Household Hints from Northern Cookbook 1967 Eleanor A. Ellis

• Household Hints from Northern Cookbook 1967 Eleanor A. Ellis

  By Rosemary Pentland in Back to the Basics! ·  Edit Doc

  If cheese has started to mold, trim the mold, then wrap in a cloth dipped in vinegar.

  
  

  If mold appears on ham or bacon, wipe off with a cloth dampened with vinegar.

  
  

  Fresh potatoes may be frozen for winter use. Put into boiling water salted without peeling and cook until tender, then peel if you like. Or bake.

  
  

  To keep butter from becoming rancid, store it well covered in a cool dark place.

  
  

  Soak bacon slices in cold water for 5 minutes to reduce the salt, drain, and pat dry.

  
  

  Break sprouts off stored fresh potatoes as soon as they appear, to prevent the potatoes from becoming soft.

  
  

  Soften brown sugar by storing in an air tight container with a slice of fresh bread.

  
  

  Fresh eggs will keep longer if dipped in thin warmed mineral oil, drained, then stored in a cool place.

  
  

  Soften hard butter for sandwiches by inverting a warmed soup bowl over it.

  
  

  When you cook eggs in the shell, a teaspoon of salt in the water prevents cracking.

  
  

  Wash windows with 1/4cup vinegar in 4 cups warm water.

  
  

  Add a spoon of salt to your last rinse water and your laundry won't freeze to the clothesline.

  
  

  Loosen doors or windows that are frozen shut by pouring heavily salted water around the edges.

  
  

  Hard soap rubbed on drawer runners will help prevent sticking.

  
  

  To remove a water ring from furniture, rub with a mixture of table salt and light oil, or cigarette ashes, and butter. Wax, and polish.

  
  

  To thaw frozen pipes, wrap pipes with cloths and pour boiling water on the cloth.

  
  

  Remove the adhesive tape marks with alcohol or nail polish remover.

  
  

  A paste of baking soda and water will take the sting out of a burn, and the burn out of a sting. A mud paste also eases insect bites. (as an aside, i have been told this by my Amish ladies in my community, ~Rosemary)

  
  

  Remove rust stains from a sink or tub with kerosene.

  
  

  Keep baking soda near the stove, good for putting out fires.

  
  

  Stick your sewing needles in a bar of soap in  your sewing kit. They will slide easily, and won't rust.

  
  

  The flavour of safe but unpalatable water may be improved by adding charcoal from a campfire and allowing it to stand overnight.

  
  

  A sheet of clear wrap, or a pane of glass helps keep a recipe book clean.

  
  

  When making jelly, 1 tablespoon epsom salts to 5 pounds of fruitt will take the place of commercial pectin.

  
  

  Freshen stale walnuts by pouring boiling water over them.

  
  

  Revive tired peanuts by baking them in a 275 F oven for one hour. Leave the shells on if you wish.

  
  

  To render animal fat, cut the suet and surface fat into cubes, heat it slowly in a heavy covered kettle, then strain it. Bring the liquid fat to a boil, reduce the heat, and let simmer for ten minutes to sterilize it. Pour fat into hot, sterilized containers seal, and store in a cool place. Rendered bear fat makes excellent pastry.

  
  

  Use baking soda in the water that you wipe the inside of your fridge with when cleaning it.

All Purpose All Purpose Soap

All Purpose All Purpose Soap

24 oz. coconut oil = 1lb. 8 oz.

38 oz. lard = 2 lbs. 6 oz.

24 oz. olive oil (inexpensive kind) =1lb. 8 oz.

Total weight of fats is 5# 6oz. When using old cooking oil I just weigh up 5 # 6 oz

I don’t always use these measurements. If I don’t have enough olive oil, I make up for it with another kind. Sometimes I even use all lard. I even use all recycled oil from the cafe in town after I strain it several times.

12 oz. lye ( I use household 100% lye drain opener)

32 oz. water (When I am making goats milk soap I use fresh goats milk instead of water, it needs to be very cold. It will turn a beautiful yellow and then to a tanish brown. I wish it would stay the lovely yellow.)

2 oz fragrance

½ to ¾ cup chopped oats (optional)

2- thermometers (candy thermometers work fine)

Measure everything by weight.

Line molds with freezer paper (shiny side up) or parchment paper.

Prepare all ingredients before starting process.

Run sink part way full of cold water and set plastic container of water 32oz. into sink.

Slowly pour measured lye into water while stirring.

When lye water and oils are both at 110 – 120 degrees at the same time, slowly add lye water to

oils while mixing with stick blender.

When mixture comes to trace add fragrance, color and other add ingredients if desired.

Mix these in and pour into mold(s).

Cover with parchment or freezer paper and a couple of towels or a blanket.

Let sit undisturbed 24 hours.

At this time remove soap from mold and slice into bars of the desired size.

When I remove the soap from the molds I cut it into 4 bars 2 inches wide.

I then slice it into 1 inch pieces.

My husband made my molds which are 8 in. X 9in.

We used 1X4 lumber for the sides.

For the bottom we just found a board to fit and used that.

I use a mitre box, to cut the soap into one inch pieces.

Let cure for three weeks before using.

This recipe makes approx. 36 bars of soap and fills one 8X9 inch mold.