HINTS AND IDEAS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 22, 26 January 1935, Page 3 (Supplement)

HINTS AND IDEAS.

THINGS WORTJH KNOWING. BUYING MEAT. When there are only two or three in family it is sometimes rather difficult to choose a suitable joint. One grows tired of cutlets and casserole dishes, although they arc very nice sometimes, and some joints arc expensive and extravagant for small families. For two people a joint of two and a half to three pounds should '.jo ample. Sirloin and win"- rib of beef shrink a lot in cooking, aigl, therefore, are best when bought in large joints for large households. For everyday purposes, topside, rump or round of beef, silverside (unsalted), are the best boneless joints; top and ba-ck ribs are usually boned and rolled; brisket is best boned and rolled, though it can be cooked with the bone in. The butcher will bone and roll all meat, but it is advisable to have the bones sent home to boil for stock for gravy. A small shoulder is. an economical joint and very good boned and stuffed. A reasonably lean joint of pork is quite economical, as the bones are small. Have the rind well scored by tlie butcher. Veal needs careful cooking to make it digestible and nourishing. It needs force-meat to give it flavour, and fat bacon must be added to make up for its shortage of fat.

IARNISHED BRASS. To remove tarnish from copper or brass dip a rag first in salt then in vinegar and rub over lightly. The tarnish will be removed at once, when the article should be washed, then polished with metal polish in a very few seconds. ASBESTOS MATS. Asbestos mats to cover the entire surface of a polished table can be made to put under the table-cloth, and so prevent any danger of injuring the polish by heat marks. These mats can be cut to the exact size and shape of the table, with divisions so that they can be folded up and put in a drawer when not in use. WHEN WASHING CLOTHES. If you live in districts where the water is hard, you will find washing difficult unless the water is softened in some way. If you have rainwater available, use it for washing clothes. Soda cannot be used except for kitchen cloths, and it is not good for the hands. Borax is a good softener. STAINS MADE BY BUTTER. Butter stains on light, unwashable fabrics can be removed by using a thick pajste made of french chalk or fullers' earth moistened with benzine or petrol. Spread 011 the stains, allow to dry, brush off, and renew the application if necessary. It is safest to do this operation out of doors.

FOR THE HOUSEWIFE. After boiling eggs hard for savoury dishes, crack them and place them in cold water to make them of good colour. If when ironing things with a flat iron the iron gets sticky, it is probably because too much starch has been used. This stickiness can be prevented if each time the iron is taken from the fire it is rubbed over quickly with a cloth moistened with paraffin. Egg added to soup to make it more nourishing should be beaten first, and the hot soup poured slowly over it. If only the yolk is being used, beat it with a very little milk —then pour the soup over it. To renovate blue serge that is worn and shiny, first brush and shake the articles quite free from dust. Then apply with a sponge the liquid made from boiling a double handful of ivy leaves in about one pint of water. When you find that the sink is stopped up, turn on the tap until the sink, is three-quarters full; then turn it off. Put the palm of your hand flat over the hole, and lift your hand up and down very quickly. This will soon make the water run away.

Remove paint splashes on glass by mixing a little powdered pumice stone into a paste with equal parts of oil and turpentine. Rub the spots until they disappear, then wash tliem with soapy water and polish with methylated spirit.

Woollens washed or dried in an uneven temperature will shrink or become felted. The washing and rinsing water should all be of the same heat. The atmosphere in which woollens are dried should be nearly of the same temperature as the water. Woollens washed in hot water should never be hung outside on a cold, frosty day.