WOMEN AND THE HOME

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18780, 8 June 1929, Page 22 (Supplement)

WOMEN AND THE HOME

FROM A PARISIENNE’S NOTEBOOK. (By YVONNE RODIER.) Outstanding features of the forthcoming mode include bolero jackets, three-quarter-length coats, skirts that cover the knees by day and are long for evening wear, long panels dividing favour with a pronounced godet movement and normal waistlines! There are charming tailored suits, as well as tailor-made dresses. Little check patterns prevail in brown and beige, black and white, and grey and white. Skirts are made with fitting hips and pleated flounces, or deep circular hems. Some tailored costumes emphasise the shantung vogue. Other favoured materials are dull satin and lightly checked rodelic. A typical morning dress ensemble is a loose-fitting or closedrawn short coat, with neck and wrist trimmings, a circular flared skirt, and a definitely brimmed hat. Shantungs are in the natural or “holland” colour, and in white, yellow, green, grey and beige. Closely rivalling these innovations, however, is the attractive black satin ensemble worn with'soft white collar and front. Afternoon gowns of georgette and crepe de chine are made much in the style of last season, but in new colours and designs. Everything is hand-sewn. Black chiffon is still immensely popular for evening frocks. Very simple evening gowns are worn with piquailt effect beneath contrastingly elaborate wraps. Thus a net frock of softly flowing flounces, with a long, straight bodice, covered with stitching, ribbing, or tucks, no sleeves, and a beautifullycut neck-line, is worn beneath a cloak of velvet, satin, or lame, as sumptuous as the gown is simple. Ultra-feminine trends are indicated in a scarf collar of the material of the frock, edged with lace and worn with the point over the left shoulder; in bows on the back and front of a frock —large ones at the back, and smaller ones in front; likewise hip-bows; in the overwhelming prevalence of tucks and folds; in figured materials with plain coloured skirt-hems; in large cuffs and an abundance of new lingerie finishes; in collars and cuffs of white beadwork, so fine that the long beads look like lame; and in cire ribbon as a trimming to net frocks. The fact that no less than ninety yards of ribbon trimmed one alluring black net gown is eloquent of the insistence of the ribbon vogue! Such is the emphasis of the ensemble note that it has spread to shoes, and to the extent of inspiring the co-opera-tion of hosiery manufacturers and shoemakers. An extraordinarily clever “fabric calf,” simulating the finer tweeds, is now the triumphant fait accompli that can ensure the exact match of country shoes and the tweed outfit. A new skin that promises to be popular for tennis is a white grain calf, very neat-looking—and washable. Crepe de chine materialises some of the most chic evening-shoe models. There is a remarkably good shade of tobacco-brown marocain for afternoon wear. All sorts of coloured gloves for daytime wear are included in the displays, but the elegante prefers the neutral tints of beige and grey. The Parisian embroideress is running riot among the handkerchiefs. White mouchoirs are decorated with coloured flowers in point Turc or broderie Anglaise stitch. And there are others gay with stripes and spots and geometric designs in a colour contrasting with the background.

RECIPES FROM RUMANIA. (By MORA BELL.) Prajituri de Miere.—Some kind of “honey slices.” Ingredients: About Mb flour (not self-raising), 2 eggs, 2 tablespoonfuls olive oil, 2 tablespoonfuls honey, Mb * ground almonds, 3 tablespoonfuls sugar, Mb crystallised cherries (or any other crystallised fruit). Put the flour into a bowl and clear a space in the centre. Break in the eggs and add the olive oil and honey, which must first be melted. Beat these ingredients until thoroughly mixed; then, still beating, add gradually the surrounding flour until a not too stiff dough is obtained. Roll this out till it is no thicker than one-eighth of an inch. (A little less is still more effective.) Mix the almonds thoroughly with the sugar and add the cherries, which have been previously cut in halves. Sprinkle this* mixture evenly over the whole of the rolled-out dough, then cut this across the centre into two equal semi-circles. Beginning at the round part, roll each piece right up to the straight-cut edge. When finished, cut the rolls into small rhomboids, and place them in a hot oven. When halfbaked (about twenty minutes), take them out and smear over with warm melted honey. Replace in oven, the temperature of which should now be lower, and finish baking until a bright cinnamon brown. Mititei —a Rumanian entree. The literal translation of this word is “very small things”. Ingredients: Mb minced meat, about 3 cloves of garlic (each bulb of garlic is composed of a number of cloves), pepper and salt to taste. Crush the garlic, together with a little salt, until a cream is obtained. Put the meat into a bowl, add the garlic cream, salt and pepper and mix well. Take a small portion of the mixture at a time and roll in the palms of the hands to form a small, thin sau- ' sage, no longer than 2in. Grill the ' sausages for fifteen to twenty minutes

A HANDSOME BOUDOIR WRAP OF ORIENTAL DESIGN.

