LXXXVII Ruth Comes to Luncheon

"No, she isn't," said Uncle John, shaking his head solemnly, "and the fact is, I shouldn't be here myself if it weren't for a sort of conspiracy; eh, Bettina?" "That's so, Bob," said Bettina, coming in from the dining-room, her hands full of dishes, "and now I suppose we'll have to let you in on the secret. Uncle John has just bought a beautiful new fireless cooker for Aunt Lucy. Haven't you, Uncle John?" "Well!" said Bob, heartily. "That's fine! How did you happen to think of it?" "Well Bob, she's been dreading the summer on the farm—not feeling so very strong lately, you know—and this morning she was just about discouraged. It's next to impossible to get any help out there—she says she's given up that idea—and at breakfast she told me that if the spring turned out to be a hot, uncomfortable one, she believed she'd go out and spend the summer with Lem's girl in Colorado. I naturally hate to have her do that, so I concluded to do everything I could to keep her at home. I telephoned to Bettina, and she promised to help me. The very first thing she suggested was a fireless cooker, and we bought that today. I believe your Aunt Lucy'll like it, too."

For dinner Bettina served: Meat Balls with Egg Sauce Baked Potatoes Creamed Peas Marshmallow Pudding Chocolate Sauce

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level) Meat Balls (Three portions) 1 C-raw beef, cut fine ¼ C-bread crumbs 2 T-milk 1 egg-yolk ¼ t-salt 1/8 t-paprika 1 t-chopped parsley ¼ t-onion salt ¼ t-celery salt 3 T-bacon fat

Soak the crumbs, milk and egg together for five minutes. Add the beef, salt, paprika, parsley, onion and celery salt. Shape into flat cakes one inch thick, two and a half inches in diameter. Place the fat in the frying-pan and when hot, add the cakes. Lower the flame and cook seven minutes over a moderate fire, turning to brown evenly. Serve on a hot platter. Garnish with parsley. Serve with egg sauce. Egg Sauce for Meat Balls (Three portions)

[383]

3 T-flour 2 T-butter 1 t-chopped parsley 1 C-milk ¼ t-salt ¼ t-paprika 1 hard-cooked egg, cut fine

Melt the butter, add the flour, salt and paprika. Mix well, add the milk, and cook for two minutes. Add the hard-cooked egg sliced, or cut in small pieces. Serve hot with the meat balls.

Marshmallow Pudding (Three portions) 2 t-granulated gelatin 2 T-cold water 1/3 C-sugar ½ C-boiling water 1 t-lemon extract 1 t-vanilla 1 egg-white

Soak the gelatin in cold water for three minutes. Add the boiling water, and when thoroughly dissolved add the sugar. Allow to cool. Beat the egg-white stiff. When the gelatin begins to congeal, beat it until fluffy, add the extracts and then the egg-white. Beat until stiff. Pour into a moistened cake pan. When hard and cold, remove from the pan, cut in one inch cubes and pile in a glass dish.

CHAPTER CXXIII

THE DIXONS DROP IN FOR DESSERT

"C

OME in! Come in!" cried Bob to the Dixons. "You're just in time to have dessert with us! Bettina, here are the Dixons!" "Do sit down," said Bettina, "and have some Boston cream pie with us!" "Frank won't need urging," said Charlotte. "Our dessert tonight was apple sauce, and Boston cream pie (whatever it is) sounds too enticing to be resisted." "It looks a little like the Washington pie my mother used to make," said Frank. "Only that wasn't so fancy on the top." "Washington pie needs whipped cream to make it perfect," said Bettina, "and as I had no whipped cream I made this with a meringue." "Dessert with the neighbors!" said Frank, laughing. "Charlotte read me a suggestion the other day that sounded sensible. A housewife had introduced a new

[384]

custom into her neighborhood. Whenever she had planned a particularly good dessert she would phone a few of her friends not to plan any dessert for themselves that evening, but to stroll over after dinner and have dessert with her family. Wasn't that an idea? It might lead to cooperative meals! We haven't done our share; have we? We should have telephoned to you to have the main course with us tonight. Say, Bettina, I like this Boston cream pie! It's what I call a real dessert!" Lamb Chops Creamed Carrots Baked Potatoes Rolls Butter Baked Apples Boston Cream Pie Coffee

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level) Creamed Carrots (Two portions) 1 C-carrots 1 T-flour 1 T-butter ½ C-milk ¼ t-salt 1/8 t-paprika

Carrots

Wash and scrape the carrots thoroughly, cover with boiling water, and allow to boil until tender when pierced with a knitting needle or a fork. (About twenty minutes.) Drain and serve with sauce. Carrots may be cut into three-fourth inch cubes or any fancy shapes, and will cook in less time.

White Sauce for Carrots

Melt butter, add the flour, salt and paprika. Mix well. Gradually add the milk, and cook the sauce until creamy. Baked Potatoes (Two portions) 2 potatoes

Wash thoroughly two medium-sized potatoes. With the sharp point of the knife, make a small cut around the potato to allow the starch grains to expand. Bake the potato in a moderate oven until it feels soft and mealy, when pressed with the hands. (About forty-five minutes.) Break open the potato to allow the steam to escape. (Turn the potato about in the oven to insure evenness in baking.) Bettina's Baked Apples (Two portions) 2 apples ½ C-"C" sugar ½ C-water 1 t-cinnamon

[385]