HINTS FOR THE HOUSEWIFE

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 120, 18 February 1928, Page 16

HINTS FOR THE HOUSEWIFE

SUMMER DRINKS Iced Tea Punch.—Take a pint of China tea not too strong, and add a gill of claret, the juice of half a lemon, sugar to taste, and three slices ol cucumber. Put in a jug and stand in ice till required. It should be very cold. This is a most popular and thirst-quenching beverage. Grape I'ruitade.—Grape fruit drink is most delicious for the summer—besides being verv cooling, it is easily prepared. Squeeze the juice of a large grape fruit into a glass jug, strain it and add castor sugar to taste. Pour some soda water over it and vou have a delicious drink. Mint Julep.—Squeeze the juice of an orange strain into a tumbler, add hall the rind, a sprig of mint, and a teaspoonful of sugar. Fill up with cold water and allow to stand for an hour. Grape Apple Punch.—-Make a syrup of one cupful of sugar and two cupfuls of water, boiling for one minute. Allow to cool, then add two cupfuls of grape juice, the juice ol two lemons, half a cupful of orange juice, one cupful of grated pineapple, four sprigs of slightly-bi uised mint. Serve cold diluted with mineral water and garnished with a few whole grapes. Lime Punch.—Make a syrup as before. Add the juice of four oranges and one lemon together with half a cupful of lime juice. When cold add one and a half cupfuls of grated pineapple. Dilute with plain or mineral water. Lemon Whey.—lngredients: One tea cupful of milk,' 1 tablespoon ful of lemon juice, lor 2 teaspoonfuls of sugar. Method: Put the milk and sugar into a pan ami bring to the boil. Add the strained lemon juice and heat _ very slowlv until the milk curdles. Strain through a piece of muslin into a glass and drink when cold.

PREPARING VEGETABLES FOR BOTTLING

Vegetables for bottling should be, washed, scraped or peeled, just as if thev were being prepared for cooking. Most green vegetables should be scalded before they are bottled. To do this, put them into a pan of cold water and bring them to the boiling point. Boil for a few minutes, then strain them and plunge into cold water. When they are quite cold, strain and pack into bottles. After peas have been scalded they should have borax added to them to preserve their colour. Add to enough boiling water to fill the bottles a teaspoonful of powdered borax, a pinch of sugar, a quarter of a teaspoonful of salt, and a good sprig of mint. Stir occasionally while it cools. When the bottles are packed with the peas, fill them with the prepared water. Coat collars which have become soiled round the neck should be cleaned with a little methylated spirit. Grease can be removed from the. hair bv washing it in warm water to which a 'teaspoonful of borax has been added. Linoleum should be washed with a soft cloth and lukewarm or cold.water. Hot water and soap are injurious to the paint of the pattern.

COOKING OF VEGETABLES Average limes Io allow (after they come lo the boil):—Plain greens and cabbages, about 20 to 30 minutes; white heart cabbages, a little longer; peas, 20 to 30 minutes, according to age; beans, about 20 minutes; Brussels sprouts, about 20 minutes; broad beaus, about 20 to 25 minutes, according to age; spinach, about 20 to 25 minutes; cauliflower, 30 to 15 minutes, according to size; marrow, 12 to 15 minutes. All the impurities rise to the surface of the boiling water in the form of scum. This should be removed' with a large iron spoon, as it discolours ‘ whatever it touches. Cauliflowers should be placed in the saucepan with the flower downwards, io that the scum cannot settle on it. To Dish Up, The greens should be lifted out cf the water into a colander and allowed to drain for a few minutes. Cabbages, savoys, spinach, and plain greens will be far more appetising if they are pressed with *i saucer or greenpresser till all the water is squeezed out. Cauliflower should be lifter! carefully from the saucepan with a fish-slice, as it ' is always likely to break when cooked. Brussels sprouts are .not pressed It is advisable to put a lint steamer or an upturned saucer in the bolton of the vegetable dish, so that any superfluous waler may drain away. A Fe.v Exceptions Spinach contains a 10l ol water in its natural state, and as it cooks this moisture is drawn out of the leaves. So I only enough water should be added when cooking spinach just to cover the bottom of the pan, aud about half or threequarters of a dessertspoonful of silt to two or three pounds of spinach. It should bo cooked over not 100 high a burner at first, and stirred occasionally to prevent burn’ng. When cooked and drained, turn it on to a board aud chop it finely; then return it tc the pan, add a small lump of butter or margarine, and season it with pepper and salt to taste. Spinach needs to bo washed very carefully in three or four waters, as a great deal of grit always collects among the leaves. Soda should never be added to the water in which peas are cooked, but you may put in just a little sugar and a sprig of mini. Spinach, broad beans and marrow are also better without soda in the water. The water in which greens have been cooked should be allow’. I to cool and then it, should be thrown down the lavatory, as if thrown down the sink if. will cause an unpleasant smell. pf course, it contains most valuable mineral salts, and mav be used for stock or for making the gravy with (he joint.