MARY FRANCES GETS DINNER
"OH, my dear Kitchen People, I'm so happy, I don't know whether I'm
myself or not!"
"You are!" solemnly declared Sauce Pan,--"I mean you are our little
'Miss'--Miss Mary Frances."
"My, I feel so relieved!" said Mary Frances. "Since that is so, I'll
tell you why I'm so excited! Mother is coming home to-day--and--I'm
going to get dinner. Isn't it lovely?"
"Everybody," shouted Tea Kettle, "ready!"
With that, every utensil in the kitchen sprang to its queer little feet.
[Illustration: "You are!"]
"We're all quite ready, Mistress," said Tea Kettle, trying to make a
bow, but looking very clumsy and ri-dic-u-lous, trying at the same time
to keep water from spilling out of his nose.
"Thank you, everybody," said Mary Frances, very gravely, however. "I'll
not need anyone just now but Aunty Rolling Pin. Where is she?"
[Illustration: "Everybody, ready!"]
"She's out picking cherries to make a pumpkin pie," said Sauce Pan in a
loud whisper to Pie Plate.
"Here I am, child," Aunty Rolling Pin's voice answered. "I can't seem to
roll out. Get out of my way--you!"
With that, Knife, Fork and Spoon slid to the side of the table, and she
rolled to the edge.
"What is it, child?" she smiled.
"It's the grandest thing!" said Mary Frances.
[Illustration: Slid to the side of the table.]
NO. 33.--QUEEN OF HEARTS TARTS.
Spread cooked heart-shaped pastry shells with
preserved cherries. See No. 34.
"Tarts!" chuckled Aunty Rolling Pin. "Oh, my handles! I'm so happy! Are
the cherries ready, child?" she asked, anxiously.
"Yes," said Mary Frances, "I am to use
[Illustration: "What is it child?"]
NO. 34.--PASTRY.
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup lard
1/3 cup cold water
(Use as little water as possible.)
1. Sift salt and flour into a bowl.
2. Rub lard into flour with finger tips until like
coarse powder.
3. Add half the cold water, stirring with a knife to
form a stiff ball. Keep this on one side of the bowl.
4. Stir in more water until the remaining flour forms
a ball. Press these balls together.
5. Roll out. Fit to pie plate. Trim off overhanging
edges.
6. Bake in a hot oven.
"That's it!" exclaimed Aunty Rolling Pin, joyously. "I was afraid there
might not be 'shortening' or lard enough in the recipe. The whole art of
making good pastry is in having one-third as much lard as flour, and
using as little water as possible.
"I was afraid, too, that your mother would not put 'pastry' in the book,
for when flour or starch grains are coated in fat they are too dry to
'swell' well in cooking, and cannot burst open. They are not, I'm sorry
to say, a very di-ges-ti-ble food."
"I'm glad she did, though," said Mary Frances; "she will not often let
us eat 'pastry,' but I 'spect she im-ag-ined how pleased I'd be. I
wonder why pie tastes so good, if it isn't good for us? My, how much I
have to do! Now I'm ready!"
At these words, Middle-sized Bowl sprang upon the table.
[Illustration: "That's it!"]
[Illustration: Sprang upon the table.]
Measuring Cup dumped a cup of flour into it, and ran toward the lard
kettle, which was standing near.
"Is the salt in the flour?" asked Aunty Rolling Pin, crit-i-cal-ly.
"Yes, ma'am," said Tea Spoon, "I put it in."
"Who'll measure the lard?" asked Mary Frances.
"I will!" and Measuring Cup threw it into Bowl.
"Well," laughed Mary Frances, "and what do I do?"
"You'll do enough, child," said Aunty Rolling Pin, "before you get ready
a whole big dinner, even with our help."
"Well, really," said Mary Frances, "I 'spose I ought to explain: These
tarts are more 'specially for Billy than for dinner. I promised him----"
"Oh, that's all right," said Aunty Rolling Pin; "that only makes it
nicer than ever!"
[Illustration: Dumped a cup of flour into it.]
"Now," she went on, "rub the flour and lard together. Cover the lard
with the flour. Yes, that's it! Now, rub them together until it seems
like coarse powder. You could use a knife instead, chopping the lard all
through."
[Illustration: "You'll do enough, child."]
"That right?" asked Mary Frances, holding some down for Aunty Rolling
Pin to look at, since she couldn't see over the edge of Bowl.
