XXIII Bettina's Sunday Dinner

"Thank you, that's a good idea, Bettina. May I sit down here at the kitchen table and copy it?" "Do, I'll get you a pencil and a piece of paper. Ruth, won't you stay to dinner tonight?" "I can't possibly, Bettina. I am going out with mother, and should be at home now dressing. Oh, by the way, I had a chance to refer last night to something you made me copy and put with my recipe cards. 'How to Remove Grass Stains'! I got it on my white dress—a dreadful looking stain—and immediately referred to my card-index. It said, 'Moisten with alcohol or camphor, allow to stand five minutes, and wash out with clear water.' The stain came out like magic! I used camphor; we didn't happen to have any alcohol in the house." "I'm so glad it came out; that is such a pretty white dress. And weren't you glad you knew just where to find a remedy? It seems a little trouble to index things, but it is really worth doing." "I think so, too. Well, there's Bob, and I must rush off. Bob, you're going to have a good dinner tonight! I've just been investigating!"

Bob had:

Pork Chops Escalloped Potatoes Baked Apples Bread Butter Fresh Pears Tea

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level)

Baked Apples

4 apples 8 T-sugar ½ C-water ½ t-cinnamon 2 T-butter

Select apples of uniform size. Wash and core. Place in a pan, cover the bottom with water. Fill each cavity with sugar, a dash of powdered cinnamon and a tiny lump of butter. Bake for thirty minutes, basting occasionally. Serve around the platter of pork chops.

Bettina's Time-Guide for Baking Quick Breads

Pop-overs—Thirty minutes in a hot oven. Baking-powder biscuits—Ten to fifteen minutes in a hot oven. Corn bread—Twenty-five to forty minutes in a moderate oven.

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Muffins—Twenty to twenty-five minutes in a moderate oven. Gingerbread—Thirty to forty-five minutes in a slow oven.

CHAPTER XXXI

BOB AND BETTINA ALONE

"W

doing?" HY, Bob, look at the front of your Palm Beach suit!" exclaimed Bettina, after she had greeted Bob at the door. "What in the world have you been

"Pretty bad; isn't it!" said he, ruefully. "Frank Dixon brought me home in his car, and he had some sort of engine trouble. We worked on it for awhile, but couldn't fix it, so he phoned the garage and I came home on the street car. I must have rubbed up against some grease. Do you suppose my clothes are spoiled?" "No-o," said Bettina, slowly, "not if I get at them. Let me see; what is it that takes out auto grease? Oh, I know! Bob, you go and change your clothes right away while I'm cooking the meat for dinner. Then I'll doctor these." "What will you do to them?" "I'll rub them with lard, and let it stay on them for about an hour. Then after dinner I'll wash them out in warm water and soap, and then—well, Bob, I believe they'll be all as good as new." "I thank you, Mrs. Bettina."

When Bob returned and Bettina was putting the dinner on the table, she smiled to herself over a new idea that had popped into her head. "Bob, what would you think if I should enter some of my nut-bread at the state fair?" "Well, is that what you've been smiling at all this time? I think it would be fine. If I were judge you'd get first prize in a minute! Say, strikes me this is a pretty good dinner!"

It consisted of: Ham Mashed Potatoes Escalloped Onions Rolls Butter Dutch Apple Cake Coffee

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level)

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Ham (Three portions) 2/3 lb. ham 2 T-water

Wipe a slice of ham (one-third of an inch thick) and remove the rind. Place in a hot frying-pan. Add the water. Cook until brown on both sides (about fifteen minutes).

Escalloped Onions (Two portions) 1 C-cooked onions ½ C-vegetable white sauce 3 T-fresh bread crumbs 2 T-butter

Mix the onions with the white sauce and pour into a buttered baking dish. Melt the butter and add the fresh bread crumbs. Place the buttered crumbs on top of the onions. Brown the mixture in the oven (about fifteen minutes). Dutch Apple Cake (Two portions) 1 C-flour ¼ t-salt 2 t-baking powder 1 T-butter 1 egg well beaten 1/3 C-milk 1 sour apple 2 T-sugar ½ t-cinnamon

Mix flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in the butter. Add the milk and egg. Mix well. Spread one-half an inch thick in a shallow pan. Pare and cut the apples in lengthwise sections. Lay in rows in the dough with the sharp edges pressed lightly into the dough. Mix the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Bake thirty minutes in a moderate oven. Serve with lemon sauce. Lemon Sauce (Two portions) ½ C-sugar 1/8 t-salt 1 t-flour 1 C-water 1 t-butter 2 T-lemon juice

Mix the sugar, salt and flour well. Add the water slowly. Cook seven minutes. Add the butter and lemon juice. Serve hot.

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