HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3993, 23 September 1930, Page 60

HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS.

Nutshells are useful in helping to revive a fire, particularly the shells of Brazil nuts. The stones of plums, greengages, etc., may be used for the same purpose, and should be dried and saved instead of being thrown away. Orange peel can also be used in this way. All these may be kept, in small ornamental bag; they are quite inodorous when dry. Used matches can be used the same way.

Old stockings are excellent rubbers for polishing furniture, floors, and brass plates. Old pieces of serge, etc., can be used to make cloths for use in washing bathroom floors, window-sills, etc.

To make bread crumbs quickly, cut the soft part from the stale loaf of bread and tie up in a soft muslin bag. Then gently rub it with the hands for a few minutes.

Lemons can be kept quite fresh for a long time if you wrap each in two or three layers of tissue paper, and put them in a string bag and suspend it on a hook in a dry place.

Rusty knives can be renewed by being plunged up to the hilt in garden soil, left for a couple of hours or so, rubbed well with damp towel dipped in ashes, then cleaned and usual.

The soles of babies indoor slippers should be rubbed from time to time with sandpaper to roughen them. This will save them many a fall on the shiny lino or boards.

If a little alum be added to a waterstain, it will considerably brighten up the colour of the finished surface. Remember that end grain takes a darker stain than plank-way of the grain; it is therefore important that the stain should be slightly weakened when staining the ends of shelves.

One of the neatest ways to keep your lingerie shoulder straps from slipping is to give each frock its own shoulder strap. All this means is a few inches of tape or self-coloured material. Lay this across the underside of the dress shoulder seam, sewing down the end nearest the sleeve. The other end you pass under all your shoulder straps, and slip to the seam about an inch from the neck with a small press-stud. This save you the endless annoyance of your straps slipping, and the untidy appearance when wearing sleeveless dresses.

How many girls and women do really nice fancywork and yet neglect to give it the finishing touches that really make it.” I have seen pieces of needlework, beautifully embroidered—put away just as left off working—soiled, the ends from the crochet edge left hanging; and unpressed (says an exchange). Take one of these pieces, try the following instructions and see what a difference it makes. Always tidy off all ends, anil if soiled (it is very hard to keep work quite clean) wash in warm, soapy water, and rinse in clear water. Place work wrong way up on a towel and press' with a hot iron. If it does not need washing place on a towel wrong way up and press over a damp rag. Coloured work, crash and poplin should be done this wav also.

On very good authority I know this is how one of our leading needlework phops in the city do their finishing, and their work is beautiful, admired by all. Try it; and see does it not improve your work 100 per cent. Do not starch work the first time it is done'up; and also do not hang on the line. Small pieces, treated as mentioned above, is all it needs. While larger ones; such as supper cloths or pillow-shams merely require to be rolled in a towel for about half an hour and then pressed.

A simple cement for mending broken china, cups or jugs, can be used without fear of coming apart. Buy a tube of *' Flake White,” which is used for penpainting, and smear a little on the broken edge; join carefully, wiping away any surplus, and put the article away for several weeks to harden, the longer the better, and for strength it is as good as new.

* ¥ ¥ If the sewing machine works badly, ppen it up and see if bits of fluff have collected under the plate, if so, clean them out. If the needle keeps on slipping, take it out and see if it is placed in correctly, the flat side of the needle (should go against the screw. To clean the machine that is working heavily, fill your oilcan with paraflin oil and oil the machine in the usual holes. Then put the machine near the fire, and leave for two or three hours. At the end of that time you will find that the oil has worked out, but that it is now black and full of grit. Wipe the machine carefully and oil with proper machine oil. Paraffin oil or salad oil must never be used for oiling the machine in the ordinary 'way. ¥ ¥ *

A pinch of soda in the blacklead, and mixed with vinegar, makes a nice polish,

but, better still, methylated spirits, mixed with the blacklead and used when the stove is cold, of course; afterwards polish with a velvet pad. ¥ ¥ ¥ Don’t destroy silk stockings that have got beyond wearing. Split them open along the back seam, and join four or five together, and you have a splendid polishing cloth for floors or furniture or the motor car.

HOME INTERESTS.

