WOMEN'S INTERESTS

Grey River Argus, 19 May 1938, Page 9

WOMEN'S INTERESTS

HINTS FOR THE HOME

[BY

"TOHEROA”]

In The Kitchen

Liver Dumplings:

You can make a really substantial dish out of clear stock if you add liver dumplings to accompany It. These are made from minced raw liver, using a mixture made from 1 gill milk, or milk and water, and 2oz fresh breadcrumbs. Soak these two ingredients, then heat together until stiffly thick. Remove from the stove ac]d 3-4 oz of minced liver, seasonings, onion juice, and a pinch of herbs, and bind with sufficient beaten egg to form a stiff mixture. Make into little balls and cook in the boiling stock for 8-10 minutes just as they are due for serving.

Apple Delight: Peal, core and slice three large cooking apples into a little water. Cook them to pulp, adding a piece of orange-peel and sugar to taste. Put through a sieve. Whip an egg-white stiff, fold it lightlv into the pulp and serve in a glass dish with orange honey sauce. Sauce: Beat two tablespoons honey and one tablespoon butter to a cream. Stir in one tablespoon dry breadcrumbs, and add the beaten yolk of an egg. Beat well for five minutes, add the juice of an orange and cookover boiling water to a thick syrup. i i Pikelets: This is a very good and economical recipe. Take 16 heaped tablespoons Hour. 4 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, i teaspoon salt, 1 large tablespoon golden syrup, 1 large tablespoon melted butter, 1 egg, milk and water to mix. Method: Mix all dry ingredients together, break in egg, add syrup and milk; when right consistency add melted butter. To cook: Have moderately hot girdle / and grease with small piece of suet. This mixture makes between 80 and 90 pikelets. Butterscotch Delight: Take 1 cup brown sugar. 2 wellbeaten egg yolks, 31 cups milk, 1 cup cream, 4 tablespoons cornflour (level). 1 dessertspoon butter, small pinch salt. Melt butter and sugar in frying pan until a rich caramel brown, cool slightly, then add 3 cups of the milk; heat slowly until moderately warm, then draw aside. Mix cornflour smoothly with remainder of the milk Strain caramel milk and place in saucepan to heat. Add corn Hour, then cook slowly, stir constantly until thick and cooked. Draw to side of stove. Beat well egg yolks and stir in, then cook again for a few minutes (about 3). Pour into sundae or cus- j tard glasses and when cold top with stiffly whipped cream. Sufficient for ‘ eight persons.

4 * * * V • Spinach Soup: To make spinach soup prepare the spinach, cut info fine shreds and fry gently in a little butter with a sliced onion or leek. Add 11 pints water or vegetable stock and bring v@Yy slowlv to the boil. Add 11 tablespoons well-washed rice, 1 nay leaf, pepper and salt, and cook slowly until the rice is tender—a little over half an hour. Allow to cool a little, then add a cupful of hot milk with an egg beaten into it. Do not allow to boil, but serve very hot.

Peanut Shortbread: Cream lib of butter, beat in ’.lb castor sugar, 11b flour, slpwly. Knead till smooth. Roll out in J.-.'tin (hickness and Jay in greased souare tin, pressing edges bacx 1c make them thick.

Prepare nut mixture as follows:— Cream 2oz butler, and 2or. sugar till light, and work in. i<>z finely-gro- nd peanuts, and 2oz I’Diir and vfl'ite of egg beaten stiifly. Spread this on shortbread, and sprinkle tup with peanuts coarsely chopped, ba-.-e rn rather hot oven, 30 minutes, till pale golden, not brown, first marking in sections. If kept in a tin this will keep fresh for weeks. Bran Biscuits: Put 1 cup sugar, t cup milk, and 1 small teaspoon soda into saucepan and let come to boil. I'M !o coo). Rub .',lb butter into 11 large cups flour ar.d 11 cups (large) bra.i. Make 'veil in centre and add 1 tablespc-ui'. malt, and the cooled sugar, ate. Wort all together, roll very thin and cut in shapes. Bake about 10 minutes in moderate oven. I'he above maxes <i large quantity of biscuits, nourishing and delicious to eat.

Marmalade for Breakfas."

Il is difficult. Io say exactly how ong marmalade nas been a popular English preserve, but it is more or less certain that quinces were originally used for this particular sweetmeat, as the word “marmalade” is derived from the word “marmelo,” a quince, and also from the Greek word I‘or honey-apple, a. fruit which was grafted on to a quince. As time went on, and transport facilities improved, large quantities of oranges and lemons were imported into England and quinces were gradually replaced by the newer fruit. According to the Cookery Expert in “The Australian Journal”, the actual making of marmalade is not difficult in fact, the process is one of extreme simplicity. There are, however, quite a number of experienced housewives who find considerable difficulty in getting their preserves to jell satisfactorily. What is the reason that marmalade made on one occasion sets readily, while that made on another (although the same ingredients and identical methods are employed ) positively refuses to sett, however long it may be boiled? It is now generally accepted that the ability of some fruits to form a jelly when boiled with sugar is due to the gum and mucilages, such as gum arabic and gum tragacanth, which they contain and which yield pectin as the fruit ripens. As the fruit becomes over-ripe the pectin breaks down to form sugar. When making jam or marmalade the fruit should, therefore, neither be really under-ripe* nor over-ripe, for it seems that with apples and oranges, for ex-

