HOUSEKEEPER.

Lake County Press, Issue 2737, 6 June 1918, Page 2

HOUSEKEEPER.

i A little methylated spirit added to the rinsing water will make white silk look equal to new. c A siphon of soda-water should be i always kept in the nursery, as it is ■ a good fire-extinguisher. i i For sealing bottles of fruit or t pickles an excellent wax is obtained by , melting together equal parts of resin and beef-suet. To reiive a faded carpet, sweep thoroughly, then wipe with a clean cloth that lias been soaked in a weak solution of ammonia and water, and well wrung. j i When buying nutmegs choose small, ones; they have a better flavour than' larger nuts. To test a nutmeg, prick , with a needle. If good the oil will in-; stantly spread round the puncture. I TO RENOVATE BLACK LACE. ' ? Black lace is hardly ever washed, hut' its colour can be improved if u is', rinsed in very strong coffee. This will remove all dirt. Leave the lace soak-. ing in the coffee for 20 minutes, then ' squeeze it out and rinse in some more coffee. Black lace should bo dipped in a little gum water to stiffen slightly. To make the gum water soak a teaspoonful of gum arabic in cold water for six hours, then add two cupfuls of , boiling water and simmer gently unti' j the gum is dissolved. Dip the lace ii j this and squeeze as dry as possible, anc i then pin out on to a sheet to dry ! The pins must be placed close togethei ; along the straight edge, and each poinl j must bo drawn out and pinned into j position. When dry, press with a hot iron on the wrong side, and then fok' carefully until required for use. A fine warm day should be selected foi washing lace," and it should be om. on which there is plenty of leisure time, as the lace wants constant at- ' tention if it is to be successfully washed. WHEN CLOVES NEED STRETCHINC. When kid gloves are tight in the wrist, they may possibly bo coaxed to fit by the following means: Damp the wrist-part slightly on the inside, asiug a sponge nitli water, and stretch the gloves on a glovestretcher —anything with a circumference large enough will answer the purpose—and allow ihoin to remain until dry. This method has been tested and found to succeed admirably. j : NEEDLEWORK NOTES. I ( If a glove splits at the thumb or near a seam, a sure and permanent way of I j repairing it is to buttonhole the kid j on either side of the split; then sew the buttonholed'' edges together. The ! result will be a new, firm seam that is not likely to give way. i When buttonholing, care must be ■ taken to obtain a good hold of the kid, i i or the stitches will pull out of it. 1 Dressmakers tell us that we should ■ always thread silk into a needle by j putting the end of the silk that ex- I ists before the silk is unwound from • tho spool iu the eye first. If the silk I is put in from the end that is broken I off fresh, it untwists more easily than ! if it is threaded from the other end. j ! This little hint is worth remembering, j , as it is very annoying to work with j i silk thread that persists in gettingj twisted or ravelled. i TALL AND THIN. j . I I Many a girl who is spoken of as j "scraggy" and "gawky might re- j move that impression by giving a little more care to the style of dress she ' goes in for. | To do this you should have your frocks cut with a "roundabout" ten- j deney and arrange any trimmings round your skirts—not straight down ' them. i Also don't wear plain, straight skirts or you wiD look like a hop-pole! Only slim, medium-height girls look really well in them. : The tunic style of skirt will suit you. pleated or gathered rather full, or made of plaid or striped material—the stripes going round the tunic instead of do'wn. You can also wear the deep, full, or gauged waistbands which are now so fashionable, and a contrasting band round the bottom of your tunic will reduce your height. i If you are flat-chested, try trimming your camisole across the front t with several rows of lace; this will t givo just a graceful effect. i If your neck is long and thin, fluffy r lacy neckwear will suit you, and you j can wear V necks just as satisfactorily t as a plump-necked girl if the front ( opening is not wide and they fit well { round at the back. hj Sleove-and-yoke-in-one styles will be j more becoming to you than a set-in sleeve which marks a maybe rather f> all ages, and are made up into nice £ bony shoulder! Also the new blouses 0 which are gathered full right round the t neck and have a smart high collar al the back. For blouse materials yon , diould choose the soft, fluffy sort of ( . things in preference to the rather severe stuffs which suit a more de- g1 i-eloped figure, and remember that a Jj touch of dark fur on a laco or chiffon () )louso looks very soft and dainty. ' For plain costumes you will look • jotter in thick, woolly stuffs than in ' bin serges and cloths which show off ; ,-our angles, while velvet is sure to >rove becoming and is a material vbich leads itsoif so well to graceful ' li aperies. I have seen a tall, thin girl _ quite ransformed by a careful toilette. . 'herefore, if you are of this build, just "j iote these hints, and choose your a ' lothes carefully. I H

