JUNE, it, 1907
11
The Commoner.
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Bice as a Food
Rice is a much more nourishing
food than the potato, is more easily
kept and much less expensivo, and
agrees with even the most delicate
digestion. It is as good for the in
valid as for ,the laborer, and c(n be
made into the daintiest of dishes
for the fastidious. One reason that
it is,not more generally liked is that
it is not properly cooked, and not
agreeably seasoned. Here is a way
that is much liked: First, wash and
free the grains from all foreign or
objectionable matter, and put into a
sauce pan (a double boiler is best),
and cover with boiling water; keep
boiling briskly for half an hour, but
do not let burn. When the water is
all gone, put the rice into a fine
colander over a sauce pan filled with
boiling water, and finish your cook
ing by steam. If properly cooked,
each grain is separate, then it may
be seasoned as one likes. Sugar,
butter, eggs, cream, If little Ealt, are
all used for seasoning rice, and many
use finely-flavored broths to cook it
In. If one has a steam cooker, one
pint of boiling water should be added
to one cupful of rice, which should
be salted to taste, and then set in the
steamer and steamed one hour. It
can be cooked in the dish in -which
it is to be served, as the steam heat
will not hurt the dish. Or, miljc may
be used instead of water, which gives
a richer flavor and more creamy body
than water, and the seasoning, after
the rice is done, may be two beaten
eggs, one cupful of sugar, and a
large m spoonful of butter, with or
without the addition, of a cupful of
chopped, seeded raisins or currants.
After these ingredients are added,
turn into a buttered dish and steam
for half an hour1 longer, then it can
be browned in the oven, if liked. If
one has no steam cooker an old-fashioned
steamer to be set into the top
'of an iron keftle over boiling water,
and closely covered will do very well.
Many things are better steamed than
cooked over dry heat, or on top of
the stove, and the danger of scorch
ing or burning is done away with. -
Some Seasonable Dishes
For creamed onions, select such
as are not too large, and of uniform
size. Take off the outer skin, and
let the onions lie in cold water for
an hour, changing the water twice;
put them Into freshly boiling and
salted water and let cook for half
, an hour; drain off the water and add
fresh from the. kettle; let them boil
where the heat is uniform, but not
-strong enough to break them, , and
let them get perfectly tender; then
make a sauce of two tablespoonfuls
of butter and one of flour, with a
cup of hot milk; season with salt
and pepper and cook until quite
smooth, stirring ; then add the
onions, heat well, and serve in a cov
" ered dish.
Lettuce leaves with flaked fresh
cream cheese or Neufchatel, over
which a dressing of three table
spoonfuls of olive oil and one of
vinegar with a little salt and a dash
of paprika is poured, gives an ap
petizing luncheon or Sunday night
salad. Or, rub the yolks of hard-
boiled eggs smooth with grated
cheese; three to a cupful; add mus
tard, salt, and .cayenne to taste, and
olive oil and vinegar ty .moisten,.
Heap this upon tender lettuce leaves
and use the -whites ofifeeggs as a
garnish. The whites may be col
ored with beet water, if color is de
sired. - '
. Popovers are good for a change
in breakfast breads. Measure a pint
of flour after sifting, and stir into
it a pint of milk; add a well-beaten
egg, beating the white separately and
i. adding it last; have the gem pans
very hot and well-greased, pour in
the batter, leaving room for Its ex
pansion, and bake in a very hot oven.
About twenty minutes is the usual
time given to baking. Have the
oven very, hot, but do not let burn.
To have green peas especially nice,
select them with care, rejecting all
old ones, put them in a basin with
out adding any water, and set In a
steamer, and steam until done, which
will require about half -as long again
as for boiling. When donei season
with butter, pepper, salt, and a little
hot, sweet cream. Serve hot.
Little Helps
When putting stoves away for the
summer, instead of covering with oils
use a good polish in which a large
quantity of turpentine is used. Simply
apply the polish, not.brushing to
produce a shine, and when the stove
Is brought in next fall there will be
no rust.
For scouring with sapolio, dip the
cloth in ammonia water before ap
plying the sapolio. To protect the
hand and fingers while doing the
work, use an old kid glove. Am
monia serves to brighten without
wearing off the plating or enamel.
