DOMESTIC REALM

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10752, 24 November 1928, Page 10

DOMESTIC REALM

“DOCTOR ORDERS EGGS.” SERVE IN DISGUISE. And the doctor, good man, may be quite unaware that these eiders will be taken very literally by the wellmeaning, but inexperienced housenurse. Eggs, to her often mean—just- eggs! Several boiled, poached, scrambled, or in the form of egg and milk. The patient grows weary of her everlasting egg diet, and soon comes to dread mealtimes instead of looking forward to them as pleasant little breaks in a long day. If doctor orders eggs, why not serve them disguised as something more appetising? Introduce one occasionally into the invalid soup, lor instance. Beaten in just before serving, it trill make the soup all themore nourishing and will l/e detected scarcely at all by the patient. White sauce -served with a Ught pudding might well have a beaten egg added at "the last, moment; and even the, pudding that does not necessarily call for an egg will he all the better for its addition. Beat an egg into mashed potatoes, or into a glass of lemonade—this, 1./v the way, makes a delicious drink. Cover an egg with a fritter hatter, fry it very lightly with grated cheese or tomato, pop it into the oven for a minute or two, trim, it with parsley and send it up to the sick-room as a “special treat.” If these few hints are followed, there will be fewer sighs when “Doctor orders eggs.” It will be as well, however, to get the medical man’s permission so to camouflage the eggs, especially in the case of fritters. MAKINC SUP COVERS AT HOME CHEAP AND SERVICEABLE. (By Priscilla Rayne.) The first time you make your own slip covers, do not choose expensive cretonne l in case you make mistakes. Quite good washing material may he had from Is 3d a yard. I bought some very pretty cretonne at this price quite recently, and used it to make slip covers for two dining room armchairs and six ordinary chairs. The result is all that could he desired I

THE FIRST THING TO DO

W’hen you contemplate making slip covers, unless you have old covers which you can unpick and use as patterns, you must make what is called a rub pattern. For this you will need to collect some large sheets of strong brown paper and, having done so, hold one against the armchair or settee to lie covered and rub along the edges until you have the outline of the piece of furniture (taking care to follow the seams in the upholstery) upon the paper. Allow half an inch, at least, for turnings and then cut your paper pattern. From this paper pattern cut your material, pin the pieces together and fit the cover on the furniture as you would a frock on a person. Do not'forget that- where a chesterfield or a spring seated armchair is to he covered, you will need six or seven inches extra of the material to tuck in down the Hack and sides. It any portion of chair or settee is larger at 'the top than at the bottom, remember also-that- openings with press studs must- he arranged.

SEAMS AND FASTENINGS,

The !>est wav to make the seams of slip covers is to take both raw edges and turn them to the wrong side. Proceed then to tack these on the right- side, about one eighth of an inch in. Tack all seams and try the cover again on the chair or settee to make sure, it fits before finally jnacli-ine-stitching the whole. ’He easiest fastenings to use are pr essstuds, though tapes or hooks and eyes are preferred by some.

TESTED RECIPES.

HAVE YOU TRIED THESE?

Orange. Cake: — The weight of 2 eggs in butter, sugar and flour. Juice and grated rind of half an orange. Beat butter and sugar to a cream, and eggs one by one, boat, ton add the Hour and a teaspoonful of baking powder and pinch of salt, grated rind and iuice. *Put into two ■ sandwich tins. " Bake slowly 20 minutes. Ice with a lump of butter the size of a walnut, a cup of icing sugar and the grated rind and juice of the other half of 1 the orange. Scotch Shortbread: — Take 3 teacups of self-raising flour, l teacup of rice flour, 1 teacup of icing sugar, -|lb Butter, ] egg. Mix butter and sugar to a cream, and work the two flours until the paste resembles breadcrumbs, break in the ego- and work until you can roll out. Prick with fork and cut info threecornered pieces. Bake until a pale brnwn.

