HOUSEHOLD NOTES.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 286, 22 June 1917, Page 2 (Supplement)

HOUSEHOLD NOTES.

Coal-dust mixed with salt and water will be found very useful to bank up flres.

There is nothing better than ammonia and water for removing grease spots from a carpet.

™'T,« ok '"S W'e* add a pinch of ' nnr .' L, i nn^ofi t ' ieTU tender and im-pnovo-j tho favour. \

* * " Rub the 'hands on a stick of celerv after pec bug onions, and the smell will lie entirely removed. * * *

in ?*, W ? of an when used instead of water fcr mixing mustard poultices prevents the skin from blistering.

When beating eggs be careful to seo tnat there is no grease of any kind on tho wihisk, or it will prevent the circs from frothing.

~.T° render pork sausages more digestible, thoroughly prick the sausages and plunge into boiling water for five minutes, then fry in the usual war * * # ' '

To discover whether coffee is puro sprmklo a few grains on the Mirfate of n tumbcrfiil of writer. If t»ure" they will float, hut if adulterated thrv will sink to tho bottom.

When boiling greasy soups, have the heat at one side of the saucepan. The greasy scum will then be thrown to one side and can be easily removed.

When, through putting the hands into hot soda water, the skin becomes shrunken, rub it with a little ordinary salt, and it will gradually become smooth again.

When dusting soak the duster in paraffin, then wring out <injl dry in the air. There will be no unpleasant smell, and the duster will gather up the dust easily, and give a brilliant polish to mirrors and picture glasses **#

The irritating emell of oil lamps can be mitigated in a great degree by rubbing the reservoir every day with a rag moistened with turpentine followed by a brisk polishing with a soft dry cloth.

After first removing the cork of a bottle from glue do not use it again, but in its place insert stump of an old candle. It will never exasperate you by sticking, and the glue cannot possibly spill.

For a disinfectant for a sink, pour down an gallon of boiling water mixed with two t.\bleEpoonfulß of soda and a teaspoonful of ammonia. This will dissolve all greasy matter in both sink and pipe.

To remove a oork from a bottle of gum dip tho nock of the bottle in hot water and the cork mav bo easily taken out. Another good plan, and an cas'er one, is to put oil round the cork, as this prevents it sticking.

If ink is spilt on the table-cloth, immediately melt at candle; taking acme of the tallow, spread it over the ink patch, and leave it to dry. Afterwards wash the table cloth, and all traces of ink will disappear. # # # To clean the imside of a water-bottle or any glass that is too smsU to insert the hand, put into the bottle a rim a! I quantity of tefl-leaves, poiy in about one-third of a toacupful of vinegar, shako well, empty, and tiupe with cold water. A perfectly clear glass will result. # * * There are many ways of cleaning knives, but few of them remove every stain from the blades. If you sprinkle a little bicarbonate of soda on a cork and rub briskly over the other successful plan is to rub the stain with a slice of freshly-cut potato, and then polish in the usual way. * * * Tho wise laundress knojvs that ordinary stains from fruit jutce and 1 so on may be wasncd from table linen if tho latter is placed in very hot water before any soap is used, and allowed to remain there for five or ten minutes. If these spots are stubborn, salfj? of lemon or spirit? of ammonia will probably remove them. In all cases the soiled iinen should be rinsed thoroughly l>eforc being treated with soap. * » * SWEET-MAKING.. Considering the nppreciat'oji shown for bonbons, it i* surprising that girls do not t-urn their attention o sweetmaking and show some little interest in turning out really daunt v-iooking homemade sweets.

Fondant is, o fcourse, the basis of all sortd of interesting fiweets, as it is used in combination with nuts, dates, raisins, ginger, cand'ed fruits, ana chocolate. There arc several kinds of fondant mixture, but tho simplest and most quickly-made is the unboiled fondant. This is made from confectioner's sugar, rather than the ordinary pulverised kind, which is ocarser. and white of egg. Add to the white of an egg as much cold water as could be hold by an egg-i'OielJ, and stir an tho flugar 4 which should first have Itoon sifted, until a paste is found thick enough to make into balls without sticking to the fingers.

The ch'ef fault with fondant is' In making the paste too dry. if it fioenis over-stiff, thin >t with water, stirred in gradually. A drop or two of vanilla, or a l'ttlc lemon essence or juice may bo tf-ed a.s a flavouring.

The fondant found in all French (-reruns is prepared by boiling a pound of granulated sugar with lialf a pint of cold water and a third of a toastpoonful. of eream of tartar, until it forms a :ioft ball in iced water. Do not stir the fondant while cooking, and He careful not to Ik»i1 it tco long, or it will lie "grainy" instead of creamy. Allow the mixture to cool for several minutes l«v fore 'pouring it slowly into the stifflyboa, ton iwliito,; of four eggs, TVo not. stop neating until all the sugar in. If the fondant i; too stiff, thin it, as suggested previously: hut if, on the other nand, it >s too thin, nut it back on the stove and stir until the niixure begins to thicken up, Ouo cc.ok, noted for the crcaniincss of her candies, alwavs :ets the fondant) awav for twenty-four hours More using it.

j<» tent candies that are to be brittle, cook until the mixture snaps when put into cold water.

When using nuts of nnv .sort. 111 sweet-making, oare inu-it l>o taken that, no particle of shell 's included. Tiie nuts, when shelled, must be gone over carefully in order that the cook he assured of tn-fl.