XXXV A Piece of News

1 C-water 8 marshmallows ½ C-cocoanut shredded 6 cherries

Peel and core the apples. Drop into the sugar and water which has been boiled for ten minutes to form a syrup. Place a lid on the pan and cook the apples until tender. Remove from the syrup and roll in the cocoanut. Add the marshmallows to the syrup (which has been removed from the fire) and allow them to melt. Stir them in the syrup. When the marshmallows are dissolved, stir the mixture to mix the marshmallows with the syrup. Pour around the apple, and fill the hole in the center of the apple. Place a red cherry on the top of each. Hot Water Sponge Cake (Eight portions) 2 egg-yolks 1 C-sugar ½ C-boiling water 1 T-lemon juice 1 t-grated rind lemon 2 egg-whites 1 C-flour 1 t-baking powder ¼ t-salt

Beat the yolks until thick and lemon colored, add the sugar gradually and beat for two minutes. Add the flour, sifted with the baking powder, and salt. Add the boiling water, lemon juice, and grated rind. Beat with a Dover egg-beater, two minutes. Fold in whites of the eggs. Bake thirty-five minutes in a moderate oven in an unbuttered pan. Do not cut sponge cake, except through the crust, then break apart.

[168]

CHAPTER XLVIII

BETTINA SPILLS THE INK

"W

HERE are you, Bettina?" called Bob one September evening when Bettina failed to meet him at the door. "Oh, Bettina!" "Here I am, Bob, in the kitchen! I'm so ashamed of myself!" "What for?" "My carelessness. I just spilled a whole bottle of ink on this new apron of mine! I had begun to get dinner, and as it was a little early, I sat down for a minute to finish a letter to Polly. Then all at once I thought something was burning, and jumped up in such a hurry that I spilled the ink. I ought to have known better than

[169]

to try to do two things at once! Luckily, the dinner was all right, but look at this apron! And it was such a pretty one!" "Well, Bettina, I'm always getting ink and auto grease on my clothes, and you seem to keep yours spotless. So it is a surprise to me that it happened. Still, spoiling a new apron may be unfortunate, but I shouldn't call it tragic. Is it really spoiled?" "No, I think I can fix it up so it will be almost as good as new, but it's a nuisance. See, I'm soaking it in this sour milk. I'll leave it here for four hours, and then apply some more milk for awhile. Then I believe the ink will come out when I rinse it." "Well, Bettina, I'm glad you didn't spill ink on the dinner. Something smells mighty good!"

They had:

Beef Balls Gravy Mashed Potatoes Bettina's Celery and Eggs Cinnamon Rolls Butter Watermelon

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level) Beef Balls (Three portions) 1 lb. round steak 1 t-salt ¼ t-paprika 1/8 t-celery salt ¼ t-onion salt

Grind round steak, season, shape into round cakes and broil them for seven minutes under the flame. While they are cooking, prepare the horseradish sauce. Horseradish Sauce (Four portions) 2 T-butter 2 T-flour 1 C-milk 2 T-horseradish ½ t-salt

Melt the butter, add the flour. Mix well, add the milk and cook one minute. Add the salt and the horseradish. Serve immediately. Mashed Potatoes (Three portions) 4 medium-sized potatoes 1½ T-butter ½ C-milk

[170]

½ t-salt 1/8 t-pepper

Cook the potatoes (peeled) in boiling salted water. When done, drain off the water, pass through a vegetable ricer, or mash well with a potato masher. Add butter, salt, pepper, and the milk. Beat vigorously, reheat and pile lightly in a hot dish.

Bettina's Celery and Eggs (Three portions) 1 C-cooked diced celery 2 hard-cooked eggs sliced 2/3 C-vegetable white sauce 1 T-butter 3 T-fresh bread crumbs

Add the sliced hard-cooked eggs and cooked celery to the white sauce. Mix well. Pour the mixture into a well-buttered baking dish. Cover with the crumbs which have been mixed with melted butter. Bake in a moderate oven until a delicate brown. (About twenty minutes.)

CHAPTER XLIX

BETTINA ATTENDS A PORCH PARTY

"W

ELL, what have you been doing today?" asked Bob, after he had finished an account of events at the office. "I've been away all afternoon, Bob, at the loveliest little porch party at Alice's! You know her porch is beautiful, anyhow, and her party was very informal. She telephoned to five of us this morning, and asked us to come over and bring our sewing; the day was so perfect. She served a delicious little luncheon from her tea cart, very simple but so good! And the beauty of it was that she had made everything herself! She didn't tell the girls, but she whispered it to me. Of course, if she had told the others, she would have given herself away; they are a little suspicious of her now because she is seen everywhere with Harry!" "He told me he wished they could announce it right away! He doesn't like to make a secret of it." "It won't be very long now—you know they are to be married in October or November. But, Bob, as I was telling you, Alice did all the cooking for this party herself. Of course, it was simple, but really, I think she is quite wonderful. She has never done anything useful before, but she is so clever, and she has such a 'knack' that it will really be easier for her than for Ruth. And Ruth will work twice as hard. Alice says that she is going to give other little parties this way, and practice on her guests. She says she is determined to do things just as well as anybody else, and now that she is interested, she has a tremendous pride in being a success. You know

[171]