Noapoliian Sandwich:— Brown bread, white broad, butter. Well butter and cut very thin slices of Ifeth brown and white bread, put the Alternately one on top of the other, press them well together, a.nd then cut in thin slices right through the two colors. Rock Cake:... _ , p Rock cakes without eggs: Half a pound of flour. 3oz. soft sugar, 3oz. of butter or good beef dripping, 2 oz currants or sultanas, one teaspoonful of baking powder. Mix well after '-libbing in the butter, and stir in milk to make a soft dough.. Put in lumps on oven shelf or into greased patty pan.s. Bake from 15 to 20 minutes.

Steamed Treacle Roly.—6oz flour, 2 tablespoons butter. 1 teaspoon baking powder, a pinch of salt, water to mix, J cup treacle. Sift the floiir with the hairing powder and salt, rub the butter into this as if for scones and mix into a dough with water. Knead with the hands on a floured lloard, cut the dough into six pieces, one a little larger than the others, then press each mto a round shape. Roll the largest piece until it is big enough to line the well-greased basin. When it- is well fitted against the basin, spread it with treacle, roll another of the dough pieces, fit that in place and spread it with treacle, roll another of the dough pieces, fib that in place and spread that with treacle. Continue doing this until the dish is full, but do not spread the top layer with treacle, just turn its outside edges over the others, and cover with greased paper, having the greased side up. Steam for au hour and a-lialf, and serve with white' sauce. Scotch Apple Tarts.—Three ta.Mespoonfuls flour, II teaspoonfuls cornflour, 1 egg, 1 teaspoonful cinnamon, 1 teaspoonful baking powder, 2 tablespoonfuls sugar, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, apples. Mix as usual, then divide paste into two pieces, roll out one. piece thin and line sandwich tin. Put in apples which have been stewed with yery little water. Sugar a pinch of cinnamon, roll the remainder of the paste. Place on top and hake. Before serving sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon,

Household Hints

By "MARIE.-

RECIPES AND HINTS. CHEESECAKES AND- FILLINGS. Lemon Curd.—Half-pound granuletod sugtir, 4: ilb hiutt6r ? tbo rind and juice ot 1 lemon. Melt sugar and butter, add eggs and lemon, stir gently until it boiis. Mincemeat. —Six ounces butter, J lb beef suet, ljlb sugar, 6oz apples, jLb lemon peel, Jib orange peel, rind and juice of 2 lemons, lib suit-anas, ]J n currants, 1 large nutmeg, flavor. Mix all together and bottle in readiness for use. Banbury Cheese Cakes.—Quarter pound butter. Jib castor sugar. Jib currants, loz candied peel, 2 eggs. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, beat well, add currants and peel, mix well together and bake in pastry. Maid ~ of Honor.—Quarter pound ground rice, legg. 2oz castor sugar, J teaspoonful -baking powder, 2oz butter, essence to flavor. Mix rjee, sugar and baking powder, cream butter and egg, mix well. Line patty tins with puff paste. Put in a little jam. then a little of the. above mixture. Bake in a quick oven. Almond Cheesecakes. Quarter pound castor sugar, Jib ground almonds, 1 egg. Beat together egg and sugar until light, stir in ground almonds, add 1 or 2 drops almond essence. Lino pattv tins with puff paste, put in a small quantity of raspberry jam, then some of the almond mixture on top, covering it completely. Place 2 strips of paste across and hake. Ground Bice Cheesecakes —Quarter pound ground rice, friz sugar, 2 eggs. Jib flour, 2 tablespoonfuls milk, Jib butter. 1 teaspoonful baking powder. Beat the butter to a cream, add cogs (well beaten) and milk, then gradually sift in the sugar, rice, flour and baking powder. lane patty tins with puff paste and fill with the above mixture. Another Ground Rice Filling—lake 4oz ground rice and boil in milk till done; add Jll> butter, j pint ereiim, (Tv/ sifted sugar, 4 eggs well ljoaten and mix well together, add flavoring to taste. , , Coeoanut Tart—One cupful dessiccated coeoanut, Jib -Hitter, 1 egg, 1 cupful granulated sugar, little milk and salt. Beat all together; line patty pans with good pastry and fill in the mixture. Bake in a nice sharp ovep.