(they must not be allowed to become dry) and serve immediately either with potatoes or salad. In Rumania they are eaten by themselves, as an appetiser or hors d’oeuvre. If taste does not incline towards garlic, grated onion may be substituted, but the delightful flavour of the “mititei” will be somewhat diminished. AS MEN SEE US. ARE THEY SOMETIMES RIGHT? (By MADELEINE DE FREVILLE.) Many famous male novelists have’bitter things to say of the modern woman In the main they concentrate on two principal instances of offending. First, the extravagant or careless use of a man’s hard-earned cash; secondly, the rudely indifferent or shamelessly bored attitude of the supremely selfish wife towards her husband’s interests. Such pen-pictures bear the imprint of relentless truth and experience, and sometimes, at least, are duplicated in real life. Not every such wife drives her husband to suicide or lunacy by bringing him to the Bankruptcy Court but these and similar tragedies unfolded in the pages of famous fiction are, nevertheless, very nearly and dangerously approached in many an unhappy

home. The difference is that in real life such wives are apt to be deserted ere ultimate tragedy supervenes. And, more often than not, they suffer a sense of mortal injury that takes no stock of those undischarged debts of honour that have accumulated over the yearr. “I have always been a faithful wife to my husband! ” Over and over again you will hear that plea on the lips of women who consider they have done their whole duty in the observance of that one commandment. That nothing else matters. That the most appalling mismanagement of the home, that deep discourtesies, not alone of manners, but of the heart, count for nothing so long as the letter of the law is obeyed in one particular. What shorthand-typist would expect to hold her post if .she threw her notebook at her employer when he dictated her a boring and uninteresting letter? Though it sounds a reductio ad absurdum, the case is perfectly analogous to that of the wife who yawns in her husband’s face when his conversation fails to intrigue her. A HAMLET OF COLOUR. To the south-west of the Polish capital lies the country that once was known as the ancient Dukedom of Lowitz. The traveller with an eye for colour would do well to visit its villages, one of which lives continually in my memory. The long, long street ran on into what seemed infinite space, tall, multicoloured cottages flanking it on cither side. You could glimpse thatched roofs and bold red and blue cornices from behind a mass of cherry and pear trees. The curiously, carved porches stood out in the tiny courtyards, where every inch of space was turned into a flower bed. Cherry trees and briar and lilac. The rosily tinted walls of one cottage attracted us; the snow-white door stood invitingly open. So wc walked in. Home is the quintessence of all things needful to a Lowitz woman. The

