SUNDAY DINNER AT THE DIXON'S
"YOU seem to have gained in weight, Frank," said Bob, as he and Bettina
sat down to Sunday dinner with the Dixons.
"And what's more, I've gained in spirits! Say, there's nothing like
living in a real home! Why, people, just think of having Charlotte say
to me as she did yesterday, 'Frank, Bob and Bettina are coming to dinner
to-morrow, and I want you to plan the menu!' And here it is! Excuse me
for seeming too proud of my own good judgment and my wife's skill in
cookery, but----"
"Hush, Frank! Maybe Bob and Bettina won't like your choice of dishes or
your wife's cooking!"
"What!" said Bob. "I have yet to meet the person who doesn't like fried
chicken! And roasting ears and new potatoes! Sa-ay!"
"It's a man-size dinner all right, isn't it?" said Mr. Dixon. "You know
ever since I was a boy my idea of Sunday dinner (at least in the summer)
has been fried chicken with gravy, new potatoes, boiled corn on the cob,
and ice cream with sliced peaches! Because ice cream is coming, isn't
it, Charlotte? At least I ordered it, and this appears to be my lucky
day!"
"Indeed, it is coming," said Mrs. Dixon. "You see, Bettina, ever since I
came to keep house (thanks to you) I've longed for the time to come when
I could let Frank plan a company meal that I could carry out to the last
detail. I have tried all these things before, although not all at the
same time. I have always suspected that he would order fried chicken
and its accessories (a 'little boy dinner' I called this), so when I
told him that he might plan the meal, I knew that I could cook it. You
see, I have wanted to invite you and Bob--oh, I've been thinking of it
for a long time, but you can cook so well that I thought perhaps you'd
rather eat at home!"
"Charlotte, this is a perfect dinner--far better than I could get, I
know."
"This salad is an acquired taste with me," put in Mr. Dixon. "In my
boyhood, my ideal dinner did not include salad, but Charlotte said there
must be one, so this was my choice. I mixed the oil-dressing myself," he
added with pride.
"It was a simple dinner to get," said Mrs. Dixon. "But now, Frank, we
mustn't boast any more about our own dinner, must we? Bob and Bettina
will laugh at us. You see, we're regular children since we took the
house, but we do have lots of fun. I wouldn't go back to hotel living
for anything in the world!"
"And neither would I," said Frank, "if for no other reason than the joy
of entertaining our friends at dinner this way!"
Their Sunday dinner consisted of:
Fried Chicken New Boiled Potatoes
Corn on the Cob
Bread Butter
Sliced Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad
Oil Dressing
Vanilla Ice Cream with Peaches
White Cake Iced Tea
BETTINA'S RECIPES
(All measurements are level)
=Vegetable Salad= (Four portions)
2 medium-sized tomatoes
1/2 cucumber
1 onion
=Dressing=
4 T-vinegar
2 T-oil
1/2 t-salt
1/4 t-paprika
Cut the peeled tomatoes and cucumber in one-third inch cubes, mix with
the onion chopped fine. Add the dressing, which has been well mixed,
and allow to stand ten minutes in a cold place. Serve on head lettuce.
=Peaches for Ice Cream= (Six portions)
2 C-peaches, sliced
2/3 C-sugar
Add the sugar to the peaches and allow to stand in the ice box for ten
minutes. Place peaches around the ice cream.
=White Cake= (Twenty pieces)
1/2 C-butter
1-1/2 C-sugar
2-2/3 C-sifted flour
5 t-baking powder
1/8 t-salt
1 C-milk
4 egg whites, beaten stiffly
1 t-vanilla
1/2 t-lemon extract
Cream the butter, add the sugar, and continue creaming for two minutes.
Alternately add all the dry ingredients and the milk. Beat well. Cut and
fold in the egg-whites. Add the flavoring. Bake in two buttered
layer-cake pans, twenty-five minutes in a moderate oven. Cover with "C"
sugar icing.
="C" Sugar Icing= (Twenty portions)
3 egg whites
3 C-"C" sugar
2/3 C-water
1 t-vanilla
Cook the sugar and water together without stirring until the icing
"clicks" in cold water. Remove from the fire and pour very slowly over
the stiffly beaten egg-whites. Beat vigorously and continuously until
the icing gets thick and creamy. Add the vanilla. Spread on the cake.
=Vanilla Ice Cream= (Six portions)
1 qt. cream
3/4 C-sugar
1 T-vanilla
1/8 t-salt
Mix cream, sugar, vanilla and salt. Place in a scalded and chilled
freezer. Turn until the mixture stiffens. Pack for two hours to ripen.