III Bettina's First Guest

pimento is from that can I opened. Then, too, I cooked tomorrow's potatoes with these to save gas and bother. You'll have them served in a different way, of course. And—— Oh, yes, Bob," Bettina chattered on, "I saw Ruth down town, and have asked all five of my bridesmaids to luncheon day after tomorrow. Won't that be fun? But I promise you that the neglected groom shall have every one of the good things when he comes home at night!" "It makes me feel happy, I can tell you, to have a home like this. It's pleasant to be by ourselves, but at the same time I can't help wishing that some of the bachelors I know could see it all and taste your cooking!" "Well, Bob, I want you to feel free to have a guest at any time. If my dinners are good enough for you, I'm sure they're good enough for any guest whom you may bring. And it isn't very hard to make a meal for three out of a meal for two. Now, Bobby, if you're ready, will you please get the dessert?" "What? Strawberry shortcake? Well, this is living! I tell you what, Bettina, I call this a regular man-size meal!"

It consisted of: Pan-Broiled Steak New Potatoes in Cream Baking-Powder Biscuits Butter Rhubarb Sauce Pea and Celery Salad Strawberry Shortcake Cream Coffee

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level) Pan-Broiled Steak (Two portions) 1 lb. steak 1 T-butter 1 t-salt 1/8 t-pepper 2 T-hot water 1 t-parsley chopped

Wipe the meat carefully with a wet cloth. Remove superfluous fat and any gristle. Cut the edges to prevent them from curling up. When the broiling oven is very hot, place the meat, without any fat, upon a hot flat pan, directly under the blaze. Brown both sides very quickly. Turn often. Reduce heat and continue cooking about seven minutes, or longer if desired. Place on a warm platter; season with salt, pepper and bits of butter. Set in the oven a moment to melt the butter. If salt is added while cooking, the juices will be drawn out. A gravy may be made by adding hot water, butter, salt, pepper and parsley to the pan. Pour the gravy over the steak.

New Potatoes in Cream (Two portions)

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4 new potatoes 1 qt. water 1 t-salt

Scrape four medium sized new potatoes. Cook in boiling water (salted) until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain off the water, and shake the kettle over the fire gently, to allow the steam to escape and make the potatoes mealy. Make the following white sauce and pour over the potatoes. White Sauce for New Potatoes (Two portions) 2 T-butter 2 T-flour 1 C-milk ½ t-salt ¼ t-paprika

Melt the butter, add the flour, salt and paprika. Thoroughly mix, slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Allow sauce to cook two minutes. Strawberry Shortcake (Two portions) 2 T-lard 1 T-butter 2 C-sifted flour ¾ C-milk 1/3 t-salt 4 t-baking powder 1 qt. strawberries 2/3 C-sugar

Cut the fat into the flour, salt and baking powder until the consistency of cornmeal. Gradually add the milk, using a knife to mix. Do not handle any more than absolutely necessary. Toss the dough upon a floured board or a piece of clean brown paper. Pat into the desired shape, and place in a pan. Bake in a hot oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Split, spread with butter, and place strawberries, crushed and sweetened, between and on top. Serve with cream.

CHAPTER III

BETTINA'S FIRST GUEST

"H ELLO! Yes, this is Bettina! Why, Bob, of course! Is he a real womanhater? No, I've never met any, but I'll just invite Alice, too, and tomorrow you won't be calling him that. Six-thirty? Yes, I'll be ready for you both; I'm so glad you asked him. He'll be our first guest! Good-bye!"

Bettina left the telephone with more misgivings than her tone had indicated. She couldn't disappoint Bob, and she liked unexpected company, but the dinner which

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she had planned was prepared largely from the recipes filed as "left-overs" in her box of indexed cards. "Well, Bob will like it, anyhow," she declared confidently, "and if Alice can come, we'll have enough scintillating table-talk to make up for disappointments."

Alice accepted with delight, promising to wear "a dream of a gown that just came home," and confessing to a sentimental feeling at the thought of dining with such a new bride and groom. "Let's see," said Bettina in her spick and span little kitchen, "there is meat enough, but I must hard-boil some eggs to help out these potatoes. 'Potatoes Anna' will be delicious. Goodness, what would my home economics teacher have said if she had heard me say 'hard-boil'? They mustn't really be boiled at all, just 'hardcooked' in water kept at the boiling point. There will be enough baked green peppers for four, and enough of the pudding, and if I add some very good coffee, I don't believe that Bob's Mr. Harrison will feel that women are such nuisances after all! It isn't an elaborate meal, but it's wholesome, and at any rate, our gas bill will be a little smaller because everything goes into the oven."

When Alice arrived, Bettina was putting the finishing touches on her table. "Alice, you look stunning!" "And you look lovely, which is better! And the table is charming! Those red clover blossoms in that brown basket make a perfect center-piece! How did you think of it?" "Mother Necessity reminded me, my dear! My next door neighbor has roses, but I covet some for my luncheon tomorrow, and did not like to ask for any today. So I had to use these red clover blooms from our own back yard. They are simple, like the dinner." "Don't you envy me, Harrison?" asked Bob at the table. "This is my third day of real home cooking! You were unexpected company, too!"

The dinner consisted of:

Boubons with Tomato Sauce Potatoes Anna Baked Green Peppers Stuffed Bread Butter Cottage Pudding Lemon Sauce Coffee

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level)

Boubons (Four portions) 1 C-cooked meat ground fine (one or more kinds may be used) 2 T-fresh bread crumbs ¼ t-pepper

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½ C-milk 1 T-green pepper or pimento chopped fine ¼ t-celery salt 1 egg ½ t-salt 1 t-butter (melted)

Beat the egg, add milk, seasonings, melted butter, breadcrumbs and meat. Mix thoroughly. Fill buttered cups three-fourths full of mixture. Place in a pan of boiling water, and bake in a moderate oven fifteen minutes. The mixture is done as soon as it resists pressure in the center. Allow them to remain in the pans a few minutes, then remove carefully upon a serving plate. They may be made in a large mould or individual ones. Serve with the following sauce. Tomato Sauce (Four portions) 1 C-tomatoes 1 slice onion 4 bay leaves 4 cloves ½ t-sugar ½ C-water 2 T-butter 2 T-flour ½ t-salt

Simmer the tomatoes, onion, bay leaves, cloves, sugar and water for fifteen minutes, rub through the strainer. Melt butter, add flour and salt, add strained tomato juice and pulp. Cook until the desired consistency. Potatoes Anna (Four portions) 1½ C-cooked diced potatoes 2 hard-cooked eggs ½ t-celery salt ¼ t-onion salt 1 C-thin white sauce

Place alternate layers of diced cooked potatoes and sliced hard-cooked eggs in a baking dish. Season. Pour a thin white sauce over all of this. Place in a moderate oven fifteen minutes.

Stuffed Green Peppers (Four portions) 4 green peppers 4 C-boiling water

Remove the stems of the peppers and take out all the contents. Remove small slices from the blossom end so they will stand. Cover peppers with boiling water, allow to stand five minutes and drain. Fill with any desired mixture. Bake in a moderate oven twenty-five minutes, basting frequently with hot water. Filling for Peppers (Four portions) 1 C-fresh bread crumbs 1 t-chopped onion or ¼ T-onion salt

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