LADIES’ COLUMN.

Thames Star, Volume LXII, Issue 17386, 11 June 1928, Page 2

LADIES’ COLUMN.

PATIENCE. Patience is perhaps one of the most over-lauded virtues in an impatient world. It is so often offered as a passive excuse to cover a multitude of active limitations. There is no virtue in the patience that waits for the attainment of a desirable end, when an expenditure of energy to precipitate fulfilment would be more commendable. Patience that means courage in unmerited defeat is a splendid quality. But the "patience” that accepts defeat ere all its fighting resources have been exploited i s simply the vice of cowardice wearing the mask of virtue.

FRENCH “BEIGXETS.” The nearest approach to a translation of “beignet” is doughnut. But the French recipe is different from the American. The resultant product bears some sort of resemblance to the jam-centred goody, but, without wishing to upset any international ententes, my vote is for the beignet! If you would like to compare notes, this is how to set about the cooking of this delectable little French cookie: Put into a saucepan about half a pint of water, two lumps of sugar, as much butter, and a piece of orange peel. Boil for just about a minute. Remove the peel, then sprinkle in flour, stirring consistently until the mixture becomes very thick. Cook until it no longer sticks to the fingers when touched. Let it grow cold; then break in and beat as many eggs as are needed to induce the paste to drop slowly off the mixing-spoon. Take pieces the size of a nut, and drop into fast-boiling fat. Beignets are almost equally delicious eaten either hot o r cold. But the former is perhaps the rather more perfect ■bonne bouc-he. Sprinkle your hot beignets generously with castor sugar, and see how they compare with the more familiar doughnut.

PATCHING LINOLEUM

To make a neat job of patching a hole or very worn place of linoleum the old piece must first be removed. Allowing a reasonable margin round the patch, draw straight lines to form a square, or a rectangle, and using a linoleum knife, or a knife with a sharp, stiff blade, cut along the lines marked. Failing a suitable knife, an old pair of scissors, if carefully used, will do as well.

.Cutting the Patch. Cut the new patch so as to match the ‘.pattern as nearly as possible. Put the patch in the space to be filled and secure it with brads or small headless nails. As few brads as possible should ■be used and they should be inserted about an eighth of an inch from the edge of the patch. Fix the edges of the linoleum, too. Miending Small Holes. A useful method for the repair of

very small holes is to mix powdered cork with glue and press it while it is soft into the little hole to be filled. When it dries and hardens, it may be painted to match the prevailing colour in the linoleum. When new linoleum is laid, any leftover pieces, however small, should be saved for future patching on the lines desci'ibed above. Even should such oddments never be required for patching, they are very useful in the kitchen to stand saucepans, etc., on while one is dishing-up, and for any other purpose where an easily-cleaned detachable surface is desirable.

AN EXCELLENT SAVOURY. Ingredients: Quarter of a pound of Gruyere cheese, three new-laid eggs, two tablespoonsful of cream, two tablespoonsful of fine breadcrumbs, about an ounce of butter, seasoning to taste. Method: Slice half the cheese and place it in a buttered gratia dish; break the eggs on top of this, being careful to .keep them whole; season to taste with pepper and s - it, pour the cream over the eggs and cover with bread-crumbs and the other half of the cheese (grated.) Put the butter in small pieces on top and bake in a hot oven for about ten minutes. Serve very hot in the same dish. The quantities may be increased as required.

TO WHITEN WOOWORK. Natural wooden surfaces, such as kitchen table or dresser tops, quickly lose their colour when scrubbed with soap and water. Here is an effective I way of keeping them white. Buy a largish cheap tin flour-dredger and three-quarters fill it with silver sand, i Wash over the table top with cold water and a clean cloth, sprinkle Tightly with silver sand, then scrub briski ly. Rinse well with cold water, and | finally rub with a cean, dry coth. An old Turkish towel is ideal for this. THE TEAPOT TRUCE. Full many a foolish little feud the teapot truce has ended; and many a frown smoothed out with smiles when the fine aroma’s blended; while oft has the wound in an aching heart been subtly, neatly mended! The petty spites repentance rues—the swift; intolerant blunders —the misunderstanding of mien or mood ! that many a friendship sunders —van- j ish like mist on the sunlit air, when the good brew works its wonders! So let us hail the teapot truce, that makes an end of malice; and quaff the nectar of pure content, while friendship dreams and dallies; while flows the amber benison from the humble hearth-stone chalice!