THE HOUSEKEEPER

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 121, 23 May 1914, Page 11

THE HOUSEKEEPER

HOME HINTS. rTo Re-enamel a Bath Tub.— Buy proper bath tub enamel. Wash the tub thoroughly with hot, soapy water first, and rub all over with sandpaper, to make the surface smooth before using the enamel. Heat the enamel slightly by standing the tin in a bowl of hot wuler. This thins it, and it is easier to apply evenly. It will need two or threo coats, and each must be allowed to thoroughly dry before the next is applied. Black Beetles. I—A1 — A liberal supply of carbonate of soda placed round the kitchen hearth and any other favourite haunt of black beetles, will cause their complete disappearance from those places. Loose Handles. — Handles that constantly como off cupboards, chests of drawers, doors, etc., may be permanently secured by warming some powdered alum in an iron spoon and applying it at once. To Clean an Oven. — An oven that is constantly in use requires to be kept scrupulously clean. It should not only have the shelves scrubbed out with soda occasionally, but in addition tho shelves should bo painted with quicklime two or three limes a year. An oven treated in this way never bocomes caked with groase, and thero is no unpleasant smell when it is being used. To Clean the Saucepan. — For cleaning saucepans, etc., borax sand soap is splendid. Do not put it in tho water ? merely use with a damp rag ; when used in this way it will not crumble. It makes tin shine like silver, and brass like gold. The Kitchen Floor.— Soda should not be used when washing oilcloth, ns it is apt to tako the pattern off; soap and water is moro satisfactory, or water to Avhich a littlo paraffin- has been added. You will find that your oilcloths will not need much washing if well waxed and polished. For all wooden things soda is most necessary, as it loosens the dirt. Put a little soda I in the water, and use sand for scrubbing, and your boards will be beautifully white. Draught Preventer.. — Many doors, owing to the shrinking of the wood, are quite an inch from tho floor, causing dust and draught to enter. Fold about threo thicknesses of paper, just the width of the door, and about lin in depth. Cover this with plushette, baize, or serge, as nearly as possible the colour of the door, sew on three small rings, one a quarter of an inch from each end and one in the middle. Fasten into the door three small screw hooks with well turned up ends, hang on by the rings, and you have a perfect draught preventer, which moves with the door, keeps in its place, yet is eaßily removed and brushed. Sticky Irons.— A little salt in raw or boiled starch will prevent the irons from sticking and make the staroh whiter. If the irons aro rough, put some salt on a piece of brown paper, lay a piece of muslin over it, and rub the irons on it until they are bright and smooth." To Cloan a Feather Pillow. — Feather pillows can be cleaned without taking out the feathers. Put the pillows into a Targe tub or bath, and scrub them well with a small brush dipped in a solution of chloi ride of lime and warm water. Afterwards ' rinse them thoroughly and sproad them on the grass to dry, or on tables in the opon air, turning them constantly. After two days' treatment in a warm, strong sun, pin the pillows on to a clothes line on every fine or windy day till they are quite dry, then beat them with a cane; this will disentangle the feathers, and 'the pillows will be like new. | UNUSUAL RECIPES. Creamed Parsnips.— Scrape and waeh as | many parsnips as aro required, allowing two moderato-sizeci ones to each person. Cook in boiling salted water until quite tender, then drain and rub through a wire sieve. Put the puree into a saucepan with loz of butter ajid a tablespoonful of cream to every four parsnips, Simmer gontly for about a quarter of an hour— season with salt and pepper, and serve. Cabbago with Sausage. — rvomovo tho outer loaves of a cabbage, wash and take a good slice off the top, removing as much of tho heart as is wished. Fill the cavity with sausage; replace tho top, and tio well with string; drop into a pot of ! fast boiling water and cook for an hour. Servo either hot or cold. Sand Cake.— Beat togcthor for 15 or 20 minutes half a pound each of warmed butter and sifted flour, four ounces each of potato flour and castor sugar, tho grated rind and strained iuico of a lemon, and six small eggs. Pour into a papcilinod cako'tin, and bake in a moderate oven. Blanch two ounces of almonds, chop them, mix them with a little cinnamon and castor sugar, and strew on tho top of the cake a fow minutes before removing it from the oven. Cheese Rolls. — Make some rough puff pastryj and roll it out into squares about three inches across. Now prepare a mixture in this way: — One ounco butter, two tablespoonfuls grated cheese, ono dessertspoonful breadcrumbs, a very little cayenne, and half a beaten egg. Beat tho buttor, and mix in tho other ingredients. Spread some over each square of pastry, and roll up like sausage rolls; brush over with tho remainder of tho beaten egg, and bake in a quick oven for seven minutes. Lamb Pie. — One and a half pound of lamb, half leaspooriful of salt, one gill of stock, and half tea-spoonful of pepper. Take chops from the back ribs, or slices from tho log, and lay them flat in a dish. Season with pepper and salt, add a littlo gravy or water. Cover and bako for an hour.