Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-21
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING.
Ry Laura A. klrkman.
ANSWERED. LETTERS.

Inexperierced Laundress. u have no.
ticed that YOU answer questions on laun-
erinc as well as on cooking and other sub
jects, and | would hike to have you tell
me how TO starch dark blue organdie
dress. | have just taken a position as
maid with a nice family and am supposed
TO know how TO do laundry work. The
vornc daughter of the house has a dark
blue organdie dress and / want TO know
how to do it UP before ] am asked to do
so-for, it is becoming badly solled.
Answer-Glrm arabic Is used for stu
fening dark materials such as organdies
and ginghams instead of white starch
which would possibly leave white streaks.
To stiffen the dress, place i tablespoon OF
gum arabic IN q saucepan and pour upon
il quart of boiling hot water. When the
gum arabic is dissolved 1t should be
strained through cheesecloth. This may
be made in advance of use, If desired, and
bottled and kept until needed. Do not
hesitate TO write me again If l can help
you further.
G. R.-'Please give me recipe for
Cream of Asparagus Soup.
lAnswer.-Cream of Asparagus Soup
] can of asparagus (or 2 punches, IN
season., pint water, pint milk, table
spoons butter, tablespoon chopped
onion 2 tablespoons flour, / teaspoon
sugar, IL teaspoons salt, IS teaspoon
pepper. Cut of the heads of the asparagus
and lay them aside. Cut the stalks IN
short pieces and put them in a stew pan
with the water, letting them cook slowly
until soft (about 80 minutes Put the
butter in a small saucepan and let it melt.
then add the onion and cook slowly for 10
minutes; next add the -four to this sauce
pan, stirring constantly, and after it has
boiled up once or twice more add this mix
ture to the asparagus and water In the
stew pan. Add the salt, pepper and sugar
and allow TO simmer 10 minutes, then rub
the soup through fine sieve and return 1t
TO the fire. v hen IT has boiled up again.
add the milk and the asparagus heads.
Let cook few minutes Ion ger, and serve.
Mrs. III. B. MI am going to have a
lot of company with me during the next
few weeks and would ike to have you tell
me whether OF not / can can the juice from
the crab apples, instead Of mahrg g it into
Jelly at once? My visitors are my hus-
bands people and do want to get to know
them well while they are with us, instead
of spending all my time over my kitchen
range. Then, too, by making the jelly
next winter | can econOmize on fuel; for,
in the winter | will need the heat anyway,
and can use it both for keeping warm and
for ielly-making.
Answer think your idea is a splendid
one. You can keep your fruit juices per-
fectly by the following method: Extract
the Jul from the crab apples in the usual
way for jelly chat is, allow j pint of cold
water to quart of crab apples which have
been washed but not peeled and cut into
small pieces, then put In preserving ket-
tie with the water and boil until tender,
strain it through double cheesecloth and
bottle it; sterilize these bottles for 30
minutes in boiling water, then seal tight,
dip each bottle neck into melted paraffin
to make doubly alright, and keep in the
dark until cold weather. Then use your
fruit juices just as if you were making jelly
In sumLler.
Tomorrow "Surprise" Dishes.
All inquiries addressed to Miss Kirkman
In care of the Efficient Housekeeping
department will be answered in these
columns in their turn. This requires con-
siderable time, however, owing to the
great number received. So if a personal or
quicker reply is desired, stamped and
self-addressed envelope must be enclosed
with the question.-The Editor.
y