ALICE'S TROUBLES
"WHY, Alice, come in! Are you going out to dinner, or just on your way
home from some afternoon party?"
"I'm going down town to dinner with Harry; I'll meet him there. And
afterward we are going to the theatre."
"What fun!"
"Yes, fun for me," said Alice slowly. "I persuaded him to go. Just
think, Bettina, we haven't been to the theatre one single time since
we've been married!"
"And that is--let's see--about six weeks?" said Bettina, laughing. "Come
into the kitchen, Alice. I'm making a cranberry pie for dinner."
"A cranberry pie? One of those darling criss-crossy ones?" said Alice
joyfully, throwing off her evening cloak. "Do let me help. I used to
make little cranberry pies in a saucer when I was little! I had
forgotten that they existed! Harry shall have one to-morrow!" And she
rolled out the crust with deft fingers.
"How easily and quickly you do everything, Alice."
"Yes, too easily. Getting breakfast is fun, and getting dinner is fun,
but it's over too soon. What do you do in the evening, Bettina?"
"Oh, stay at home and read and mend mostly. What do you do?"
"That's the trouble. Don't you get dreadfully bored just sitting around?
Harry likes it--but I don't see how he can."
"But aren't you tired in the evening? I suppose he is."
"Tired? Mercy no! Not with the care of that little apartment! I like fun
and excitement and something to do in the evening! I've been studying
household economy, as you suggested, and I've learned a lot, but I can't
be doing that all the time! Well, I must run on, Bettina! Let me know
how the pie turns out!"
That night Bettina served:
Bettina's Pork Chops and Dressing
Baked Potatoes Apple Sauce
Bread Butter
Cranberry Pie Coffee
BETTINA'S RECIPES
(All measurements are level)
=Pork Chops Bettina= (Two portions)
2 pork chops
1/2 t-chopped onion
1 T-chopped green pepper
1-1/2 C-fresh bread crumbs
1/4 t-chopped parsley
1/2 t-salt
1 T-melted butter
1 egg-yolk
1/4 t-celery salt
1 T-water
Add the onion, green peppers, parsley, salt and celery salt to the
crumbs. Add the egg-yolk, butter and water, and mix thoroughly. Wipe the
chops, and place one in a small pan (to serve as a roasting pan), place
the dressing on top. Place the other chop on top of the dressing. Press
together and bake in a moderate oven one hour. Turn the chops so that
the under one will brown. Baste occasionally with one-fourth of a cup of
hot water to which has been added one teaspoon of butter. Put a lid on
the pan so that the steam will cause the chops to cook. Place one
tablespoon of water in the pan to prevent burning or drying out.
Replenish when necessary.
=Apple Sauce= (Two portions)
6 Jonathan apples
1/2 C-sugar
1/8 t-cinnamon
Enough water to cover
Wash, pare, core and quarter the apples. Cover with water and cook until
tender when pierced with a knitting needle. Add the sugar and cook five
minutes more. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top when serving.
=Cranberry Pie= (Four portions)
2 C-cranberries
1 C-boiling water
1-1/2 C-sugar
1 egg-yolk
1 T-water
1 T-flour
1/2 t-butter
1/2 t-almond extract
Cook the cranberries and water until the cranberries are soft. Add the
sugar and cook five minutes.
Mix flour and water, add the egg-yolk, butter and extract. Mix
thoroughly. Add to the cranberry mixture. Pour into the uncooked
pie-crust. Place pastry bars lattice fashion across the top, and bake
thirty-five minutes in a moderate oven.
=Pie Crust= (Four portions)
1 C-flour
5 T-lard
1/4 t-salt
3 T-water
Mix the flour and salt. Cut in the lard with a knife, and add the water
very carefully, to form a stiff dough. Roll into shape, and reserve a
small part of the dough for the bars. Fit the crust carefully into a
deep tin pie-pan. Fill the crust with the cranberry filling, being
careful not to let any juice run out. Cut the bars two-thirds of an inch
wide. Moisten the ends, and arrange in criss-cross fashion across the
pie.