FEMININE REFLECTIONS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 27, 23 April 1927, Page 7

FEMININE REFLECTIONS

MRS. PEPYS’S DIARY MONDAY.—This being a holiday and my maid Jane out at her pleasuring as is ever the way, do make with my own hand some little cheese tartlets for which Mr. Pepys hath ever a weakness. For the making of them do prepare a sauce with 2oz. of butter, 2oz. of flour, a quarter of a pint of milk, and when made add the yolks of two eggs. 2oz. of Parmesan cheese and a seasoning of pepper and salt. Now to mix all till very smooth and then to whip up the whites of your eges until they be stiff and to stir in with a light hand. To have ready some little patty pans lined with a rough puff pastry and to fill with mixture. To serve them hot in pastry balls is the way, and if any disapprove of them Mr. Pepys would

have me add that he would consider them mightily hard to please. A very pleasant thing for me to think about. TUESDAY.—Do post for the use of Mistress Bassett a very good recipe indeed for Red Currant Wine in case she hath a crop warranting her making it, and for this do write her that for every gallon of water she must take one gallon of currants off the stalks, then to bruise them well and let them to stand over night. The next morning to wash them well with her hands and to strain through a hair sieve. To every gallon'of the liquor to add four pounds of sugar and that done to rinse out her cask well with brandy and to strain her liquor again when putting it in, this to enable her bo see whether the sugar be dissolved or no. Lastly to lay the bung but lightly on and to stop it up securely in ten days. If she W'ill d.o this I promise her a wine very worthy of the trouble she hath taken. WEDNESDAY.—Do instruct my maid Jane how she must remove from her frying-pan all odour of onion or fish by scalding the same after frying of them with a little vinegar first and then to wash with thoroughness in the usual way. This because she hath served for an eating eggs flavoured to spoil them with what she hath last fried in her pan and so caused Mr. Pepys to show his ill humour very naughtily on occasions. Also do caution her to use for her omelet making none other than the pan I have bought her for that purpose. This she promises me she will faithfully perform and I pray God it may be so. THURSDAY.—To lunch this day with Mistress Towne at her club, she looking very fine in her new tunicdress of printed crepe, the colours of it dull reds and greens on a dark background of blue, and this dress having a long straight tunic to well below her hips and then a flounce eased on at the sides to make a little fullness, but slit in the front to show the underskirt (tight) of plain dark blue. The round neck and the short sleeves and the edge of the tunic all bound alike with the dark blue, and she being thin as a hat-pin (almost) by dint of eating no breakfast and very little at other times looking very well in it I thought. Wherein she agreed with me I believe. FRIDAY.—A letter by the post this morning from Mr. Pepys’s cousin Gladys (newly married this year), who would have me write down to send her the proper relishes to accompany poultry and game, she being very fearful of serving the wrong thing, having never troubled herself to take notice of such matters until she now hath a house of her own, and yet is loath to seek information of her mother whilst she crow over her, which she is like enough to do. Do write her, therefore, to serve with boiled chicken, bread or egg sauce; with roast turkey cranberry sauce, with boiled turkey oyster sauce, with venison, wild duck and game currant jelly sauce; with small roast birds, bread sauce, and wild poultry and boiled fish, oyster sauce. With which I hope the wretch will be satisfied. SATURDAY. —For our eating on the Lord’s day do prepare a very good strawberry short cake, the manner of it to mix two cupfuls of flour with two teaspoonfuls of baking powder, half a teaspoonful of salt and two teaspoonfuls of sugar, and to sift the whole of them twice; now to work into them one-quarter of a cup of butter with your fingers and to add threequarters of a cup of milk, but this to do gently. Toss your mixture, divide into two portions, pat into a fair shape and roll out. Bake in two layers one upon the other with butter spread between, and when all should be cold open with a knife. Sweeten your strawberries to your taste, crush them a little and put them between your short cake and also on the top of it.

Lastly to cover all with whipped cream sweetened and (if you like it; flavoured with vanilla. For your cream half a pint should suffice you and to it add a-quarter cup of milk and beat till it be stiff with your egg-beater; a-quarter cup caster sugar should sweeten it and a-quarter teaspoonful of vanilla to flavour it. but when you have added your cream you must serve all at once. And so to bed to prepare for a new week. FACIAL MASSAGE AMATEUR BEAUTY DOCTOR Massage as a/' means of beautifying the complexion and preserving or improving the contour of the face is employed by professional specialists with great success, but when the amateur starts treating her face the results are seldom as beneficial. She may use the same cream and the same lotion, but as she seldom uses the same movements she fails to achieve the same results. The amateur at facial massage should remember that the object of the treatment is to stimulate the muscles and blood-vessels beneath the skin, not to bruise or stretch it. Therefore the massage must be gentle and should consist largely of pinching with the thmub and middle finger. This is especially the treatment for sunken cheeks, and hollows around the base and at the sides of the throat, especialy when the latter is showing signs of the passing of the years. When the massage is intended chiefly to raise the drooping muscles of the upper portions of the cheeks and correct the line which is sometimes found forming across the cheekbone the first, second and third fingers should be used. Place these firmly on the cheek on a level with the side of the nose and quite close to it. Work in smAll circles about the size of a penny, working round and round with an upward movement. Carry the massage right across the cheek to the roots of the hair. Then start again, half an inch lower, and follow the same method light across the cheek. Continue till the whole cheek has been treated. It is best to use the three fingers of both hands, treating both sides of the face at the same time. Then treat forehead, using both hands. Start in the middle over the nose and work close to the eyebrows till the roots of the hair at the side have been reached. Commence again, starting from the middle of the forehead, but half an inch higher, and continue till the whole forehead has been treated. A good massage cream should be used, and the fingers dipped into it from time to time as required. After ti-eatment, if the skin is inclined to be flabby, wipe off all the cream, and sponge the face and throat with very cold w .ter, to which a teaspoonful of simple tincture of benzoin has been added (a teaspoonful to a quart of cold water).

