Feminine Interests

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 623, 27 March 1929, Page 5

Feminine Interests

MRS. PEPYS'S DIARY MONDAY. —At my reading do hap upon a recipe for a Soup quickly : made, and so do decide to use it for our supper this night, to eat before cold meat. For the use of others, do likewise copy it here. The way to pe%l and slice two onions, to melt j u a saucepan loz of butter to add | the onions also lib of potatoes sliced, pepper and salt for a seasoning, and a little grated nutmeg. Now stir well until the butter be all absorbed, then | pour over all one pint of white stock, (or, if you have it not, water), and boil until your potatoes be cooked, this to take about 20 minutes. Now pass all through your sieve, return to your saucepan, add of milk one pint and a small piece of butter the size of a nut. Bring again to the boil. Meanwhile, cook 2oz of macaroni, or, if you will, vermicelli, in salted water, then strain, put in the bottom of your soup tureen, sprinkle with finely chopped parsley, and pour over the potato soup. See that it reaches your table piping hot, and I think all to be pleased: TUESDAY.— Drinking a dish of tea this day with Mr. Pepys’s Cousin Gladys, she doth tell me of a hint lately adopted by her, and would have me both try it, and write of it here. T hat is to use old silk stockings, when they be past repair for wearing, to stuff out the toes of satin shoes or any that be of soft kind. As she truly sayth, ordinary shoe-trees are of little use for this purpose, and though soft paper is better than trees, it is sorely apt to form into hard balls, while the silk stockings keep the required shape with ease. For this I thank her heartily. WEDNESDAY.— Serving our supper this night myself, my Maid Jane being out, do make occasions to cook some Potato Sticks, this a very simple way of cooking them if pains and gumption be used, and yet not always a success in the wrong hands. For them you may use any mashed potato that hath been left over, or cook fresh and mash, as you please. With each cupful mix well the beaten yolk of one egg. When you have sprinkled your board with flour put your mixture upon it and sprinkle that also with flour. Roll until it be less than one inch thick, thend cut in narrow strips. Now have ready some lard, smoking hot, drop in your strips and fry until they have turned a delicate and pretty brown. As soon as they be done lift out, drain on kitchen paper serve with haste on a very hot dish. THURSDAY.— For the use of all who must needs do their own washing up, and would do it with the greatest ease possible, I do here copy

an idea likely to help them mightily, i and that to keep near your sink a j cheap salt holder of glass, with a perforated top. filled with plater powder, or whitening. A little shaken upon ! your egg spoons, or any spoon or; fork tarnished with recent use, cleans it without trouble, and keeps your ! plate looking as well as may be from ! day to day. So I hope many to copy ! this to their satisfaction. FRIDAY. My greengrocer, good man, offering me some Grape Fruit at a reasonable price, the same being a little damaged but not to hurt them except in appearance, do decide to buy the same for Marmalade. I do allow to 41b of grape fruit 3 lemons and of preserving sugar 101 b. The way is to rub the lemons clean and to grate the yellow rind only, with a coarse grater. Next peel your grape fruit, and to do this in quarters the easiest way, and cut up the peel as thinly as is possible. Remove all pips from your lemons, also your grape fruit, and put them to soak in 1 pint of water. To cut up your grape fruit in small pieces and strain the juice of your lemons. Put all the prepared peel in a bowl with the grape fruit, cover with cold water, and leave for 24 hours. The next day turn all into your preserving pan, add to it the water your pips were soaked in, but not the pips, and simmer until the grape fruit is line and tender. Then add the lemon juice, also the sugar and boil for one hour or until your Marmalade sets. SATURDAY. —For eating at teatime on the Lord’s Day do make a novelty in Layer Cakes, or so it is at our table. That is a Raisin Layer Cake made in the following fashion. Mix together 1 cup of brown sugar, 1-3 cup of butter, 1 cup of sifted flour, 1 cup of chopped raisins, £ a teaspoonful of soda, 1-3 teaspoonful of cinnamon, 1-3 teaspoonful of nutmeg and the same quantity of all spice. Mix very well indeed with two eggs beaten and 1 a cupful of sour milk if required. Bake in layers in a moderate oven.