Domestic

New Zealand Tablet, 24 December 1908, Page 41

Domestic

_ ': By MAUREEN ■'.'■•' To Soften Hard Water. Rain water is the best for toilet purposes, but if this is unattainable use oatmeal to soften 'hard water. Make a small bag of coarse muslin,. put half a teacupful of oatmeal into it, and tie the opening tightly round, but let the oat-, meal lie loosely in the bag. Put this into a gallon of cold water, and let it soak for some hours before using. Scorched Linen. To restore scorched linen get two onions, peel and slice'them, and extract the juice by squeezing or pounding. Cut up half an ounce of white soap, and add two ounces of fuller's earth; mix them with the onion juice and half a pint of vinegar. Boil this composition well, and spread it when cool over tlie scorched part of the linen, leaving it to dry thoroughly, and afterwards wash out the linen. Renovating Ribbons. Every neat woman appreciates the good effect of occasionally freshening up ribbons, velvets, feathers, and the smaller accessories of the. toilet of the well-dressed. A simple way of renovating these things is to pass them ov.;r the ton of a saucepan in the steam of clean boiling water. Ribbons, lace, crepe, etc., treated in this way become as fresh and crisp as when new. Feathers shaken in the steam, and then shaken in front of a lire to dry, will be as full and fluffy as when first bought. To Clean Marble Washstands. When marble tops of tables or washstands have become unsightly from marks made by the various bottles an3 requisites placed upon them, take two ounces of washing soda, one ounce of powdered pumice stone, and one ounce of powdered chalk. Pound together, and then pass through a sieve. Take some of the powder and make it into a paste with cold water; rub it well over the surface of the marble, and when all stains are removed wash well with soap and water, and the result will repay the labor expended. Kitchen Hints. Remove all black and grease from the outside of pans, as well as wash the inside, otherwise there is much loose soot to come off on hands and apron} also as the heat cannot penetrate so easily, time and fuel are wasted. Remove all scraps from plates and dishes before placing them in water. Rub the worst of the grease off pans and dishes with some soft paper. This does afterwards for lighting fires, and the water used for washing does not become so hopelessly greasy or need changing so often. Wash all silver first. Stand the knives upright in a jug of warm soda water, so that the handles are not in the water, as this discolors and loosens them. Do not put the blades in very hot water, for the expansion of the steel will cause handles to crack. Enamel and aluminium pans must never be washed witli soda. A little salt or fine ash is better than sand to scour these with, as the grains of sand are sharp ani scratch the surface. Re-cooked Meat. Meat, though a common, is also a costly, item, and quickly mounts up the household expenditure! Therefore it is necessary that it should be used to the greatest advantage. It is impossible to avoid having cold meat, which, in order to make variety, must be re-cooked. Many object to this kind of meat on account of its indigesiibility and lack of nutriment, but these faults are usually the result of unskilful treatment. ~ It is important to remember that twice-cooked meat loses some of its flavor and nutriment; therefore it must be very carefully seasoned, and whatever gravy or sauce is served with it should be made froni^the bones and rough pieces' of the joint, so as to obtain all possible nourishment. These should be strained out of the gravy before the. meat is put; in. Meat placed in cold gravy or stock will have what little nourishment is left in drawn out, with the result that the meat will bo tasteless; therefore meat that is to be re-warmed should be put into hot, but not boiling, liquid, because, if boiling, the meat will at once become hardened and tough. The most important rule of all, and the one most generally forgotten, ■ is that re-cooked meat should be allowed to heat thoroughly, but never be allowed to simmer. It is owing to neglect of this rule that twice-cooked meat is so distasteful to many, and justly considered indigestible.