XCIX A Christmas Shower

cent store variety. Animal crackers were all about, and the animal sandwiches and animal cakes in flat baskets looked almost too real to be eaten.

Smooth boards on supports represented circus seats, and on these the children soon clambered, eager to eat as children always are.

The paper napkins, decorated with animals, were folded before the places to represent tents. The salad faces, which Ralph called "clowns," leered up from the plates.

But the joy was not to be all in seeing. There was a favor for each child to carry away, the favors from the table being claimed by matching the numbers on each one with a corresponding number on the pieces of candy passed at the close of the meal.

The refreshments consisted of: Clown Salad Animal Sandwiches Picnic Lemonade Brick Ice Cream Fancy Cakes Candies

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level) Sandwiches (Forty) 3 loaves bread ½ lb. butter 1½ C-ham, minced or ground fine 3 hard-cooked eggs 3 T-chopped pickles 2/3 C-salad dressing 1/3 t-salt

Chop the ham, eggs and pickles very fine. Add the salt and salad dressing. Cut the bread very thin and match the pieces in pairs. Spread one of a pair with the ham mixture and spread the other side with butter which has been mixed and softened with a wooden spoon. Place the two pieces of bread together and press firmly. Moisten the cooky cutter with water and cut evenly the desired shape. Clown Salad (Twelve portions) 12 rounds of sliced pineapple 12 T-salad dressing 24 filberts 2 canned pimentos 12 pieces of lettuce

Wash the lettuce carefully. Roll and cut into fine shreds. Arrange a portion on each serving plate. Place a slice of pineapple on each portion and very carefully place the salad dressing on it so that it just covers the circle of pineapple. Arrange two filberts on top to represent eyes, and cut the pimento in a strip to represent the

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mouth. Cut small triangular pieces of pimento to represent the nose. Arrange these as features on the pineapple and serve at once. Fancy Cakes (Eighteen cakes) ½ C-butter 1 C-sugar 8 egg-yolks ½ C-milk 1¾ C-flour 2 t-baking powder 2 t-lemon extract

Cream the butter, add the sugar and mix well. Beat the egg-yolks until very thick, and add to the first mixture. Mix and sift together the flour and bakingpowder and add the milk alternately with the flour mixture, beating well. Beat two minutes after mixing. Add the extract. Pour to the thickness of one inch into flat pans lined with buttered paper. Bake twelve minutes in a moderate oven. Remove from the fire and when cool, cut into shapes with fancy animal cutters. The individual cakes may be iced if desired.

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CHAPTER CXLI

PLANNING A LUNCHEON

"I T won't be hard, Ruth, if you plan it out in detail several days before. Decide on the menu, and if you find that some one dish is going to cause more trouble than it's worth, plan something else in its place." "If it weren't for Aunt Gertrude I shouldn't worry at all, but she is such a wonderful housekeeper! And I am determined that Mother sha'n't have one bit of the responsibility. She's to feel herself just as much a guest as Aunt Gertrude." "I think it's a lovely thing for you to do, Ruth. Now let me tell you how I think you should go about it. Make a visit to your grocery store or to the market tomorrow, and notice the good things that are in season and inexpensive. Build your menu around them. When you get home, sit down with a paper and pencil and plan everything out. Go into detail, even if it takes several hours of planning. It will be well worth it. I don't mean by that an elaborate luncheon; it ought to be a simple and delicious one, but complete in every detail. When I plan, I write down the things that I can do the day before, and even the day before that. You know there are always so many things to see to—polishing the silver and writing the name cards and seeing that the table linen is in order. It ought to be planned so that the day of the party won't be crowded full of 'last minute things.' Come into the kitchen with me, Ruth; I must baste my pork tenderloin."

That night Bettina served:

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Pork Tenderloin Baked Potatoes Bread Butter Raspberry Jam Vegetable Salad Salad Dressing Tapioca Pudding Coffee

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level) Pork Tenderloin (Three portions) 1 lb. pork tenderloin 1 t-salt 2 T-water ¼ t-paprika 1 t-chopped parsley 1 T-lemon juice

Have the tenderloin cut in two-inch pieces and flattened. Place these in a small baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and paprika and add the water. Cover, and cook in a moderate oven for thirty-five minutes. Turn and baste frequently. When done, place on a heated platter, pour the parsley and lemon juice over the top and serve immediately.

Vegetable Salad (Three portions) 1 tomato 9 slices of cucumber 2 T-chopped onion 1 T-chopped pimento 1 t-salt ¼ t-paprika 2 T-chopped green pepper 2 T-nut meats 3 lettuce leaves

Wash the lettuce carefully and arrange on individual serving dishes. Place upon each lettuce leaf a slice of tomato, three slices of cucumber and one-third of each of the other ingredients. Sprinkle with salt and paprika. Pour the salad dressing over the top and serve very cold.

Bettina Salad Dressing

2 egg-yolks 1 T-sugar ½ t-salt 2 T-flour ¼ C-vinegar 1/3 C-sour cream 2 T-pimento liquor (the juice from the can)

Beat the egg-yolks, add the sugar, salt and flour. Mix well and add the vinegar, pimento liquor and water. Cook in a double boiler until very thick. When cool, add the sour cream, and pour over the salad.

CHAPTER CXLII

THE NEW CAR

"D

dinner." O stay to dinner, Ruth!" begged Bettina. "Bob is going to drive the new car out when he comes, and we'll have him take us for a spin after

"Oh, Bettina, has Bob really bought it? Will you really have a car of your own?" "Yes, indeed, we will. I can hardly realize it myself, and although I'm so happy over it, I have a little haunting fear that perhaps it is too great an extravagance. But we'll enjoy it so!" "Of course you will. I'm so glad! Won't the summer be delightful when you can get out into the country every day!" "Ruth, you must stay to dinner and see the car for yourself! I planned a special little celebration dinner, a kind of salad that Bob particularly likes, and a good dessert, too. And now, if you'll come into the kitchen with me, I'll show you how to make peanut butter rolls. You never heard of them? Well, they're a little like pinwheel biscuit. Don't you remember the pinwheel biscuit that I make sometimes —baking powder biscuit dough rolled out and spread with butter and sugar and cinnamon—then rolled up and cut like cinnamon rolls and baked?" "Of course, I remember, Bettina! They're the best little things, and so easy to make!" "Well, these peanut butter rolls are like them, but spread with butter and peanut butter. Come into the kitchen and I'll show you how they're made."

For dinner they had: Lamb Chops Sautéd Potatoes Creamed Peas Peanut Butter Rolls Pear Salad Cheese Wafers Chocolate Pie Coffee

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level)

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