WOMAN'S WORLD.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXV, Issue 10016, 5 December 1908, Page 4 (Supplement)

WOMAN'S WORLD.

SUPERFLUOUS APOLOGIES. How many women exist who are sufficiently well poised to avoid apologising where apologies are usual, but quite unnecessary. Most of us so uiiilei'\alae our self-i\.spect, and so desire to impress others, that we often make excuses for doing even our duty, especially when that duty takes the form of work which is popularly supposed to be inferior, Wiiire is the woman who would not .apologise if an unexpected caller iound her scrubbing the back door steps? There are even women who will apologise lor their appearance while stove-cieaning. I once went eamassing for help lor 'a hospital ball (says an Australian writer). Naturally C did most of the calling in the mornings, as I found that responsible persons were so often out in the afternoon. Almost without exception where a woman did her own work she apologised for her appearance. It became quite ludicrous, and I took to speculating on what form the apology would take as I knocked at each ■ door. I was usually asked in. If 1 did enter the state of the rooms was made the subject of excuses, v. hy the very necessary process of sweeping or airing bedding or having mats out for their accustomed shaking should be a- matter for apology I have never been able to discover. If apology is needed it should come from the casual caller, who breaks in upon the sacred "daily round." When people are asked for a specified time it is taken for granted that all due preparations will be made for their visit, and in that case if any untoward event prevents a hostess from being ready to receive her guests an apology is not out of place. But it is quite ridiculous to apologise to the unexpected caller who finds you doing your washing. TO WASH MUSLIN Delicate lawns and muslin dresses are so frequently spoiled by bad washing, the colors of fine fabrics yielding so readily to the action of soap, that it is well to know a method of cleaning the most delicate fabric and imparting to it the appearance of newness. Take about two quarts of wheat bran, and boil it half an ■ hour in soft water. After it has cooled strain it, and pour the liquid in the fresh water in which the dress is to be washed. Use tno soap. One rinsing- alone is required, and no starth. The bran water not only removes the dirt and ensures against change of color, but gives the fabric a pleasanter stiffness than any preparation of starch. If the gathers are drawn from the skirt and sleeves the dress will iron better, and will appear when so prepared as fresh as new. RECIPES AND HINTS. i • Rice Broth.—Put in a saucepan one pound of beef and a quart and a-half of cold water. Let it come very slowly to the bb.il, then skim carefully. When ithas simmered for an hour add two ounces of whole rice, and boil it gently for two hours loneer. Remove all the fat, add a tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, and serve. Jellied Tongue.—Boil a tongue, and when cold place it in a mould. Into a pint of seasoned and heated beef stock stir half an ounce of soaked gelatine, and when this is dissolved pour the stock around the tongue in the mould. When cool, set on the ice, until the jelly id very firm: Tomato Timbales.—Three whole eggs, yolks' of four eggs, one half-teaspoonfui salt., one teaspoonful of. sugar, quarter teaspoonful baking soda, half-teaspooiiful onion juice, one gill of cream, one and a-half gills of tomato puree. Add soda to the tomato. Beat the egg and add the cream, seasoning and tomato. Turn into buttered timbale moulds and poach till firm.' Place the moulds in a pan lined with several folds of paper and surround them : \vith boiling water, keeping the oven at moderate heat so that the water shall not boil after the moulds are placed in the oven. Turn from the moulds and serve with cream sauce. Stuffed Eggs.—Boil four eggs until they are hard, and let them get cold; then, after removing the shells, cut the eggs in half lengthways, take out the yolks and