husband works in the orchard, the wood and the held. The wife sees to it that his home shall gladden his heart when work is done. And she achieves miracles with paint and—paper. Thaw tiny home had two rooms and a narrow passage. The floors were covered with hand-wo veil orange and black-striped mats. The tall, handsome woman, whose dress seemed but a complement to the riot of colour inside and outside, was obviously pleased to welcome us. To the right lay her “ swietlica,” the Sunday room. The spotless white walls were covered from top to bottom with cut paper patterns, the particular handicraft of the Lowitz women. Flower garlands these were, orange and mati . e and blue, with silvermailed riders Amounted on flame-tinted orses. and rainbow-hued "birds' strutting about. In a corner, standing out in bold brown and green relief, hung a picturesque hunting scene, and bunches and prays of flowers were placed in every available space. It was a scheme whir might have been grotesque in less ..droit hands; here it looked exquisite, thanks to the unerring eye for harmony possessed by that home-bred artist. V’ congratulated the woman in our halting Polish. Her brown hand rested lovi: gly on the snow-white table, and she smiled. “You like it? Ah—but it is home and nothing is too good for home.” Outside, cherry trees swayed their fragrant branches, and the tiny courtyard gleamed in the sun—the courtyard with not an inch of space that was not converted into a flowerbed. E.M.'A. SANDWICHES OF ALL SORTS. SOME FAVOURITE FILLINGS. Finely chopped olives and cream cheese served between toast: Let the toast get cold before you put on the butter, and use only a little of the latter. Needless to say, no crusts! —for these or any other sandwiches. Scrambled egg and tomato; Use really new-laid eggs, without milk, and white bread and butter in preference to brown. Banana and cream sandwich. Brown bread in this case. Butter sparsely. Smear on a little strawberry jam before adding the sliced banana and whipped cream. Delicious for afternoon tea. Make sandwiches always at the last possible moment. If not to be served instantly, wrap in a damp cloth and put in tin with tight lid. Don’t cut off the crusts until just before serving. ABOUT MEASURES. When it’s a question of the measurement used in cookery, it's not wise to put too much faith in the ancient saying— “ A pint’s a pound The world around.” A pint may be a pound—but not always. For instance two cups (using the standard measuring cup) are equal to one pint, and two cupfuls of butter (solid) equal one pound. Yet to measure one pound of brown sugar takes two and three-quarter cupfuls. Other useful measurements are: Four cupfuls of flour equal .'. 1 lb Two cupfuls of granulated sugar equal 1 lb Two cupfuls of chopped meat equal 1 lb Two-and-a-half cupfuls of powdered sugar equal 1 lb Two cupfuls of rice equal 1 lb Nine large or ten medium eggs equal 1 lb 1 Two tablespoonfuls of butter equal 1 oz Four tablespoonfuls of flour j\ r ote—Given quantities of hour mean after sifting—not shaken down, and not as it comes from the bag. Unless otherwise stated, measurements mean “level full,” namely, evened off with edge of a knife, and not “heaping full.”

EVENING FROCKS AND THE NEW NECKLET. Summing up the evening frocks at one of the smartest dance clubs, X de- 1 cided that fifty per cent of them were j white, twenty-five per cent black, and i the rest in pale shades of green, blue,; : pink and yellow. The latter colour, I

hear, is going to be a strong favourite in the spring. As regards materials, chiffon velvet, satin, and chiffon or georgette divided the honours about equally among them. I saw very little lame, either in gold, silver or brocade, and beaded and sequined frocks seem to be rather dead, too. It isn’t the thing for your frock to glitter, just at the moment —it leaves all that to your jewellery, whether real or Parisian. The new chanel paste necklet is becoming a positive craze—almost too much to last, you would think! It’s quite short, though not a choker, and composed of large single stones, plainly set in silver. I think the secret of its huge success is that it looks so well on our beloved black velvet, especially with long paste earrings and a large buckle on the hip, which holds your skirt drapery—or anyway, looks as if it did ! HOW SHALL I MEND IT?

TIIE RIGHT WAY TO TACKLE SOME TIRESOME REPAIRS. Is there a housewife among us who has not at one time or another held up some badly damaged garment or household article with the despairing question, “How shall I mend it?” Mending problems can be very difficult and *esponsible for much worry. Their successful solution lies in knowing exactly how to tackle them when they arise. The sock and stocking problem, for instance, need never be the nightmare business that it sometimes becomes. A piece of net tacked over a big hole will make an excellent foundation for the darn, which should always l>e made in wool which has previously been shrunk. Unshrunken wool is useless, for it will only make the rent worse when the socvk is washed. The best way to treat new darning wool is to hold it in the steam of a kettle and allow it to dry slowly, before an attempt is made to use it. Glove Mending. Gloves are expensive to renew and can be mended almost imperceptibly if the mender understands her task and makes a point of using proper glover’s needles, which, together with mending silk, she can buy for a few pence at any good draper’s. A torn glove should first be buttonholed neatly with small, even stitches round its split edges. From an jld glove of matching material a strip about a quarter of an inch larger than the hole should be cut. This should be tied on to the finger and the glove drawn over in position. If the glove is of the washing type, the piece should be buttonholed firmly into place: if of unwashable material such as doeskin or reindeer, the patch can be set in with a little gum or cement. Household repairs frequently present greater difficulty than personal belongings. If linoleum weats into a hole and there are no -oddments available for patches, triangular pieces cut from the four corners / of the whole and fitted together will provide the necessary material which must be tacked down neatly with “lino brads.” A GOOD GALANTINE. (MADE OF COOKED MEAT). Ingredients.—lib of any cold meat, h pint of thick white or brown sauce, 1 teacupful of fine breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and cayenne,' a little finely grated lemon peel, a few drops of parsley juice, a grate of nutmeg, I raw egg, hard-boiled egg, a little tongue or ham, glaze. Method.—Take the cold meat, the more underdone the better, and do not hesitate to mix beef, mutton, ham, tongue, veal and poultry. See that it is entirely free from skin, Ixrne, and gristle: put it through a sharp mincing machine, mix it with the breadcrumbs and sauce, and flavour with the salt, epper, cayenne, parsley juice (squeezed from the stalks), and, if liked, the nutmeg. » Beat all together with the egg. . pread it on a lightly floured pastry•oard in a neat square shape; hardnoil an egg and slice it finely, and, if

