AUNT DAISY'S MAIL-BAG

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 34, 3 February 1939, Page 20

AUNT DAISY'S MAIL-BAG

AMON G the varied topics diseussed in Aunt Daisy’s Mailbag this week are black eurrant jelly, bread-making, uncomfortable shoes, and the way to deal with chewing-gum that has the annoying habit of sticking in the wrong places, Black Currants Plentiful Dear Aunt Daisy,-If convenient, will you please have a recipe for black currant jelly in your page in the "Record" for the coming week, or the week after next? The currants are plentiful just now, and the jelly has such a_ beautiful flavour.-"B.T." of Herne Bay. I am always glad when people ask for certain things, for if one person wants it, it is usually a sure sign that others do, too- In this case, as black currants are plentiful just now, there must be many who would like a really nice black currant jelly. Here is a lovely recipe. To every pound of fruit, allow one pound of sugar and a quarter of a pint of water. Boil the water and the sugar for ten minutes, and then add the fruit, including the stalks and a few leaves. Boil for another four minutes. ‘Then the next step is to strain the jelly-do not force it through the strainer, as this is inclined to make the jelly cloudy, but just let it drip slowly through; and then bottle it. The full flavour of the black currant is retained this way, and the jelly sets beautifully. Wholemeal Bread Dear Aunt Daisy,-l heard you giving a-recipe for a loaf yesterday and I thought you might like to give this one over the air. I’ve

been making this loaf very often for nine years, and it has never failed. The ingredients are: Two cups of wholemeal or wheatmeal, one

cup of flour, one teaspoon of salt, one teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, half a cup of treacle, a little milk, and one teaspoon of baking powder. Sift the flour and the wheatmeal, add the warmed treacle, the salt, the baking powder, and the soda dissolved in a little milk. Mix them well-the dough should be like a scone dough. A few dates of raisins and some chopped nuts can be added if desired. I bake my loaf in a wellgreased saucepan with the lid on, and sometimes in a two-pound Golden syrup tin. If using the syrup tins (with the lids on, of course) be sure to make a small | hole at the top to let the steam out. The first time I used these tins, I did not know about the necessary hole, and when I was taking one tin out of the oven, the contents and the lid shot up in the air with a loud bang! As regards the lady who had milk stains on the concrete porch, and was consulting you the other day-she should wet the patch a little, and then sprinkle Old Dutch on, and leave it all day, and then scrub with hot water and sandsoap, and then rub well with a piece of pumice stone. If it is not then quite clean, it will be in a few days’ time. I’ve had milk spilt often on my concrete porch, and YVve found this method never failing. It is best to wash the milk up with cold water straight away, and there will be no stain. But the first hint is excellent when the milk has been allowed to stand. Cold water won’t move milk stains r the milk has been allowed to ry. Best wishes, Aunt Daisy, and I hope I’m one of your Daisy Chain, as I never fail to listen to your cheery session.-"Rae" of Johnson'ville. Thank you so much, "Rae," for both the recipe and the hint about the milk on the porch. Yes, of course, you are a member of the Daisy Chain-you listen regularly, and when you can help you do so! New Shees . Dear Aunt Daisy,-Just another hint to add to your many. [I heard you over the air the other day

answer a letter for a lady who gets very sore heels, owing to the backs of the shoes being stiff. Here is a tip which I guarantee, as I suffered the same up to twelve months ago. Take about a dozen thickmesses of ordinary newspaper, about three inches wide and six inches long. Soak this well in cold water, then squeeze it out with the hands, and lay this up the backs of the shoes’ every time you take them off; and Jeave it in till you wear the shoes. Within a week I can ‘ wear mine with no soreness at all. On holidays last year, my husband wore new shoes, and got a frightfully sore heel, but, thanks to this easy tip, once we put in the damp paper, it was better in @ very short time.-Mrs. J.K., Petone. . Thank you very much, Mrs. J.K. That is a valuable thing, because one never knows when one will be the

victim of this hampering soreness. No matter how comfortable a shoe may be in a shop, you still cannot be sure that it will not rub your heel. I sometimes wonder why we suffer at all with shoes and feet, and do not go back to the old sandals the Romans wore--although I expect they had calluses between the toes where the strip went through! Successful Dear Aunt Daisy,-Thank you for your prompt reply’ to my letter, The glycerine and warm water remedy for removing the embroidery transfer was «quite successful on .M.," North Richmond. Well, that is nice to know, isn’t it? Many thanks for writing. As well as soaking transfer marks in glycerine and warm water, methylated spirits will often remove them, too.

Chewing-Gum Dear Aunt Daisy,-I have just heard you speaking about chewinggum on clothes, and thought I must write and tell you my experience. I have been a silent listener to your sessions for a long time, away back to the old "Daisy Chain" days, and would like to say how I thoroughly enjoy them. Anyhow, here is my experience with chew-ing-gum. My very little girl "parked" her chewing-gum in a nice embroidered hanky, and it was so securely stuck that I was tearing the hanky trying to get it off. So just as an experiment, I left it soaking in cold

water. Imagine my surprise when I took it out of the water to find that the gum just peeled off quite easily. Hoping this will help some other "Daisy Chainer."-"Sijlent Listener No More," New Plymouth, Thank you very much for your helpful hint. Chewing-gum is so hard to remove, I know. The longer I live the more I am realising the benefits and uses of just cold water, We have known of all sorts of complicated ways of removing stains, etc., and nearly always I heard that just ordinary cold water has done the trick for someone. Another way of removing chewinggum is to soak a soft rag in kerosene, and dab it on the gum. _ The gum should be removed without leaving any trace whatever, Turpentine can also be used, I have been told; also methylated spirits.