Domestic

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 2, 28 February 1907, Page 33

Domestic

By ' Maureen '

Cleaning Windows, and Mirrors. To clean windows .and mirrors add a t'ablespoonful of kerosene, oil to a gallon .of tepid water.' A polish will" remain on the glass that no mere, friction can give. Never let the" sun's rays strike' "a mirror. It acts upon the mercury and makes the "glass cloudy, which all the rubbing in the -world will not remove. Wholesome Potatoes. .• .- Potatoes cooked - 'in' their skins are '. much more wholesome and digestive than those cooked without. They may be baked of steamed ; in- either case a'hole should 'be made in them, "that • steam ' anay escape; in cooking, and thus prevent, the ' skin Irom .bursting,. .Tire most- nourishing part of the potato is immediately under the skin, so that when >we peel them 'we remove the best part. Child Power of _ Imitation. The greatest characteristic of .early childhood" is the power of imitation. Not a sight, - sound or ' condition escapes the watchful eye of a bright,- active child, ajvd to put into expression every new thought or fascinating- mental- picture,- .whether good . or bad,, is an-irre-sistible ine'tincl. .This is -why stories, amusements', pictures and everything that feeds a child's mind should be suggestive of only that which would place beautiful and happy pictures before his mental vision. Let nothing be said before the little ones that will not, bear , repeating .and nothing done that may not be imitated. • ' To Scour Boards. * ' Mix together one part lime, three ,parts common sand," and two parts soft-soap; lay a. little of "this on the scrubbing brush. " Afterwards rinse -thoroughly and dry with a clean coarse cloth. This will' keep the boards a good color. It is also useful in keeping away vermin} For that object, early in the spring, beds should be taken down and furniture in general removed and- examined ; bed-hangings a -nd window curtains, if not washed, should be shaken and brushed ; and the joints of bedsteads, the baJks of drawers, and indeed, every part of furniture, except polished mahogany, should he carefully cleaned with the above mixture, or with equal parts of lime and soft-soap without any sand. How to Fry Eggs. Eggs that, are fried are so .often hard in the yolk while the white is uncooked' that ~a word" as to the righit way to fry eggs may- not be amass, although many housewives may be- already instructed. The reason ' why fried eggs are so rarely .satisfactory is because the heat ■ of the - pan at" bottom, .cooks them while the top is still raw. They must always be fried in fat enough to baste them ; tilt the pan a little and' with a spoon, pour' the boiling fat over each egg in turn, till they h'avfc'"a white surface like poached eggs. 'They should not be in the pan over three minutes, and the basting begin as- s-oon as they are slipped into it. . The pan "and fat of course must be very" hot. In this way_ the . fat jßpoks thc_ .surface and they are much easier to lilt c without breaking. Eggs for Children. An Austrian physician has called attention to the value of uncooked eggs as food for- growing children. Of all the substances found in the animal organism, albumen seems to be the' one most directly concerned with the phenomena of .growth and development. Its value 1 as a food is correspondingly great, and is n<it sufficiently appreciated. In the artificial feeding, of children this should be borne in mind. The white of the raw egg is the most available form -in which we can find albumen, and it should be usod in the prepa'a- . tion of most of the foods for children. After the usual nursing period it; is well to .-add raw egps to Hi? milk regularly taken by the child. Free albumen is one of the most easily-digested substances, and is rapidly made 'use of by the muscle cells. Tt is a valuable food for adults as well .as.-, for . * infants, and should be freely given in ' all ' debilitated conditions, whether from disease, or exhaustion. :r: r