to hand, cut a few little strips of ham or tongue; place these on the mixture and roll it up tightly. Wring out a pudding cloth in l>oiling water and flour it well; place the roll in this cloth and tie the ends, leaving room for-the galantine to swell in cooking. Cover with hot water or stock, bring to the boil, apd then cook steadily and gently for about one hour and a half. When cool, remove the cloth and paper, trim, glaze and decorate to taste. MOTHER AND HOME. Points About Shoes. Always keep shoes on trees when they are not on the feet. Never put damp shoes to dry too near a fire, as this hardens the leather. Stains on brown shoes can be removed with methylated spirits or a little lemon juice rubbed on with a soft rag. Wipe with a damp cloth and polish when dry. Suede shoes can be cleaned with a paste of fuller’s earth and methylated spirits. Rub this into the suede with a stiff nail brush, let it dry and then rub it off with a stiff brush. The shoes will then be free from shiny patches. Coloured Linen. For some time we have been familiar with coloured table-linen. Very attractive are the gay little breakfast, luncheon, and supper cloths in their cheerful blues, oranges and greens, or with their fascinating checked borders. Table napkins and tray cloths t.o match add a further touch of colour to our tables. These coloured cloths are particularly appropriate for breakfast, when most of us are in need of cheeria*. and they look well with the coloured pottery now so fashionable. Sets of table mats in white with cross-stitch or other embroidery in colour, or in linen in pretty shades, are also much in favour. The vogue for coloured linen has now extended to our bedrooms. Perhaps the fashion for nightdresses and pyjamas in pretty shades of pink and primrose, lilac and blue, green and rose, suggested coloured sheets and pillow-cases to match; anyway, coloured bed-linen is one of Fashion’s latest fancies, and very attractive it is when the shade of the bediinen harmonises well with the general colour scheme. Sheets and pillow-cases in a soft -shade of pink are much more cheerful and becoming than the ordinary white ones, and consequently of particular value to a woman who is recovering from an illness and wants cheering up. Coloured borders on white sheets are another variation of the

same idea, and towels in shades to match the bed-linen are also seen. An other new notion in sheets is to have them made of Viyella sheeting, which is delightfully soft and warm to the touch without being heavy. Sheets made of this fabric are particularly suitable for invalids, old people, suffer ers from rheumatism, and young child ren, as they never feel chilly whatevei the state of the climate. Washing Varnished Paper. To a bucket half filled with warm water add two tablespoonfuls of am monia. Wash the walls with this, without soap or soda, using a flannel to rub the walls fairly hard. Then take a pail half full of water, add two tablespoonfuls of turpentine, and wash the varnished paper again, using a chamois leather instead of a flannel to wipe the walls dry. This treatment will gi\*; the varnished paper a brilliant polish Royal Icing.—Two pounds of icing sugar, three whites of eggs, juice <»1 two lemons. The sugar must be cru>hed with a rolling-pin until quite free from lumps, then moistened with egg and lemon juice alternately until a stiff paste is formed. All the liquids may not be needed, as care must lx: taken not to have the icing too thin Beat well with a wooden spoon for fifteen minutes. Spread about one quarter of the icing all over the cake, smoothing it with a knife dipped in hot water and dried. Allow this to set before putting on the last coat. One quarter of the icing may be kept for decorating if desired. This can be pressed through forcing tulles in different shapes on the cake. Or the cake can be given a thicker coat of icing and decorated with cherries or pressed fruits. Baked Custard.—lngredients: Threequarters of a pint of milk, a good pinch of grated lemon rind, a dessertspoonful of granulated sugar, the yolks of two eggs. As baked custards do not need the whites of the eggs, this is a good dish to make also when making meringues. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar, add the lemon rind and milk. Turn into a buttered pie dish. Stand the dish in a baking tin that has a good inch of cold water in it and bake in a very moderate oven.