Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 February 1879 — HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY. [ARTICLE]

HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY.

Wall Ornaments. —An old horseshoe painted in two bright colors makes a pretty wall ornament. Red and blue is a very good combination, provided it ' accords with the other decorations of the room. Gild the nails and fasten close to the wall. Lemon and Orange Tincture.— Never throw away lemon or orange peel; cut the yellow outside off carefully, and put it into a tightly-corked bottle, with enough alcohol to cover it. Let it stand until the alcohol is a bright yellow, then pour it off, bottle it tight, and use it for flavoring when you make rice pudding. Add lemon and alcohol as often as you have it, and you will always have a nice flavoring. A pretty pattern for a sofa pillow, for the benefit of ladies who dislike to try their eyes by counting stitches, may be made by taking worsted of four i colors, dividing the length of the cushion into four parts and making each the base of a pyramid. Work each row in a different tint, and, when the four pyramids are done, turn the canvas and fill in the spaces either with plain pyramids in the darkest tint or with dark garnet. If the right colors be used, the | effect will be something like that of a i Cashmere shawl. j When hard water is used for cooking ■ or washing, it is best to boil it for a few minutes before using it. as then the fur cr sediment is thrown down on the sides of the boiler and not on the food or clothes. Hard water isn’t good for making tea, as the strength of the tea : leaves is very slowly extracted. The l bad effects of hard water in cooking i may be partly remedied by using a ’ small quantity of carbonate of soda, ■ or even common washing soda, which i softens the water, though if much ; be added it gives a soapy, unpleasant | taste. To Keep Things from Moths.—Fold 1 up your things, sprinkling a little dry ; camphor in between. Then sew them ; up in bags, made of some strong mate 1 rial, containing no wool whatever; I linen, of course, is excellent, but common bed-ticking answers very well. The bags should be stitched very closely, best by machine, and leaving not the smallest opening anywhere. This keeps the goods perfectly safe. You need never use any other precaution, even for furs, but you must, of course, make sure that the moths have had no chance te lay their eggs in the things before they are packed. Mince Pies.—Boil a fresh tongue; chop it very fine, after removing the skin and roots; when cold, add one i pound of chopped suet, two pounds i stoned raisins, two pounds currants, two pounds citron cut in fine pieces, six cloves powdered, two teaspoonfuls cinnamon, half teaspoonful mace, one pint brandy, one pint wine or cider, two pounds sugar; put this all in a stone jar and cover well; in making pies,chop ' some apples very fine, and to one bowl of the prepared meat take two of api pies; add more sugar, according to taste, and sweet cider enough to make the pies juicy, but not thin; mix, and warm the ingredients before putting into your pie-plates; always bake with ■ an upper and under crust, made With one cup of lard, one of butter, one of water, and four of flour.