A RAINY EVENING AT HOME
"THIS is just the kind of a cold, rainy evening," said Bob as he pushed
back his chair, "that makes me feel like making candy."
"Fine!" said Bettina. "What kind shall it be?"
"Penoche, if you have all the ingredients."
"I think I have. Let's see. It's better when it's made partly with 'C'
sugar, and I have that. I wonder if there will be enough milk left for
breakfast if we use a little! Well, penoche really tastes exactly as
good when it is made with water instead, though, of course, it isn't so
rich. But then, I think, we do have enough milk."
"First of all, though," said Bob, "we'll wash these dishes. It was a
mighty good dinner tonight, Bettina. The nice kind of a hot meal that it
seems good to come home to on a night like this."
"It was an oven dinner, Bob. You see, the meat loaf, the escalloped
potatoes, and the rice pudding were all in the oven at once. I always
try to use the oven for more than one dish if I am using it at all."
"We seem to have eaten all of this tomato sauce," said Bob, as he
carried out the dish, "but there is a good deal of meat left. Will you
have to make more sauce?"
"No, I planned just enough for one meal. Then, tomorrow, I'll serve the
rest of the meat cold without a sauce. How did you like the rice pudding
hot as it was tonight? You know I usually serve it cold."
"It tasted very good for a cold evening. There, all these dishes are
ready to wash, Bettina. Will you get out some tea towels for me?"
The dinner that night consisted of:
Hot Beef Loaf Tomato Sauce
Escalloped Potatoes
Bread Butter
Rice Pudding
BETTINA'S RECIPES
(All measurements are level)
=Beef Loaf= (Five portions)
1 lb. beef cut from the round
1/4 lb. salt pork
1/2 t-salt
1/4 t-pepper
1/8 t-onion salt
1/4 C-cracker or bread crumbs
1 egg yolk
1 T-milk
1 T-butter
Grind the meat well, and mix all the ingredients excepting the butter.
Pat into an oblong shape and place in a well-buttered pan. Add three
tablespoons of water to the pan, and place the butter in small pieces on
the top of the loaf. Cover the pan and bake thirty-five minutes in a
moderate oven.
=Tomato Sauce= (Three portions)
1 C-tomatoes, cut up
1/2 C-water
2 bay leaves
1 t-sugar
1/4 t-ground cloves
1 slice of onion or
1/8 T-onion salt
2 T-butter
2 T-flour
1/3 t-salt
Simmer for fifteen minutes the tomatoes, water, bay leaves, sugar,
cloves and onion. Strain and press out all the pulp. Melt the butter,
add the flour, blend well, slowly add the strained tomato and salt. Cook
one minute. Serve hot on the meat.
=Escalloped Potatoes= (Three portions)
4 potatoes (medium sized)
2 T-flour
2 T-butter
1 t-salt
1/4 t-pepper
milk (about one cup)
Wash and peel the potatoes. Slice very thin. Mix through the sliced
potatoes, the flour, salt, pepper and the butter in small pieces. Place
the mixture in a well-buttered pan or baking dish, and cover with milk.
Usually one cup suffices. Bake in a moderate oven forty-five to fifty
minutes. (Do not fill the pan more than three-fourths full, as the
potatoes will boil over.)
=Rice Pudding= (Three portions)
1-1/4 C-milk
1 egg
4 T-sugar
1/4 t-salt
1 t-vanilla
1 C-cooked rice
1 t-butter
1/8 t-grated nutmeg
Beat the egg, add the sugar, salt, nutmeg, vanilla, and milk. Add the
rice. Pour the mixture into a well-buttered baking dish and dot over
with the butter. Bake in a moderate oven twenty-five minutes. It may be
served hot or cold. Cream may be served with it if desired.
=Penoche=
2 C-"C" sugar
1 C-granulated sugar
1 T-butter
2/3 C-milk
1/4 t-cream of tartar
1/4 C-nut-meats
1 t-vanilla
Mix the sugar, butter, milk and cream of tartar. Cook, stirring
occasionally to prevent from scorching, until a soft ball is formed when
a little candy is dropped in cold water. Remove from the fire, and do
not stir until it is cool. Put back on the stove for one minute,
stirring constantly. Remove from stove, and beat vigorously until very
creamy. Add the nuts and vanilla. When hard and creamy, remove from the
pan, patting into shape and kneading until soft and creamy. Place on a
buttered pan, patting to the thickness of three-fourths of an inch. Cut
into the desired shape.
_SEPTEMBER._
_Apple-tree, apple-tree, crowned with delight,
Give me your fruit for a pie if you will;----
Crusty I'll make it, and juicy and light!----
Give me your treasure to mate with my skill!_
[Illustration]