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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 8, Issue 5 (September 1, 1933)

Our Women's Section — Timely Notes and Useful Hints

page 49

Our Women's Section
Timely Notes and Useful Hints

Spring Fashions.

The soft green of new willow leaves, the blue of a rain-washed sky, the pale gold of the first daffodil and the pink of peach-blossom have been carried into the shops this spring—hidden in large, ugly, wooden cases. But they have not remained hidden. Bolts of silks and cottons have spilled their soft beauty near the dressgoods counters, and frocks, dainty and flower-like as spring itself, are ousting winter from the show-rooms.

Smartness, in black and white, or in any shade from beige to brown, is fingering the new materials and buying dress-lengths to be made up for those first days of spring. Our long winter certainly gives us time to plan and prepare our summer wardrobes, especially as the shops so obligingly give their showings of new spring-goods in what we consider still the dead of winter. But the spring flowers aren't minding the weather.

We will continue to wear our browns and blacks and greys and our splashes of vivid colour for some weeks to come, but the spring fabrics we are buying now, while the choice is so varied, will be an absolute contrast in colour and texture. Fashion decrees pastel tints for spring, pale lemon, shellpink, sky-blue, nil and white—no bright colours such as we wore last season.

The new cotton materials are lovely. Organdies appear in plain and crinkled effects, in pastel shade, or patterned with dainty floral designs or checks. Cotton georgettes, pique voiles, hair-cord muslins—all have the same soft colourings and small floral designs or checks and plaids. An exquisite fabric is embroidered organdie.

In preparing your wardrobe for the summer, don't forget beach and tub frocks in sturdier cotton fabrics such as tobralco, which appears in charming designs this season.

For present wear, to cheer up your winter suit, make a blouse of floral-patterned cotton georgette. Unless you prefer to be very tailor-made, choose a blouse style featuring a bow or bows: These dainty accessories are going to rule the coming season which will be a “fussy” one as regards the more dressy frocks. Bows will be everywhere or anywhere—at the neck or waist of frocks, front or back, accentuating the sleeves, or (most becoming of all) falling as a sash-tie with bustle effect.

Scarves tie beneath the chin or on the shoulder. Hat styles are legion. The small varieties must all be worn at a jaunty angle. Smart sailor shapes are popular. There are whispers of picture-hats of the garden-party variety to be worn with fullskirted organdies and swiss-muslins in mid-summer.

Let's not be gay this spring, but fresh, and flower-like and feminine.

* * *

Household Renovations.

Spring-cleaning is not complete without a freshening-up of soft furnishings. In taking stock it will be noticed, perhaps, that curtains need replacing. Curtain nets are showing in the shops in gay and charming colourings and designs. For side curtains, artificial silk materials of all kinds are at your disposal. These same silks, at reasonable prices, are also useful for recovering cushions. Are all the cushions in your living room covered with the same material? If not, try the effect of covering them to tone or contrast with your general colour-scheme. You will observe a new harmony which is lacking in a room splashed with multicoloured cushions. If you are the lucky possessor of a week-end bach or a sun-porch, go in for cushions covered with a carefully selected cotton material, something gay in page 50 page 51 a large floral design, or, preferably, a challenging geometric pattern. You will be surprised at the decorative effect.

A shabby Chesterfield will take on a new lease of life if supplied with a new loose-cover in chintz or cretonne. Unless you are very sure of your own capabilities, it is better to have the cover made up by the shop supplying the material.

Cheer up your kitchen for spring. Look round it with a critical eye, and when you have checked over all its bad points, get the master of the house and show them to him. Explain the difference a coat of enamel paint will make to your own outlook on life. And, before wielding the paint brush, wouldn't it be a good idea to make the few alterations you'd always intended doing, even if it's only the addition of a broom cupboard, or the affixing of a folding towel-rack to the wall?

Plan a colour-scheme for your kitchen, taking into account its aspect. If it is a sunny room, choose cool colouring, for instance a soft green; if it faces south warm it up with pale orange, or a certain shade of red, or cream picked out with cerise. When you have painted the walls, use the remainder of your paint on the kitchen chairs, which will immediately present an ultramodern appearance. Now the curtains—crisp checked ginghams, or any cheery cotton fabric banded with a contrasting colour. You will find that, in thus refurbishing your kitchen, you have spring-cleaned your attitude towards kitchen duties.

* * *

Rest And Relaxation.

As the busy season of the year approaches bringing in its train spring-cleaning, jam-making, preparing for the holidays, etc., the housewife who appreciates her health and appearance, is well advised to learn the value of relaxation. I suppose there are few women who have not some knowledge of the value of rest, but when it comes to practice, how many will, after the mid-day meal, allow themselves from fifteen to thirty minutes for complete rest and relaxation?

An excellent way to rest is to slip off the shoes and, in a darkened room, sit or lie comfortably with the feet slightly higher than the body. Cover yourself with a rug, let the body relax and the mind become more or less a blank. It may not at first be easy to rid oneself of the cares and anxieties that flesh is heir to, and to force the mind into pleasant channels. However, it is possible to do this and so get the full benefit of the rest and quietness. It is surprising how soon a difference in appearance and tension will be observed. It is when one is busiest that one should allow the time for rest and so become refreshed and able to carry on without that “tired feeling.”

