EVERYDAY ECONOMIES

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 81, 27 June 1927, Page 5

EVERYDAY ECONOMIES

THE WITS-END CLUB A new novel may be selected by the winner each week as a prize for the most original household hint or recipe that has been tested and found to save time, labour or money. Many folk might be glad to have the benefit of your experience, so send in your suggestions, addressed to The Homecrafts Editor, Women’s Page, THE SUN. Auckland. The prize this week has been awarded to Mrs. Gunthorp, Epsom, for the following suggestions: ' DID YOU KNOW THESE? . If a blanc-mange or jelly is wanted to set in a hurry, put one small handful of soda and common salt in a basin of cold water, and- stand mould in this. When rhubarb is cooked there is often an earthy taste. A salt-spoon of ginger put in the rhubarb when being cooked will prevent this. Shiny marks can be removed on navy serge by the application of a solution of ammonia and water—one quart Of water to one teaspoonful of ammonia. A refreshing drink for invalids can be made by putting one tablespoonful of black currant or raspberry jam in hot water in a glass; strain, and rill with cold water. A little ice may be added if available. Less sugar is needed if. when cooking fruit, a pincch of bicarbonate of soda is added. It assists in taking out the acidity.

HELPFUL HINTS Do not throw sour milk away—a nice cream cheese can be made by adding one dessertspoon of salt to every cup of the milk, putting into a small bag, and allowing to drip for three days. Then turn out, and you will have a nice pat of cream cheese. Polish *a painted verandah when the sun is shining upon it; the work will be very easy, and the polish not look patchy. If biscuits have been left out of the tin and have become soft and flabby, place them in a moderately hot oven for a few minutes, and they will soon be dry and crisp again. When creaming butter and sugar for cakes or puddings, slightly warm the sugar, and it will cream in half the usual time, but on no account have it hot enough to “oil” the butter ... Lavender water sprinkled on the pillow and on the front of baby's clothes keeps flies away from his face. When setting jellies in summer a teaspoon of lemon juice added to the liquid will help it to set quicker and firmer. MIRRORS IN DAMP WEATHER A steamy, smeared-looking mirror is an eyesore, but difficult to avoid in a spell of damp weather, unless a little glycerine is sprinkled on the polishing duster when the lookingglasses are cleaned. Only a trace of glycerine is required, and a final polish with a dry duster will ensure the mirror keeping bright for days.

OUT-OF-THE-ORDINARY PUDDINGS

These are the recipes of a woman who, though by no means extravagant, always contrives to serve something a little out of the common in her menus.

Caramel Cream. —Make a custard with a pint of milk, two yolks of eggs, and one ounce of caster sugar. Strain in half an ounce of gelatine melted in half a gill of water. Put two ounces of loaf sugar into a pan, pour over one tablespoonful of lemon juice, and stir over the fire until the sugar becomes brown; add two tablespoonfuls of water, and when the sugar has dissolved completely bring to the boil. Cool slightly, then stir this caramel into the custard. When cold, fold in one gill of whipped cream and the stiffly-whipped whites of the eggs. Put into custard glasses or ramakin cases and leave until set. A cheaper cream may be made by using unsweetened condensed milk in place of cream. Add this to the custard with the caramel. Jelly Creams. —Just melt a gill of red or black currant, apple, or crab apple jelly. Stir it into a pint of cream, and whisk to a froth. Stir in gently about a 4 teaspoonful of lemon juice. Serve in custard or wine glasses, and hard sponge fingers. Colour with carmine or cochineal if necessary. Sieved strawberry or raspberry jam may replace the jelly. A CHAIR FOR MOTHERS Unless baby has a nu-rsei-y there is always the tendency tor his toilet etceteras to become scattered. But if the nursery is a minus quantity, most mothers can indulge in a nursery chair which houses much of baby’s equipment, yet at the same time has the appearance of an ordinary dining room chair. It is of polished wood, and has a leather seat. By releasing a safety catch the chair COULD YOU TOO USE MORE MONEY? Greater income up to £5 to £lO a month tor easy spare-time work and £lO or £2O for full-time —more of the little luxuries in life —and for women a degree of financial independence! Do these possibilities sound good to you? They are good. Better still, they're easy within your reach Thousands of men and women have tried the Liberty “extra money plan and proved it pays! Devote some of your spare hours to making Liberty Confectionery at home for us. If extra cash interests you. let us send you all the facts—-you need no experience. We send you Free Case of goods to commence —pay freight on ail orders sent to us—and send you cash on delivery. Your earnings may begin at once. SEND THE COUPON TO-DAT. Liberty Confectionery College. Hannah's Buildings, Lambton Quay, Wellington. (Also at Christchurch.) N. 12 Mail me your extra-money plan—l promise nothing—but to look it over. Name Street Town

may be lifted, when it is at once revealed that baby’s bath is hidden below the capacious set’ The chair itself is used by the mother as the bath is supported on its own stand. Prom the corner of the stand unfolds a clothes-airer, with four arms, and a weighing arm is also provided, so that the infant’s progress may be recorded daily. There is also a drawer for sundries. WHIPPED JELLY Maybe you have some jellies left over from the week-end You can make them very attractive and appetising by whipping with cream. Make the jelly just liquid by warming it in a basin over hot water. Remove from the heat and whisk -till white and frothy Whip about sixpennyworth of cream, stir into the jelly, and whisk together until mixed. This latter whisking should be for a few seconds only. Serve in custard cups. TIPS WORTH KNOWING—ABOUT EGGS When eggs crack in boiling, sprinkle a little salt in the water, and the white will not leave the shell. An egg which has been broken before being sufficiently cooked may be wrapped in a paper bag and boiled again. When beating white of egg, add a pinch of cream of tartar when half beaten. The white will not then fall before being used. • * * White of egg should be applied to a burn or scald. It relieves the pain, absorbs the heat, and the wound heals more quickly. To test cooking eggs, put them in a glass of cold water, and if they rise and float they will taste musty and be unfit for use. * * * Stale eggs should be boiled three minutes, while new-laid eggs need boiling for four minutes for the white to be firmly set. KEEPING THEM WHITE Floorboards, if they are to stay white, should be scrubbed with plenty of fresh warm water and household soap. Hot water and soda, either or both, will turn the wood yellow, and unless the scrubbing water is changed frequently it will leave the boards a greyish tint. Household linen that is put away for any length of time should be packed with blue tissue paper (such as is used by laundries) between layers. This will help to prevent it turning yellow, as stored linen so often does. To keep your taps spotless, paint • them with the enamel sold for that special purpose, and then wash them as often as necessary with a warm lather of soap flakes, using a damp sponge to wipe them with afterwards. Don’t use soap for white paint, but clean it with a wet sponge and whitening, rinsing and drying it with a second sponge. But when the paint is highly enamelled use a warm Lux lather, and give the final rubbing with a chamois leather. Enamel piedishes and plates often get discoloured in use. Rub the stains vigorously with salt applied with a damp rag.