Domestic

New Zealand Tablet, 27 December 1906, Page 33

Domestic

By ' Maureen '

. • How to Get Rid of Flies. -" An entomologist .says that " the persistent use"" of oil of lavender will drive- Hies out of a lfouse, and an application to face .and hands at night, before retiring will, no matter how, many mosquitoes^li'ere may be in the bed-chamber, drive them from the^sleeper. Get " a little -oil of lavender,- mix it with.Jtlje same amount of water, jind use a small syringe to spray it-. How to^bc Comfortable- in New Boots. ' You would hardly believe that there ..'^re^-- special times and seasons for the trying on pi ;new boots. But so it is. You "need a larger pair of shoes in summer Ufan in winter, ana i-i is always best to try t'h'cm on in- the latier part of .the day.- The. feet are vthen-'-'at tlttv maximum size. Activity naturally enlarges them or makes them swell ; "much standing also tends to enlarge- -the feet. New. shoes should be tried on over^ moderately thick stockings ; then, put on a "ill-inner pair to "ease your feet if the shoes seem * to be tight. It is remarkable what a' difference the stockings make. If they are too. -large,- or -too small ,they will be nearly as uncomfortable as a pair o£ shoes that are too' tight. .New shoes can be worn with as much ease as old ones if they are stuffed to the shape of_ the ieet wioh cloth or paper and patiently sponged with ho I "water. Or, if they pinch in some particular spot," a cloth wet with hot water and .laid across the place will cause immediate and lasting- relief.. Milk. appAed once a week with a softcloth freshens and preserves boots ai*d shoes. Jam-Making. '

Plain Gooseberry dam.— Those not liking -a very sweet jam, may allow's'or 5^11) of sugar to 81b of gooseberries. The fruit should not be fully" ripe; top and:tail it, and put it in the preserving pair with a good pint . of water, let it boil without the sugar for quite half an hour, and the faster it biAls ihc belter ; it, is a mistake to boil jam slowly. * 'Put in the sugar, and boil another half-hour, stirring almost constantly. When it begins to coat the spoon it is done. - Green- gooseberries may be done in the ' same - manner, but rather more water should be, allowed. - , Red Currant Jelly.— Do not strip the currant's from their stalks, but if at all dirty they "may be washed, then dr Jined as dry as possible. . Put them a handful at a time into a piece of .cheese cloth, or strainer, ' then squeeze all the juice through with the hands. Continue " until all the fruit is squeezed, then weigh the Vice a pint of which will weigh about pound. For every pound of juice ailow £it> sugar, make this very hot in ' the oven, and it should also be broken' up small. -,Boil . -tne juice alone for abouL tuenty minutes, pour it- hot ' over the sugar, and stir till quite dissolved Turn it at once into small pots, without boiling again ' If it is nob set by the following day, stand the -*pots in the sun for a tame;- this method is generally effectual v - • Strawberry Jain.— Thfc jam is perhaps more difficult ' to make of a good colox and consistence ' than ' any other The following lecipc wift be found verV'superior • - ihe strawberries should be lar ; ;e and red, but not too ripe; pick them carefully, then throw them into a large pan of boiling water. The moment the water boils TOn strain the fruit from the" water, and leave it on' a ?t' V. '\l ° * lb S " sar l 0 each P° und of frui t. and put . ituilo the' preserving pan with rather less than 4 a At ' of the water which scalded 1 he- strawberries to the ■W , ■ ?» il the syrup ' witho^ 'stirring, until a. strong ' HnS 1 ™' ■ r °- rm b-Etw*nb -E tw * n the thu - mb «4 forefinger °ff thSTU °thPv ' , P , Ut the stl -f w berries, and? watchthem till -they. boil. When this W- the case, -turn the portions ° nCe ' POtS ' - USinR SyiUp ' aml frL<: hl «1«*