It is also necessary to sit still while eating. Do not rise from the table every now and then to attend to the wants of the family. Put everything on the table at once and do not move until the meal is finished. Make the meal as attractive as possible. Banish depressing subjects from discusion and have pleasant conversation and a happy atmosphere, which is conducive to good digestion.

Although this is a women's page, men also should note the benefit derived from relaxation. It is, of course, a recognised principle in modern industry, as seen in the provision of “rest periods,” “smoke-ohs,” etc., in the best conducted highpressure businesses. But amongst other sections of society the “industrial psychologist” has not had an organised competitive factor to appeal to, and any suggestion for relaxation mostly originates from the medical profession. To those who fail to use the medical man as he should be used— as a health supervisor—the idea of relaxation generally goes unrecognised. Hence it is appropriate that marked attention should be given in these notes to a feature of life which means so much in the direction of producing a well-ordered, healthy and happy existence.

* * *

The Succulent Oyster.

Oysters must be absolutely fresh. If they are to be served raw, scrub the outside of the shells and wash them well in cold water before opening. Serve on the half shell. Allow six or more for each person. Arrange on a plate and garnish with a sprig of parsley. Have on the table, pepper and salt, vinegar and slices of lemon. Serve with thin brown bread and butter.

When it comes to cooking oysters, an important point to observe is that they are not brought to the boil, as this toughens them.

Some people prefer to have their oysters merely as a main or subsidiary feature of a cooked dish. By this means the delicacy of flavour is retained, while a great variety of treatment is made possible and some culinary triumphs are achieved. The simple and unassuming bivalve would doubtless be proud to know the wonderful effects some of our chefs can produce from a moderate supply of the silent but succulent oyster.

The following are some well tried and tempting recipes.

Oyster Soup.

2 pints Fish Stock.

2 ozs. Butter.

2 ozs. Flour.

1 doz. Oysters.

1 dessertspoonful An

chovy Sauce. Pepper and Salt.

Stir butter and flour over the fire to an oily paste. Take off fire, add stock gradually also liquor from oysters. Put back on fire and boil for a few minutes. Season with pepper and salt and anchovy. When boiled take off fire, add cupful of milk or cream, also the oysters.

Do not boil after the oysters are in, but make very hot.

Oyster Souffle.

2 doz. Oysters.

2 tablespoonsful Butter.

3 tablespoonsful Bread Crumbs.

½ teaspoonful Salt.

2 tablespoonsful Flour.

3/4 cupful Milk or Cream.

3 Eggs.

1 teaspoonful Lemon Juice.

Scald oysters in their liquor, remove them and chop fine; blend smoothly together the butter and page 52 flour, add the oyster liquor and milk. Stir over fire until thick and smooth. Add breadcrumbs and salt, and cook for three minutes. Remove from the fire, add the beaten yolks of eggs and set aside until slightly cooled; mix in the chopped oysters and lemon juice, whites of eggs beaten to a stiff froth; bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Angels on Horseback (Savory).

6 Oysters.

6 small rolls thinly cut Bacon

6 rounds Bread.

1 hard boiled Egg.

Little Anchovy Paste.

Small piece Butter.

Salt and Cayenne to taste.

Little finely chopped Parsley.

Beard the oysters, season with the cayenne and warm them in their own liquor between two plates in the oven. Cut six rounds of bread about two inches in diameter and fry them a light brown; mix the hard-boiled yolk of egg with anchovy paste and butter, and spread each round with some of the mixture. Cut the white of egg into rings and place one on each of the rounds of bread; in the centre of these arrange a crisply fried roll of bacon, and in the roll place a warmed oyster. Sprinkle the savory with chopped parsley. Skewer the bacon rolls before frying.

Scalloped Oysters.

2 doz. Oysters.

1 oz. Butter.

1 oz. Flour.

2 tablespoons Milk or.

White Stock.

2 tablespoons Cream.

Breadcrumbs.

Lemon Juice.

Pepper and Salt.

Scald the oysters in their own liquor and beard them; strain the liquor; melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour, milk (or stock), cream, lemon juice and seasoning; boil up, stirring well; add the oysters and let them heat through without boiling; fill the buttered dish or scalloped shells, sprinkle with breadcrumbs (over which a little melted butter should be sprinked), and brown for a few minutes in the oven.

* * *

Pea Soup.

1lb. peas

1 large onion

1 large carrot

Celery—2 or 3 stalks

1 quart white stock

Pepper, salt, mint to taste.

Wash the peas, and boil them for a short time the day before the soup is required. Let them soak all night. Grate the carrot and onion to ensure speedy cooking, and add the celery. After about 1 ½ hours simmering put through a sieve, then add salt, pepper and mint to taste.

Dumplings can be served with Pea Soup.

Barley Milk Soup.

4 pints stock

1 cup barley

1 onion

1 carrot

1 parsnip

1 breakfast cup milk

Boil the ingredients for about two hours, then put through a sieve and add the milk, bring to the boil and the soup is ready to serve.

N.B.—Celery is always a welcome addition to the other ingredients, and a little nutmeg also adds to the flavour.

Stock for soup should be made the day before it is to be used, so that all the fat may be removed.

Fat may be easily removed from hot soup by dipping a clean cloth in cold water and straining the soup through it.

Most soups look and taste better if strained before being served. Use a strong wire sieve and wooden spoon for the purpose.

Thick soups should be about the same consistency as cream.

Allow soup to cool before covering it in the safe. If hot soup is covered it may become sour.

Unused stock should be boiled up every day.

* * *