RUTH INSPECTS BETTINA'S KITCHEN
"MAY I come in?" said a voice at the screen door. "I came the kitchen
way because I hoped that you would still be busy with the morning's
work, and I might learn something. You see" (and Ruth blushed a little),
"we are thinking of building a house and we have lots of ideas about
every room but the kitchen. Neither Fred nor I know the first thing
about that, so I told him that I would just have to consult you."
"How dear of you, Ruth!" said Bettina, as she put away the breakfast
dishes. "Well, you shall have the benefit of everything that I know. Bob
and I began with the kitchen when we planned this little house. It
seemed so important. I expected to spend a great deal of time here, and
I was determined to have it cheerful and convenient. I never could see
why a kitchen should not be a perfectly beautiful room, as beautiful as
any in the whole house!"
"Yours is, Bettina," said Ruth, warmly, as she looked around her. "No
wonder you can cook such fascinating little meals. It is light, and
sunny and clean looking--oh, immaculate!--and has such a pleasant view!"
"I wanted it to have lots of sunshine. We had the walls painted this
shade of yellow, because it seemed pretty and cheerful. Perhaps you
won't care to have white woodwork like this, but you see it is plain and
I don't find it hard to keep clean out here on the edge of town! I think
it is so pretty that I don't expect to regret my choice. Another thing,
Ruth, do get a good grade of inlaid linoleum like this. I know the
initial expense is greater, but a good piece will last a long time, and
will always look well."
"How high the sink is, Bettina!"
"Thirty-six inches. You see, I'm not very tall and yet I have always
found that every other sink I tried was too low for solid comfort. The
plumbers have a way of making them all alike--thirty-two inches from the
floor, I think. They were scandalized because I asked them to change the
regulation height, and yet, I find this exactly right. And isn't it a
lovely white enameled one? I am happy whenever I look at it! Don't
laugh, Ruth; a sink is a very important piece of furniture! I had always
liked this kind with the grooved drain-board on each side, sloping just
a little toward the center. And see how easily I can reach up and put
away the dishes in the cupboard, you see. I don't like a single dish or
utensil in sight when the kitchen is in order. This roll of paper
toweling here by the sink is very convenient for wiping off the table or
taking grease off pans and dishes or even for drying glass and silver. A
roll lasts a long time, and certainly does save dishcloths and towels.
"Do you use your fireless cooker often?"
"Every day of the year--I do believe. I cook breakfast food in it, and
all kinds of meats except those that are boiled or fried. Then it is
splendid for steaming brown bread and baking beans, and oh, so many
other things! Mother keeps hers under the kitchen table, but I find it
more convenient here at the right of the stove--on a box just level with
the stove. Next, O Neophyte, you may observe the stove. The oven is at
the side, high up so that one need not stoop to use it. It has a glass
oven door through which I can watch my baking."
"I like this white enameled table. And the high stool must be
convenient, too."
"It is splendid. Ruth, haven't you an old marble topped table at home?
It would be just the thing for pastry making."
"Yes, I do know of one, I think, and I'll have the lower part enameled
white."
"Fred can do it himself. Let him help to fix things up, and he'll be all
the more interested in them, and in helping you use them."
"Bettina, this is an adorable breakfast alcove! What fun you must have
every morning! If we have one, I don't believe we'll ever use the dining
room. How convenient! Here come the waffles--hot from the stove! Fred,
do have a hot muffin!"
"Not at the same meal, Ruth!"
"No, he'll be fortunate if he gets anything to eat at all! He isn't
marrying a Bettina. But he says he's satisfied. Bettina, does Bob help
get breakfast?"
"Indeed he does. He loves to make coffee in the electric percolator and
toast on the toaster. He says that an electric toaster and plenty of
bath towels are the real necessities of life, but I say I cannot live
without flowers and a fireplace. Oh, you will have such fun, Ruth! Let
Fred help you all he will."
"I'm hearing all this advice!" suddenly shouted a big voice in her ear.
"Look here, Mrs. Bettina, does Bob know that you are advising your
friends to train their husbands just as you are training him?"
"Fred, you old eavesdropper! I hope that Ruth makes you get breakfast
every single morning to pay for this! Aren't you ashamed? Don't you know
that listeners never hear any good of themselves?"
"I suppose Fred knew he needn't worry," said rosy Ruth, as she took his
arm. "Look, Fred, isn't it a dear little house? May he see it all,
Bettina?"
"Yes, if he'll explain how a busy man can get away at this hour of the
morning."
"Well, you see I was on my way to the office when I caught a glimpse of
Ruth's pink dress at your back door. I happened to think that she said
she didn't get a recipe for those 'skyrocket rolls' that you had at your
party the other day. I just thought I'd have to remind her, for the sake
of my future."
"What under the shining sun! Oh, pinwheel biscuits!"
"Yes--that's it!"
"Why--all right. I have it filed away in my card-index. Here--with a
picture of them pasted on the card. I cut it out of the magazine that
gave the recipe. They are delicious."
BETTINA'S RECIPES
(All measurements are level)
=Pinwheel Biscuits= (Fifteen biscuits)
2 C-flour
4 t-baking powder
3 T-lard
1/2 t-salt
3/4 C-milk
1/3 C-stoned raisins
2 T-sugar
2 T-melted butter
1/2 t-cinnamon
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, work in the lard with
a knife, add gradually the milk, mixing with the knife to a soft dough.
Toss on a floured board, roll one inch thick, spread with butter, and
sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon, which have been well mixed. Press
in the raisins. Roll up the mixture evenly as you would a jelly roll.
Cut off slices, an inch thick--flatten a little and place in a tin pan.
Bake in a hot oven for fifteen minutes. (These are similar to the
cinnamon rolls made from yeast sponge.)