THE HOME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12609, 25 June 1904, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE HOME.

THE TABLE. Otstui Loaf : Cut? the top off a pan loaf, and' scoop out \ most of, the inside; ■ oil; some fresh butter, aud /. cover the inside and outside of the; bread rather liberally with it, aud .afterwards stand the l bread before a fierce, fire; to brown quickly, turning it; round several times. Scald two pints ofoysters in their own liquor; strain them; to the liquor add a little cream or rich milk, which you have seasoned with salt, pepper, cayenne {a little, butter may. be au improvement!;also); " lastly, add two eggs, well beaten. Put a layer; of oysters first into the hollow loaf, then add a layer of the mixture, more oysters, and so on until the space is filled ;. sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs, add a few pieces of butter, and brown before the fire. Just before serving garnish with tomatoes, cut into slices. .' ]';.;,. . ■

I Currant . Sponge; Press one pint of currants through a colander. Cover three teaspoonfuls of gelatine with about four tablespoonfuls of n water, soak a -minute, then stir over the fire until the gelatine is dissolved. Add half a cup of sugar to the currant juice, then -the gelatine, and when, it begins to congeal and is just a little thick stir into it the well-beaten whites of two eggs. Put in a mould, arid stand aside until perfectly cold. - * Roast Ox Heart: Well wash the heart, and trim away all the tough parts. Then make a stuffing with ooz breadcrumbs, one tablespoonful minced parsley, one dessertspoonful mixed powdered herbs, one onion, mimed; a seasoning of salt and pepper and 3oz minced suet. A tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup is an improvement. Mix all together with a .beaten egg and sufficient milk to well moisten all.; cutaway the partitions of the cells of the heart, and put in the stuffing, covering the top of the heart with greased paper. Put it into the oven and cook at the rate of twenty minutes for each pound and twenty minutes over.' The heart may be served, plain or with brown gravy. ; The dish and plates must be as hot as possible, for the heart'chills very rapidly. '•-'.'■■ ... ; s Buttered Scones: Bub 3oz ot butter into 12oz of self-raising Hour. When fine enough it should look like" wholemeal. Add a pinch of salt, |oas of castor sugar, 1 and .work if into a smooth but fairly fine dough, using for this purpose not quite half-a-pint of milk. Divide the paste- into six even-sized por-' tions, shape each into a round, and roll out on a floured board into a round flat shape. Put them on a floured baking-sheet, and bake in a moderately heated oven for about thirty minutes. When three parts ' done, brush the scones over with sweetened milk, \ and return to the oven to ; finish baking. Place the baked scones a sieve to cool. They should be used the following day if required as buttered scones. Slit each in half, toast both sides carefully, butter well, and serve hot. ' , ' ,i . V '■ " •■: HOUSEHOLD HINTS. ' ■"■ , The Art of Pouring Tea: Few hostesses understand the art of pouring tea and coffee, simple as it appears. As a rule the guest of honour is offered the first cup, which sis the weakest, and the children, if served at-all, are given the last and strongest. When it is desirable to" have all the cups of uniform strength, one should pour "a little into each, and then begin over again, reversing the order. . •- For cleaning faucets use equal parts of fine sand and salt mixed with vinegar to polish, v and when, thoroughly dry rub a lemon over it to keep from tarnishing. This will.be found an excellent remedy for cleaning allV kinds of copper pans, etc., that are used on stoves for cooking purposes. It- is worth while to recall, with the trying winds of winter upon us, that a baked lemon is an excellent remedy for hoarseness, and one often resorted to 'by singers and public speakers. The lemon is baked >■ like .an - apple, > and a : little of the heated and thickened juice squeezed over . lump sugar.. * ',"•'*' " " , 'i. A good way to clean ' lamp chimneys is to hold the palm of the' hand against one end of the i chimney and breathe into tha other, then wipe ]it carefully ; with a dry doth, whichv removes all black or other stains. After this a better polish can be given by rubbing it with a cloth moistened i with alcohol. -'. * . . '•*',..„-,' , :'; Chicken Jelly for an Invalid: To a quart of cold water add ,b»lf a raw chicken, cut tipr; finely, and let this stand for an' hour, and ; then,simmer it slowly .till the fiquor is reduced to half the quantity. Season with pepper, salt, and a little mace. Strain first through a colander into a wetted, mould. When? cold this will doubtless be acceptable to the invalid. , i, I :'. : In ironing it is advisable to, keep a small; board sprinkled with salt and water by .the side of the table. The roughness often?noticeable when • at iron has been used for, a long time may, be removed at once if * H 'is passed two or three times over the salt on the board. ' • (\ To prevent bright pans from being Mackened by smoke, rub with fat before putting them on the fire. Wash with hot J water and soda, and they will be quite bright. • THE THREE FEMININE D'S. According to' an American ladies' journal, one of the most successful < woman's clubs ; is based; on the absolute : rule that at no gathering of the members shall there be permitted any conversation >or discussion of what the club calls "the three feminine D's:" Dress, disease, and domestics. ■* The rule has been so rigidly •adhered to that even unconscious violations are now exceedingly rare. It would, indeed, be a blessing if the rule to the extent of absolutely taboo; ing the discussion of the second D might be followed in all our homes.; Whether we choose to agree or disagree with all the rest of the beliefs held by Christian Scientists, that is one aspect of the question which admits of no argument. There is by fattoo much needless discussion of our ills and ailsin public and at our home tables. Some persons seem to find a strange relish in this discussion, of their most petty ails. The simplest cold is an immediate signal for an analysis of the trouble,' and symptom by symptom, until a spirit of impatience, and almost rebellion, is ofttimes borne where there should be a feeling of sympathy. It is not fair, however, to attribute this habit solely to women. A woman has the faculty of. at least, bearing a headache without "a murmur. But preserve us from a man with a headache!,; -

■ THE DEADLY CELLULOID COMB. The danger of wearing celluloid combs was recently illustrated at Dunston-on-Tyne. A young woman, who wore in her hair the usual semi-circular comb, was reading before the kitchen fire when suddenly her head became enveloped in flames. The burns inflicted were so severe that death occurred shortly afterwards. The heat of the fire had, without doubt, ignited the comb, which was a cheap French imitation of the tortoiseshell comb. The coroner applied a match to a portion of the comb, and there shot up a long tongue of flame. He remarked that that was an object-lesson showing what danger lurked in combs of this description. The comb did not require fire to he applied to it in oreer to cause it to ignite— was sufficient. THE MANY BENEFITS OF DEEP BREATHING. ' Deep breathing—that is, taking long, full breaths right down into the lungs—cannot be practised too often in the open air, and the clearer and purer the air the deeper you should breathe. It will seem a hard task at first, but one will soon find it pleasant, and the results will be apparent in straighter shoulders, better developed chests, clearer skin, and sweeter breath. This method of breathing is the real " elixir of life," and' better than any youth-restorer in the market. In a short time you will be breathing correctly, awake or asleep. It is to be remembered that deep breathing also fills out sunken and hollow cheeks, clears the lungs, and reduces the abdomen. It is a comparatively easy task to teach children who have not acquired fixed bad habits, whose clothing admits of perfect freedom, how to breathe properly. The habit of deep breathing is formed quickly, and in normal conditions is maintained through life. The weak, who have cramped their lungs and relaxed all the breathing muscles, will find that the formation of the new habit requires persistent daily practice, but when it once is established* they will have health and vigour.