Food Forums Co North senting a Food Forum, a new project which the Home Economies Service inâ€" troduced this year. This was the first to he held following the “test†forum in Leeds County which was described in the Summer issue of Home and Country. The North chOse the same topic. “Tricks With a Mix" and HS people came to the Legion Hall. some of them driving fifty or sixty miles to attend the even- ing program. Local arrangements were ably handled by the District Home Economist and her committee. A neighbouring Home Econ- omist and 21 Foods and Nutrition Specialist from head office completed the team and all shared the advance preparation and the pres- entation. The comments were favourable: in fact. they were enthusiastic and to date. six women who attended the Forum have repeated the project for local audiences in their own communities Reports coming in indiCate that many younger women are reached through this type of pro- gram. women with young families who are not free to attend regular meetings and may not belong to an organized group. An added dividend mentioned in some letters is the pos- sibility of attracting new members to Women‘s Institute branches. Letters are still coming in from Leeds County where the project Was repeated sevâ€" eral times to local groups. Just recently there was a delightfully amusing “thank you" from a busy nurse near Brockville. describing a meal NEW LlSKEARD led the North in pre- Information For Consumers ence held in Toronto last month, Dr. Elizabeth Chant Robertson of the Hos- pital for Sick Children spent a morning with us discussing in her inimitable and intensely practical way some of the common nutritional problems that are of such concern today. We found Dr. Robertson's answers to one of our questions especially interesting. Is it true that chocolate or cocoa in milk prevents the body from using the calcium that's in milk? In answer to this. Dr. Robertson had this to say: Whenever an individual's milk intake is low. there is always a sad lack of calcium. And by this word "individual" Dr. Robertson told us she means everyone â€" new born infant. the preschooler, the rapidly growing and develop- ing teenager, the mother-to-be, and the not-so‘ AT THE Home Economics Staff Confer- WINTER 1964 By M. Frances Hueks featuring one of the “Mix†recipes. The writer. her two daughters and her husband all had a hand in the preparation and as she Mote the letter after supper she quoted her husband as saying “We‘re all fine, no ill effects!†ReCently two more Forums on the same topic were held in Perth County with well over one hundred people at each. Already one group is planning to repeat the project locally. A second topic has been prepared and pre- sented at the request of the Thunder Bay adâ€" visory committee The new one is a “Freezer Forum†and the first on this theme Was held in Fort William with an audience of more than 140. five of whom were men. Many people came from distant points, some as far away as 70 miles or more. Here again local arrangements were under the capable direction of the District Home Economist and her committee. For the even- ing meeting a Foods and Nutrition Specialist from head office shared the presentation with the District Home Economist and both report a fine response. which has been confirmed many times in letters received at head office. With a full program of Short Courses and Training Schools. it may not be possible to schedule other Food Forums until late Spring or next Fall, although there have been Several inquiries from various parts of the province. But it would appear that this type of service is useful and popular and the Home Economics Service hopes to extend it when planning next season's program. By Ruth Moyle young. She did. however. refer especially to the tremendous importance of a good calcium balance for the young girl. Not only is calcium most important to her personally during this period of growth, it is also of utmost im- portance to her as she faces motherhood, as it is absolutely essential to the baby. And so her plea â€" that milk be recognized as a mustâ€"a pleasant must but an essential one, in every- one's everyday meals. The big problem. of course. is to persuade this young group that milk is important and that it is not fattening if taken as part of a well balanced diet. or failing that. to get them to accept the alternative. skim milk, and then, of course. in any case the generous use of cheese. Dr. Robertson didn‘t neglect to emphasizo the fact that it is also a problem to get the 23