pound them with a small piece of butter, and add a teaspoonful of cnopped pa.rstey, a very little cooked onion, finely minced, and two tablespoonfuks of white breadcrumbs, which nave been .soaked in boiling milk and then squeezed so-' that iio superfluous moisture remains. .Season the egg mixture with celery, salt; and pepper, and rill the whites of the eggs with it, and put them into a buttered pie-dish. Have ready about hall' a pint of thick white sauce, to which two uiblespooniuls of grated cheese have been iui-ucd ; scatter some browned breadcrumbs over the top, and bake in a hot oven lor from 15 to 20 minutes. .Date Cake.—lib of flour, ilb butter, 4 eggs; 'lb dates, daric brown sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder. Stone the. dates, chop up' finely half the quantity, and mix them with the flour, which must be previously dried, and then add the sugar and (unehopped) dates, mixing thoroughly. Beat the yolks and. white of eggs separately hrst, and tuen together,, and having also beaten the butter to a cream,, add in the mixture of flour, baking_ powder, sugar and dates by handfuls, stirring all the time. liake in a moderate oven in paper-lined tin. College Pudding.—Half-pound of flour, suet, i'lb sugar, currants, the rind of one lemon, one egg, 2oz of breadcrumbs, J* gill of milk. Steam one hour, serve with white sauce. This has been tested. Sponge Roll.—Two eggs, 3oz sugar, 2oz flour, 'pinch of baking powder, jam. Whisk eggs and sugar together over stove; when warm, take back to table, and whisk until quite cold, thick, and frothy, then sift quickly in flour and. baking powder,, spread on greased tin, and bake for five minutes ; take from oven, and spread on, jam ; roll immediately. Another (cheap but _ very good sponge)— Two eggs, their weight in castor sugar, 3oz self-raising flour; mix well together. Well butter two flat tins, spread the mixture over these. Time to bake, 15 minutes. Spread one-half with strawberry jam and place the other half on top : sift castor sugar over. Banana Blanc Mange. Take one quart of new milk, two ounces of cornflour, two bananas, the yolks of two eggs, and a flavoring of vanilla. Rub the cornflour to a smooth paste, with a little cold milk. Boil, the remainder of the milk with the vanilla- and the sugar, then add the cornflour, stirring constantly. Carefully incorporate the yolks of the eggs with the boiling mixture. Cook for five or ten minutes, still stirring. Peel the bananas, cut them in thin slices, and mix them with the other ingredients. Cool slisrhtly, and pour into a buttered mould, which is more attractive when decorated with a few strips of bananas and some maraschino cherries. If the outside-of the mould is to be ornamented with banana, it should not be taken from tte moulding case until time for serving. Fruit Lemonade.—This can be made from any kind of fresh juicy / fruit, and suggests a good method of using up fruit which is likely to deteriorate if kept longer until required for eating. Half a pound of fruit must be crushed with a fork, and mixed: with the juice of two lemons and about, three ounces or less of sugar, according to the sweetness. of the fruit used. The lemon flavor may be enriched by the addition of a few lumps of sugar which have been rubbed on the yellow rind of a lemon. A pint of boiling water must then be poured over, and the jug covered down and left for an hour or two. Cold water, bruising the quantity up to about two and a-half pints, should be added when the lemonade is required. The fruit used may be mixed, including whenever possible a few strawberries, and the beverage is improved by- being cooled on ice. Chocolate Caramels. —Take two cups of granulated sugar, half cup of milk, two ounces of butter, and three ounces of grated unsweetened chocolate. Place in a saucepan over the fire and boil to a crack. Then add one tablespoonful of vanilla, and pour in shallow buttered pans. When cool out into squares and wrap in buttered or wax paper. In cleaning parquet floors, grease or oil of any sort should never be used, as thev penetrate the wood little by little, until after a few applications it is streaked with stains. When' the surface gets at all streaked wax of the oonsis-

tency of lard should be need, applied with a soft woollen rag after the floor has been thoroughly swept, and then well polished. There is no better tonic for the hair than sunshine. It brightens it and strengthens its growth. Kemove all pins and comb the hair, letting it hang loosely over the shoulders, then sit in the sun for half an hour. To make old black 6ilk look like new, dip the pieces individually in cold water. Don't wring them, but put them dripping wet on a Hat, broad wooden table; smooth them out carefully with a small cloth. Be sure not to leave any wrinkles. In half an hour remove the silk from the table, and it will have the lustre of new silk. Black ribbons may be treated in the same way. Colored silks and ribbons may also be renewed in like manner, provided the color will not run, which may be ascertained by testing small pieces. Braid for the edges of the skirt should always be shrunk before sewing on, as if not it is liable to shrink when the skirt is worn, and causes the edge of the skirt to pucker into little wrinkles all round. Fold the braid evenly into about quarter-yard folds, place in cold water, let it remain all night. Next morning squeeze out the water as much as possible without crumpling the braid, then hang it up to dry. When dry it may be ironed on the wrong side, if necessary, to remove creases. Keeping a list of things not in common use will save searching for something needed and: known to have been put away safely somewhere. A .little book kept in your desk, in which is written just where these "put away" things are kept, will be the means of avoiding much trouble. Where curtains have shrunk after washing and are to be fastened at top and bottom with rods, run the rod through the top hem and fasten securely; then dampen the fabric with a wet sponge or clean cloth and you will be able to fasten the lower rod ; let the materials dry on the rods.