I found a little booklet that Grandma wrote outlining her daily kitchen routine. It’s in a notebook that also has the rough copy of a letter to the lady my mom was living with in Florida, so I assume this was written 1955-57. It’s quite the routine she had, honestly I’m tired just writing it out!

Daily order of Work for Kitchen
- Save cream – 1 quart or large C. Jug
- Wash separator and milk pails
- Stack dishes properly soak pots and pans
- Check and reorganize foods, put away
- Wipe off refrigerator and all work surfaces in need of cleaning
- Wash dishes
- Shut door to dining room and sweep floor
- Wipe off surface of range. Clean spilled food from oven
- Dry damp work surfaces, wipe off marks on cupboards and window sill
- Clean sink. Rinse dishcloth or mop and hang out to dry when possible
- Take out garbage
- Clean wash basin and sink in porch
Time for above: 1 1/2 hours. Done at 9:30 am.
Monday Morning
- Put on porridge (cream of wheat 1 1/2 cups, water over brim in double boiler with 1 tablespoon salt in it)
- Coffee – 2 tablespoons. Fill pot 1/2 full of water to boil it. Then fill it up to to pour it
- Toast – one loaf un buttered
- See that all is on table – cream, sugar, milk, butter, jam, etc
- Fry 8 eggs, boil 2 white eggs 2 minutes
- If time bring up vegetables – wash enough spuds for diner to bake, peel enough potatoes and parsnips for supper or wash beets for dinner.
- Wash separator as soon as you have finished your breakfast, let stragglers look after themselves
- Fill wash tubs
- Do dishes and tidy kitchen
- See that there is no ugh meat ready for dinner and make a rice pudding
- Help with laundry.
Monday Afternoon
First put on meat to boil
Try and get some of the ironing done
5 pm make ginger bread with shipped cream for dessertA
After supper is cleared and floor swept, set table for breakfast.
7 am Tuesday
- Breakfast: porridge, coffee, toast, see that everything needed is on table, cream, milk, butter, etc.
- Defrost refrigerator
- 3 poach 8 eggs and boil 2 for 4 minutes
- (If time) Prepare enough potatoes for both dinner and supper (for dinner scallop them, plain boiled for supper). Also either turnips or cabbage for dinner and either carrots or peas for supper
- Wash separator etc as schedule
- Grind meat and make meat loaf
- Make Johnnie-cake for dessert
- Wash refrigerator
In afternoon do ironing, but at 2 pm put on pot roast on little stove and make chocolate blancmange pudding for dessert, near supper time whip cream for it.
After supper is over and kitchen tidy, set table for breakfast and mix dry ingredients for pancakes. Put syrup on table and griddle iron on little stove. Put beans to soak.
7 am Wednesday
- Breakfast: Porridge, coffee and pancakes, see all necessary things are on table and boil 2 eggs for 4 mins
- 2 (if time) Prepare enough potatoes for dinner and supper (french fry for dinner, boil and mast for supper)
- Put beans on to boil. Use left over carrots creamed for dinner or make macaroni and cheese.
- Wash separator as schedule
- At 10am put on steam pudding for dessert
- Prepare enough apples and make sauce for supper
- Cold meat for dinner, try and have steak for supper
- Put beans in oven for supper (sometimes have devilled eggs or salad instead of beans)
- Wednesday jobs (as convenient) – clan basement. Wash steps. Wash separator outside. Bring in week’s supply of vegetables.
- Last thing at night, mix dry ingredients for biscuits for breakfast.
7 am Thursday
- Breakfast: porridge, coffee, and hot biscuits, also put on enough bread for 2 people. Scramble 9 eggs and boiled 2 for 4 minutes
- Hope for enough potatoes to warm up for dinner but if not, prepare some for supper. Put them in with roast for supper
- Have cabbage or beets or peas for dinner and for supper, warmed up beets or prepare parsnips or make Yorkshire pudding
- Wash separator and dishes
- Make stew for dinner
- Make custard for dinner dessert
- Put soft water on to warm to wash cupboards and woodwork,. First Thursday, clean inside cupboards on east side. Second Thursday clean inside cupboards on west sideA
- At 2 pm put in roast for supper and make Boston Cream pie for dessert.
7am Friday
- Breakfast: porridge, coffee, meat if possible or friend eggs and toast and boil 2 eggs 4 minutes
- Prepare enough potatoes to scallop for dinner and to bake for supper
- For dinner have cold meat and either turnips or a salad. For supper, parsnips or warmed over vegetable
- Wash separator and dishes as scheduleH
- Help with sweeping all through house
- Make apple batter pudding for dinner and lemon pudding for supper
- In afternoon, clean cook stove thoroughly
- Make meat balls or hamburger for super (fry all thins on little stove)
- Last thing: put prunes to soak
7am Saturday
- Breakfast: porridge, coffee, toast, fried eggs, and boil 2 for 4 minutes etc
- Prepare enough vegetables, carrots and potatoes for dinner and supper. Riced potatoes for dinner and warmed in oven for super. Creamed carrots or if not enough, scalloped cabbage
- Put on pot roast for dinner
- Wash separator etc as schedule
- Make plain cake with whipped cream for dessert for dinner and boil prunes for the supper dessert
- Make ice cream or set jello for Sunday dessertMa
- Scrub and wax kitchen floor and have cold meat for supper
- After supper is over and table set for breakfast, etc, prepare dry ingredients for pancakes.
Sunday
8 am (if possible 8:30 am)
- Put roast in oven
- Breakfast – as usual – pancakes
- Prepare enough potatoes for both dinner and supper (have rolled for supper, boiled for dinner). Peas for dinner, salad for supper)
- Clean up as schedule
- Supper – cold meat -fruit
- Last thing at night put on wash water and cut up soap for washing Monday.