[886 Mothers’ remedies]

288.  Washing Cooking Utensils.—­All the cooking utensils should be washed with soda immediately after they have been used, which will remove every trace of grease.

289.  To Make Soft Soap.—­Soft soap made from half a pound of shaved hard soap and two quarts of water will save the soap bill at cleaning time.

290.  Separate Night and Day Pillows.—­If separate night and day pillows are not used, as is now generally done, the bed will look neater if special pillow slips are kept to put on over the wrinkled pillow cases by day.

291.  To Keep An Iron Sink in Good Condition.—­To keep an iron sink in good condition, scrub once or twice a week with hand soap and kerosene.  Every night put a little chloride of lime in the strainer and pour through it a kettleful of boiling water.

292.  Steaming or Boiling Pudding.—­In steaming or boiling puddings, as the water boils away add more boiling water.  If cold water is added, for a short time at least, the foodstuff will not be boiling, and this state of affairs may prove disastrous to the pudding.

293.  Cooking Peas.—­When cooking peas do not shell them.  Wash the pods and put them on to boil.  When they are done the pods will break and rise to the top of the kettle leaving the peas at the bottom.  They have a better flavor cooked this way.

294.  Troubled With Ants.—­When troubled with ants in your pantry and kitchen pour kerosene around on the edge of your shelves and on your doorstep.  They will soon disappear.

295.  To Exterminate Roaches.—­A housewife says that a few drops of turpentine sprinkled around where roaches gather will exterminate them at once.

296.  How to Economize on Gas.—­More gas is wasted in the oven than elsewhere.  Often one burner will suffice after the oven has been well heated.  It is better to run one burner than to burn two low, as they frequently go out.

297.  Less Noise in Washing Dishes.—­If your cook insists in washing the dishes in the pantry while the family is still at dessert, insist upon her placing the dishes to drain upon a heavy turkish towel.  It will lessen much of the clatter.

298.  A Useful Article in the Kitchen.—­A useful article in the kitchen is a small microscope.  Show the cook how to use one.  She will be so horrified if shown dates, prunes, or figs that are germ infested that she will take special pains in washing them.  The microscope is also useful to examine cereals, cornmeal, buckwheat and other things which unless kept tight may be unpleasantly infected.

[Miscellaneous recipes 887]

299.  To Restore Freshness to Vegetables.—­For the housewife who must practise strict economy, as well as for her who lives at a distance from the market, it is well to know that cabbage, celery or lettuce and their like which have lost the first freshness, may be restored by putting first into warm water, just comfortably warm to the hand, and after fifteen or twenty minutes, you will be surprised to note that it will have the original snappy crispness so much desired.  Often the grocer will sell the second day celery and lettuce at half price.  The above method will freshen same, and may make quite a saving of bills.