THE HICKORY LOG
"SAY, this feels good!" said Bob, as he warmed his hands by the cheerful
blaze.
"Doesn't it!" said Bettina, enthusiastically. "And see, I've set the
dinner table here by the fireplace. It's such fun when just the two of
us are here. Isn't the log burning well?"
"I wondered if we could use one of our new logs tonight--thought about
it all the way home. And here you had already tried it! November has
turned so much colder that I believe winter is coming."
"So do I, but I don't mind, I don't want a warm Thanksgiving."
"Dinner ready? M--m, what's that? Lamb chops? Escalloped potatoes?
Smells good!"
"Come on, dear! After dinner, we'll try those nuts we left so long out
at Uncle John's. Do you think they're dry enough by this time? Charlotte
phoned me that they had tried theirs, and found them fine. By the way,
she and Frank may come over this evening."
"Hope they do. Listen--I hear a car outside now."
"Sure enough, that's Frank and Charlotte. Go to the door, Bob! We'll
persuade them to eat dessert with us. . . . Hello, people! Come in;
you're just in time to have some tea and a ginger drop-cake apiece."
"That's what we came for, Bettina!" shouted Frank, laughing. "And then
you must come out in the car with us. It's a beautiful, clear, cold
night, and you'll enjoy it--if you take plenty of wraps!"
For dinner that night Bettina served:
Lamb Chops Escalloped Potatoes
Egg Plant
Bread Butter
Ginger Drop-Cakes
Tea
BETTINA'S RECIPES
(All measurements are level).
=Broiled Lamb Chops= (Two portions)
2 lamb chops
1 t-salt
1/4 t-paprika
Wipe the chops and place in a red-hot pan over the flame. When the under
surface is seared, turn and sear the other side. Turn often for twelve
minutes. When nearly cooked, sprinkle with salt and paprika.
=Escalloped Potatoes= (Two portions)
1-1/2 C-raw potatoes, sliced
1/2 t-salt
1 T-flour
1/2 C-milk
1 T-butter
1/8 t-paprika
1 T-chopped green pepper
Mix the potatoes, salt, flour, paprika and green pepper. Place in a
buttered baking dish or casserole. Pour the milk over the mixture and
dot with butter. Put a cover on the dish and allow to cook for half an
hour. Remove the cover and allow to cook twenty minutes more. More milk
may be added if the mixture is too dry.
=Egg Plant= (Three portions)
1 egg plant
1 t-salt
1 T-egg-yolk
1 T-water
1/2 C-cracker crumbs
2 T-lard
Peel and slice the egg plant in slices one-half an inch thick. Sprinkle
each slice with salt. Place the slices on top and allow to stand for two
hours. This drains out the liquid. Wipe each piece with a cloth and dip
in the beaten egg-yolk, to which the water has been added. Dip in the
cracker crumbs. Place the lard in a frying-pan, and when very hot, add
the slices of egg plant. Brown thoroughly on both sides, lower the fire
and cook five minutes. Serve on a hot platter with the slices
overlapping each other.
=Ginger Drop-Cakes= (Fifteen cakes)
1 C-molasses
1/2 C-boiling water
2-1/4 C-flour
1 t-soda
2 t-ginger
1/2 t-salt
1/2 C-chopped raisins
4 T-melted butter
Put the molasses in a bowl, add the boiling water and the dry
ingredients, sifted. Then add the raisins and the melted butter. Beat
well for two minutes. Pour into buttered muffin pans, filling the pans
one-half full. Bake twenty minutes in a moderate oven.