HOME HINTS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 497, 4 September 1912, Page 3

HOME HINTS.

I When making pickles boil the vinegar, and when bottled lay a small bag of mustard on the top of the pickle jars. This will prevent the vinegar from turning mouldy. When the shell of a boiled egg dries quickly when taken from the saucepan and looks dull it is fresh. I To remove grease spots from silk rub with French chalk or magnesia, (hen hold the portion which is stained near the fire. The grease will be quickly absorbed by the chalk and can be brushed off. Combs should not be washed, for the water is apt to split the teeth, An old and fairly stiff nail brush will ba found very useful for cleaning them. Work the bristles well in and out between the teeth until all the dirt and fluff are removed, and then wipe the comb carefully on a damp cloth. Butter four small cups or moulds, sprinkle with parsley, break an egg into each one, and steam until just set. Cut two tomatoes in half, put in baking pan with a small piece of butter on each, bake till tender, then place each half on a round of buttered toast. Slip an egg carefully on top of each tomato and serve on hot dish at once.

To clean the collar of coats mix a ;easpoonful of essential oil of lemon wtih a wineglasful of spirits of turpentine and keep in a tightly corked bottle. A little of this mixture should be dropped on a flannel and rubbed over the greasy portion of the coilar. To revive patent leather rub well with a sofi rag soaked in oHvm oil and milk, then polish with a soft dry brush. Cream and linseed oil mixed in equal proportions makes a very good polish also, and a little lasts for a long time. A little carbonate of soda or 15 grains of carbonate of magnesia put into a quart of milk will preserve it. Scalding by placing it in bottles or jugs in coid water and bringing it to the boil will also keep it. If the bottles are immediately corked when taken out of the boiling water the milk will keep some time, but should be used directly the bottles are uncorked. Precipitated chalk is excellent for cleaning tarnished silver. Place a little in a saucer, and add just enough liquid ammonia to moisten it. Rub this lightly over the silver, and the stains will quickly disappear. Then wash in hot suds, dry carefully, and polish with a clean chamois leather. x One can clean brass trays in the following way with great success. Well rub the tray with a piece of lemon, then with hot water and soap, and finally scrub all over with a soft brush. Wipe dry, and polish with a leather that has been slightly warmed before the fire. In a house where there is a family of girls a quantity of old kid gloves are soon gathered together. If the wrists and whole parts are cut into squares or fancy shapes of any kind and stitched on to a piece of Htrong caiico and feathei stitched round the edges, it will be found to be both a novel and useful cushion cover, as if anything is spilt on it a damp sponge will remove the stain. Drinking Water Dangers.—ln hot weather and during the time of any epidemic, particularly of water borne diseases, such as diphtheria, cholera, summer diarrhoea and typhoid fever, it is a prudent precaution to boil all drinking water. As boiled water is somewhat flat and insipid, the same safety from infection can be ensured by thj use of fruit drinks, made by pouring boiling water over a little crushed fruit and sweetening the drink to taste. Rhubarb, apples, currants and gooseberries make inexpensive summer drinks, while lemonade is appreciated at all times and is moreover useful in warding off rheumatism

Cleaning Silk Blouses. —Take an ordinary cardboard hat box, line with white paper and place a thick layer of fullers' earth at the bottom. Place the blouse upon this, and cover with another thick layer of fullers' earth. Cover with white paper and put the lid on the box, tying it down tightly. Leave for four or fivo days. Then remove from the box and shake the powder thoroughly out, when the blouse will be found to be perfectly clean. Collars, scarves, etc., may be treated in the same way.

Mildew Stains.—Mildew stains can very often be removed quite success fully in the following way:—Mix a small quantity of soft soap with the same proportion of powdered starch and salt, and the juice of a lemon. Apply this mixture to both sides of the stain with a small brush, and if possible, let the article lie on the grass all day and night until the stains have quite Disappeared. Then wash it in the usual way. Egg pudding.—Allow the weight of five eggs in flour, fine and dry, the same weight of sugar and butter. Beat the butter to a cream and well stir in the sugar, then the flour. Flavour with the zest of a lemon and six blanched and pounded almonds. Beat the yolks and the whites separately add the yolks first, then beat all well together and carefully stir in the whites. Stir all together carefully. Butter well as many cups as you may require, then half fill them, set in oven and bake about half an hour. When done allow them to stand five minutes, then turn out upon a dish, and screen with castor sugar. If liked, a cherry may be placed at the bottom of each cup before placing in the butter.

Indian Chutney.—Take two pounds of apples, peel and core them, and boil hem to a pulp in one pint and a half of vinegar, then add two pounds of moist sugar, one large onion, chopped up small, one pound of chopped raisins, three quarters of an ounce of red pepper, four ounces of crystallised ginger chopped small, a dessertspoonful of mustard, and a teaspoonful of salt. Boil all together for about twenty minutes, then place in jars and tie it down. This will