Domestic

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 21, 31 May 1923, Page 49

Domestic

By Maureen I

INVALID COOKERY. Invalid Beef-Tea. —Select 11b of nice fleshy beef, without fat. Cut it into small pieces about the size of dice,, and put it into a clean saucepan with about 1 pint of cold water, and bring it to the boiling point. Put in one saltspoonful of salt, and heat gently from half to three-quarters, of an hour. Strain, and sot in a cool place. When wanted., it is a good plan to put the tea into a small cup or basin, and to place this basin in a saucepan of boiling water to' warm, as beef-tea is always best made the day before it is wanted. The meat left from beef-tea may be boiled a. little longer and pounded with spices for potting. This; makes an economical and tasty breakfast dish. If when, making soup or beef-tea for an invalid it is necessary to cool it at once, pass it through a clean cloth well saturated with water. Not a particle of fat will be left in the soup. Chicken Soup.—Prepare a chicken as follows: Cut it up into joints, and put into a jar containing about 2 pints of cold water. Place the jar in a saucepan of boiling water, and allow it to boil slowly at the side of the lire for about two hours, and add more boiling water to the saucepan from lime to time if necessary. Strain it by putting a. muslin cloth over the mouth of the jar and letting the broth flow into a, jug. If seasoning is liked, put in a little mace, pearl barley, and pepper and salt. If the invalid is very delicate, seasoning should he avoided. Chicken in Aspic. Prepare a chicken as for boiling. Place it in a saucepan with sufficient cold water to cover it, add a sprig of thyme,' an onion, a tablespoonful of vinegar, and a thick slice of lemon, and salt to taste. Cook gently till tender. .Meanwhile, soak half an ounce of gelatine in sufficient water to cover it. When tho chicken is done, add the gelatine to the liquor in which the chicken was boiled, and reduce. Skin the chicken, when cool, and cut it up into neat joints. Place in a round basin, or shape, if preferred, and when the liquor is reduced enough, strain it over the chicken, and leave till set. MilkJelly.—Take 1 pint of milk, 8 lumps of sugar, 2 tablespoonsful of cornflour, 2 whites of eggs. Bring the milk to boil, then add cornflour, boil it. add suger, and lastly the whites of eggs beaten to a stiff froth. Flavor with vanilla, stir quickly, then put into a mould.

Egg and Chicken Broth. Take 4 tahlespoonsful of chicken-broth (warm), add this to a well-beaten egg; mis both together thoroughly. Pour this into a well-greased cup, which should be about half full; tie the cup over with a piece of greased paper. Place it in a saucepan with enough water to come half-way up the cup, and steam for 10 minutes. Beef-tea may be added in place of the broth. This should be served with toast and be very hot. Oranges for Invalids.—Patients often refuse to take oranges. If they are prepared as follows they will be very palatable and easily eaten : Peel an orange and scrape away the white pith. Cut the fruit into thin slices and take, out all the pips. If sugar can he taken, a liberal supply of castor sugar may be sprinkled over the fruit. Household Hints. To prevent chilblains, rub the hands and feet with damp salt. Fresh orange peel is excellent for restoring black shoes. Rub well with the inside of the rind, and polish with a soft cloth. Keep a small piece of wax candle by you when sewing for waxing threads or easing seams. When putting a thick seam through the machine, rub the candle along the lino where the sowing will go, and there need he no fear of the needle breaking or sticking. To '.soften a hard sponge cover it with cold water, add a tablespoonful of borax, and bring slowly to the boil in a clean saucepan. Then remove the sponge, rub some dry borax into it, and rinse under the cold tap, allowing the water to run over it for several minutes.