BETTINA ATTENDS A MORNING WEDDING
"HOW lovely!" Bettina whispered to Bob after the beautiful ceremony had
taken place in the rustic grape arbor. "How like Cousin Kate this is!
But I had no idea that Frances planned to be married out of doors, had
you?"
"She told me that they were hoping for fair weather, but weren't
counting on it."
"And this is a regular golden day; isn't it! What a time to remember!
Bob, look at Cousin Kate's flowers! A natural altar, without decoration!
Poppies, sweet-peas, nasturtiums, cosmos, more kinds than I can count!
It's a little earlier than they usually have weddings, too; isn't
nine-thirty early?"
"Yes, but Frances thought that this would be the prettiest time for it,
and you know they aren't at all conventional."
"What are you two gossiping about?" shouted big Cousin Charles in
Bettina's ear: "don't you see enough of each other at home without
avoiding the rest of us at a time like this? Go and kiss the bride and
congratulate the groom as soon as you can get to them. Fanny wants to
see you particularly, Bettina. Breakfast is to be served on the porch;
don't forget that you two are to be at the bride's table!"
The wide porch looked very charming. Each table seated four, except the
one for the bridal party and near relatives, which was in the center,
surrounded by the others. On each table was a basket of pink sweet-peas
and trailing greenery. Each simple white place-card held a flower or
two, slipped through two parallel cuts across the corner. Frances was
seated at the groom's left, and at her left sat her new brother-in-law,
who was the best man. Next to him was the minister's wife, then jolly
Cousin Charles, the bride's father, then the groom's mother. At the
right of the groom sat Anne, Fanny's sister, who was maid-of-honor; and
next to her sat the clergyman. Then came the bride's mother and the
groom's father. Beyond him sat Bettina, then Bettina's cousin Harry,
then Aunt Nell and Bob. That was all, for there were few near relatives
and Bettina's father and mother were in California.
"Frances looks well; doesn't she?" said Aunt Nell to Bettina. "No
showers, no parties or excitement, and you can see how simple the
wedding has been. Cousin Kate is so sensible, and so is Frances. I can
tell you already that the breakfast menu will be dainty and delicious,
but simple."
She was right, for it consisted of:
Watermelon Cubes
(Served in Sherbet Glasses)
Fried Spring Chicken New Potatoes
Creamed Peas
Hot Rolls Butter
Currant Jelly Peach Ice Cream
Bride's Cake Coffee
Nuts Candy
BETTINA'S RECIPES
(All measurements are level)
=Fried Chicken=
1 2-1/2-lb. chicken
4 T-flour
2 t-salt
1/2 t-paprika
4 T-fat (lard and butter)
2 T-water
=To Prepare the Chicken for Serving and Cooking=
Cut the legs from the body, break the joint at the thigh and cut in two.
Cut off the neck and wings. Break the breastbone and cut in two
lengthwise. Break the back in two pieces lengthwise, if desired. Plunge
the pieces into cold water and allow to drain. Sprinkle each piece with
salt and paprika, and roll in flour. Place the fat in a frying-pan. When
very hot add the chicken. Allow all the pieces to brown thoroughly;
cover the pan with a lid and add the water, lower the fire and cook
over a moderate fire for thirty minutes. Turn frequently to prevent
scorching.
=Gravy= (Six portions)
3 T-fat from frying-pan
1 T-butter
6 T-flour
1 t-salt
1/4 t-paprika
1-1/2 C-milk
1 t-parsley chopped
Loosen the pieces of chicken which have stuck to the frying-pan, add the
butter, stir constantly until the butter "bubbles," add the flour, salt
and paprika. Mix thoroughly. Add the milk slowly, cook for two minutes,
add the chopped parsley and pour the gravy into a gravy bowl for
serving.
=Bride's Cake= (Thirty pieces)
1-1/2 C-sugar
1/2 C-butter
2-1/2 C-flour
1/8 t-salt
2/3 C-milk
3 t-baking powder
1/4 t-cream of tartar
1/2 t-almond extract
1 t-vanilla
4 egg-whites
Cream the butter, add the sugar and continue creaming the mixture. Mix
and sift three times the flour, salt, baking powder and cream of tartar.
Add these dry ingredients alternately with the milk to the first
mixture. Add the almond and vanilla extracts. Beat two minutes. Cut and
fold in the egg-whites which have been stiffly beaten. Pour the cake
batter into a large, round loaf cake pan, having a hole in the center.
Bake forty-five minutes in a moderate oven. When the cake is removed
from the oven, allow it to stand in a warm place for five minutes, then
with a spatula and a sharp knife, carefully loosen the cake from the
sides, and turn out onto a cake cooler. When cool, cover with White
Mountain Cream Icing.
=Suggestions for Serving the Bride's Cake=
The Bride's Cake may be baked in this form and placed in the center of
the table for the central decoration. A tall, slender vase, filled with
the flowers used in decorating, may be placed in the hole in the cake.
Place the cake upon a pasteboard box four inches high and one inch wider
than the cake. This gives space to decorate around the cake. The cake
and box may be placed on a reflector, which gives a very pretty effect.
If cake boxes containing wedding cakes are distributed among the guests
as favors, use the one in the round pan for central decoration and bake
others in square pan. Square pieces may then be cut, wrapped in waxed
paper, and placed in the boxes.