The record-union., 1897-11-21

Housekeepers owning big, handsome
cut-glass punch bowls may convert
them into superb flower holders by
means of the wire racks sold for the
purpose These fit across the top of the
bowls to hold the blossoms.
For baked apples with candied fruit
and whipped cream, the apples are not
baked, but steamed, and when done the
fruit core cavities are filed with can
died fruit. For the filing of eight ap-
pies q cooking-school recipe calls for
four ounces of candied cherries and two
of candied pineapple. The fruit should
be chopped and simmered in a cupful
of water and three tablespoonfuls of
sugar. Drain them out of the syrup
and fill the apples, returning the syrup
to the fire and boiling it down fairly
thick before pouring it over and around
the apples. Serve with whipped cream.
The. syrup may be favored with vanilla
or lemon.
For English plum pudding, clean,
wash and dry one pound of currants;
stone one pound of raisins. Mix the
currants, raiSins, one pound of Suet,
chopped fine, three-quarters of a pound
of stale breadcrumbs, a quarter of a
pound of brown sugar. the grated rind
of one lemon, half a pound of minced,
candied orange-peel a quarter of a
pound of flour, half of a grated nut
meg. Beat five eggs: add to them half
a pint of orange juice, then pour over
the dry ingredients and mix thorough
ly. Pack into creased small kettles or
molds. This will make about six
pounds. Boil for ten hours. Serve
with hard sauce.
Cigar jars of cut glass are a beauti-
full novelty for the smokers table.
A delicious fruit salad, possible now,
is made with grapes, peaches and pears.
Bananas may soon replace the peaches,
and apples the pears, as the season for
the more perishable fruits is slipping
by. Fruit salads need delicate care in
compounding, and often defy the first
or even the second attempt at perfec-
tion. A little good white wine is the
best blending element, but bit of del
success. The fruit must be ripe, but
not over ripe. 1t must be chilled, and
handled as little as possible.
Architects and decorators do not hes
jtate TO introduce what seem almost
exaggerated effects in their effort to re-
lieve the monotony of the city home. A
raised platform in some part of the
in ho11 fe
is sometimes set in a corner, taking in
a window. A low, ornamental railing
runs part of the way around it, from
which, at one corner, a pole may go to
the ceiling. This is lightly draped with
some effective hanging, and the dais
holds, besides a low, broad screen. A
guitar or mandolin, with the music
rack, suggests the use of the nook. IT
is reached by a low, broad step run
ming entirely across the unrailed length.
Sometimes, in the case Of hall that is
used as a sitting room, the landing is
large enough to hold an upright piano.
In the new suite of apartments in which
Dean Smith viii reside at Barnard Col
iege the beautiful reception room is sep
aratad from the equally handsome din
ing room by one broad. low step extend
ing quite across from wall TO wall. Two
graceful pillars break the space and
serve as supports for portieres which
half disclose and half conceal the at
1ractive vista beyond. This idea of diff
1erent floor elevations in the same or
connecting rooms is associated with old
Roman and Eastern palaces, and its;
introduction in even commonplace
houses imparts certain grand air.
To ascertain the freshness of an egg.
without breaking. mold it before a
strong light and look directly through
the she'll If the yolk appears round
and the white surrounding it clear. the
chances are that the egg is fresh. Or
you may drop it into water; If the egg
sinks quickly and remains at the bot
tom it is IN ali probability fresh, but II
1t stands on end it is doubtful, and quite
bad If it floats. The shell of a fresh ege
looks dull, While that of a stale one is
glossy.
Baby flannels or white flannels Of any
sort are shrunk by having boiling wa
ter poured over them and leaving them
in the water until 1t is cold In drying
they should not be wrung out, but
squeezed and pressed and shaken 10
free from water, and then hung out till
partly dry. Roll up smoothly while still
damp, and iron with a cool iron after
they have lain rolled for twenty min
utes.
Realistic sandwiches are hardly Ia
be recommended, though at a tennis tea
pile OF these edibles cut in the shape
of racket avs seen. As golf is now
more fashionable than tennis, we shall
need our dainties served as brassies and
drives. ii is perhaps one of the good
features Of the Scotch game that its
implements and belongings do not read
lily lend themselves TO a typical feast.
The silence cloth of the fashionable
dinner table takes on several guises, a
new sort being knitted of cotton. This
both washes and wears well. The dou-
ble-faced canton flannel holds stains
with most untidy effect thought may
be fresh from the laundress. Mats OF
asbestos can be had large enough to
cover table, and the protection Of
these is absolute, making their choice
frequent to owners of handsome tables.
Baked ice-cream and ice-eream cro-
ouettes have been duly chronicied. An
other novelty is to serve a hot sauce
! with an ice. At luncheon last week
with the bisque cream was handed
around a slender pitcher OF very hot,
rather thick, and strong chocolate. not
very sweet This was poured over and
around the ice-cream. forming at once
q crust like a caramel that was deli