WOMEN'S NOTES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 9, 8 December 1937, Page 12

WOMEN'S NOTES.

HEALTH. (By Miss Mary Tallis.) Sunstroke.—With the hot weather occur many cases of illness, popularly called “sunstroke.” The popular idea of sunstroke is a condition of headache, high fever, vomiting and congestion of the face and neck. It is doubtful if there is such a condition brought about by the sun. The sun can act on the body in two ways. The actual temperature of the sun can have a harmful effect,' and, in -addition, the ultra-violet rays, which cause sunburn, arc said adversely to affect the brain and spinal cord. The actual heat of the sun and of the air makes it more difficult for the heat-regulating mechanism of the body to maintain a normal temperature. Considering the difficulty of keeping the temperature down in hot weather, one should help perspiration by drinking large -quantities of fluid, preferably cold. Tea and other - hot drinks help by increasing perspiration. The diet should be light, and contain a fair proportion of fruit and salads. Fats, pastry, and heavy starchy foods should be avoided. The clothing should be light, and especially should be loose to allow a free circulation of air next to the skin. Thin woollen clothing -vs quite suitable if it is thin enough and loose enough. With the sudden changes of temperature that are so common during our summer it is necessary to have either a light overcoat at hand or to wear a light woollen garment around the waist from hip to rrbs.

COOKING. Casserole cooking. Casserole of duck: Ingredients, 1 duck; pinch powdered garlic, -Jpt. stock, 1 oz butter, i teaspoonful mixed herbs, J teaspoonful sage, Jpt. good cooking sherry, c.alt and pepper. Cut the duck into joints or get the poulterer to do this for you. Melt the butter into the casserole, and fry the joints until golden brown. Shako in the pinch of garlic; add the herbs and seasoning. Heat the stock and sherry until warm, then pour over the duck, cover with the lid of the/ciasserolo and. cook for 1 hoar in a moderate oven. In recipes where the ingredients are fried first and the liquid added before putting the casserole into the oven, it is wise to warm the liquid as this prolongs the life of the casserole. Remember also, not to put a hot earthenware utensil on a cold or wet surface, because if you do an ominous crack may result. Stuffed lamb casserole : Ingredients, half-leg lamb, 2 small onions, 2 parsnips, salt and cayenne pepper, 3oz breadcrumbs,' loz shredded suet, 1 egg, 2oz dripxiing. Remove the bone from the meat. Ma.lce the breadcrumbs; peel the onions and boil for 20 minutes. Prepare the parsnips and cut into pieces of medium size;, melt the dripping in the casserole oil top of the cooker and brown the parsnips. Make up the stuffing from the breadcrumbs, suet and chopped boiled onion. Add the salt and a pinch of cavenne pepper. Beat the egg and mix with the other ingredients. Fill the cavity where the bone has been 'removed; tie the joint round with string and put in the casserole to brown each side. Turn it over with two wooden spoons and sec that the stuffing remains inside the joint. Put the lid on the casserole and place in a warm oven for 30 minutes. Turn the meat for another 30 minutes,: cooking in a.slightly cooler oven. Casserole of nears: Ingredients, 21b pears, .jpt. water, green colouring. 6 dessertspootisfnl sugar, 6 cloves, desiccated coconut. Earthenware cookers are especially suitable for fruit because the acids cannot act upon the earthenware. Peel and quarter the pears; take out the pips and cores Place the quarters in a casserole with the water, sugar and cloves, and put in a moderate oven for one hour-. Remove from cooker, add a few drops of green colouring and scatter desiccated coconut over the surface. HOUSEKEEPING.

■ About the house. —Should an aluminium saucepan get burnt while cooking. boil an onion in it. The burnt food will rise to the top like 6cum, leaving the pan clean. Wire mattresses are easily cleaned by using a bicycle pump. Also run a lighted candle along the rolled wire edges and it will burn the fluff that collects. Loose covers get soiled where the arms rest. Make a square just to fit the soiled part, fix it with press studs, take off when soiled, wash and replace. This saves washing the whole cover. Clean parchment lampshades by rubbing- them all over with fine oatmeal, using cottonwool. Renew the cottonwool when soiled. After turpentine li.as been used for removing grease-marks on carpets, rub with a dry duster or +he dust will stick to the patch. If wallpaper has to bo

patched to hide a stain or injury, tear the paper irregularly; the edges will be less noticeable than those of a rectangular piece. GENERAL. Leaves And Plants.—Those of you who have children will find a wonderful holiday pastime in collecting leaves and plants, and if you do happen to include flowers, gather only those that are just opening. You will know, of course, that you must not carry specimens home in your hot hands, and the best plan is to have a tin box with a well-fitting lid and some damp moss at the bottom. Then directly you reach home, or the place where you happen to be staying, put your plants or leaves in a vase or jug of water—rainwater for preference. The whole idea of preserving specimens is gradually to squeeze out the moisture, and this is most easily done on sheets of stiff cartridgepaper, which you can buy from any stationers. Have the sheets about ten inches by sixteen inches and cut many sheets of old newspaper of the same size. Now take your specimens from the vase or jug and shake them well to get rid of superfluous water. Next, arrange the subject effectively on a sheet of the cartridge-paper, placing flowers and foilago in as natural a position as possible, and then put another sheet of cartridge-paper on top. You may make up several pairs of thick cartridge-paper at a time, putting between each pair abo*it a dozen sheets of the newspaper. When ready, stand the whole pile on a table, with sqmo large books or heavy weights on top. Every day for about a week change the cartridge-paper sheets, putting those of the previous day aside to dry so that they may be used again, and by that time your specimens mould be finished. For mounting leaves and flowers I have always found newspaper-cutting hooks excellent. Get into the habit of moving your specimens with metal tweezers and not with your fingers, and do the mounting with thin strips of transparent paper, such as that sold in reels.