XXXIII After the "Tea"

seem tough." you made at home. Do come. I can't promise you an elaborate dinner tonight, for my funds are very low and I must be careful. But I had planned to make an apple pie myself. Bob is so fond of it that no matter what else we may have, an apple pie dinner is a feast to him." "But goodness, Bettina! I might spoil it!" "No, you wouldn't, and I would show you just what to do. I suspect that you handled the dough too much before and that was what made the pie

"I suppose I did; I was so anxious to have it well mixed." "Did you use your fingers in mixing in the shortening? I know that many good cooks do it, but it is really better to use a knife, with the blade flat. And then roll the pastry out just as lightly as possible." "Do you make pastry with lard or butter?" "I usually make it with an equal amount of each. Lard makes a more tender crust than butter, and a whiter crust, but I think butter gives it a better flavor."

Bettina and Ruth had reached home by this time, and Bettina brought out the materials for Ruth's pie. "I'll give you ice-water to moisten the pastry," said she; "it isn't necessary, but it is really better in the summer time. And while you're mixing in the shortening with this knife, I'll be cooking some eggs hard for eggs a la goldenrod which I am going to give you tonight." "Eggs a la goldenrod!" exclaimed Ruth, "How good that does sound!" "It is a very good luncheon-dish, but I find it also good for dinner when I'm not having meat. I think it looks appetizing, too." "I must learn how to make it. You know Father comes home at noon, and it is hard to think of a variety of luncheon-dishes. I usually have eggs or cheese in some form or other, but 'eggs a la goldenrod,' are new to me." "We also have cottage-cheese tonight," said Bettina. "I plan to make it about once a week. Ruth, I believe I hear Bob now! Well, he'll have to wait half an hour or more for his dinner!"

That night they had: Eggs a la Goldenrod Potato Cakes Strained Honey Cottage Cheese Bread Butter Apple Pie Coffee

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BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level) Eggs a la Goldenrod (Four portions) 3 hard-cooked eggs 3 T-butter 3 T-flour 1½ C-milk ½ t-salt 1/8 t-pepper 1/8 t-parsley

Melt the butter, add the flour, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the milk gradually. Cook until a white sauce consistency. Add chopped egg-whites. Pour this mixture over slices of toast arranged on a platter. Force the yolks through a strainer on top of the sauce on the toast. Garnish with parsley and serve hot. Potato Cakes (Four portions) 2 C-mashed potatoes 1 T-lard 1 T-butter

Form cold seasoned mashed potato into cakes two inches in diameter. Dip the cakes lightly into a little flour. Allow one tablespoon butter and one tablespoon lard to get very hot in a frying-pan. Put in the cakes, brown on each side, and serve. Cottage Cheese (Four portions) 1 qt. sour milk 1 t-salt ¼ t-paprika 1 T-cream

Place thick freshly soured milk over a pan of hot water, not boiling. When the milk is warm and the curds separate from the whey, strain off the whey in a cheese cloth. Put into a bowl, add salt, pepper and cream to taste. Stir lightly with a fork.

Some of Bettina's Pastry Rules

One—All the materials must be cold.

Two—Always roll one way and on one side of the pastry.

Three—Shortening should be handled as little as possible.

Four—Dough should be mixed with a knife and not touched with the hands.

Five—Shortening should be cut in with a knife.

Six—Cook pastry in a hot oven having the greatest heat at the bottom so that it may rise before browning. Crust is done when it slips from the pan.

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CHAPTER XLVI

BETTINA MAKES APPLE JELLY

"W

HAT have you been doing?" asked Bob, as he and Bettina sat down to dinner. "Oh, Bob, I've had the nicest day! Mother 'phoned me this morning that Uncle John had brought her several big baskets of apples from the farm, and that if I cared to come over to help, we would put them up together, and I might have half. Well, we made apple jelly, plum and apple jelly, and raspberry and apple jelly. I had made all these before, and knew how good they were, but I learned something new from Mother that has made me feel happy ever since." "And so you came home, and in your enthusiasm made this fine dandy peach cobbler for dinner!" "Bob, that was the very way I took to express my joy!" "Well, what is this wonderful new apple concoction?" "Perhaps it isn't new, but it was new to me! It is an apple and mint jelly, and I know it will be just the thing to serve with meat this winter." "How did you make it? (I hope you are noticing how interested I'm becoming in all the cooking processes!)" "Well, I washed and cut into small pieces four pounds of greening apples. Then I washed and chopped fine one cup of fresh mint, and added it to the apples. I covered the mixture with water, and cooked it all till the apples were so tender that they were falling to pieces. I strained it then, and used three-fourths of a cup of sugar for each cup of juice. I cooked this till the mixture jellied, and then I added four teaspoons of lemon juice and enough green vegetable color paste to give it a delicate color." "Isn't that coloring matter injurious?" "Oh, no, Bob! It's exactly as pure as any vegetable, and it gives things such a pretty color. Why, I use it very often, and I'm sure that more people would try it if they knew how successful it is! It is such fun to experiment with. Of course, I never use anything but the vegetable coloring." "Well, go on with the jelly. What next?" "That's all, I think. I just poured it into glasses, and there it is, waiting for you to help me carry it home from Mother's. Now, Bob, won't that be good next winter with cold roast beef or cold roast veal? I know it will be just the thing to use with a pork roast!" "I'm growing very enthusiastic. Sounds fine. But speaking of cooking, this is a mighty good dinner. I like peach cobbler as well as any dessert there is."

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