AUNT DAISY'S MAIL–BAG

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 30, 6 January 1939, Page 22

AUNT DAISY'S MAIL–BAG

AM and rice, ink stains and insect bites, fruit salts, and wine that tastes like vinegar are among the subjects dealt with in this week’s bundle of correspondence from Aunt Daisy’s mail-bag. ‘Ink Stains Dear Aunt Daisy,-Her. is a proved method for removing ink stains. Just put a-wee drop of creamy milk on the marks, then put on some sugar and rub with the fingers. The sugar will bring out the stains. Repeat this until the stain disappears. Tf it is not convenient to wash the article at once, just leave it and wash in the usual way when ready, and you will not notice the stain at all. . Provided you do this as soon as the ink mark is noticed, it will work; even if you only just have time to put the sugar and milk on without washing, the stain will not spread. The children’s’ clothes often get spotted at .school, and the method works all vight even with coloured clothes. I have a maroon tablecover marked with ink spots,

and I have just persevered with it, and have practically removed the stains. You can just see the marks, as I have not yet washed the tablecloth, for it is new. But when I do wash it, the stain will disappear, I know. » | have afso taken ink stains out of a white curtain that blew into the room when the window was open and pulled over the ink bottle. You can guess the mess the curtain was in! 1 just soaked it in sugar and milk, renewing these until the stain was gone, and then washed the curtain in the usual manner. The ink stains will not come out if they are washed in soap and water first, as the water seems to set them. My daughter had a lovely white tennis frock given to her because it was spoilt with ink stains, and. the people had washed the frock beforehand. My daughter has done her best with tomato juice, and the stain is now much weaker. -‘Bienheimite.’"’ That is certainly a new idea-to me at any rate-and such an easy one to carry out. One hasn’t always a

tomato at hand, but milk and sugar ‘are always available. Some people say to put red ink ‘on black ink stains, and black ink on red ink stains, and the one neutralises the other, and the marks wash out. Yor an ink stain that is a little older, I always recommend soaking it in salt and lemon juice, and then holding it in the steam from a kettle. This may need repeating, and you must keep on dabbing the salt and lemon juice on while it is being steamed, as the steam dilutes it, Family Footbal! Team Dear Aunt Daisy,-As I was listening to your session on Tuesday morning, I heard you speak about jam. I would like to say that I made some gooseberry jam from a recipe in your No. 4 Cookery Book, and found it an excellent success. I never skim jam, because I think

you lose part of it that way. What i do is this-about five minutes before the jam is ready to take up; I put in a piece of butter about the size of a walnut, and give it a quick stir; then I pour it into really hot jars (which I have had in the oven for ten minutes), and then leave them uncovered until they are cold, which is the next day. You should see how well they are set. Just before I cover them, the kiddies think it is great fun to turn the jars upside down, and they cannot understand why it doesn’t pour out (thanks to the butter). You were also speaking about rice. Yes, Aunt Daisy, I always put it into boiling salted water-really fast boiling-I use the unpolished rice, it has such a lovely nutty flavour. I can’t understand why there is not a bigger demand for it, as it is a very nourishing and wholesome food. I have used it since I was married-i13 years ago -and would not go back. to the white rice again. ‘ Well, Aunt Daisy, 1 won't bother you any longer with this scribble, which I hope you will

be able to understand. There are two of my kiddies fighting on my back for a ride, so you will understand the effort i am making to write this letter to you. 1! hope to be excused for mistakes which | know you will find in this, but if 1 don’t finish it before my other four children come home from school, it’s ali up! I have owily one little girl; she happens to be the eldest, 10 years old, then five boys-what a football team! The baby is two years and nine months; so you can guess what

a busy time I havei-

~Mrs

J.

S.

of

Avondale.

Thank you ever so much, Mrs. J.S. for a very helpful letter. What a splendid family you have-lI’m sure you will have a very happy old age, when all those five fine footballers have grown up and are able to help look after their mother. Their sister ought to have a happy time, with plenty of brothers to take her about, and do all the hard jobs for her. You certainly are a real "‘link’’ in the "Daisy Chain,’ when veu find time to write good suggestions and ‘‘hints"’ to us in the midst of your strenuous life, and we all appreciate it. Insect Bites

Dear Aunt Daisy,-I wonder if you would have time to give this hint over the air, In the last few days two little boys (one mine, aged three) were bitten by an insect that we have always called *Soldiers." They are red and fairly large. In just a few seconds the part bitten was swollen to an enormous size. The pain is intense, as my husband can verify. He had one in his boot, and it stung his big toe. He was in agony for quite a while. Anyway, this is the hint. Paint a very large surface with jodine. As these insects are particularly vicious just now, I thought other mothers might need the hint.

~Mrs.

M.E.

H.

of Melrose.

Thank you very much indeed, for sending in such a valuable piece of advice. With the children all home from school, they will be running about the gardens, and on the beaches, and all sorts of little insects seem to take the opportunity of biting the poor little children, who are not interested in the insects-but just in having a good time. There is one word of warning, though. Some people cannot use iodine, as it seems to poison them. ‘This is very rare, but if the person shows any reaction at all to the iodine, then do not put on any more. Wine Like Vinegar

Dear Aunt Daisy,-I wonder if some of your Daisy Chain could help me out with my blackberry wine, which I made last season. I opened a bottle and it seems sharp, like vinegar, and yet it was lovely wine before I bottled it. I cannot listen to you over the radio, as I am away at business, so I wondered if you covld answer in the "Radio Record." Perhaps some of the chain can tell me what to do about the wine, and the cause of it, as I want | to make some this coming season.-

