XLVI Bettina Makes Apple Jelly

CHAPTER LXIV

RUTH MAKES BAKING POWDER BISCUITS

"O

H, Ruth!" called Bettina from her door to Ruth, who was walking past. "Come in and stay to dinner!" "My dear, I'd love to, but——" "I'm going to have baking powder biscuits, and I remember that you were longing to learn how to make them." "Oh, Bettina! Would you really show me? I'll simply have to come, then. I hesitated because Aunt Martha is here, but I know she'll excuse me for one evening. What time is it? Five? I'll take these packages home and be back in fifteen minutes!"

When Ruth returned she found Bettina in her kitchen with all of the ingredients for the biscuits set out on the table. "Perhaps two cups of flour will make too many for three people," she said, "but Bob has a good-sized appetite these crisp fall days, and he's fond of biscuits with jelly. Now, Ruth, you can get to work! Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together, and then cut the lard in this way with this knife.... Fine! Now add the milk very slowly—perhaps it will take a little more than two-thirds of a cup, it all depends on the flour. There! Now pat the dough into shape on this floured board, and then you can cut the biscuits out with this little cutter. Yes, about three-fourths of an inch thick. Ruth, those look fine! We'll wait a little while to bake them, they're better perfectly fresh. Set them out in the cold, there, until I have fixed the macaroni, and they can pop into the oven at the same time." "That was so easy, Bettina. I do hope those biscuits will be good!"

The dinner consisted of: Lamb Chops Macaroni and Cheese Sliced Tomatoes Baking Powder Biscuits Jelly Apple Tapioca Pudding Cream

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level) Macaroni and Cheese (Three portions) ½ C-macaroni, broken in pieces 1 qt. water 1 t-salt 2 T-butter

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4 T-cheese, cut in small pieces 1½ C-milk ½ t-salt ¼ t-paprika 3 T-flour

Cook the macaroni in the boiling salted water until tender. (About fifteen minutes.) Drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Melt the butter, add the flour, salt and pepper. Gradually add the milk and cheese. Cook three minutes. Add the macaroni. Mix well, and pour into a well-buttered baking dish. Place in a moderate oven and cook twenty minutes. Baking-powder Biscuits (Fifteen biscuits) 2 C-flour 4 t-baking powder ½ t-salt 3 T-lard 2/3 C-milk

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt, and cut in the fat with a knife. Slowly add the milk. (More or less may be required, as it depends on the flour.) Pat into shape three-fourths of an inch thick. Cut with a cutter, place side by side on a tin pan. Bake in a hot oven twelve to fifteen minutes. Apple Tapioca (Three portions) 6 T-pearl tapioca ¼ C-cold water 1½ C-boiling water 1/3 t-salt 3 T-sugar 1 C-sweetened apple sauce ½ t-vanilla

Soak the pearl tapioca in the cold water for ten minutes in the upper part of the double boiler. Add the boiling water, salt and sugar. Cook in the double boiler until transparent. Add one cup of apple sauce and the vanilla. Mix well. Serve either hot or cold.

CHAPTER LXV

PLANS FOR THE WEDDING

"O

H, Bob, I can hardly wait to tell you all of Alice's wonderful plans," said Bettina. "Don't wait, then. (Say, these are my favorite potatoes, all right!) Well, what about the wedding? All the gowns are being made, I suppose?"

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"Yes, indeed. You know the four bridesmaids are to wear lavender maline over lavender taffeta, very fluffy and short,—can you picture them in your mind, Bob?" "Not exactly, but then, go on." "Well, they're nearly finished. I saw them today, and they're lovely. The girls are to carry lavender maline muffs, too—the round kind with fluffy bows at each end, and little pink rosebuds around the hand, you know. Then a corsage bouquet of violets with a pink rose in the center will be pinned on each muff. The bridesmaids will also wear lavender maline hats, with fluffy tarn o' shanter crowns and pink rosebuds around them." "Is that what you'll wear?" "No, Lillian and I are the matrons of honor, and we will be all in white, with white muffs, and corsage bouquets of pink roses on them. Won't that be lovely? I don't know yet whether Lillian's little Elizabeth, who will scatter rose petals from a fluffy long-handled basket, is to wear pink or white. Oh, I wish you might have seen the girls this afternoon! We tried on our dresses and planned the hats and muffs. I shall begin my muff this evening; won't that be exciting?"

For dinner that night they had: Pork Chops Bettina's Potatoes Date Bread Butter Head Lettuce French Dressing Chocolate Sponge Cake Coffee

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level) Bettina's Potatoes (Two portions) 1 C-cold cooked potatoes diced 1 T-butter 1½ T-flour 1 T-pimento, cut up 1 piece of soft cheese—a 1-inch cube ½ t-salt

Melt the butter, add the flour, cheese and salt. Mix well, and add the milk gradually. Cook until thick and creamy. Add the pimento and potatoes. Serve hot. (Bob considers this dish superfine.) Date Nut Bread (Twelve pieces) 1 C-graham flour 1 C-white flour ½ C-"C" sugar 1 t-salt 4 T-nut meats 3 T-chopped dates

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3 t-baking powder 1 C-milk

Mix the ingredients in the order given. Place in a well-buttered bread pan, and bake in a moderate oven for thirty-five minutes. Chocolate Sponge Cake (Fourteen cakes) 5 T-butter 4 T-cocoa 1 egg 1/8 C-sugar 1 t-cinnamon ¼ t-cloves 1 C-flour 3 t-baking powder ½ C-cold water ½ t-vanilla

Cream the butter, add the sugar. Stir in the egg and beat well. Add the cinnamon, cloves, baking powder, cocoa, flour, vanilla and water. Beat vigorously for two minutes. Bake in well-buttered gem pans for eighteen minutes. Serve warm if desired.

CHAPTER LXVI

A GUEST TO A DINNER OF LEFT-OVERS

"A

HA, I've found you out!" Bettina heard a laughing voice shout as she hurried up the steps. "Why, Jack, when did you come to town?" "This afternoon. Went to Bob's office the very first thing, and he insisted on bringing me home with him to dinner. I told him it might 'put you out,' but he spent the time it took to come home assuring me that you were always waiting for company—kept a light ever burning in the window for them and all that. He said that I'd see,—that you'd be on the doorstep waiting for us!" "And after all that—you weren't here!" said Bob reproachfully. "I'm just as sorry as I can be not to live up to Bob's picture of me," said Bettina. "I generally am waiting for Bob,—almost on the doorstep if not quite. But this afternoon I've been to a shower for Alice,—do you remember Alice, Jack?" "Very well. The gay dark-eyed one. You don't mean to say that she's found a man who's lively enough to suit her?"

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