USEFUL RECEIPTS. ™ Specially written for this column. .'" in ... 80 to BEETROOT PICKLE. ! 10 its 1 daresay most people know how to «i rvpare tins, but the very few who have in over boon called upon to do so will lis •rliaps find those simple instructions oil some use. Chooso medium-sized ill} >ots, and wash them very carefully lb 4, i as not to break the skin. If this T.J ippons, your pickle will not bo a good tin •lour. Put them into a big sauce- am in of water (some cooks say cold, and (N hers advise boiling water), and lei kel lem cook rather slowly from 1J to tin hours according to size. Put them at sto ice into cold water, and rub the skin act Cut the beet in thin slices, and iroi

put them into a large wide jar. Cover j I with vinegar which you have scalded , i tor 10 minutes, with 1 teaspoouful salt. I 1 J ounce eaeli of allspice and whole j pepper to each quart of vinegar. RED CABBAGE PICKLE. j Shred the cabbage, rejecting the . coarse outer leaves. Put **** cabbage on a largo sieve placed over a dish, \ and sprinkle well with salt; leavo for about a week, turning it over and over j every day during that time. Now scald j the vinegar, and to every quart add $ '■ ounce cayenne, \ ounce long pepper, \ ounce ginger, all bruised. Scald all together, and leave till lukewarm. In the meantime put the cabbage into , pickle bottles, and pour in the lnkewarm pickle, which should quite cover the cabbage. ' APPLE CHARLOTTE. Ingredients.—Half a dozen apples, rind of half a lemon, half a pint of j water, four tablespoonfuls of sugar, 2ozs. of butter or clarified fat, some thin slices of stale bread. Method.—Peel the apples, halve, quarter, and core them; make a syrup by boiling the sugar and water, add to it the apples and chopped lemon rind, and simmer till soft. Grease a pie dish or cake tin; melt the butter, dip the slices of bread into it, and line the dish, pour in the apple pulp; cover with more thin slices of bread dipped in the butter and bake in a moderate oven till the bread is browned; turn on to a dish, sprinkle , icing sugar over it, and sorv« hot or eold with boiled custard. ORANGE CAKE. j Ingredients: 4 ounces butter, 4 ounces sugar, Jib. flour, 1 small teaspoonful cream tartar, £ teaspoonful (almost level) carbonate soda, 2 tablespoonfuls orange juice, 3 eggs, orange, icing, a few hundreds and thousands. Method.—Lino a flat cake tin with buttered paper, beat the butter aud sugar to a cream, add the eggs well beaten, and, if liked, the orange rind grated. Mis the carbonate soda with the orange juice; stir that in, and lastly flour and cream of tartar sifted; pour into the tin, and make in a moderately hot oven from 40 to 45 minutes. When cold, cover with the orange icing, and when that has nearly set sprinkle over the hundreds and liousauds. ORANCE iCINC. Ingredients: Jib. icing sugar, tablespoonfuls strained orange juice. Method.—Sift the sugar, heat the < juice, stir in the sugar, and stir over I the fire till warm, then pour on the I cake. APPLES IN JELLY. J Ingredients: J dozen apples, 1 quart ! ,/ater, 1 ounce gelatine, Jib. sugar, the I thin rind of 1 lemon and juice of 2, r [ few cloves, and a few drops of carmine. Method.—Peel and core the apples without breaking. Make a syrup by j boiling the water, sugar, cloves, rind ' and juice of lemon; add the apples, and ! Book gently till tender, still keeping whole. Sift out carefully, and drain. j Have the gelatine soaking in half a i pint of water; reduce the syrup (that j is, boil quickly with the lid off) to | about 1 pint; stir in the dissolved gelatine, arrange the apples round a plain mould; strain the jelly, colour I with carmine; pour on apples, and set i aside to set. When set, serve on a | glass dish with cream.