PLANNING THE CHRISTMAS CARDS
"AND what is in this dish, Bettina?" asked Bob, as he lifted the hot
cover.
"Candied sweet potatoes, dear, and I'm almost sure that you'll like
them. I made them in the fireless cooker, and they're really more candy
than potatoes."
"They'll suit me, then," said Bob. "The sweeter the better! My mother
used to cook up candied sweet potatoes with a lot of brown sugar
syrup--say, but they tasted good about this time of year when I would
come in from skating! Well, I believe these are exactly like hers!"
"Only hers weren't made in a fireless cooker," said Bettina. "Now, Bob,
as soon as you have allayed your hunger a little we must put our heads
together long enough to get an idea for Christmas cards. If we have
something made, it may take several weeks, and you know it is no small
task to address several hundred of them. As soon as we have ordered
them, we'd better make out our Christmas list. But first, what shall the
cards be? Think, Bob!"
"Goodness gracious sakes alive, but thinking is hot work! Well, how's
this? Suppose we don't have cards engraved--they're expensive, and
besides, 'twould take too long! We'll find some plain white
correspondence cards--or perhaps white cards with a red edge--and
envelopes to go with them, and in the corner of the card we'll stick a
tiny round snapshot of the house. Then we'll write this verse very
neatly and sign it 'Bettina and Bob.' Perhaps you can improve on this,
however:
"We enclose our Christmas greetings
And the hope that we may know
Many happy future meetings
In this little bungalow!"
"Bob, that's the very thing!" cried Bettina.
For dinner that night they had:
Beefsteak Fireless Sweet Potatoes
Creamed Carrots
Pineapple Charlotte Custard Sauce
BETTINA'S RECIPES
(All measurements are level)
=Fireless Sweet Potatoes (Candied)= (Six Portions)
6 large sweet potatoes
1 C-brown sugar
1/4 C-water
1 t-salt
1/4 t-pepper
1 T-butter
Wash and peel the sweet potatoes. Slice them lengthwise in one-half inch
slices. Make a syrup by boiling for five minutes the brown sugar and
water. Add the butter. Arrange the potatoes in a fireless cooker
utensil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and pour the syrup over them.
Place the heated disks under and over the pan of potatoes, and cook in
the fireless an hour and a half.
=Pineapple Charlotte= (Four portions)
2 T-corn starch
4 T-cold water
1/4 t-salt
1/4 C-sugar
1 C-boiling water
2 egg-whites
1 t-vanilla
1/2 t-lemon extract
2 slices of pineapple cut in slices lengthwise
Mix the corn starch, salt and sugar; gradually add the cold water,
stirring well, and then add the hot water. Cook about five minutes,
stirring constantly. Then add the vanilla, and the egg-whites stiffly
beaten. Pour into a moistened mould in which the slices of pineapple
have been arranged. Set in a cool place for two hours. Serve with
custard sauce.
=Custard Sauce= (Four portions)
1-1/2 C-milk
2 egg-yolks
1/4 C-sugar
1/2 t-vanilla
1/8 t-salt
1 T-flour
1/4 t-lemon extract
Mix well the sugar, salt and flour, gradually add the beaten egg-yolks,
and the milk. Cook in a double boiler until the mixture coats a silver
spoon yellow. Add the vanilla and lemon extract. Beat one minute. Serve
very cold.
_DECEMBER._
_Roasting turkeys! Rich mince pies!
Cakes of every shape and size!
Santa, though they're fond of you,
Christmas needs us housewives, too!_
[Illustration]