Domestic

New Zealand Tablet, 9 July 1908, Page 33

Domestic

A Cup of Good Coffee

A New Use For Old Corks.

To Save Potatoes and Time

An Overturned Lamp,

By MAUREEN

Stains on Enamelled Ware.

It is impossible to keep enamelled ware in general use free from stains, but they can easily be removed. Fill the pan or bowl with water, and add to it a piece of potash. Let this remain standing for a little while, then pour the water away, and wash the vessel, and the stains will disappear.

Don't throw away your old corks; save them up, and when you have an accumulation cut them into ' uniform size, and sqneeze them through a rather fine wire netting — the holes should be just large enough to hold the corks tightly in their centres — and a warm comfortable mat for the bathroom will be the result. The corks must be quite level and the wire netting cut to the size of mat required. Put a narrow band of leather round the outer ring, with a brass-headed nail at each sixth cork, which will keep the square compact. This mat will be found very soft and warm to the bare feet.

By peeling potatoes a good deal of the nutriment is wasted; but this method is generally preferred to removing the skins after boiling as being the speediest. The following way will save in both directions : — Wash potatoes thoroughly, and then remove a narrow "rim of skin right round from top to bottom, leaving the sides covered. Boil or steam them as usual, and when cooked take off the left-on skin. It will be very easily done, hardly anything will be thrown away, the nourishment of the potatoes will be retained, and the trouble of paring them will be nothing.

Many lives are lost through the overturning of lamps, and everyone should know how to extinguish burning oil. Water must never be used, for it carries the oil further and spreads the flame. Milk is excellent for extinguishing the flame, and a little of it may do all that is needed. In any case, it must be remembered that the thing to do is to smother the flames, which may be done by throwing down sand, flour, or woollen rugs at once. The point is to act quickly, for it is a case when one cannot make up for lost time. A quantity of sand kept in an outhouse is a most useful thing for many purposes, and in case of fire it will be found invaluable.

A cup of really good coffee, though a simple thing to make, is more difficult to obtain than people think. Of course, no well-regulated household buys the supply of family coffee in the state which is known as 'ground.' Ground coffee may sometimes" be necessary in . the exigencies of chance and changes, but it is to be tolerated only when it cannot be helped. To get a good cup of coffee, buy the berries whole, and see that they are properly browned. It is belter to buy them in the roasted state, because the green berries, if kept long in stock, lose their strength. When the coffee is to be made, grind just enough for one pot of coffee. Usually a small tablespoonful is a fair allowance for each cup of the beverage. Put the coffee in a bowl and set it upon the back of the stove, where it will get very hot without burning. Pour the necessary amount of hot water in the coffee-pot, and set it on the stove until it actually bubbles. While the water is dancing with the heat and the steam is pouring out of the coffee-pot stir in the coffee, which by this time has become very hot on the back of the stove. Cover closely and let simmer ten minutes and allow time to settle before pouring, off. Coffee made in this way -will be found delicious. He tried Port Hacking after fish, But only caught a cold. He said, •' Atchoo ! By jove, I wish I'd done as I was told. This is indeed * Hacking cough. Good name it's got, I'm sure !' But next day he was right' enough , Through Wocds' Great Peppermint Cure.