HOME MAKERS CORNER

White Ribbon, Volume 20, Issue 1, 1 February 1948, Page 8

HOME MAKERS CORNER

By "Lynette" KEEPING COOL

Hot weather calls for as much ingenuity in meal planning as docs cold weather, and there arc certain types of food that definitely add to our comfort and well-being on hot days. In ordinary circumstances of health, the temperature of our bodies remains the same, winter and summer, and this even temperature is maintained mainly by increased perspiration. The evaporation of mc'Sture keeps our skin cool, but our systems demand a larger intake of water to compensate for this loss. We naturally drink more, and we can also take in more water in our food by eating salads, fresh and stewed fruits, light soups, and the gelatine dishes which are so refreshing and varied. As well as losing water by perspiration, we also lose salt, and in very hot climates it is not unknown for people to become seriously ill through lack of salt. During the war, troops in the islands were given salt tablets daily to counteract possible deficiency, and though we need not go as far as this, we should recognise that wc may need more than we take in winter. Hot dishes should not be excluded entirely from our tables, and it is as well to have one hot dish for most meals, but of course, these should be on the “light” side. If you are lucky enough to own a refrigerator there are many delightful ices that can be made, and gelatine recipes set so quickly that they can be left until the eleventh hour with no sad results. Iced soups are a refreshing change that only a refrigerator can give. CUCUMBER JELLY

3 cucumbers, 4 cup cold water, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, a little green colouring, 1 tablespoon gelatine, $ cup boiling water, a few drops of onion juice, a pir.ch of salt.

Peel the cucumbers and grate them into a bowl to get both pulp and juice Put pulp through a strainer to get H cups of juice. Soften gelatine in cold water and dissolve in boiling water, and add all other ingredients. This may be set in a mould and served with salad round it, or it may be set in a shallow dish, cut into cubes and used as an ingredient in a salad. MARSHMALLOW DESSERT

2 level tablespoons gelatine, 4 egg whites, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup cold water, 1 cup sugar, a few drops of cochineal

Soften gelatine in a small saucepan with half cup of cold water. Then stir over gentle heat until dissolved. Add remaining half cup cold water and let cool. Heat the egg whites stiff and pour in gelatine very slowly, heating all the while. Add sugar and continue heating. Pour half the mixture into a howl or mould, and sprinkle with chopped nuts and sultanas or chipped chocolate. Colour the remainder of the marshmallow pink and pour on to the white layer.