ample, the maximum amount of soluble pectin is present at or about the time of full ripeness. Moreover, all fruit does not contain an equal quantity of pectin. It is common knowi ledge that home-made cherry and strawberry jam always tends to be I syrupy. This is, in all probability, due ’ to the small amount of pectin present in the fruit, and in order to obtain a well-jelled preserve it is necessary to add the juice of some other fruit rich in pectin. Thus, red-current juice is added to cherry jam, and apple or lemon juice not infrequently added when making strawberry preserves. When fruit is boiled with water the pectin is extracted, and when sugar is boiled with such fruit juices, or extracts of fruit, it forms a jelly- An important point to bear in mind is I, that overboiling should be avoided in • making all kinds of jams and jellies, . for this causes the pectin to break j down and form sugar, so that it is no . longer capable of forming a jelly. In the case of oranges and lemons the pectin seems to be present in , particularly large amounts in the layer of white pith immediately under <

the skin, and also appears to be as- ; sociated with the pips. Pectin extract, which may be used to aid the setting j of jams and jellies made from fruits c poor in pectin, can, therefore, be pre- t pared from an extract of orange or , lemon pith. Anyone who has experi- t enced the annoyance of making jellies or marmalade that will not jell will |

welcome the news that pectin extract can be made at home with little effort. Fruits rich in this substance, and which arc more or less always available, arc oranges, lemons and apples. Several recipes for making marmalade are given in the current issue of “The Australian Journal.”

WOMAN’S HAPPIEST TIMES. Women, according to Mr Aleck W. Bourne, principal surgeon of Queen ICharlott’s Hospital, lecturing at Portland Place, are:— More emotional and temperamental than men. They love more, hate more, fear more, and are more dependent upon their parents. They are not nearly as much given to addictions as men, a great part of whose diseases are due to too much food, smoking and alcohol. Other conclusions he drew were:— One of the most serious handicaps for women is lack of physical exercise after middle age. The happiest times in the life of a woman are: Earliest adolesence, when she begins to sec a little beyond the threshold of a narrow home life, and the first five -years of her married life. Mr Bourne, who was speaking on influences which undermine the health of women, said post-natal | clinics throughout the country should! pay more regard to anaemia and the! muscular tone of women.

REST HOMES FOR LABOUR WOMEN.

At a meeting of the West Australian Women’s Central Labour Executive at Perth a letter was received from the Minister for Lands advising that approval had been given for the setting aside of a block of land in Albany as a reserve for the Labour Women’s Central Executive for the purpose of a convalescent and rest home. When the field cheques are forthcoming the survey will be approved.

After the Minister’s letter had been enthusiastically approved a hearty vote of thanks to him was enthusiastically carried.

Further discussion ensued on the institution of a holiday home, and it was resolved: “That before we establish any building at Albany, we endeavour to establish a holiday home within easy reach of the metropolitan area.” PATIENTS WORK FOR HOSPITAL. Taking the idea from the ex-pa-tients’ association at Guy’s Hospital, London, a similar organisation has been formed in Sydney to work for the Royal Prince Albert Hospital. The inaugural meeting was held at the Town Hall, Newtown, and was addressed by Dr. A. S. Johnson, acting medical superintendent, who reppresented the chairman of the board, Dr. H. H. Schlink.

“At the present time there are 6000 beds in the public section of the hospital,” he said, "and there is a waiting list of 1300.” The organising secretary of the hospital explained that it was proposed to charge a membership fee of 2s 6d per annum, and if only half the expatients joined the association an income of £4300 would be assured.

Money would be raised by oiganis" ing social events and by individual efforts, and sub-branches would be formed in country centres, as a great number of patients were country people.

Household Hints To cool a dish of pudding or any hot food quickly, set in a pan of cold water which has been well salted Add a little salt to the last rinsing wxter on wash days, and the clothes will not freeze when hung out to dry in cold weather. ******* Chopped meat for hamburger steak may be stretched by adding on cup of dried breadcrumbs or one cup of soaked rice to the mixture before it is shaped into cakes.

Kettles.—Egg shells will prevent the usual stains and limo formation, and borax will remove “fur." place about two teaspoon borax in a kettle of warm water and bring to the boil, or else allow the solution to stand for a time before washing. A large marble placed in a kettle will prevent its furring. The continual movement of the marble with the action of boiling water will keep the bottom clean Sinks and Drains. —It is a wise plan after washing up to place a lump of soda over the plug hole and pour a kettle of boiling water over it. Roiling water! salted, will keep a s'nki

clear. For a blocked sink, pour down a pailful of boiling water, then halfpint of kerosene, followed 10 minutes afterwards by more boiling water. The best possible cleanser is copperas (a deadly poison). Dissolve 31b in every gallon of water.