HOUSEHOLD HINTS

DIVERSITY OF SUBJECTS,

The bottom of a milk saucepan will not burn if the saucepan is rinsed with cold water before turning the milk into it.

When boiling a ham, leave it in the water in .which it lias been boiled until quite cold. This will make it juicy and tender. Sthins on window panes and m'rrors can lie removed by spirits of camphor sprinkled on n piece of flannel. Grease can be removed from the hair bv washing it in warm water to which a teaspoonful of horns has been added. Obstinate inkstiHns on the hands will he removed if they are rubbed with a ripe tomato. Corks may he made watertight Uv being immersed in oi! for a few minutes. •

Lime will absorb all dampness in cupboards and wardrobes if placed in the coiners. It should he changed as it absorbs the dampness. Teacups, no matter how carefully tliey are washed and dried, arc sometimes disfigured Mv dark stain-s at the bottom. These are caused by the action of the tannin in the tea., Salt, slightly moistened, will remove these stains’; hut in the case of very fine china it is better to use powdered whitening instead, as salt might result, in scratches.

Tlie peel of a lemon or an orange, dried thoroughly and placed in the tea-caddy will greatly improve the aroma of the tea

11 ran Water for Cretonnes. —Cretonne curtains and covers washed, in hnm water gain a new lease of life. The bran water prevents colors fading. Put a pint- of bran in a muslin bag. which should bo tied loosely and placed in half a gallon Or rain water. Bring the water to the'toil, and allow the bran to simmer for half an lion r. Mix this with' the. water .while it is hot with an equal quantity of cold soft water, and set the brnnbag to simmer in another lot of water for rinsing. Dissolve some powdered soap in very hot water, mix this with the warm bran water and wash the covers in it. kneading and squeezing rather than rubbing. Into the rinsing bran water dissolve a handful of conking salt, and’ rinse the covers well. Meanwhile have ready a second lot of pure bran water, made as before.. but with fresh brail, and after rinsing the rovers dip them in.this to stiflon them.. Fold them in a cloth,• and put them through the wringer. . Let them get partly dry and then iron, them on the wrong side of the material.

if. when you are baking anything the oven gets too hot, put in a basin of rold water instead of leaving the door open. This cools the oven, and the steam rising from the water prevents the contents burning.

To clean a wallpaper stained with grease mix some pipeclay with water and spread it over the marks; L-eav'-for a few hours, and they should have disappeared. A ground rice pudding will not be lumpy if the rice is mixed smoothly with cold milk before adding it to the boiling liquid. A boiled custard curdles if the mixture is allowed to reach boiling point The custard should be stirred over hot water till it thickens, but it must never be allowed to boil.

To prevent a cake becoming heavy after being taken out of the oven, allow the steam to escape from it. This can l>e done by putting the cake on a wire meat stand.

When scrambling eggs add one tablespoonful of fine breadcrumbs and one tablespoonful oi mirk to every beaten egg. Season with pepper and salt, and cook in the usual war. By this means stale bread may be used up, and one egg will go as far as two. Tack a piece of white American oilcloth over your pastry board if you are a busy person and want to save yourself as much work as possible. After use such a board merely needs to be wiped over with a clean damp cloth.

A god idea when buying new saucepans is to buy at the same time n round enamel dish to fit in the saucepan at the top. In the saucepan vegetables, etc., can be cooked, and in the dish fish or steak or chops or any pudding left from the day before can he steamed. When cake tins are worn thin, scatter a little sand over the oven shelf before putting the tin in,\ and the cake will not burn in the baking. When making jam tarts mix the jax with a little hot water before putting in the pastry. It tastes just ns well, and the jam goes further.