Patent leather shoes should not be
cleaned with water. Rub the leather
with a cloth saturated with olive oil,
and polish thoroughly dry with a
soft, dry cloth. Water will usually
ruin the patent material applied to
the leather.
If the face perspires a great deal
during hot weather, keep a bottle
of spirits of camphor on the stand
and pour a few drops into the wet
palm affer washing; then rub the
face, but never withou't this diluting
of the camphor, as it will soon rough
en and redden the skin.
For sweeping hardwood floors,
make a broom bag that will fit over
the straw part of the broom which
is used in sweeping, the dust from the
floor; let the bag have double ruf
fles on its lower edge, and it will
both work and wear better. These
broom bags are excellent for sweep
ing walls and ceilings.
Kitchen windows should have a
length of screen wire tacked over
the whole opening, then the sash
can be lowered from either the top
or bottom. The window should al
ways be lowered a little at the top
to allow the smells and impure air
to escape and raised from the bot
tom to admit pure air.
Receptacles for soiled clothing
should not be kept in sleeping or liv
ing rooms. A coarse-meshed bag or
basket-is the best for them.
it a few drops of glycerine; bathe the
face Ih warm water, and while wet,
wash with this cloth, rinse well, ami
dry thoroughly with soft cloths.
If the hands are rough, soak in to
pfd water, then wash with a good
egetable oil sonp, and rinse well.
Then rinse them in vinegar to kill amy
alkali left, and let dry. If oil is put ju
the skin before using, the vinegar, the
skin is apt to be red and coarse.
One of the best and mdst Inexpen
sive', as well as safest cold creams elm
be made at home by melting ahd
whipping together half a cupful of
pure mutton tallow and half a cupful
of pure almond oil, using an egg-beater
to blend them, adding a very little of
nny preferred perfume lavender la
good. Pack into little jars or glasses,
and seal tightly by tying over the top
oiled paper and covering with tinfoil,
making as air-tight as possible. Use
small jars, and keep cool.
For the Toilet
If the skin is roughened by the wind,
ibathd In equal parts of rose water and
brandy, well mixed.
A good shampoo for the hair is made
of a lather of castile soap, well beaten
With the yolk of an egg. After the
hair is well washed with this mixture,
rinse through several lukewarm waters
and dry as quickly as possible in the
sun, or in a very warm room.
To keep the little annoying wisps
of hair in place, push the locks hi
places and, using "the small "invisible'
hair pins, slip in the pin, then turn
one point of the '.pin back until the
end touches the tpp. When wanted to
remove, the end is easily turned for
ward. Do not use old, rancid "cream" on
the face and hands, as this is apt' 'to
cause "breaking" jout" and blotchea.
JEvery woman ban .not use".creams, any
more than she can use ordinary soaps,
as some one or more of the ingred
ients may be injurious in her partic
ular case. Only freshly made creams
should be used, and when made at
home, the amount should be small, as
oils turn rancid very quickly.
For the skih which can not bear soap
try this:- Wring a piece of flannel
cloth out of warm water, and pour on
Wall Paper
Rooms with low ceilings look high
er with striped walls, while a largo
patterned paper makes a small room
look smaller. A small room should
be hung with paper of small desien,
or with plain, unflgured colors. Pale
blue, violet or green may be used
on a room with southern exposure,
as these colors prevent a glare. A
white ground with colored flowers
or figures is better where the room is
exposed to the sunshine, as pale-tinted
paper is apt to fade in such sit
uations. On the ceilings of the bed
rooms, use a plain paper, as It is
more restful toxthe eyes. Especially
is this a valuable hint, where sick
ness is apt to occur, as patterns "De
come absolute torture at timeo. to the
eyes of the sick. Where engrav-s
ings areto be hung, a dull-toned,
plain paper is preferable, as bring
ing out the best points of such pic
tures. If the furniture is uphols
tered in large-figured goods, or. tho
carpets made with large patterns, a
plain wall paper of a harmonizing
shade should be selected. In case
of plain furniture covering, or neut
ral tones in the carpet coloring, a
figured paper In suitable colors has
a good effect. Dark green, mustard,
terra cotta, are good colors for this.
A hall paper should be warm, Invit-H
ing, and "homely" without-being hot
and stuffy in coloring. A figured
base is often indicated. For a bed
room with southern exposure, a pa
per with a white, or very light,
ground, and dark purple, violet, or
dark blue flowers or figures makes
the room delightfully fresh looking.
