XXXII Bettina Attends a Morning Wedding

CHAPTER XLIV

A RAINY EVENING AT HOME

"T

HIS is just the kind of a cold, rainy evening," said Bob as he pushed back his chair, "that makes me feel like making candy." "Fine!" said Bettina. "What kind shall it be?" "Penoche, if you have all the ingredients." "I think I have. Let's see. It's better when it's made partly with 'C' sugar, and I have that. I wonder if there will be enough milk left for breakfast if we use a little! Well, penoche really tastes exactly as good when it is made with water instead, though, of course, it isn't so rich. But then, I think, we do have enough milk." "First of all, though," said Bob, "we'll wash these dishes. It was a mighty good dinner tonight, Bettina. The nice kind of a hot meal that it seems good to come home to on a night like this." "It was an oven dinner, Bob. You see, the meat loaf, the escalloped potatoes, and the rice pudding were all in the oven at once. I always try to use the oven for more than one dish if I am using it at all." "We seem to have eaten all of this tomato sauce," said Bob, as he carried out the dish, "but there is a good deal of meat left. Will you have to make more sauce?" "No, I planned just enough for one meal. Then, tomorrow, I'll serve the rest of the meat cold without a sauce. How did you like the rice pudding hot as it was tonight? You know I usually serve it cold." "It tasted very good for a cold evening. There, all these dishes are ready to wash, Bettina. Will you get out some tea towels for me?"

The dinner that night consisted of: Hot Beef Loaf Tomato Sauce Escalloped Potatoes Bread Butter Rice Pudding

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level)

Beef Loaf (Five portions) 1 lb. beef cut from the round ¼ lb. salt pork ½ t-salt ¼ t-pepper 1/8 t-onion salt

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¼ C-cracker or bread crumbs 1 egg yolk 1 T-milk 1 T-butter

Grind the meat well, and mix all the ingredients excepting the butter. Pat into an oblong shape and place in a well-buttered pan. Add three tablespoons of water to the pan, and place the butter in small pieces on the top of the loaf. Cover the pan and bake thirty-five minutes in a moderate oven. Tomato Sauce (Three portions) 1 C-tomatoes, cut up ½ C-water 2 bay leaves 1 t-sugar ¼ t-ground cloves 1 slice of onion or 1/8 T-onion salt 2 T-butter 2 T-flour 1/3 t-salt

Simmer for fifteen minutes the tomatoes, water, bay leaves, sugar, cloves and onion. Strain and press out all the pulp. Melt the butter, add the flour, blend well, slowly add the strained tomato and salt. Cook one minute. Serve hot on the meat. Escalloped Potatoes (Three portions) 4 potatoes (medium sized) 2 T-flour 2 T-butter 1 T-salt ¼ t-pepper milk (about one cup)

Wash and peel the potatoes. Slice very thin. Mix through the sliced potatoes, the flour, salt, pepper and the butter in small pieces. Place the mixture in a wellbuttered pan or baking dish, and cover with milk. Usually one cup suffices. Bake in a moderate oven forty-five to fifty minutes. (Do not fill the pan more than threefourths full, as the potatoes will boil over.) Rice Pudding (Three portions) 1¼ C-milk 1 egg 4 T-sugar ¼ t-salt 1 t-vanilla 1 C-cooked rice 1 t-butter 1/8 t-grated nutmeg

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Beat the egg, add the sugar, salt, nutmeg, vanilla, and milk. Add the rice. Pour the mixture into a well-buttered baking dish and dot over with the butter. Bake in a moderate oven twenty-five minutes. It may be served hot or cold. Cream may be served with it if desired.

Penoche

2 C-"C" sugar 1 C-granulated sugar 1 T-butter 2/3 C-milk ¼ t-cream of tartar ¼ C-nut-meats 1 t-vanilla

Mix the sugar, butter, milk and cream of tartar. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent from scorching, until a soft ball is formed when a little candy is dropped in cold water. Remove from the fire, and do not stir until it is cool. Put back on the stove for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from stove, and beat vigorously until very creamy. Add the nuts and vanilla. When hard and creamy, remove from the pan, patting into shape and kneading until soft and creamy. Place on a buttered pan, patting to the thickness of three-fourths of an inch. Cut into the desired shape.

SEPTEMBER.

Apple-tree, apple-tree, crowned with delight,

Give me your fruit for a pie if you will;—— Crusty I'll make it, and juicy and light!——

Give me your treasure to mate with my skill!

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CHAPTER XLV

RUTH MAKES AN APPLE PIE

"I'LL tell you, Ruth," said Bettina, in answer to some questions, "you come home with me now, and make an apple pie for our dinner! I'll watch and direct you, and perhaps I can show you what made the crust tough on the one

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