LXXXII After the Wedding

Beat the egg-whites very stiffly. Add very carefully the powdered sugar. Cut and fold in the bread crumbs and the baking powder. Add the chocolate, cinnamon and vanilla. Drop the mixture from the tip of a spoon, two inches apart upon a wellgreased pan. Bake in a moderate oven twelve to fifteen minutes.

CHAPTER CXV

SUPPER AFTER THE THEATRE

"N

OW, Bob, you start the fire in the fireplace while I go into the kitchen and get a little lunch." "Mrs. Bob," said Donald, an old school-friend of Bob's, "I don't want you to do any such thing! We don't need any lunch! Stay in here and we'll all talk." "You'll talk all the better for something to eat," said Bettina, "and so will Bob. Won't you, Bob?" "Well," said Bob, with a grin, "I will admit that coming home in the cold has given me something of an appetite. Then too, I'll tell you, Donald, that Bettina's after-theatre suppers aren't to be lightly refused! Yes, on the whole, I think we'd better have the supper. We couldn't get you for dinner tonight, and you're leaving so early in the morning that you see you won't have had any real meal at our house at all!"

Meanwhile, Bettina was busying herself with the little supper, for which she had made preparations that morning. When she had creamed the oysters and placed them in the ramekins, she popped them in the oven. Next she put on the coffee in her percolator, and placed in the oven with the oysters the small loaf of bran bread that she had steamed that morning. "Bob likes it better warm," she said to herself.

Then she arranged her tea-cart with plates, cups, silver, napkins and peach preserves, not forgetting the rice parfait from the refrigerator.

When she wheeled the little supper into the living room, Bob and Donald welcomed her with delight. "I take it back; I am hungry after all!" said Donald.

Bettina served:

Creamed Oysters in Ramekins Steamed Bran Bread Peach Preserves Rice Parfait Coffee

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level)

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Creamed Oysters in Ramekins (Three portions) 1 doz. oysters 2 T-butter 3 T-flour ¼ t-salt 1/8 t-paprika 1½ C-milk 2 T-crumbs 2 t-butter 1 hard-cooked egg 2 t-chopped parsley

Heat the oysters until they are plump. Drain. Melt the butter, add the flour, salt and paprika. Mix well. Add the milk slowly and cook until creamy. (About two minutes.) Add the oysters, and place one-third of the mixture in each well-buttered ramekin. Melt the butter (two teaspoons) and add the crumbs, stirring well. Place the buttered crumbs on top of the mixture in each ramekin. Brown in the oven for fifteen minutes. Sprinkle with parsley, and garnish with hard-cooked egg cut in slices.

Steamed Bran Bread (One small loaf) 1 C-bran ½ C-white flour ½ t-soda 1/8 t-salt 1 t-baking powder 4 T-raisins 2 T-chopped nuts 1 T-sugar 2 T-molasses ½ C-milk 2 T-water

Mix the bran, flour, soda, baking powder, salt, raisins and nuts. Add the molasses, sugar, milk and water. Stir well for two minutes. Fill a well-buttered mould one-half full of the mixture. Cover with the lid, well-buttered, and steam for two hours. The steaming may be done in the fireless cooker, if desired. Rice Parfait (Three portions) 1 C-cooked rice ½ C-hot milk 2 C-cold water 1 T-granulated gelatin 2 T-chopped nut meats ½ C-brown sugar ¼ t-salt ½ C-whipped cream

Soak the gelatin in cold water for five minutes. Add the hot milk and allow it to dissolve thoroughly. Add the sugar, salt, nut meats and rice, and mix well. When thoroughly cooled, add the whipped cream. Pour into a well-buttered mould, and

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allow to stand in a cool place for two hours. Serve cold. Whipped cream may be served with the parfait if desired.

CHAPTER CXVI

WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY PLANS

"G

OOD bran bread," said Bob, reaching for another piece. "I like that recipe," said Bettina, "and it is so easy to make." "What have you been doing all day?" Bob asked, "Cooking?" "No, indeed. Charlotte was here this afternoon and we made plans for the tea we are going to give at her house on Washington's birthday. Oh, Bob, we have some of the best ideas for it! Our refreshments are to be served from the dining-room table, you know, and our central decoration is to be a three-cornered black hat filled with artificial red cherries. Of course we'll have cherry ice, and serve cherries in the tea, Russian style. The salad will be served in little black three-cornered hats; these filled with fruit salad, will be set on the table and each guest will help herself. The thin bread and butter sandwiches will be cut in hatchet shape. And—oh, yes, I forgot the cunningest idea of all! We'll serve tiny gilt hatchets stuck in tree-trunks of fondant rolled in cocoanut and toasted brown. Isn't that a clever plan? Charlotte saw it done once, and says it is very effective." "It sounds like some party! And I'll feel especially enthusiastic if you don't forget to plan for one guest who won't appear—or perhaps I should say two, for I know Frank won't want to be forgotten."

For dinner that night Bob and Bettina had: Corned Beef au Gratin Baked Tomatoes Apple Sauce Gluten Bread Butter Cream Pie Coffee

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level) Corned Beef au Gratin (Three portions) 1½ C-milk ½ slice of onion 1 piece of celery 2 T-flour 2 T-butter 1 egg

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