Domestic

New Zealand Tablet, 23 February 1911, Page 353

Domestic

» ■ ■ ♦ ' ■ ’■<> By MAUREEN

Devilled Tomatoes. These make an excellent summer breakfast or luncheon dish, and may be broiled over gas or a clear coal fire. Cut the tomatoes, which should be firm and fresh, in thick slices. Brush over with oil and broil quickly. Arrange on a chop platter, and pour over them a sauce made by cooking for a moment in a small saucepan two tablespoonfuls of olive oil, a saltspoonful of made mustard, three tablespoonfuls of vinegar, a saltspoonful of sugar, and a pinch of cayenne. Sachet Powder. Orris root is a,favorite choice. It gives the faint smell of a wood violet, and is by no means clogging. To make it lasting there is but one secret. A sachet of the powder remains fresh but a very short time if it is merely enclosed in a bag of muslin and laid among underlinen and. handkerchiefs. If it is baked in the oven, however, between layers of wadding, it will have a different result. Any powder can be treated on the same principle, a little being sprinkled on a square of wadding. Another piece of cotton wool over the top encloses it like a sandwich. This is baked in a quick oven for a few momentsnot long enough to singe the wool. The baked wadding can then bo divided and made into various little bags or sachets to place among linen or toilet articles. A Simple Ice-Chest. An excellent ice-chest can be made from two flower pots, choosing one larger than the other. Place the one that is smaller on the ground bottom-up, and put the plate or saucer containing the butter on the top of the inverted flower pot. Then soak the large flower pot thoroughly in water and glace this over the top of the saucer containing the butter. It should be large enough to rest on the edge of the saucer, otherwise it will interfere with .the butter. The damp flower pot will retain the moisture for a long time. To keep moist wrap round the pot a piece of cheese cloth that has been thoroughly soaked in water. As the flower pot dries it will absorb the moisture from the cloth, and will thus retain its coolness for a long time. But special attention must be paid to keep the cloth always moist. A sponge soaked in cold water and placed on top will effect this. Household Hints. The cheapest floor stain is made by dissolving permanganate of potash in warm water. Do not allow the liquid to come in contact with the hands or they, too. will be dyed dark brown. A very useful cement for china is made by stirring plaster of paris into a thick solution of gum arabic. Apply with a small brush to the broken edges, and press them firmly together. . Those who use salt generously in the sweeping of their carpets are never troubled with moths; besides, salt brightens the colors and brings out the pattern of the carpet in a most satisfactory manner. To exterminate beetles in cupboards, etc., fill up cracks and crevices with powdered borax. This should be continued until there are no signs of the pest. When clothes have become yellow from careless washing, put them into a tub, cover with sour buttermilk, and let them stand for about four days; then rinse thoroughly in warm water. Boil as you do the rest of the clothes. Sunburn. The, salt sea breeze and the sun must not be allowed to play unchecked, or they work havoc with the complexion and lessen the pleasure of a summer holiday. For a sunburnt nose, an application of starch moistened with cold water and smeared in rather a thick paste over the mflammed part will remove the redness and allay the irritation. To prevent the face from burning after a day spent in the open, instead of washing in the usual manner smear the face with a good cream and leave on if possible twenty minutes or half an hour. Wipe off completely with powder. Painful sunburn can often be smoothed by milk baths. Sour milk, buttermilk, or skim milk can be used with equally good results. Swab the face freely with the milk, and let it dry on for at least half an hour. When the sunburn has occurred in the afternoon, swab the face with hot cloths before dressing for the evening, having first rubbed on a soothing grease. At night bathe the burnt flesh freely with milk, letting it remain until morning. If the skin is blistered from sunburn, the following remedy will prove soothing and beneficial:—Make a lotion of equal parts of lime-water and linseed oil and apply with a soft cloth, renewing the lotion when the skin is dry.

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