CIII A Supper for Two

1 egg 2 T-melted butter ¼ C-water ½ t-vanilla ½ square of chocolate, melted

Mix and sift the sugar, flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Add the eggyolk, water and vanilla. Beat one minute. Add the egg white stiffly beaten. Mix well. Add the butter, melted. Divide the mixture, and to half add the melted chocolate. Prepare a loaf-cake pan or a small round tin with waxed paper. Fill it with both mixtures, first placing in it a tablespoon of the plain mixture, then a tablespoon of the chocolate mixture, then the plain, until all is used, and the pudding has a marbled appearance. Bake thirty minutes in a moderate oven. Serve warm with whipped cream.

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CHAPTER CXLVI

WITH HOUSECLEANING OVER

"B

ROILED steak and French fried potatoes! Whew!" said Bob, strolling into Bettina's shining kitchen. "Why so festive?" "Because I've just finished house-cleaning, Bob, and I want to celebrate. Doesn't everything look splendid?" "Well, it looked good to me before, but now that I think of it, I believe there is an extra shine on things. What makes that nickel there look so bright and silvery?" "I cleaned it with a damp cloth dipped in powdered borax. That always makes nickel bright and clean." "I might have done that for you, Betty. Why didn't you suggest it to me?" "Oh, this house is so small and dear that I enjoyed every minute of my housecleaning. And I didn't want to bother you with it at all." "Well, I'll help now with dinner. What can I do?" "Will you cut the bread, dear? There's the steel bread knife; doesn't it look bright and shiny, too? I cleaned all my steel knives by dipping them into the earth in a flower pot I keep filled for that purpose. Well, I think dinner is ready now, Bob."

For dinner they had: Broiled Steak French Fried Potatoes Stuffed Onions Bread Currant Jelly Orange Tapioca Whipped Cream Coffee

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BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level) Stuffed Onions (Two portions) 2 large Spanish onions 3 T-soft bread crumbs 1 t-egg ½ t-chopped parsley ½ t-salt 2 t-melted butter ½ t-celery salt ¼ C-milk

Cook the whole onions in boiling water until tender, but not broken. When the fork pierces them easily, drain off the water and rinse in cold water. This makes them firm for stuffing.

Remove the centers carefully. Add the removed portion, chopped fine, to the crumbs, egg, parsley, salt, butter and celery salt. Mix thoroughly. Fill the holes with the mixture. Place the onions in a small pan. Sprinkle the salt over the onion and pour over it the milk. Bake in a moderate oven for twenty minutes. Orange Tapioca (Two portions) 4 T-orange juice 2 t-lemon juice 5 T-sugar 2/3 C-boiling water 2 T-powdered tapioca ¼ t-salt 1 orange

Stir the tapioca into the orange and lemon juice. Add the sugar and salt. Let it stand for three minutes while boiling the water. Add the water. Place directly over the fire. Stir constantly and cook till thick (about three minutes). Peel the orange and break apart in sections. Line a glass serving dish with it and pour the tapioca over the sections. Serve cold with whipped cream.

Whipped Cream

1/3 C-thick cream 2 T-sugar ½ t-lemon extract ½ t-vanilla extract

Place the cream in a round-bottomed, chilled bowl. Beat until thick and fluffy. Add the sugar, lemon and vanilla. Mix well. Pile lightly on the orange tapioca and serve very cold.

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CHAPTER CXLVII

SPRING MARKETING

"I'

VE been to the market, Bettina," said Charlotte, "and I thought I'd stop here just a moment to rest." "Come in," said Bettina, "and set that heavy basket down. Why didn't you leave it for Frank to bring?" "Because I needed the things for dinner." "What did you get?" "Oh, the same old fresh vegetables," said Charlotte wearily. "A month ago they seemed so wonderful—strawberries, asparagus, new potatoes and all—but there are no new ways to cook them! One day I cream the asparagus and the next day I serve it on toast." "Do you ever make asparagus salad?" asked Bettina. "We are very fond of it. Cold cooked asparagus is good with any kind of salad dressing, but we like best a very simple kind that I often make—oil and lemon juice and cheese." "Cheese?" echoed Charlotte in surprise. "Yes, cottage cheese and Roquefort cheese are equally good. And, Charlotte, if you want some delicious strawberry desserts——" "Oh, I do! We're so tired of shortcake and plain strawberries!" "I know several good strawberry dishes. Come, let me show you one that I made today!"

Bettina's dinner consisted of: Veal Steak New Potatoes in Cream Bread Butter Asparagus Salad Salad Dressing Strawberry Tapioca

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level) Asparagus Salad (Three portions) 18 stalks of asparagus ½ t-salt 3 C-water 3 pieces of lettuce

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Wash the asparagus and cut it in six-inch pieces. Cook for ten minutes in boiling salted water (longer if necessary). Rinse with cold water, handling carefully. Arrange six stalks on each piece of lettuce. Serve with salad dressing. Asparagus Salad Dressing (Three portions) 4 T-olive oil 2 T-lemon juice ¼ t-salt ¼ t-paprika 1 T-cottage cheese

Beat the oil, and add the lemon juice slowly. Add the salt and paprika. Beat one minute. Add the cheese. Serve very cold, poured over the asparagus salad.

Strawberry Tapioca

3 T-granulated tapioca 4 T-sugar 1¼ C-hot water 1/8 t-salt ½ t-vanilla 1 C-strawberries ¼ C-sugar

Wash and hull the strawberries, and cut in halves with a spoon. Add the sugar, mix well, and set in a cold place. Mix the tapioca, the sugar and the salt. Add the boiling water slowly. Cook ten minutes in the upper part of the double boiler. Add the vanilla. When cold, add the strawberries. Serve very cold with plain or whipped cream.

CHAPTER CXLVIII

PLANS FOR THE WEDDING

"O H, Bob!" cried Bettina, "don't you hope it won't rain?" "Rain? When? Tonight?" asked Bob, absent-mindedly, for he was busily eating the first cherry cobbler of the season, and enjoying it, too. "No, stupid! I'm thinking about the wedding—Ruth's wedding." "And Fred's wedding, too," added Bob. "You talk as if Ruth were the only one who is vitally interested." "Fred's wedding, then. For, you see, the ceremony is to be in that darling summer house if it doesn't rain. If it does it will have to be in the solarium. The bridesmaids and matrons (if it is an outdoor wedding) are to carry the prettiest green silk parasols that you ever saw. They will be Ruth's gifts to us. Over our arms we'll carry plain soft straw hats filled with pink peonies, and lots of trailing

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