A Section For Women
pp. 46-47 · Read in the full issue
By "Therese"
EVEN though winter weather still pre vails in Australia, the shops are showing advanced fashions. It is surprising to see such a variety of designs in fabrics, particularly after nearly two years of war and considering the wide restrictions on imports. Colours and designs are really lovely—there are lots of cyclamens, greens, blues and yellows all mixed up together with splendid effect.
There are pastel shades, too —delicate pinks, blues, greens and pale yellows— for those who like plain fabrics.
Navy fabric patterned with white is always popular but there promises to be a shortage, and though here and there one sees this combination in polka dots
and quaint little scroll effects, the demand will greatly exceed the supply.
Cottons are crisp and fresh-looking and have marvellous washing propensities. All sorts of quaint designs are patterned on them and the colours are in a wide range to suit all tastes.
Jacket suits will continue to be popular and extra jackets in your wardrobe are invaluable. Dress up a tired frock with a coloured suede belt and add a hip length boxv pocket in exactly the same shade as the belt. This idea has many possibilities and the fun you will get out of contrasting your colours to good effect will be an added incentive to pepping up your wardrobe.
A very charming combination is a hip length Patou pink jacket (made with broad shoulders) and a deep-rose pleated skirt. A pink straw hat with a rose grosgrain ribbon is a delightful accom paniment.
Avoid blues similar to sky colours or the greens of foliage if you want to be more than “just a gallery” when attend ing a sports event. These colours tend to blend too much into the background.
Choose colours that subtly complement sky and foliage such as rose or soft golds and yellows. , Straw hats will be increasingly difficult to procure but. nothing daunted, women will have their hats made of fabric, either to match or contrast with their frocks. They can go a step further and make most attractive bags, too. It is surprising what an ingenious woman can devise so that she becomes the envy of her sisters.
Tried Recipes
HERE are some recipes from two of our regular readers: W. D., of Papua, and Mrs. M. Clarke, of Whenuapai, Upper Harbour, Auckland, New Zealand: Fish All Gratin One lb. firm fish; white sauce made with half pint of milk and 2 dessert spoonsful corn flour, 2 oz. butter, salt and pepper to taste, and 2 or more oz. strong cheese (grated).
Mix the sauce with the fish, which has been steamed, boned and flaked. Place in fireproof dish. Sprinkle the top with grated cheese and dots of butter and bake in a quick oven till nicely browned.
Serve with mashed potatoes sprinkled with chopped parsely and, if obtainable, baked tomatoes.
An Invigorating Cocktail Beat the yolk of an egg with juice of two oranges. Sweeten it with honey. This is an excellent pick-me-up.
Mock Whitebait Two mullet or other firm fish cut in fillets, one dessertspoon flour, seasoning, pepper and salt.
Cut the fillets slanting in thin strips and toss in seasoned flour. Butter a pie dish or pyrex; place in it the strips of fish. Squeeze lemon juice over the fish and add 3 tablespoons water. Cover with greased paper and cook 15 to 20 mins.
Make a thick white sauce. Drain the fish liquid into the sauce and mix. Pile strips of fish on buttered toast and cover with sauce. Garnish with thin slice of lemon and chopped parsley.
Simple Pikelets One or 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon honey or golden syrup, 1 cup self-raising flour, I cup milk (powdered or condensed diluted will do), pinch of salt.
Beat the eggs, add the sugar and syrup and beat till frothy. Add the milk and
beat well. Then add the flour and beat smooth. Lightly grease a hot plate (for electric cooking) or a hot iron pan. Drop tablespoonful of the mixture on to the hot pan, keeping each tablespoonful separate, leaving room to turn without breaking. Cook till nicely brown then turn and cook on other side.
Wholemeal Cake Eight oz. butter, 6 oz. brown sugar, 10 oz. flour, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1 tea spoon grated nutmeg, 16 oz. sultanas, 8 oz. raisins, 4 oz. preserved ginger, 1 tea spoon malt extract, a few drops each of vanilla and almond essences.
Beat butter, sugar and malt to a cream and leave for a while (this helps sugar to melt); break in eggs one at a time, and beat well. Mix in dry ingredients and add fruit. Bake in a moderate oven 21 to 3 hours.
If cake is to be iced, make a hollow in the centre before placing in oven. When cooked it will have a flat top.
Household Helps
WHEN next you are icing a cake, try roughing it with a fork for a change.
Thick rich orange or chocolate }cmg well stirred into whirls and ridges looks much more effective than the usual smooth coating.
The following tip is effective for sun burn: Over a slice of lemon pour half a cupful of hot milk and allow to stand for three of four hours. Strain the mix ture and throw away the curd using only the clean liquid that remains.
The flavour of stewed apples or apple rice will be greatly improved if a tea spoon of golden syrup is added when cooking. This will ensure a thick sweet juice.
After peeling tomatoes for frying, cut in half and dip in vinegar and they will remam unbroken during the cooking process.
All dried fruits are better soaked than stewed. Soak for 24 hours and serve with natural juice and cream. Add sugar to taste.
When eggs are scarce, make a light flour and water paste and brush over cutlets before dipping in bread crumbs.
If a sprinkle of curry powder is put into the frying pan when cooking fish the smell will be eliminated. It will give’ the fish a tasty flavour and make them brown nicely.
To remove the odour that clings so persistently to the hands after peeling onions, rub the hands thoroughly with common salt. Leave on for a few minutes and then wash in the usual way.
An appetising and delicious dessert is achieved when baked apples are stuffed with raisins and brown sugar Serve with cream.
If your sauce is too thin, mix a little extra flour to a smooth paste with cold milk, stock, or water; strain this, into the sauce and stir over the flame until it re-boils and thickens. For a sauce made from stock, re-boiling until excess mois ture evaporates will thicken it—but do bofling rget t 0 leave off while re-
Home-made Soap
soIM dripping, 1 lb. caustic s°aa, 2 lb. borax, i cup kerosene h run ammonia, 3 pints water. ’ 2 cup Heat dripping until melted. Put the Ihake th^ o p^,<=? lean^ tin ’ then carefully a stick l arid^hnrt 1C s ? da lnto u - stir with add e +K tlmng until dissolved, da ,, kerosene. Then pour in strainpri dripping, stir for several minutes and the mixture will thicken. Then add a shanow a hnv St r W S IL Pour mixture into Lh w w box hned with calico. Cover whPn 1 *it winV a saf s place until next day when it will be ready to be cut into bars.