TWO SAUCES

ART IN THE MAKING Hollandaise Sauce is served with the more expensive fish, such as salmon, turbot, sole, but may also be used with cod or halibut. It requires care in the making, as if the sauce boils it curdles, therefore it should be made in a pan stnding in another pan containing hot water, or in a “bain marie.” Put the yolks of two eggs into the pan with Joz. of butter, place the pan in the outer one containing the hot water, and stir over low heat with a wooden spoon, as if mixing mayonnaise. Gradually stir in 25 more ounces of butter, bit by bit. If the water in the outer pan becomes too hot add a little cold water. If the sauce thickens too much, thin it with one or two teaspoonfuls of hot (not boiling) water. Remove it from the fire, and season it with s-alt, pepper, and a tablespoonful of vinegar or lemon juice. Piquante Sauce.—Brown two small chopped onions, 1 sliced carrot, and turnip in an ounce of butter, add an ounce of flour and brown, then stir in 5 pint of brown stock or gravy and 5 gill of vinegar. Add a bunch of herbs and a teaspoonful of chopped capers, salt and pepper. Stir until boiling, simmer for 10 minutes, strain through a fine sieve, re-heat, and add a chopped gherkin. Serve with any fish inclined to lack flavour, or with boiled mutton or veal.

SEEN AT A DRESS SHOW Gaily patterned silk handkerchiefs are worn knotted on one shoulder, and allowed to fall in a deep point on the other. This fashion is not universally becoming; it has a “fancy dress” suggestion. * * * Skin coats and trimmings are very much in evidence. Kasha coats have collar, revers, belt, and pockets of calfskin. A blue leather motoring coat, had calf-skin for its lining. * * * “Cleopatra” seemed an appropriate name for a very “slinky” coat of snakeskin. These skin coats have a practical value in showery weather. A green-and-white skin suit, showing a pattern with a big leaf effect, proved to be of printed suede. * * * Green gazelda and tweed composed a very effective golf suit, the suede being used for the coat. * * * Beige, crepe de chine, and angora made a light and charming jumper suit, and another morning two-piece which won much appreciation was of wine-coloured stockinette and crepe de chine finished with gold bands. * * * Afternoon frocks are sometimes permitted to be nearly sleeveless; one frock showed the sleeve we have not seen for some years, i.e., the one that finishes midway between shoulder and elbow. * * * Narrow coloured bindings, with small buttons to match them, are a trimming frequently seen on day frocks. Silver and gold are both used in this way, and the narrow silver or gold belt is a favourite finish. NOVEL DRESS ACCESSORIES Faded flowers are smarter than the fresh blossoms that we have been patronising. They are slightly broken and brown round the petals and have an altogether passe and dejected air. It has to be a manufactured tiredness. I may add, for a really worn-out flower, in comparison, is no good. * * * Scarves are extraordinarily popular. They are even arriving at the stage where our hats are again made to match them. * * * Handkerchiefs vie in popularity with scarves. While the latter stick strictly to colour effects and are a little stiff and cravat-like in shape, the former are soft and are either patterned dll over or given a widely designed border * * * Rubberised crepe de chine, patterned in serpent grain, is the most up-to date idea for becoming umbrellas, which are sometimes made square. * * * The latest idea in hatpins consists of a double affair of cornelian and jade. They stand up in the front of the hat something like signposts. * * * Shagreen buttons, in a shade matching the frock, are the latest idea, both for decorative and utilitarian purposes.

WASHING A SHETLAND SHAWL A baby’s Shetland shawl needs very careful laundering if it is not to shrink nor yet lose its fine lace-like appearance. Squeeze gently in good soap flake lather, and to the final rinsing water add a little hot water starch, about half a pint of starch to half a gallon of water. Put through the wringer without twisting. To dry, carefully pull the shawl into shape, tack it on to an old sheet or similar foundation and peg out fixed on the sheet. This will keep it in shape and prevent shrinking. A USEFUL HINT When the front door key turns stiffly dip a quill into a little thin machine oil and apply it to the lock. This will supply all the lubrication necessary. Old muslin curtains are splendid for making bags in which to tie spices or herbs for flavouring soups and stews; also, if the meshes are not too large, they will be found to be the very thing for straining sauces and gravies. The curtains must first be well boiled to free them from starch