LXVIII Just the Two of Them

"Yes, fun for me," said Alice slowly. "I persuaded him to go. Just think, Bettina, we haven't been to the theatre one single time since we've been married!" "And that is—let's see—about six weeks?" said Bettina, laughing. "Come into the kitchen, Alice. I'm making a cranberry pie for dinner." "A cranberry pie? One of those darling criss-crossy ones?" said Alice joyfully, throwing off her evening cloak. "Do let me help. I used to make little cranberry pies in a saucer when I was little! I had forgotten that they existed! Harry shall have one to-morrow!" And she rolled out the crust with deft fingers. "How easily and quickly you do everything, Alice." "Yes, too easily. Getting breakfast is fun, and getting dinner is fun, but it's over too soon. What do you do in the evening, Bettina?" "Oh, stay at home and read and mend mostly. What do you do?" "That's the trouble. Don't you get dreadfully bored just sitting around? Harry likes it—but I don't see how he can." "But aren't you tired in the evening? I suppose he is." "Tired? Mercy no! Not with the care of that little apartment! I like fun and excitement and something to do in the evening! I've been studying household economy, as you suggested, and I've learned a lot, but I can't be doing that all the time! Well, I must run on, Bettina! Let me know how the pie turns out!"

That night Bettina served: Bettina's Pork Chops and Dressing Baked Potatoes Apple Sauce Bread Butter Cranberry Pie Coffee

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level) Pork Chops Bettina (Two portions) 2 pork chops ½ t-chopped onion 1 T-chopped green pepper 1½ C-fresh bread crumbs ¼ t-chopped parsley ½ t-salt 1 T-melted butter 1 egg-yolk ¼ t-celery salt 1 T-water

Add the onion, green peppers, parsley, salt and celery salt to the crumbs. Add the egg-yolk, butter and water, and mix thoroughly. Wipe the chops, and place one

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in a small pan (to serve as a roasting pan), place the dressing on top. Place the other chop on top of the dressing. Press together and bake in a moderate oven one hour. Turn the chops so that the under one will brown. Baste occasionally with onefourth of a cup of hot water to which has been added one teaspoon of butter. Put a lid on the pan so that the steam will cause the chops to cook. Place one tablespoon of water in the pan to prevent burning or drying out. Replenish when necessary. Apple Sauce (Two portions) 6 Jonathan apples ½ C-sugar 1/8 t-cinnamon Enough water to cover

Wash, pare, core and quarter the apples. Cover with water and cook until tender when pierced with a knitting needle. Add the sugar and cook five minutes more. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top when serving. Cranberry Pie (Four portions) 2 C-cranberries 1 C-boiling water 1½ C-sugar 1 egg-yolk 1 T-water 1 T-flour ½ t-butter ½ t-almond extract

Cook the cranberries and water until the cranberries are soft. Add the sugar and cook five minutes.

Mix flour and water, add the egg-yolk, butter and extract. Mix thoroughly. Add to the cranberry mixture. Pour into the uncooked pie-crust. Place pastry bars lattice fashion across the top, and bake thirty-five minutes in a moderate oven. Pie Crust (Four portions) 1 C-flour 5 T-lard ¼ t-salt 3 T-water

Mix the flour and salt. Cut in the lard with a knife, and add the water very carefully, to form a stiff dough. Roll into shape, and reserve a small part of the dough for the bars. Fit the crust carefully into a deep tin pie-pan. Fill the crust with the cranberry filling, being careful not to let any juice run out. Cut the bars twothirds of an inch wide. Moisten the ends, and arrange in criss-cross fashion across the pie.

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