ALICE PRACTISES ECONOMY
"OH, Bettina," said Alice, delightedly, as she opened the door. "I'm so
glad to see you! I've just been thinking about you! What do you suppose
I'm doing?"
"Getting dinner? That is what I must be doing very soon. I stopped in
for only a minute on my way home."
"I am getting dinner, and I want to tell you that it is a very
economical dinner. And it's going to be good, too. I thought and thought
about your advice, and decided to practise it. So I searched through all
my cook books for the recipes I wanted, and finally decided on this
particular menu. But, Bettina, now I can tell you the flaw in your
system of economy!"
"What is that? Harry doesn't like it?"
"Goodness no! Harry was delighted with the idea! My argument is this:
It's going to take me an endless amount of time to plan economical meals
that are also good, time that I ought to spend in polishing silver and
making calls, and sewing on buttons, and----"
"I don't believe it'll be as bad as you think, Alice, dear," laughed
Bettina. "For instance, if this meal tonight is good and economical, and
Harry is pleased, don't forget the combination, but write it down in a
note-book. You can repeat the menu in two or three weeks, and you have
no idea how soon you will collect the best combinations, and ideas of
economy! Tell me what you are having tonight."
That night Alice served:
Baked Eggs
Potatoes Escalloped with Bacon
Baking Powder Biscuits Butter
Peach Cup with Peach Sauce
Tea
BETTINA'S RECIPES
(All measurements are level)
THE RECIPES ALICE USED
=Baked Eggs= (Two portions)
2 eggs
1/2 C-milk
2 T-soft bread crumbs
1 T-butter
1/4 t-salt
1/8 t-paprika
Butter two individual moulds, and break an egg into each. Mix the salt
and pepper in the milk, and pour half of the mixture over each egg. Melt
the butter, and add the crumbs. Place the buttered crumbs on top of each
egg. Bake in a moderate oven twenty minutes. Serve in the moulds.
=Potatoes Escalloped with Bacon= (Two portions)
3 medium-sized potatoes
3 slices of bacon
1/4 t-salt
1/8 t-paprika
2 T-flour
1 C-milk
Broil the bacon, cut each piece in three parts. Butter a casserole and
place in it a layer of peeled sliced potatoes. Sprinkle part of the
flour, salt and paprika over the potatoes, and add three pieces of
bacon. Continue in this manner until the dish is filled. Pour the milk
over the contents, and bake forty minutes in a moderate oven.
=Peach Cup= (Two portions)
4 halves of canned peaches, sweetened
1 T-egg
3 T-milk
2/3 C-flour
1-1/2 t-baking powder
1/8 t-salt
1 t-melted butter
1/4 t-vanilla
2 T-sugar
Mash two peach halves, add the egg, milk, vanilla, melted butter, flour,
baking powder and salt. Mix thoroughly. Place a tablespoon of the
mixture in the bottom of a well-buttered baking cup. Add a peach half,
and cover with the batter. Sprinkle one tablespoon of granulated sugar
on the top and bake twenty minutes in a moderate oven. Turn from the
cups and serve hot with peach sauce.
=Peach Sauce= (Two portions)
2/3 C-peach juice
1 T-lemon juice
1 T-flour
1/2 t-butter
1/4 t-salt
Mix one tablespoon of the peach juice with the flour. Gradually add the
rest of the peach and lemon juice. Add the salt Cook one minute. Add the
butter. Serve hot.