Wine

Rotorua,

Weil, I consulted our now famous wine expert, whose radio name is "Yaranaki-ite’s Hubby,’’ about your difficulty, and he says that very often this trouble is irremediable. However, before giving up in despair, try the following idea.

experiment with one bottle first, Add to it one teaspoonful of sugar thoroughly dissolved, then taste. It may need three or more spoonfuls to the bottle before the required sweetness is obtained. When the amount of sugar necessary for each bottle has been determined, empty it all into a big vessel, and add the required sugar. When this is thoroughly dissolved, re-bottle, but do not cork the bottles, as fermentation will probably start again. Tet it finish working before you cork it up. "Taranaki-ite’s Hubby’ says that the cause of this trouble is generally due to the fruit used not having been ripe enough. . All fruit -that is overripe for any other purpose makes good wine. . ‘Another reason is not using su?ficient sugar. The amount of sugar per gallon of water depends on the ripeness and sweetness of the fruit. Nice sweet fruit requires about three pounds of .sugar. to. he gallon. . For. average soft; ripe plums, use about three and a haif pounds. For blackberry, three and three-quarters; for

nice ripe grapes, three pounds. The colour of the wine varies with the variety of plum used. Christmas Cherry Plum makes a very pale coloured wine; small red Christmas Plums make a nice red wine, Satsuma Plums a muddy-coloured wine which appears not to have cleared properly. All other wines clear as they mature, and isinglass is not necessary. Most people do not use enough fruit to the gallon of water. A reasonably good wine can be made by using eight pounds of fruit to the but if fruit is plentiful, anything up to twelve pounds can be used. ‘This equals half fruit juice and half water, and makes a good heavy wine. Parsnip wine is the exception to this rule, as three pounds of parsnips to one gallon of water is sufficient, and three pounds of sugar to each gallon of liquid. Never work wine in a tin or metal container, owing to the chemical action on all metals by the acids contained in the fruits. Never let the wine get chilled during the period of fermentation. Wever cork it up tightly until all the fermentation has ceased. If wine is properly worked out, it may be used in one month’s time after corking up tightly, but the longer it is kept, the more it improves. Fruit Salts Dear Aunt Daisy,-Could you possibly give me a recipe for homemade fruit salts? It is not always eonvenienit. for me to listen-in to your session each morning, so I wondered if you could reply in the

#Radio Record:'

-Mrs.

F.

S.

of

Miramar.

Yes, Mrs. ¥.S., I certéinly can give you some recipes for home-made fruit salts. They are healthy, and at the same time, not unpleasant, and with holidays, and hot summer weather, I expect many mothers will be glad to have some on hand. Mix. together six ounces of icing sugar, two ounces of Epsom saits, one ounce of magnesia, two. ounces of cream of. tartar, two. eunces of carbonate. of soda, an@ twe ounees ‘of tartaric acid. Were is another very . good recipe for fruit salts: Mix thoroughly quarter of a pound each of cream of tartar, tartaric acid, carbonate. of . soda, icing sugar, Epsom saits, and one ounce of mag-

nesia, It is an excellent idea when mixing, to put the ingredients through the flour. sifter three times, Also, see that they are all thoroughly dry-even if it means warming thena Slightly in the oven. Then when they are made up, cork the botties Securely, and. keep them in. a: _dny piace. ‘Ihe drier they are, the more they will efferyesce when mixed with water,

To Clean A Bath Dear Aunt Daisy,--Will you kindly tell me in the "Radio Record," if yon know of a method of removing yellow stains from an

enamel bath?-"

E.

P.

of National

Park;

I have found that nearly everybody has svine special method of cleaning a bath, and that in their opinion, nothing else is quite as good. Of course, to keep it clean every day, any ordinary bath cleanser will do, I must not mention trade names in this column, and so cannot tell you my own favourite. However, for stains on the bath, I would suggest making a paste of whiting and lemon juice, or whiting and kerosene, and applying this to the stains. Leave it on for as long as you can-twenty-four hours if possible-or at any rate, until the bath is next used. You can also use whiting and peroxide; and there is an excellent new disinfectant something like peroxide, which will whiten baths and sinks almost like magic. But then again, I must not tell you the name in this cclumn, er they might say. I was "advertising!" Just send me a_ stamped addressed envelope if you would like to know the name. Some people make the paste with soap-powder and kerosene. Aa Original Recipe Dear Aunt Daisy,-I am enclosing an original recipe which I haye named "The Cheeseway." You may like to use it. But, first of all, let me express my appreciation of your delightful and interesting session, and may you continue for many years to extend that friendly hand. Directly my little son hears your record, he screams out "Mummie, ‘Auntie Daisy’," just as if you had 7 knocked at the back door, and, in-, deed, that is how I always feel. No r matter what I am doing, it must be put aside to listen to and iearn

Trom a voice we all love.-

I.

P.

of

Mornington.

Thank you very much for your nice letter, and for your kind remarks, I am always glad to have a really original recipe. And here is: THE CHEERSHWAY. f Break into small pieces any sized firm, white cauliflower, and wash it thoroughiy. Chop it finely with a few of the small green leaves, and put it in a pie dish with salt and pepper, and a large lump of butter and then barely cover it with water. Place the dish on top of the stove and simmer it till tender, Next put inte the dish a layer of breadcrumbs, which absorb any remaining liquid, and on top of that, a generous layer of grated cheese, and several dabs of butter. Then bake it in a moderate oven till it is brown, and crisp, It is lovely served with tomato sauce; or with lamb’s fry and bacon, Doesn't that sound a delicious dish- _. something Itb tily ‘ore ‘hoti day: when." | you don’t feel like a heavy meat meal?