The Housekeeper.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 113, 14 May 1910, Page 11

The Housekeeper.

HOUSEHOLD HINTS. ! The Shabby Carpet. — To clean and brighten a shabby carpet cut an ounce of yellow soap into small squares, and make them into a lather with a pint of boiling water, and add to this a quart of water and one ounce of borax. Put" this mixture on the range and bring it to the boil, then remove it, and when it is quite cold add an ounce each of alcohol and ammonia and half an ounce of glycerine. Wipe over quite a small portion of the carpet at a time, and rub it vigorously with a clean flannel dipped in the mixture, until all spots are removed and the colour revived. The flannel should be repeatedly turned as it becomes dirty. Hints About Lemons. — If lemons are peeled before being squeezed, more juice will be obtained. Never grate lemon rind without first scrubbing the lemon well with a brush. To Make Jam Look Clear.— To make jam or marmalade look clear without skimming it, add a piece of butter the size of an egg about a quarter of an hour before romoving the fruit from the fire. The jam will look quite clear, and will not stick to the jars when turned out for use. Hot Beer as a Cleanser. — Carved Oak that has become dusty and dirty should be scrubbed well with hot beer, which should be allowed to dry thoroughly before the polish is applied. An ordinary nail brush and toothbrush should be kept for drying and cleaning carved furniture. An Excellent Hair Shampoo.— Take tho yolk of one egg, ono ounce of spirits of rosemary, and one pint of hot rain water. Beat the mixture thoroughly, and use it warm, rubbing it well into the skin of the head. The hair must be rinsed very thoroughly afterwards in several waters. Polish for Oak Furniture.— -The following recipe makes a good polish to use upon old oak furniture. Take two ounces of boiled linseed oil, one ounce of vinegar, three ounces of turpentine, and a quarter of a pint of methylated spirit. A little of this mixture should be rubbed well into the furniture, which should afterwards be polished with a soft cloth. To Clean an Enamelled Bath.— The bath should first of all bo perfectly dry, and then it should ba scoured with salt and turpentine to remove all the stains. The bath should afterwards be rinsed with clear warm water and theu bo dried thoroughly. "Varnished Wall Paper.— Varnished wall paper should be washed with a whitewash brush and a warm soapy lather. After the brush has been lightly dipped into 'the lather squeeze it and work it on the paper, starting from the ceiling and proceeding downwards, finishing one patch all the way down before starting the next. RECIPES. A Delicious Pudding. — Blend together two ounces of butter and the same quantity of brown sugar on a plate, then spread it thickly inside a pudding-basin or mould. Now make a suet paste with half a pound of flour, four ounces of finely chopped suet, half a teaspoonful each of salt and baking powder, and sufficient cold water to make a stiff crust. Roll the pasto out and lay it carefully into the pudding-basin, keeping a piece for a lid. Fill the mould with rhubarb cut into inch lengths, adding to it four tablespoonfuls of sugar and half a teaspoonful of ground ginger. Wet tho edges well and lay on the lid, pressing them firmly together. Tie a piece of greased white paper on the top, then Sjteam the pudding for two hours. Serve it on a hot dish. A Tasty Breakfast Dish. — Minced ham is excellent as a breakfast dish. To make it grate or mince some lean ham very fine,. mix it with the yolk of an egg, and add to it some cream and a seasoning dash of nutmeg. Toast some slices of bread about half an inch thick till they are a delicate brown, and while hot spread the meat on the toasted bread, then break the yolk of an egg over the top and brown them 6lightly in the oven. Strengthening Broth for Invalids.— A quarter of a pint of mutton broth, three tablespoonfuls .of milk; and tho yolk of one egg will be required to malic this broth, which will be much liked by invalids, and will prove most strengthening. Strain out all the meat and pieces from the broth and put it in a saucepan on the lire. Make it very hot, but do not let it boil, theD add to it the beaten y u c egg and ? he milk - Stir ifc over the fire for a minute or two, season it carefully, and sorvo it in a hot cup or basin. < Potato Soup.— Four pounds mealy potatoes, boil or steam very dry, pepper and salt, two quarts of fitock. Ma3h boiled potatoes s-moothly with a fork and gradually put them in tho boiling stock. Pass it through a sieve, season and simmer for five minutes. Skim well" and serve with fried bread. Tomato Soup.— Three large tomatoes, two tresh rolls, one onion, three ounces Dutter, ono quart of common or medium stock salt, and pepper. Peel, stir, and try the onion in the butter. Cut the tomatoes in four and the rolls in slices, and add with the seasoning and a quart of water and boil for one and a half hours. Strain and add the stock boiling. lurkish Delight (a simple recipe).— Put ono pound of lump sugar with one quart of water, two ounces of gelatine, and the juice of one lemon ; boil all together for twenty minutea, then pour it into soup plates and leave it to set, then cut it into dice, and roll it into icing- sugar. A Good Household Cake.— One packet Of cakeoma, four ounces of butter or butter and lard mixed, two eggs, half a pound of currants, two ounces of candied peel a tinrd to half a glass of milk. This 'is sufnoient for a. two-pound cake. Method: Empty the contents of the packet into a large basin or mixing bowl, rub the shortening (softened by warmth if necessary, but not melted) into the flour until it "is as fine as breadcrumbs. Beat the eggs ' and with the milk add them to the i.revious ingredients. Mix well for five minutes, then add the fruit, etc., and again mix lightly until they are well amalgamated, and bako in a moderately hot oven. Mulligatawny Soup.— lf there is any curry and rice left over, put them in a saucepan with stock ; boil up, and rub the whole through a sieve ; add a few drops of lemon juice. This is a delicious soup for a nominal cost, and is a good way of ueing up cold curry and rice.