Since hasty preparation will not suffice to cook grains healthfully, they cannot be conveniently cooked in the morning in time for breakfast. This difficulty may be obviated by cooking them the day previous, and reheating as follows: -

Place the grain, when sufficiently cooked, in the refrigerator or some place where it will cool quickly (as slow cooling may cause fermentation), to remain over night. If cooked in a porcelain-lined or granite-ware double boiler, it may be left undisturbed. If cooked in tin or iron, turn the grain into a large earthen or china dish. To heat in the morning, fill the outer boiler with boiling water, place the inner dish containing the grain therein, and steam till thoroughly heated through. No stirring and no additional liquid will be necessary; and if placed upon the stove at the beginning of the preparations for breakfast, it will be ready for serving in good season.

Cracked wheat, pearled wheat, oatmeal, and other coarse grain preparations to be thus reheated, require in cooking a half cup of water in addition to the quantity given in the recipe. For rolled wheat, rolled oats, rolled rye, and other crushed grains, no more is needed. Grains may be used for breakfast without reheating, if served with a hot dressing.

Dressing For Grains

The customary dressing for grains is a liberal allowance of sugar, with milk or cream. A much better plan is to dispense entirely with the sugar, the excessive use of which on grains is a frequent cause of digestive disturbance, using plenty of sweet cream or dressings prepared from fruits and fruit juices. These latter are easily prepared, and give a flavor and piquancy to the grain which is frequently relished much more than the ordinary dressing of cream and sugar, especially by children. Below will be found some of the many excellent dressings of this sort.

It is desirable to eat grains in connection with some hard food to insure their retention in the mouth a sufficient time for proper insalivation. Toasted wholewheat wafers, rolls, sticks, and unfermented zwieback are excellent for this purpose. Break two or three wafers into rather small pieces over each individual dish before adding the dressing. In this way a morsel of the hard food may be taken with each spoonful of grain.

Grape Sauce

Prepare by heating the juice of grapes to boiling, and slightly thickening with a little corn-starch, previously rubbed smooth in a small quantity of cold water. The proportions should be one tablespoonful of the starch to one pint of the fruit juice. If the juice is quite thick, dilute it with one-third water. Cook until thickened. Sweeten if desired. Strain to remove any lumps, and serve while hot. A dressing of hot grape-pulp may be used instead of this sauce, if preferred.

Lemon Sauce

Heat to boiling, in a double boiler, a pint of water in which are two slices of lemon, and stir into it a dessertspoonful of corn-starch; cook four or five minutes, or until it thickens. Squeeze the juice from one large lemon, and mix with it two thirds of a cup of sugar. Add this to the corn-starch mixture, and allow the whole to boil up once, stirring constantly; then take from the fire. Leave in the double boiler, surrounded by the hot water, for ten minutes. Cool to blood heat before serving.

Blueberry, Black Raspberry, And Strawberry Sauces

Prepare the same as grape sauce from the juice of canned or freshly cooked blueberries, black raspberries, or strawberries. The dressing may also be prepared by reducing the berries to a pulp and pressing through a colander, afterward sweetening slightly. Fresh berries prepared in this way make a delicious dressing.