or XML using a publicly available DTD, and standard-conforming simple HTML, PostScript or PDF designed for human modification. Examples of transparent image formats include PNG, XCF and JPG. Opaque formats include proprietary formats that can be read and edited only by proprietary word processors, SGML or XML for which the DTD and/or processing tools are not generally available, and the machine-generated HTML, PostScript or PDF produced by some word processors for output purposes only.

The "Title Page" means, for a printed book, the title page itself, plus such following pages as are needed to hold, legibly, the material this License requires to appear in the title page. For works in formats which do not have any title page as such, "Title Page" means the text near the most prominent appearance of the work's title, preceding the beginning of the body of the text.

A section "Entitled XYZ" means a named subunit of the Document whose title either is precisely XYZ or contains XYZ in parentheses following text that translates XYZ in another language. (Here XYZ stands for a specific section name mentioned below, such as "Acknowledgements", "Dedications", "Endorsements", or "History".) To "Preserve the Title" of such a section when you modify the Document means that it remains a section "Entitled XYZ" according to this definition.

The Document may include Warranty Disclaimers next to the notice which states that this License applies to the Document. These Warranty Disclaimers are considered to be included by reference in this License, but only as regards disclaiming warranties: any other implication that these Warranty Disclaimers may have is void and has no effect on the meaning of this License.

2. VERBATIM COPYING

You may copy and distribute the Document in any medium, either commercially or noncommercially, provided that this License, the copyright notices, and the license notice saying this License applies to the Document are reproduced in all copies, and that you add no other conditions whatsoever to those of this License. You may not use technical measures to obstruct or control the reading or further copying of the copies you make or distribute. However, you may accept compensation in exchange for copies. If you distribute a large enough number of copies you must also follow the conditions in section 3.

You may also lend copies, under the same conditions stated above, and you may publicly display copies.

3. COPYING IN QUANTITY

If you publish printed copies (or copies in media that commonly have printed covers) of the Document, numbering more than 100, and the Document's license notice requires Cover Texts, you must enclose the copies in covers that carry, clearly and legibly, all these Cover Texts: Front-Cover Texts on the front cover, and Back-Cover Texts on the back cover. Both covers must also clearly and legibly identify you as the publisher of these copies. The front cover must present the full title with all words of the title equally prominent and visible. You may add other material on the covers in addition. Copying with changes limited to the covers, as long as they preserve the title of the Document and satisfy these conditions, can be treated as verbatim copying in other respects.

If the required texts for either cover are too voluminous to fit legibly, you should put the first ones listed (as many as fit reasonably) on the actual cover, and continue the rest onto adjacent pages.

If you publish or distribute Opaque copies of the Document numbering more than 100, you must either include a machine-readable Transparent copy along with each Opaque copy, or state in or with each Opaque copy a computer-network location from which the general network-using public has access to download using public-standard network protocols a complete Transparent copy of the Document, free of added material. If you use the latter option, you must take reasonably prudent steps, when you begin distribution of Opaque copies in quantity, to ensure that this Transparent copy will remain thus accessible at the stated location until at least one year after the last time you distribute an Opaque copy (directly or through your agents or retailers) of that edition to the public.

It is requested, but not required, that you contact the authors of the Document well before redistributing any large number of copies, to give them a chance to provide you with an updated version of the Document.

4. MODIFICATIONS

You may copy and distribute a Modified Version of the Document under the conditions of sections 2 and 3 above, provided that you release the Modified Version under precisely this License, with the Modified Version filling the role of the Document, thus licensing distribution and modification of the Modified Version to whoever possesses a copy of it. In addition, you must do these things in the Modified Version:

A. Use in the Title Page (and on the covers, if any) a title distinct from that of the Document, and from those of previous versions (which should, if there were any, be listed in the History section of the Document). You may use the same title as a previous version if the original publisher of that version gives permission.

B. List on the Title Page, as authors, one or more persons or entities responsible for authorship of the modifications in the Modified Version, together with at least five of the principal authors of the Document (all of its principal authors, if it has fewer than five), unless they release you from this requirement.

C. State on the Title page the name of the publisher of the Modified Version, as the publisher.

D. Preserve all the copyright notices of the Document.

E. Add an appropriate copyright notice for your modifications adjacent to the other copyright notices.

F. Include, immediately after the copyright notices, a license notice giving the public permission to use the Modified Version under the terms of this License, in the form shown in the Addendum below.

G. Preserve in that license notice the full lists of Invariant Sections and required Cover Texts given in the Document's license notice.

H. Include an unaltered copy of this License.

I. Preserve the section Entitled "History", Preserve its Title, and add to it an item stating at least the title, year, new authors, and publisher of the Modified Version as given on the Title Page. If there is no section Entitled "History" in the Document, create one stating the title, year, authors, and publisher of the Document as given on its Title Page, then add an item describing the Modified Version as stated in the previous sentence.

J. Preserve the network location, if any, given in the Document for public access to a Transparent copy of the Document, and likewise the network locations given in the Document for previous versions it was based on. These may be placed in the "History" section. You may omit a network location for a work that was published at least four years before the Document itself, or if the original publisher of the version it refers to gives permission.

