LXXXV During the Teachers' Convention

'em. You see, my wife thinks of things like that—a good dinner and saving gas, too!" "Oh, Bob!" said Bettina, with a scarlet face. "You needn't be embarrassed, Bettina, it's so! I was just telling 'Mac' as we came in, that two can live more cheaply than one provided the other one is like you— always coaxing me to add to our bank account. It's growing, too, and I never could save before I was married!"

The dinner consisted of: Baked Ham Baked Potatoes Head Lettuce Roquefort Cheese Dressing Bread Butter Baked Apples Bettina's Cakes

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level) Bettina's Baked Ham (Three portions) (Bob calls it "great") 1 lb. slice of ham three-fourths of an inch thick 14 cloves ½ C-vinegar ½ C-water 2 T-sugar 2 t-mustard

Remove the rind from ham. Stick the cloves into both sides. Place in a pan just the size of the meat. Pour the vinegar, water, sugar and mustard (well mixed) over the ham. Baste frequently. Bake in moderate oven until crisp and tender (about forty-five minutes). Head Lettuce with Roquefort Cheese Dressing (Three portions) 1 head of lettuce ½ t-salt 3 T-oil 1/8 t-pepper ¼ C-Roquefort cheese 1 T-vinegar

Cream the cheese, add salt, pepper and vinegar. Add the oil gradually. Mix well, shake thoroughly. Pour over the lettuce and serve. Baked apples (Four portions) 4 apples 6 T-brown sugar 4 T-granulated sugar 1 t-cinnamon

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4 marshmallows 1 t-butter

Wash and core apples of uniform size. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together. Fill the apples. Press a marshmallow in each apple also. Dot the top with a piece of butter. Place the apples in a pan, add the remaining sugar, cover the bottom with water, and bake until tender (twenty-five to thirty minutes), basting often. Serve hot or cold.

Bettina's Cakes (Eight cakes) 1 C-flour ½ t-cinnamon ¼ t-powdered cloves 1/3 C-sugar 2 T-melted butter ½ t-soda ¼ t-baking powder 1/8 t-salt 1 egg 1/3 C-sour milk

Mix and sift the dry ingredients. Add the egg and the sour milk. Beat two minutes. Add the melted butter; beat one minute. Fill well-buttered muffin pans one-half full. Bake in a moderate oven twenty minutes.

CHAPTER CXX

BOB MAKES POP-OVERS

BETTINA was busily setting the table in the dining-room when Bob appeared. "Oh, Bettina," said he in a disappointed tone, "why not eat in the breakfast alcove? I'd like to show MacGregor how much fun we have every morning." "Won't he think we're being too informal?" "I want him to think us informal. The trouble with him is that he doesn't know that any simple brand of happiness exists. His life is too complex. Of course we're not exactly primitive—with our electric percolator and toaster——" "Sorry, Bob, but you can't use the toaster this morning; I'm about to stir up some pop-overs." "Well, I'll forgive you for taking away my toy, inasmuch as I do like pop-overs. Let me help you with them, Bettina; this is one place where you can use my strong right arm."

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"Yes, indeed I can, Bob. I'll never forget those splendid pop-overs that you made the first time you ever tried. They look simple, but not very many people can make good ones. The secret of it is all in the beating," said she, as she stirred up the smooth paste, "and then in having the gem pans and the oven very hot." "Well, these'll be good ones then," said Bob, as he set about his task. "You light the oven, Betty, and put the gem pans in it, and then before you have changed things from the dining-room to the alcove, I'll have these pop-overs popping away just as they ought to do!"

The percolator was bubbling and the pop-overs were nearly done when they heard Mr. MacGregor's step. "He's exactly on time," chuckled Bob. "That's the kind of a methodical fellow he is in everything." "Well, there's no time when promptness is more appreciated than at meal-time," said Betty, decidedly. "I like him." "Come on out here!" called Bob, cheerfully. "This is the place in which we begin the day! We'll show you the kind of a breakfast that'll put some romance into your staid old head. I made the pop-overs myself, and I know they're the best you ever saw—likewise the biggest—and they'll soon be the best you've ever eaten!"

When Bob had finished removing the pop-overs from their pans, the two men took their places at the table to the merry tune of the sizzling bacon Bettina was broiling. "I never entertained a stranger so informally before," said she. "And I was never such a comfortable guest as I am at this minute," said Mr. MacGregor, looking down at his breakfast, which consisted of: Grapefruit Oatmeal Bacon Pop-Overs Coffee

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level) Pop-Overs (Eight) 1 C-flour 1 C-milk ½ t-salt 1 egg, beaten well

Add the milk slowly to the flour and salt, stirring constantly, until a smooth paste is formed. Beat and add the remainder of the milk, and the egg. Beat vigorously for three minutes. Fill very hot gem pans three-fourths full. Bake thirty minutes in a hot oven. They are done when they have "popped" at least twice their size, and when they slip easily out of the pan. Iron pans are the best.

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