WINTER DISHES Some hot dishes for cold nights are described by the Cookery Expert of the Australian Journal. ******* Cornish Pasties: lb short crust, 1 lb bladebone steak, j lb potatoes. Seasonings :1 dese sertspoon scraped onion, 1 dessertspoon water, 1 teaspoon chopped parsl" ley, salt, papper. " Put into a basin the minced meat, d the onion, parsley, the potatoes cut to e fine dice, the pepper and salt and stir e together. Cut the pastry into three, t roll into balls, then roll out. Put one--3 third of the mixture on half of each 3 piece, wet the edge of the pastry and 1 fold over. Crimp the edges, prick the s top with a fork, brush over with milk. r Give 1 hour in a hot oven and a fur--3 ther 1 hour at gentler temperature. ******* ■ Caramel: 5 loz loaf sugar, J gill water. Put sugar in saucepan with one tea--1 spoon water. Place on lire until .burnt : dark brown. Pour in remainder of

water, boil until sugar, is dissolved, stirring frequently. When cool, strain into a wide-mouthed jar, cork well, and use for colouring soups, stews and gravies. ******* Baked Steak: 2 lbs skirt steak, 1 large onion, 1 tomato or 1 tablespoon tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon flour, 1 pint water. Cut meat into four-inch squares. Dip into seasoned flour. Put in baking dish. Put sliced onion and tomato on top, also remainder of flour. Pour water over and cover with another tin. Bake two hours. French Pancakes: 1 lb flour, 1 egg, J teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 oz sugar, 1 oz butter, jam, 1 pint milk.

Add salt to flour, break egg into flour and gradually stir the flour in. Add a little milk and beat well. Add rest of milk, sugar and melted butter. Place in three shallow moulds and bake in a moderate oven until set and golden brown. Remove from tins. Spread with jam. Place on top of the other. Dust with castor sugar. Serve very hot.

CARE OF THE SKIN. HOME TREATMENT. To-day, when everything moves so quickly and life is such a rush, simplicity, yet perfect care of the skin, so that she may always appear well groomed, is the demand of every woman (writes a Beauty Expert in the May issue of “The Australian Journal”). It is quite unnecessary to purchase several lotions and several creams and spend an hour before going to bed every night, and another hour in the morning. Treatment is simple and effective, and if followed regularly and faithfully, you will find your skin responds to clearness, softness and freshness, which is the greatest asset to her appearance a woman can have. After all, one’s face is the most important factor in one’s appearance, and therefore requires the greatest care if one is to look one’s best. Throughout the world’s history we find that women have been interested in culture of form and face, but to-day women are more conscious than ever before of the real necessity of health and beauty. Education of every description has become vitally important. A well-cared-for body, we are taught, is the outward sign of a well-cared-for mind, and therefore the care of the skin becomes a science, a necessity, and not just a fad or a luxury to be indulged in by idle women with plenty of money, but by every woman.

The first point to realise is that no last-minute application of make-up will ever achieve the same effect as that given by a skin that has regular daily treatment. How can our skins cope with the dust, dirt, exposure and general wear and tear of present-day living? Cocktails, cigarettes, late nights, sun-bathing and golf all serve to clog the skin, dry up the natural oils and bring pimples, chapped faces, wrinkles and all the various troubles about which we all oomplain. This is where simple beauty secrets come in, and here are the principles upon which we base the care of the skin.

First of all complete cleansing every night. The importance of . cleansing thoroughly cannot be emphasised too -strongly, for the pores of the skin must be clear of all dirt and make-up every day. 1 thoroughly approve of the use of soap and water and the most sensitive skins will benefit by the use of special skin soap. However, make-up cannot be removed this way. This is where liquefying cleansing cream comes into use. This is made from oils which liquefy immediately they touch the skin, thus enabling it to penetrate without rubbing this way and that, thereby pulling the skin and thoroughly ill-treating it.

In conjunction with liquefying cleansing cream, I recommend toning lotion, which tones, braces and closes the pores after cleansing and before applying make-up. This important lotion sets the blood circulating under the skin, which strengthens the muscles and regularly used is better than any face-lifting could ever be.

Then, so very important for preserving the skin is skin food. Skin food is necessary to all types of skin, for it soothes, feeds and replaces natural oils which are used up every day. This lovely soft cream lightens and smooths out lines of fatigue and exposure during the night, and leaves behind in the morning a soft, fresh skin ready for the next day’s wear and tear. Surely no one is too busy or too careless to work in a little skin food every night, when it makes such a tremendous difference. If women will but follow oul this simple routine, their mirrors will soon speak the result. Create a standard for yourselves and see that you live up to it.