MRS. PEPYS’S DIARY

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 241, 31 December 1927, Page 17

MRS. PEPYS’S DIARY

MONDAY.—Taking a dish of tea this day with Mr. Pepys’s Cousin Gladys, she doth inform me of her method of washing her garments «*f artificial silk, thus lengthening their life; also saving much on her laundry bill. Her way to use a pure soap and to make a fine lather of same, but never to rub soap on the garment direct, but instead to wash with a kneading and squeezing action, gently performed. Then. hav.ng rinsed well, to put the garment through the wringer, or, if you have not one to roll it up very tightly in a towel, but see that you do not twist in your wringing.

TUESDAY.—A letter this day by the post from Mistress Bassett, and she very pleased with herself because she has bought a new table for her nursery. That is on© of the new kind sold for kitchen use, having a top of white porcelain enamel. She thinks this will prove as useful in a nursery as in any kitchen, whether the children be busying themselves with their modelling or their painting, also nothing to hurt it in the nature of milk bottles, water cans, soap arid the rest for a damp cloth rubbed over it, and your table is ready for use again undamaged. This I consider very well done of her and so, at her request, do write of it here.

WEDNESDAY.—In readiness for reheating at our supper this night do make a puree of carrots, it being .* favourite with Mr. Pepys. The. way of it to wash, peel and slice, thinly, a few* carrots and quarter of an onion about. Melt in a stewpan 3oz of butter and w’hen it is fine and hot put in your vegetables, adding of stock a te.icupful, pepper and salt to taste and a little brown sugar. Then simmer for tw*o hours. When your vegetables be soft, press through a hair sieve and return the pulp to the liquor in the pan. Allow to thicken, then add a few* spoonsful of cream, or a little rich gravy, also a few lumps of butter. Serve this puree piping hot with fried bread, and I think you w*ill be well pleased with it.

TH U RSD AY.—Apples being very plentiful this year, I think that some readers may choose to make of them a fine apple marmalade copied from a very old recipe. For this scald your apples till they will pulp from the core; then take an equal weight of sugar in large lumps, then merely dip the lumps in water, boil till of a thick syrup and possible to skim well, when you may add to the apple pulp and simmer all on a quick fire for three-quarters of an hour. Grate in a little lemon peel before boiling, bat let it not be too much to render your marmalade bitter.

FRIi DAY.—This forenoon, with my own hands, do make an almond cake from a recipe not used by me before, but, as I jude well, worth the trying. The instructions are to take 1 cupful of white sugar, the same quantity of butter, 2 cupfuls of flour, 4 eggs, * a cupful of chopped almonds, 1 tr;<spoonful each of ratafia and vanilla essence. 1 teaspoonful of baking pov'. - der and 1 cupful of raisins, cut up. Stir the ingredients together, the flour, with the baking powder mixed in ii, to be added the last of all. Put into a tin lined w*ith buttered paper and bake in a good oven. This a cake good enough, if kept in a tin, for making on Friday for Sunday’s eating. SATURDAY.—Having invited Mr. Pepys’s Aunt Lettice, and her husband, to share our supper upon the Lord's Bay, do decide to have a rabbit mould. For it do wash some veal bones, breaking them up and covering with water, then to put in one onion, sliced, and cook, slow'ly for 1£ hours. Cut a rabbit across the back, then put its heart and liver into the veal stock, season, add a little vinegar and herbs. Simmer all together for one hour or more till the meat can be easily separated from the bones. Remove the meat, cutting up all into very neat cubes. Put a little of your stock in:o a round mould, and decorate in a pretty fashion w;th hard-boiled egg and chopped parsley, fill up with rabbit, some chopped ham, slices of egg and a little grated lemon rind. Strain in enough stock to fill the mould, cover with greased paper and cook for two hours. Meanwhile add the rabbit bones to the remainder of the stock and simmer, less you should require to fill up your mould. When cold, turn out your mould and garnish it with parsley, chopped fine, and sliced tomato.