K. For any section Entitled "Acknowledgements" or "Dedications", Preserve the Title of the section, and preserve in the section all the substance and tone of each of the contributor acknowledgements and/or dedications given therein.

L. Preserve all the Invariant Sections of the Document, unaltered in their text and in their titles. Section numbers or the equivalent are not considered part of the section titles.

M. Delete any section Entitled "Endorsements". Such a section may not be included in the Modified Version.

N. Do not retitle any existing section to be Entitled "Endorsements" or to conflict in title with any Invariant Section.

O. Preserve any Warranty Disclaimers.

If the Modified Version includes new front-matter sections or appendices that qualify as Secondary Sections and contain no material copied from the Document, you may at your option designate some or all of these sections as invariant. To do this, add their titles to the list of Invariant Sections in the Modified Version's license notice. These titles must be distinct from any other section titles.

You may add a section Entitled "Endorsements", provided it contains nothing but endorsements of your Modified Version by various parties--for example, statements of peer review or that the text has been approved by an organization as the authoritative definition of a standard.

You may add a passage of up to five words as a Front-Cover Text, and a passage of up to 25 words as a Back-Cover Text, to the end of the list of Cover Texts in the Modified Version. Only one passage of Front-Cover Text and one of Back-Cover Text may be added by (or through arrangements made by) any one entity. If the Document already includes a cover text for the same cover, previously added by you or by arrangement made by the same entity you are acting on behalf of, you may not add another; but you may replace the old one, on explicit permission from the previous publisher that added the old one.

The author(s) and publisher(s) of the Document do not by this License give permission to use their names for publicity for or to assert or imply endorsement of any Modified Version.

5. COMBINING DOCUMENTS

You may combine the Document with other documents released under this License, under the terms defined in section 4 above for modified versions, provided that you include in the combination all of the Invariant Sections of all of the original documents, unmodified, and list them all as Invariant Sections of your combined work in its license notice, and that you preserve all their Warranty Disclaimers.

The combined work need only contain one copy of this License, and multiple identical Invariant Sections may be replaced with a single copy. If there are multiple Invariant Sections with the same name but different contents, make the title of each such section unique by adding at the end of it, in parentheses, the name of the original author or publisher of that section if known, or else a unique number. Make the same adjustment to the section titles in the list of Invariant Sections in the license notice of the combined work.

In the combination, you must combine any sections Entitled "History" in the various original documents, forming one section Entitled "History"; likewise combine any sections Entitled "Acknowledgements", and any sections Entitled "Dedications". You must delete all sections Entitled "Endorsements."

6. COLLECTIONS OF DOCUMENTS

You may make a collection consisting of the Document and other documents released under this License, and replace the individual copies of this License in the various documents with a single copy that is included in the collection, provided that you follow the rules of this License for verbatim copying of each of the documents in all other respects.

You may extract a single document from such a collection, and distribute it individually under this License, provided you insert a copy of this License into the extracted document, and follow this License in all other respects regarding verbatim copying of that document.

7. AGGREGATION WITH INDEPENDENT WORKS

A compilation of the Document or its derivatives with other separate and independent documents or works, in or on a volume of a storage or distribution medium, is called an "aggregate" if the copyright resulting from the compilation is not used to limit the legal rights of the compilation's users beyond what the individual works permit. When the Document is included in an aggregate, this License does not apply to the other works in the aggregate which are not themselves derivative works of the Document.

If the Cover Text requirement of section 3 is applicable to these copies of the Document, then if the Document is less than one half of the entire aggregate, the Document's Cover Texts may be placed on covers that bracket the Document within the aggregate, or the electronic equivalent of covers if the Document is in electronic form. Otherwise they must appear on printed covers that bracket the whole aggregate.

8. TRANSLATION

Translation is considered a kind of modification, so you may distribute translations of the Document under the terms of section 4. Replacing Invariant Sections with translations requires special permission from their copyright holders, but you may include translations of some or all Invariant Sections in addition to the original versions of these Invariant Sections. You may include a translation of this License, and all the license notices in the Document, and any Warranty Disclaimers, provided that you also include the original English version of this License and the original versions of those notices and disclaimers. In case of a disagreement between the translation and the original version of this License or a notice or disclaimer, the original version will prevail.

If a section in the Document is Entitled "Acknowledgements", "Dedications", or "History", the requirement (section 4) to Preserve its Title (section 1) will typically require changing the actual title.

9. TERMINATION

You may not copy, modify, sublicense, or distribute the Document except as expressly provided for under this License. Any other attempt to copy, modify, sublicense or distribute the Document is void, and will automatically terminate your rights under this License. However, parties who have received copies, or rights, from you under this License will not have their licenses terminated so long as such parties remain in full compliance.

10. FUTURE REVISIONS OF THIS LICENSE

The Free Software Foundation may publish new, revised versions of the GNU Free Documentation License from time to time. Such new versions will be similar in spirit to the present version, but may differ in detail to address new problems or concerns. See http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/.

Each version of the License is given a distinguishing version number. If the Document specifies that a particular numbered version of this License "or any later version" applies to it, you have the option of following the terms and conditions either of that specified version or of any later version that has been published (not as a draft) by the Free Software Foundation. If the Document does not specify a version number of this License, you may choose any version ever published (not as a draft) by the Free Software Foundation.