Notes For Women

Wairarapa Daily Times, 24 December 1932, Page 3

Notes For Women

Fashions, Recipes and Hints.

A Refreshing Lotion. Many people think of a bath as nothing more than a- cleansing of the skin, but actually it has a stimulating effect as well. An alternate, hot and cold shower daily is splendid for improving sallow complexions by stimulating sluggish circulations. Another refreshing bath for the early morning, employs the use of common salt. It is really a variation .of what our grandmothers used to call “the sponge bath”; that is to say, it is taken from the washbowl only. A handful of common salt is put in half a bowl of cold water and then the body is scrubbed briskly and rapidly with a stiff brush dipped in this water. For a finish each foot is plunged for a- second in the bowl and then a good rubdown follows. This treatment is really magnificent for making the skin on the whole body as smooth as satin, and it is very beneficial to those who feel drowsy and off colour in the early .morning,

Olive Oil Massage. Some people find that constant hot baths have a very drying and irritating effect upon the skin. This eondi tion should be counteracted by the use of super-fatted soaps or an oil bath. The latter, which should perhaps more correctly be called an oil massage, has been used from time immemorial by those participating in strenuous athletic sports. A warm bath should precede this massage, which should, if possible, be done by a second person. Apply the oil and work it into the skin by rubbing, kneading and patting until nearly all the oil has been absorbed. Simply greasing the surface of the skin is not sufficient. This treatment, which is very restful, is extremely good for nervous people. Another warm bath for .tired nerves and muscles can be prepared by adding loz of tincture of benzoin to Hb of salt, or merely by pouring half a pint of aromatic vinegar into the water.

A Slimming Cure. An Epsom salts bath is said to be very slimming, but to obtain the full benefit from this immersion it is necessary to roll oneself up in a blanket afterwards and get into a profuse perspiration. The amount of Epsom salts to be used should vary from fib to lib, and when obtaining them a special second grade, cheaper kind should be asked for than when they are intended for internal use. The perfumed bath, the. “luxury of luxuries,” as Voltaire .once called it, has been indulged in by people of wealth through the ages, but now, fortunately, with the advent of hath crystals this has been brought within the reach of all. They should not, however, be used too often, or too lavishly, as they tend to have a drying effect upon .the skin. For the. beauty seeker who likes to indulge in a really hix'urious bath, milk will be found a wonderful means of keeping the skin soft and white. * * * * Rather Elaborate. ■Strange and fantastic beauty baths, such as indulged in by the French women of the eighteenth century, composed of strawberries and raspberries and perfumed milk, have now perforce gone out of fashion, but the charming English bath pot-pourri still lingers amongst country dwellers. This is made as follows:—Take some lavender flowers, rose petals and any other fragrant flowers or herbs from the garden. Dry them by spreading out on paper, and then mix with an equal quantity of borax and orris root powder. Place them in dainty silk or muslin bags with ribbon attached, so that they can be suspended from the hot water tap of the bath. When the water is turned on, the bath and the whole atmosphere, of the room becomes permeated with the fragrance of the compound, which can be repeatedly used before becoming exhausted.

Washable Gloves. Chamois and doeskin gloves shrink if not kindly treated, but it is simple to produce a new pair after every wash. Lukewarm water, plenty of soapsuds, and on vour own hands, wash them by (squeezing the hands together, and just .rubbing tht’ tips of the lingers, or where they are soiled. Rinse them again in warm soapy water, squeeze out as much as you can, and then put a spot of salad oil. in the palm of each gloved hand, and then rub well over the gloves. Then remove from the hands, put them in a towel, and squeeze as much moisture out as possible. Dry in a moderate heat, and keep pulling and stretching at intervals to save shrinkage. ' * * * * Ammonia. Carpets that are faded can be brightened wonderfully and the colour restored by rubbing them with a solution of ammonia and warm water — about one part of ammonia to two of water. In addition to this it takes out. acid and grease stains, so that, the carpet looks almost new again. Varnished wallpaper which has been splashed with grease from the stove can be washed with a pailful of warm soapy water to which a tablespoonful of ammonia has been added. This will dissolve diirt or grease. Wash down the walls with a. chamois, starting at the top and working downwards, then dry with the leather wrung out of clean water, not with a cloth.

Linen and blankets that have become discoloured with repeated washings may be bleached white by soaking them in a solution made with three-quart-ers of a pint of hydrogen of tin-oxide (that sold for home purposes) and a few drops of ammonia to a gallon of watur. Steep the articles in this for half an hour, r.inse thoroughly, then dry them slowly.

HOW TO COOK ONIONS. The French ur,o a good deal of onions in their cooking, for they sa.v, and rightly, that they have useful healthgiving properties of their own. They are said to be a cure for sleeplessness and purify the blood. Here are some, simple and cheap onion recipes:— Baked Cmions. Three large onions, 3oz butter, loz flour, A gill stock, tcnspoonful salt, [ teaspoon fill popper. Skin the unions and boil for an hour. Drain them care-

fully and place in a fireproof dish. Put the butter into saucepan and stir in the Hour, then the salt and pepper. Bring this to boiling point. Pour it over the. onions and bake for an hour. „ * *■ * Onion Flitters. Six onions, parsley, flour, season with pepper and salt. Peel the onions and cut into rounds. Separate into rings. Roll them in the Hour and cook in a frying basket in deep fat. Fry until a golden brown. Drain well and decorate with ftried parsley and then serve ■on a folded napkin. * * * * Braised Onions. Four large onions, 1 pint good brown gravy, 4 ,table-spoonfuls well-seasoned cold ’moat or kidney finely chopped. Pec-1 the onions and scoop out the centres. Place them carefully in a stewpan and po-ur over the gravy. Simmer slowlv for about two hours.. '** * * Onion Soup.

Six or seven onions, 2oz butter, 1 table spoon ful flour, 1 quairt stock or mill:, If tablespoonfuls grated gruyere cheese, pepper and 1 salt to taste. Peel ehe onions and cut in thin rings. Place the butter in a stewpan and cook the onions in it until they are a delicate brown colour. Sprinkle them with the flour. Add the stock or milk and seasoning, and boil for about half an hour. Serve with gruyere cheese and thinlycut slices of toasted bread with the soup. * * * * French. Salad Dressings.

French salad dressing is particularly good and so easy to make that it should be one of the first items in every cook’s repertoire. The proportions foil- French dressing arc 1 tablespoonful vinegar (wine, tarragon or ordinary), or lemon juice, to 2 h tablespoonfuls olive oil. Also salt, pepper, a little mustard, and a little castor sugar. A great- many people dissolve the mustard and other seasonings in the vinegar or lemon juice and then add the oil. However, most people find it moire satisfactory to mix all the dry ingredients first, preferably in- a mortar, because this stays still while you stir and then add the oil gradually, stirring well all the time. You then add the vinegar or lemon juice, still stirring furiously. The result should bo a smooth blend, instead of the bath of oil with a few drops- of vinegar floating on top, which is the too frequent interpretation of this best of all dressings. Another salad dressing beloved of the French is made, with a hard-boiled egg, -i teaspoonful of made mustard, 1 tablespoonful vinegar, 2 tablespoonfuls tomato sauce, salt, pepper or paprika. Shell the egg, chop thewhite finely and scatter over the finished salad. Rub the yolk finely with a spoon, add the salt, mustard and pepper to the yolk, then stir in the vinegar or lemon juice, and add the tomato sauce last.