For the kitchen, it is better to paint
the walls, or use kalsomine or alabas
tine instead of paper, for sanitary
reasons.
To brighten matting, sprinkle corn
meal on the matting and sweep first
with a broom, then with a carpet
sweeper. Where there are cracks in
the wall plaster mend with plaster of
Paris mixed with vinegar instead of
water, as this will not "set" quite
so quickly, and better work can be
done. All loose plastering should
be pulled off and patched before pa
pering. Query Box
S. L. If the hair is graying in
spots, wetting the whole head with
strong sage tea will equalize the
color.
Annie B.-r You will have to have
assistance in using the scalp sham
pqp, as the liquid must .not be ap
plied to the hair.
R. F. There is always the risk,
in using the dry shampoo that the
powder " will not be thoroughly
brushed out of the hair, and leaving
it will injure thehair. ,
Isadore It is hardly possible for
the inexperienced to satisfactorily
change the color of the hair by home
methods. If it must.be done, go to
a professional, and have it done
right.
Housowlfe To retain tho green
color of your pickles, try this: Sonio
days before pickling, add to tho vine
gar to bo used some- nice, clean
leaves of tho vine, and sprigs of pars
ley; let stoop a few minutes, but not
boil; then Hot aside until you are
ready to use It. Tho vinogar should
have a decided green tlngo which tho
pickles will absorb. This is harm
less. Kathie Hero Is a rccipo for a
home-made mint phosphate: Crush
fresh, clean sprigs of peppermint and
cover with powdered sugar; mix to
gether lomon juice, slices of pineap
ple and orange, mnrachino cherries
and a little phosphate and dilute with
water and crushed ice; then add tho
mint. It Is a refreshing drink for
hot evenings.
Sufferer A well known physician
tells us that eye troubles aro not
noroly locnl departures from health,
but aro generally symptomatic of de
rangements or disturbances of other
organs of tho body, and tho ubo of
eye waters, eye salves, otc, without
constitutional treatment, or attention
to tho cause of tho sympathetic ail
ment, will generally provo of no ben
efit. Troubles of tho internal or
gans, noticeably tho stomach, aro
often tho source of tho trouble.
Nervo trouble's especially disturb tho
eyes.
S. C. You can stralghton your
form if you will. Tost your "crook
edness" by standing against a door
frame, or the wall, with heels,
shoulders and head all touching.
Hold tho shoulders well back and
the chest up. If you aro very much
"lopped," it may be a little tedious,
but, as you go about your work, try
to keep the attitude, testing your- m
self frequently. The back of tho
neck should bear against the collar
band of the dress. 'Unless your physi
cian ordered it, for some deformity,
do not wear a corset, braces, or other
harness, but depend upon your body
muscles, which will gafn strength
with use. Sleep without a pillow or
at best a very Small 'one. Cultivate
a wholesome respect for yourself.
Your mental attitude has a whole
lot to do with the physical one. Learn
to regard yourself with approval,
think cheerful thoughts, and don't
neglect the "measuring," live up to
the measure, and success to youl
DOCTOR'S FOOD TALK
Selection of 'Food One of the Most
Important Acts in Life
A Massachusetts doctor says: "Our
health and physical and mental hap
piness are so largely under our per- '.
sonal control that tho proper 'selec-
tion of food should be, and is ofie i
of the most important acts in life..'
"On this subject, I may say that
I know of no food equal in digest!-'
bility, and more powerful in point'
of nutriment, than the modern"
Grane-Nuts. four heanine teasnoons
of which is sufficient for the cereal
part of a meal, and experience dem- -
onstrates that the user is perfectly,
nourished from one meal to another.
"I am convinced that the exten
sive and general use of high cjass
foods of this character would in
crease the term of human life, add
to the sum total of happiness and
very considerably Improve society in''
general. I am free to mention the
food, for I personally know of its
value." ! ' '
Grape-Nuts food can be used by,
babes in arms,- or adults. It is ready
cooked, can "be served instantly, eith
er cold with cream, or with hot wa
ter or hot milk poured over. All
sorts of puddings and fancy dishes
can be made with Grape-Nuts. The
food is concentrated and very,
economical, for four heaping tea
spoons, are sufficient fpr the cereal
part of a meal. Read the little book,
"The Road to Wellyille," in pkgs.
"There's a Reason."
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