LXIII Motoring with the Dixons

"Not very exciting, I should think." "Still, Frank here wanted to bet me that Blake would be badly beaten!" "Frank!" said Charlotte in exasperation. "Is that the way you show your loyalty to your home college?" "Shame on you, Frank!" grinned Bob. "Well, dinner ready? I'm about starving!" "Bettina has a regular 'after-the-game' dinner tonight," said Charlotte. "Just the kind to make a man's heart rejoice!" "Hurray!" said Bob, stirring up the grate fire. "And afterward we'll have our coffee in here, and toast marshmallows. Shall we?" "Suits me!" said Frank. "Anything you suggest suits me, if it's something to eat." "Dinner's ready," said Bettina. "Come into the dining-room, people, and tell us about the game. Charlotte and I have mended all your hose this afternoon, and we deserve a royal entertainment now." "Bettina," said Frank, "do you expect us to talk when you set a dinner like this before us?"

The menu consisted of: Flank Steak, Braized with Vegetables Cabbage Salad Bread Butter Brown Betty with Hard Sauce Coffee

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level) Flank Steak Braized with Vegetables (Four portions) 1½ lbs. flank steak, 1¼ inches thick 2 T-flour 2 t-salt 1 T-butter 1½ C-sliced, raw potatoes ½ C-thinly sliced onions 1 green pepper, sliced thin 1 C-tomato pulp

Cut with a knife across the grain of the flank steak, to prevent it from curling up. Sprinkle the flour and one teaspoonful of salt on both sides of the meat. Dot with butter, and place in an oblong baking pan. Over the meat place a thick layer of sliced raw potatoes. Add the green pepper, and season with one-half a teaspoonful of salt. Place the onions next and the rest of the salt. (One-half a teaspoonful.) Pour one cup of stewed or raw tomato pulp over all the mixture, and cover the baking pan tightly. Cook slowly in the oven for two hours. One-half hour before the meat

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is done, remove the cover to allow it to brown. Water may need to be added to prevent burning. In serving, very carefully transfer the steak to a hot platter, preserving the various layers of vegetables. To serve, slice down through the layers as through a loaf.

Cabbage Salad (Four portions) 2 C-chopped cabbage 2 pieces of celery ½ t-salt ¼ t-paprika ½ C-salad dressing or enough to moisten

Chop the cabbage and the celery fine. Add salt, paprika and salad dressing. Serve cold.

Brown Betty (Four portions) 2 C-bread crumbs 2 C-sliced apples, pared and cored ¼ C-sugar 1 t-cinnamon ½ C-water 1 T-lemon juice 1 T-butter 1/8 t-salt

Mix the crumbs, apples, sugar, salt and cinnamon well. Pour water and lemon juice over the mixture. Place in a buttered baking-dish. Place the butter over the top in small pieces. Cover the pan with a lid and bake in a moderate oven forty-five to sixty minutes. Remove the lid after the Brown Betty has been cooking twenty-five minutes. More water may be needed if the apples are not very juicy. Hard Sauce (Four portions) 3 T-butter 1 t-boiling water ¼ t-lemon extract ¼ t-vanilla extract ¾ C-powdered sugar

Cream the butter, add the water and slowly add the sugar. Continue mixing until very creamy. Add the lemon and vanilla extract. Form into a cube and place in the ice box. Allow to stand half an hour, then cut into slices and serve on top of the Brown Betty.

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CHAPTER XCI

A THANKSGIVING DINNER IN THE COUNTRY

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AFTER all the excitement of Alice's wedding, Bettina was more than delighted when she and Bob were invited to a family dinner at Aunt Lucy's on Thanksgiving day. "It always seems to me the most comfortable and restful place in the world," said she to Bob. "And Aunt Lucy is such a wonderful cook, too! We're very lucky this year, I can tell you!" "Who's to be there?" "Father and mother—we are to drive out with them—and Aunt Lucy's sister and her big family. Thanksgiving seems more natural with children at the table, I think. And those are the liveliest, rosiest children!"

Bob had slept late that morning, and consequently had eaten no breakfast, but he did not regret his keen appetite when Uncle John was carving the great brown turkey. "The children first, John," said kind Aunt Lucy. "The grown folks can wait."

Little Dick and Sarah had exclaimed with delight at the place cards of proud turkeys standing beside each plate. In the center of the table was a great wicker basket heaped with oranges, nuts and raisins. "It doesn't seem natural without pumpkin pie," said Aunt Lucy, "but John was all for plum pudding instead." "We can have pie any day," said Uncle John, "but this is a special occasion. What with Dick here—and Sarah—and Bettina—who's some cook herself, I can tell you!—I was determined that mother should show her skill! And she did; didn't she?"

The menu was as follows: Turkey with Giblet Gravy Oyster Dressing Mashed Potatoes Creamed Onions Cranberry Frappé Bread Celery Butter Plum Pudding Hard Sauce Nuts Raisins Coffee

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level)

THE THANKSGIVING DINNER RECIPES

Roast Turkey (Fourteen portions) 1 12-lb. turkey

The turkey should be thoroughly cleaned and washed in a pan of water to which one teaspoon of soda has been added to each two quarts of water. Wash the inside

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