"Yes, that is right," she answered. "Now, you may use a knife for
stirring and pour just a little water in--oh, mercy! child! (as Mary
Frances was about to throw in a quarter of a glass) not that way! Make a
little 'well' in the flour. Pour in about one tablespoon of water. Mix
well. Let that rest at one side and do the same thing in another place,
and then another, finally stirring all together into one big ball.
"That's just right!" as Mary Frances lifted up the paste.
"Now, sift a little flour on the board and--oh, how many tarts are you
going to make?"
"Six."
[Illustration: "All ready!"]
"All right. Cut the paste into five even pieces, and with _me_ (Mary
Frances laughed, Aunty Rolling Pin seemed so pleased) roll out each
piece about one-eighth of an inch thick. After cutting out, save all the
left-over trimmings to use for the last one. Plates ready?"
"All ready!" answered the little heart-shaped Tart Plates.
[Illustration: "That right?"]
"How do I make a pretty border?" asked Mary Frances, cutting the
trimmings from the edge of Tart Plate with a knife held upright along
the edge.
Fork came dancing from the edge of the table.
"Oh, I remember!" said Mary Frances, pressing the prongs into the outer
edge of the crust.
"They're grand!" chuckled Aunty Rolling Pin. "Can you bake them? You
need a very hot oven to bake them."
"But the cherries!" said Mary Frances, glad to think she had caught
Aunty Rolling Pin in an oversight.
"Not until the pastry's cooked, child," said Aunty Rolling Pin, with a
smile.
Mary Frances slipped the little plates into the oven, and made room on
the table to place the dinner as she prepared it.
In a short fifteen minutes the tarts were ready.
"Aren't they sweet!" the little girl exclaimed. "My! I wish they were
thought to be very good for children!"
[Illustration: "Aren't they sweet!"]
"What's for dinner?" asked Tea Kettle, anxiously.
[Illustration: Slipped them into the oven.]
"I'll tell you," said Mary Frances, "I've written out the
MENU
Potato Soup
Pan-broiled Steak
Creamed Cabbage Mashed Potatoes
Tomato and Lettuce Salad
Banana Bread Pudding with Hard Sauce
Coffee
[Illustration: "Very elegant!"]
"Very elegant!--but that's a lot to do, isn't it?" said Tea Kettle.
"Perhaps, if you read over all the new recipes, and we talk them over
when its each one's turn to commence, we can work better."
"Oh, thank you, Tea Kettle," said Mary Frances, "that is a very bright
idea." Tea Kettle glistened.
"I'll read them," continued Mary Frances, "as they come in the book."
[Illustration: "Lettuce washed, and tomatoes sliced."]
"I have the lettuce well washed, and the tomatoes sliced. All I have to
do is to dry the lettuce at dinner time, and soon I can make the
NO. 35.--SALAD DRESSING.
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon mustard
1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons flour
3/4 cup sour cream (or milk)
1 egg
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon butter
A few grains of red pepper.
1. Beat egg.
2. Mix mustard, sugar, flour, salt and pepper.
3. Add egg slowly, beating well at the same time.
4. Add milk. Beat.
5. Cook in a sauce pan placed in boiling water.
6. Stir until it thickens like cream. Remove from heat
at once.
7. Add vinegar very slowly, beating all the while.
8. Stir in the butter.
Serve cold on lettuce or sliced tomatoes.
"If this is cooked too long, it will 'curdle' or the be egg will become
hard and separate," said Sauce Pan; "but I'll be careful. Now I'm ready
for work."
[Illustration: "I'll be careful."]
Mary Frances laughed. "Thank you, Sauce Pan," she said, as he began to
move around, going hither and thither.
[Illustration: "Thank you, Sauce Pan."]
"The next recipes are
NO. 36.--CREAMED NEW CABBAGE.
1. Cut in half and wash well a young green cabbage.
2. Cut out and throw away the hard stem part.
3. Make ready a kettle of boiling water. Put in
cabbage. Leave uncovered.
4. When the water boils, throw in 1 teaspoon salt and
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (or bicarbonate of soda).
5. Boil gently about half hour, or until it begins to
lose its bright green color. Lift out with skimmer.
6. Pour over it White Sauce just before serving.
[Illustration: Young green cabbage.]
NO. 37.--BREAD PUDDING.
