Hints and Suggestions.

Otago Witness, Issue 2883, 23 June 1909, Page 81

Hints and Suggestions.

Beef suet s-hredded very finely into the frying pan and brought to boiling-point is far nicer than butter or dripping in which to fry ii beef or rump <-teak. When baking apples it is a good plan to cut the peel slightly round centre of apples — it saves them from breaking so much, and they look nicer when served. If orange skins are put in an oven and kept, till hard and dry, they make excellent fire lighter?. When the light is" applied they flare up, and would kindle the most obstinate fire. Nothing should be baked in the oven where bread is, whether the loaves are yeast or baking powder dough. The dough absorbs the flavour of anything else. Care fchould be taken to wipe the oven clean before tiding it for bread. To clean real lace, place it between layers of white ti&sue paper well sprinkled with calcined magnesia. Put it between leaves of a book under a heavy weight for three days. Shake off the powder, and the lace will be found quite clean. To prevent milk burning the saucepan, cover the bottom with water, and let it boil ; then add the milk, and you will never have a burnt saucepan.

One of the best varnishes -for leather is thin gum' water mixed with- an equalquantity of white of egg. If the article is likely- to be much Handled, -however, use only white of egg and water along ia equal parts. . . -- -y A good -pasta for unit inc. the differen' 1 parts «if leather may bs made as follows: Melt lib of gutta-percha, 4oz of indiarubber, 2oz of .pitch, loz of shellac, and 2oz of oil. Si.ii- them well together and apply the mixture hot. " t To clean marble nib together' well, and then pass through a sieve, £lb of powdered washing soda, and each of powdered pumice stone and powdered chalk. Mix into a x>ft paste with cold water. Cover the marble' with a coating of this mixture, Jeave for half .ah hour, and then wash off- with soap water.Rinse well in clean, cold water. If stains' on>, your mantelpiece are • caused "by smoke you can remove tlj.em,< by -.the application of a paste consisting of well-erushsd (4oz), .- powderedl chalk -(2o»),- and powdered pumice stone (2ozJ passed through' a sieve and mixecr with water. Rub_well on to the marble^ leav_e ar -quarter- of .an hour, "and T^ash. ojr with lukewarm, soa-pu.and water. litpnzed'", -lamps-; •, should be- carefullywipeafTdr" the oil"" causes the" bronzing to wear .off. Brass lamps may be cleaned with, rottenstone and sweet oil. Soap antf water are . sufficient for those which ' are lacquered, and on - no, account should these be touched with acid or soda. When lamps become foul inside,- they should be washed well with potash and water, rinsed well, then set before the fire to dry. A good and easy way to singe a chicken is to hold it over a saucer of lighted alcohol. Very little should be used at a time, howeveT, as otherwise , it flares up too much. This method is better than the old-fashioned one of using burning paper, for ifc is both cleaner and far less dangei'ous. One can mince a pound." of * suet in a few minutes if the following method is adopted. Pick all the suet from the skin, then sprinkle with -flour on a table or baking board, and roll flat. Lift the flattened pieces of suet and rub between floured hands, and ifc will be found to break down into powder. When making cake do not use newlaid eggs, as they are not the beet for this purpose. They contain too much moisture, and for this reason eggs from, a week to ten days old are better for the purpose. The albumen is stronger ancP the yolk more ' solid. The "whites" whip better, and consequently make the c"ak« It is not generally' known that a slice of lemon put into the' copper when boiling clothes- will make "them beautifully, whiter and" take all the stains out of pockethandkerchiefs and children's pinaforesCut the lemon, with the rind, into slices, and let it remain in the boiler till the clothes'are ready' to'co'me cut". Rust can be removed -from steel -fenders and fire-irons by the following method: — Take of camphor and dissolve it in a pound of lard : skim, well, and then stir in enough blacklead to give the "mixture an iron colour. Rub well into the steel, cover with a thick layer, and leave for some hours.'' Wipe off with an old linen cloth, clean with emery paper, and then aive a final rub with a woollen rag on •which a little vaseline has been smeared. The best and cheapest way of staining floors is to dissolve • an' ounce and a-half of permanganate of- potash crystals in a. gallon of water. First scrub your boards, allow them td dry well, 'knock in or remove any nail heads. Take a little putty, and fill up all holes/ Apply the stam with a soft brush, stirring it up. occasionally to prevent the colour settling at the bottom of the jar. If 'the boards are not dark enough after the first application apply another, leaving 24 hours in betwean. When they are thoroughly dry they can either be rubbed over with a little linseed oil, or, if a high polish is desired, with beeswax dissolved ;n; n turpentine. The latter, however, must bo applied with a great* deal of "elbow; grease," or the boards wili be sticky.