LX A Kitchen Shower for Alice

O you'll not be back until dinner time?" Bettina had said at the breakfast table to Bob's cousin, Edna, and her friend, Catherine. "A whole day of it! How tired you'll be!"

Edna laughed her ripply laugh that always made everyone else laugh, too. "Tired getting me a hat and a suit? Oh, Bettina! That makes me feel livelier than ever!"

Catherine looked troubled. "Now, Edna," she said, "you positively mustn't miss that afternoon meeting. I know it will be so inspiring! Remember what Professor Macy said!"

Edna laughed again. "Catherine always quotes Professor Macy as if he were an oracle or a sphinx or something instead of a nice solemn young high school teacher who's getting a little bald!" "He isn't bald and he isn't solemn," declared Catherine with some spirit. "Forgive me, Catherine dear! He is a lamb and a darling and everything else you want me to say!" "I want you to say? Why, Edna, aren't you ashamed!" said Catherine, growing very red. "Who ever heard of such nonsense?" "I love to tease you, Catherine. It's so easy! So you won't help me get my hat? I want a beautiful purple one—or else a perky little black one. I haven't decided whether to be stately and gracious, or frivolous and cunning. But I do know that I will not look as if I were about to cram the multiplication table into the head of some poor little innocent!" "Don't worry, Edna," said Bob. "You won't look that way at all. In fact, I wonder that you can be serious long enough to impress the members of the school board when they come visiting." "She doesn't try to impress them; she just smiles at them instead, and that does just as well," said Catherine. "But she's not so utterly frivolous as her conversation sounds. She wants to hear the convention addresses just as much as I do—and I know she'll be there this afternoon. In fact, I intend to save a seat for her." "Between you and Professor Macy?" asked Edna, innocently. "Or on his left?" "Shame on you, Edna," said Bettina. "Now you girls tell me just what you'd like for dinner! Aren't there some special dishes you're hungry for?" "Pork tenderloin and sweet potatoes!" said Edna. "Our landlady never has them, and I often dream of the joy of ordering such delicacies!"

And so that evening for dinner Bettina had: Pork Tenderloin and Sweet Potatoes Baked Apples Bread Butter Cottage Pudding with Chocolate Sauce Coffee

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BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level) Pork Tenderloin and Sweet Potatoes (Four portions) 1½ lbs. pork tenderloin 1 t-salt ¼ t-pepper 4 large sweet potatoes

Wipe the tenderloins which have been prepared by cutting into small pieces (by the butcher). Place in a small roaster and put in a hot oven. When brown on each side, season with salt and pepper. Pare the potatoes and place in the pan with the meat. Baste every ten minutes with one-fourth cup of water if there are not sufficient drippings to baste both the potatoes and meat. Cook until the potatoes are done (about forty-five minutes). Baked Apples (Four portions) 4 Jonathan apples 8 T-"C" sugar 2 t-cinnamon 1 C-water ½ t-vanilla

Wash and core the apples. Fill each with one tablespoon of sugar and one-half teaspoon of cinnamon. Place in a small tin pan just large enough to hold them. Add the water and the rest of the sugar, and bake forty-five minutes in a moderate oven. Baste frequently with the syrup. After the apples have cooked thirty minutes, add the vanilla to the syrup. Bettina's Cottage Pudding (Four portions) ½ C-sugar ¼ t-salt 1 C-flour 2 t-baking powder 3 T-chopped nuts ½ t-vanilla 1 egg ½ C-milk 3 T-melted butter

Mix the sugar, salt, flour, baking powder and nuts. Add the egg and milk and mix well. Add the vanilla. Beat vigorously for two minutes, and then add the melted butter. Pour into well-buttered gem pans, filling each half full. Bake fifteen minutes in a moderate oven. Serve with chocolate sauce. Chocolate Sauce (Four portions) ½ C-sugar 2 T-flour 1 C-water 1/8 t-salt

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1 square of chocolate ¼ t-vanilla

Mix thoroughly the sugar, flour and salt. Add the water and the chocolate. Cook slowly until the chocolate is melted (about two minutes). Add the vanilla and serve hot. If too thick, add more water until the desired consistency is reached.

CHAPTER LXXXVI

A LUNCHEON FOR THE TEACHERS

"I'

LL stay at home and help you this morning; may I, Bettina?" asked Edna, looking wistfully around at Bettina's white kitchen. "No, indeed, my dear. It is such a simple little luncheon that I have planned that I can easily do it all alone. And you must go to the meeting. All I ask is that you won't forget to come home at noon." "Edna would much rather fuss around with you in this dear little kitchen than to go to the meetings," said Catherine, "but I won't let her. She is always crazy to cook and do housework and things like that, but she came to this convention with me, and I intend to have her get the benefit of it. Do you hear me, you bad girl? It's almost time for us to be there. Go and get your things!" "This is the way I'm managed all the time!" complained Edna to Bettina. "Do you wonder that I look thin and pale?" "Poor Edna!" said Bettina, smiling at her round figure and rosy cheeks. "Now do run along with Catherine. But don't forget we'll have three other guests at noon! So wear your prettiest smile!" "And I'll help you serve!" Edna smiled back.

That day for luncheon, Bettina had: Creamed Oysters on Toast Pear Salad Brown Bread Sandwiches Pecan Ice Cream Sponge Cake Mints Coffee

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level) Creamed Oysters on Toast (Six portions) 6 pieces of toast, cut circular 3 T-butter 4 T-flour

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¼ t-paprika 1 t-salt 1½ C-milk 2 C-oysters

Pick over the oysters, and drain off the liquor. Melt the butter, add the flour, salt and paprika, and mix thoroughly. Gradually add the milk, cook until thick and creamy (about three minutes), and add the oysters. Serve very hot on toast. Garnish with parsley.

Pear Salad (Six portions) 6 halves of pear ½ C-cottage cheese 1 T-chopped pimento 1 T-chopped green pepper 6 halves of walnuts 1/8 t-paprika 6 T-salad dressing 6 pieces of lettuce

Arrange the pears on the lettuce leaves. Mix the cheese, pimento, green pepper and paprika thoroughly. Fill the half of the pear with the mixture. Place salad dressing over the mixture and lay one nut meat on top of each portion. Serve cold. Pecan Ice Cream (Ten portions) 1 qt. of cream ¾ C-sugar 1½ T-vanilla ½ C-pecan meats, cut fine

Mix the cream, sugar and vanilla. Fill a freezer half full of the mixture. When half frozen add the pecan meats. Continue freezing until stiff. Pack and allow to stand two hours to "ripen" before serving. Sponge Cake (Ten portions) 6 egg-yolks 1 C-sugar 1 t-lemon extract 6 egg-whites 1 C-flour ¼ t-salt

Beat the egg-yolks until thick and lemon colored. Add the sugar gradually and continue beating, using a Dover egg-beater. Add the extract and whites of the eggs very stiffly beaten. Remove the egg beater and cut and fold the flour which has been sifted four times, the salt having been added to the last sifting. Bake one hour in an unbuttered, narrow pan in a slow oven.

Genuine sponge cake has no baking powder or soda in it. The eggs must be vigorously beaten so that the cake will rise. A very slow oven is necessary. Increase the heat slightly every fifteen minutes.

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