1. Cut slices of stale bread into squares of about one
half inch.
2. For 2 cups bread, allow
1 pint milk (2 cups)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3. Moisten bread with hot water.
4. Butter pudding dish.
5. Put into it the moistened bread.
6. Beat yolks of eggs; add sugar; add milk.
7. Pour this over the bread.
8. Beat whites of eggs. Add 2 tablespoons powdered
sugar. Beat well.
9. Spread this over top of pudding.
10. Bake in moderate oven one half hour.
11. Serve with Hard Sauce or cream.
[Illustration: Cut slices of stale bread.]
NO. 38.--BANANA BREAD PUDDING.
Slice bananas over top of Bread Pudding before
spreading on whites of eggs (No. 37).
Serve with cream or Hard Sauce.
NO. 39.--HARD SAUCE.
4 tablespoons soft butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
beaten white of 1 egg
1. Make bowl and spoon hot with boiling water.
2. "Cream" or rub butter and sugar together, adding
sugar by spoonfuls.
3. Add vanilla.
4. Beat in the white of egg.
5. Put in a cool place until needed.
[Illustration: To save a yolk.]
"Yes," said Baking Dish, "that is very nice; but if you use the yolk of
the egg in the pudding, it will save it, and make the pudding better."
"To save a yolk, all you have to do (it was little Egg Beater) is to
drop it into a cup and pour a little cold water over the top, to prevent
its drying. You can use it next day, if you keep it cool."
[Illustration: "Yes, that is very nice"]
"It is wonderful," said Mary Frances, "what you Kitchen People know. If
it weren't for your help, I'd be afraid to try to get this dinner. I'd
have to make only one thing a day, as Mother meant me to do."
All the Kitchen People smiled happily.
"Is that the last recipe?" asked Frying Pan.
"No," said Mary Frances. "Why, who are you?"
"I'm Frying Pan, of the great Pan family, if you please, Miss," answered
he.
"Well! Well! Good friend," smiled Mary Frances, looking at her book,
"your turn has come!"
[Illustration: Smiled happily]
NO. 40.--PAN-BROILED BEEFSTEAK.
1. Heat an empty frying pan to blue heat, or until it
smokes. _No greasing is necessary._
2. Put in the steak.
3. Cook half minute.
4. Turn on other side.
5. Cook about 4 minutes.
6. Turn, and cook about 5 minutes longer.
7. Place on a hot platter, and spread with butter.
8. Sprinkle with a little pepper and salt, and 1
tablespoon finely chopped parsley.
9. Squeeze over it a little lemon juice.
10. Cover with another platter.
11. Remove top platter just before serving.
NOTE.--Mutton or Lamb Chops are pan-broiled in the
same way.
[Illustration: "I'm Frying Pan."]
"That's it!" cried Frying Pan, delighted. "That's as good as broiling,
though it took people a long time to find it out."
"It is not!" cried Gridiron Broiler angrily clicking his wires. "It is
not, Spider!"
"For shame!" said Mary Frances. "Don't call names!"
"He isn't calling names," answered Frying Pan, "that's my other name,
Frying Pan Spider."
Then to Gridiron he added, "Come, don't let's quarrel, you'll admit
pan-broiling is very nearly as good for chops as broiling over the coals
in a broiler, and quite as good for steaks--nearly."
[Illustration: "That's it!"]
"I was just getting ready to say," said Gridiron, "you didn't mean
'quite.'"
"It's time to commence!" loudly struck in Mantel Clock.
And then Mary Frances looked on in amazement.
In walked Basket with the potatoes for the potato soup; up sprang Knife
ready to pare them; over ran Boiler Pan with some water.
"Why! Why!" exclaimed Mary Frances. "Why!"
[Illustration: "It is not!"]
"Yes!" said Tea Kettle, "we'll do everything in the recipes you've
already made. All you need to do is to make the new recipes--with our
help," which Mary Frances did.
Whenever she'd make a mistake, some one of the Kitchen People would
correct and help her.
At six o'clock all the dinner was ready to serve, and the table was set.
"Oh, thank you, dear Kitchen People," said the beaming little girl;
"this is the happiest time of my life."
[Illustration]
[Illustration: "They're grand!" chuckled Auntie Rolling Pin. "Can you
bake them?"]
[Illustration: "YOU DEAR LOVELY CHILD," CRIED MOTHER.]