ROLLED SANDWICHES. Fresh bread must be used, and cut with a very sharp knife. Cut the crust from the top of a fresh loaf. Turn the loaf on its side, and cut slices one-third of an inch in thickness. Remove the crusts, spread one side of each slice with butter. Roll tightly from side to side as in a Swiss roll, and cut in slices. I might say, also, that the slices are delicious when spread with grated cheese mixed to a paste with salad dressing, and spread on top of the butter before rolling. CHOCOLATE MERINGUES. Take half a cupful of powdered chocolate or cocoa, half a cupful of white sugar, the whites of three eggs. Beat eggs to a stiff froth, mix the cocoa and sugar together, and stir into the egg with fork. Drop spoonfuls of mixture on to a greased slide, and cook in a very slow oven for 10 minutes NUT BISCUITS. Required : Two and a-half ounces butter, 3oz sugar. Beat to a cream, add yolks of two eggs. Beat well, add three drops almond essence, and stir in 4oz of self-raising flour. Put tiny pieces on buttered tin with an almond on each piece. ARROWROOT SPONGE. Beat half cup sugar with three eggs for 20 minutes. Then stir in one tablespoon flour sifted with two tablespoons arrowroot, one teaspoon cream of tartar, halt teaspoon bicarbonate soda. Bake in moderate oven about 20 minutes. Filling.—Beat four tablespoons icing sugar, one tablespoon butter, and one teaspoon milk to a cream. Flavour with a little vanilla. EGG BOULLON. Put the yolk of an egg into a small basin, beat it a little (not very “frothy”), add a very tiny grating of nutmeg, and pour in very slowly half a pint of almost boiling beef tea. Serve in a dainty bowl. A VERY NOURISHING BROTH. A-quarter pint of mutton or chicken broth, one yolk egg, two or three tablespoons cream, seasoning. Put the strained broth in a saucepan ; make it hot, not boiling. Beat up the yolk, add the cream to it. Put yolk and cream into the broth. Mix well and season carefully, and reheat for a few minutes over water to remove the raw taste of the egg. N.B.—Beef tea or any meat stock may be used instead of the broth. GRILLED FISH. Prepare fish, fillet or remove skin. Well butter greaseproof paper—the paper butter Is wrapped in. Lay fish on. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and squeeze lemon Juice. Do this on both sides. Wrap in paper, pinning the ends. Grill on bars under the griller or in a moderate oven. Serve quickly on a very hot plate with fingers of dry or buttered toast. CHOCOLATE SPONGE ROLL. Required: One cup flour, two tablespoons grated chocolate or cocoa, teaspoon of cream of tartar. Sift together on to a plate and stand on the stove to warm. Meanwhile, beat three eggs and one cup sugar , for five minutes. Mix flour and eggs together. Have ready half cup milk (boiling), dissolve half teaspoon baking soda in milk, and add to mixture. Mix well, and pour into greased tin. Bake in moderate oven 15 minutes.

ANCHOVY PASTE. Put 21b steak in a pan (without dripping) and bake for two hours. Put through mincer three times. Take three smoked red herrings, rut in boiling water for 10 riiinut.es. Bone. Put through mincer three times. Knead the uerr.ngb, steak, buiter, and one bottle of anchovy sauce well together. Now take the steak, gravy, add one tablespoon boiling water, and add to paste. This paste is delicious and most economical. RICH BLOCK CAKE. Required : One cup butter, one cup sugar, one cup golden syrup, one cup marmalade, half cup coffee (made strong), two eggs, 11b currants, 21b sultanas, four pieces lemon peel, grate nutmeg and spice, six cups flour, two teaspoons baking powder. Cream butter and sugar together, add eggs singly, beat well, then add marmalade, syrup, and fruit and flour last. Bake slowly three hours. DELICIOUS STEAK. . Uh steak, two tablespoons of flour, half teaspoon of mustard, half teaspoon of vinegar, half teaspoonful of any sauce, one teaspoon of sugar, one teaspoon of salt, and two cups of water. Blend flour and mustard in a .water to make it smooth, then ui, ■ e • v * ne 8 ar > sauce, sugar, and salt with it m a bowl with one and a-half to two cups of water. Cut the steak in thin slices, and let it soak in this batter from iV < V?. ar J: er to a-half hour. It may soak longer 11 J 1 Grease a piedish, pour the batter ana the steak Into it, cover with buttered P a pe r (wrappings from butter are good for this), and bake in a moderate oven for one and a-half to two hours. Serve with boiled rice.