Household Hints.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 160, 31 May 1909, Page 4

Household Hints.

For the Stout

The woman who is over .-Uout suffers great discomfort, and is often greatly distressed because of the difficulty in getting about with ease to be reel f. Some people stem to fatten even on the most meagre fare, but, as a rule, Spartan diet will succeed in reducing fiesta; but it means considerable selfsacrifice to carry out a "staivation" diet for any length of time, for the most appetising things are denied to tbe£woman who wants to get thin. Those, however, who arc in earnest in treating themselves, may care to know of a dietary successfully followed by a woman who desired to reduce her superfluous flesh. She continued the diet for about a year and long before that time could take in her dresses -several inches. For breakfast she took bacon and fish, occasionally an egg instead, dry toast and marmalade,and tea without sugar. She absolutely forsook fresh bread and butter. For dinner she would have meat of any sort, but no vegetables, and toast instead of bread; stewed fruit, bat no milk puddings,nor did she touch ale or stout. She drank, with her dinner, a tumblerful of very hot water, and that is what she believes had a great deal to do with reducing her to more moderate proportions. At afternoon tea she took one or two thin slices of bread and butter, and a cupful of tea, hut no cakes; and for <<uppcr she had toast and meat or dry biscuits, and again hot water. Potatoes were abjored,also all pastries and suet puddings. Usually, the less that one drinks in following a thinning cure the better. The hot water treatment is strongly recommended. The water should be sipped as hot as possible, and it is advisable, therefore, to pour only a little into the tumbler at first, and keep on pouring in fresh, almost boiling, water until the tumblerful has been drunk. Most people drink hot water with an effort at first, but gradually grow to like it. What makes the drink far more pleasant is the juice of a lemon squeezed into it. Plenty of exercise should be taken by those wishing to lose flesh, but it is on diet chiefly that the cure rests, and also on limiting oneself even with the plainest foods, for quantity as well as quality counts.

Cream Pudding. One round cake. Cut the centre out, leaving a border of about one inrh round the edge. The cake should be a sponge or Madeira cake. Have some nicrly stewed fruit, fill the centre with it. and poor syrup over. Add, if possible, »»ne glnsi of sherry, but this is optional. Whip some cream and spread it with a knife round the outside of thr rake, and, if possible, decorate round the edge of the cake on top with cream, and stick some almonds in. Pour a little unwhipped cream round the dish coloured pink.

Egglcss Cake. 1 1-1 pound (lour; 1-2 pound butter; 3-1 pound sugar; 1-2 pound raisins; 1-2 pound currants: 1-2 pound figs, cut in small pieces; 1-2 pound preserved finger; one tc.is|woi>ful of carbonate of soda, mixed in about 1 11 cups of milk. Bake slowly, and keep fourteen days before using.

Daisy Cake 1-2 pound butter; one cupful of sugar; 2 1-2 cups flour; 3-4 of a cup of milk; one teaspoonful of cream tartar; 1-2 teaspoonful of carbonate of soda; fruit or seeds, and peel. Mix in the usual way. Bake one and •-half hours in a moderate oven. This makes a very good seed cake.

Vegetable Salads. 1. A crisp salad is made of cucumbers, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, and new cabbage, all cut up together, and drcscd with oil and vinegar. If the onions arc not desirable, use onion juice, or wipe the salad bowl with the cut side of a clove or garlic. 2. Finely chop enough cabbage to measure two cupsful. Add to this half as much crisp celery, one teaspoonful of minced chives, and two or three teaspoonsful of tomato catsup. Add either mayonnaise or French dressing, and serve on lettuce. 3. Boil caolifiour till tender, then cool,and cut into small pieces. Arrange it on a bed of watercress; add a little grated cheese, and serve with mayonnaise dressing.

Essence of Ginger.—Let four ounces of Jamaica ginger be well bruised, and pu into a pint of rectified spirits of wine. Let it remain a fortnight, then press and filter it. A little essence of cayenne may be added if wished.

A Hash is an excellent form in which to serve the remains of cold meat, either for the staff or customers, and no one will turn up bis nose at it if it is prepared as follows :—Ctt the meat, beef or mutton, into neat slices, free from skin and gristle. Put a large onion, finely minced, into a saucepan, and with it two ounces of butter and a tablespoonful of floor. Stir over the fire until the ingredients are smoothly mixed and browned, taking care that they do not born. Add gradually half a pint of good stock or water, and the bones and trimmings, and simmer gently until the sauce is as thick as cream. Strain it. return to the fire, put to the slices of meat, and let tbeai

remain until they are quite not,bat the sauce mast not boil after the meat is added, or the latter will be hard. A

hash may be varied by the addition of I mushoroms or tomatoes or finely mine- j ed green pickles,but these most be add- j cd to the sauce before the meat is put' in. Sippets of toast should be served ; with this dish. «' !

To Make Transfer Paper. -Melt together two ounces of tallow, a quarter of a pint of linseed oil, and half an ounce of powdered blacklead, adding sufficient lamp black to make the mixture of the consistency of cream. Take a sheet of white paper, and rub it in this mixture while hot. Leave it to dry and it will be ready for use.

This Gum will Keep Good.-Dissolve a quarter of a pound of the best gum arabic in three quarters of a pint of cold water. When quite dissolved add a teaspoonfu) of glycerine with half an ounce of honey. Strain the mixture through a flannel. The reason for addin glycerine is that it prevents the gummed paper from cracking and curling when dry. Ten dropi of oil of cloves will be a pleasant addition to the mixture.

The hovering of birds ro«ind a house has always been held a sign of misfortune in England. In light-hearted Japan, on the contrary, the shadow of a bird cast on the paper shutters betokens an approaching visitor, and so firmly is this believed that girls will invariably don their smartest costume in anticipation of the event.

One sensible fashion has come to stay, and that is the skirt of walking length for ordinary wear. Thanks to motor traffic, our streets are none too cleanly, and traces of petrol are everywhere; but the roads show quite little pools of this destructive agent,and the long skirt must be carefully and skilfully worn if it is to retain its freshness.