PLANNING A CHILDREN'S PARTY
"OF course, I'll help you, Ruth," said Bettina. "I'd love to. A
children's party! What fun it will be! How many children will be there?"
"Twelve or fifteen, I think. Now let me tell you Ralph's own idea for
entertainment. I suppose I'm a doting aunt, but it sounds very possible
to me."
"Did Ralph suggest the kind of a party he wished? Well, isn't he a
clever boy! And he's only eleven years old, too."
"He suggested that the invitations invite the children to a circus. You
see, we could write a little rhyme to that effect on animal paper, or
with an animal picture pasted in the corner. When the children arrive,
we'll have the parade. We'll have ready the horns, drums, and so forth,
for the band, and some of the children will represent the various wild
animals. The parade will lead to the refreshment table (after some
circus games, perhaps), which will be set outdoors if it is warm enough.
The table must represent a circus ground (I've seen those paper circuses
downtown, haven't you?), and the refreshments must carry out the scheme.
So, Bettina, do help us to plan the details!"
Bettina's dinner that night consisted of:
Sliced Ham and Potatoes en Casserole
Baked Creamed Cabbage
Bread Butter
Plum Pudding
Cocoanut Pudding
BETTINA'S RECIPES
(All measurements are level)
=Sliced Ham and Potatoes en Casserole= (Four portions)
1 lb. slice of ham two-thirds of an inch thick
4 new potatoes
1 C-water
12 cloves
1/4 t-paprika
1 t-chopped parsley
2 T-flour
Have a frying-pan very hot. Add the ham and brown thoroughly on both
sides. Add the water and let boil for one minute. Remove the ham. Stick
the cloves into it, and place it in the bottom of a casserole. Add the
parsley and paprika to the water in the pan, and pour the liquid over
the meat. Cover and bake in a moderate oven for half an hour. Roll the
potatoes (which have been washed and peeled) in the flour, and add to
the casserole. Baste with the liquid. Cover and cook three-fourths of an
hour. Serve in the casserole.
=Creamed Cabbage Baked= (Four portions)
3 C-cabbage, cut or chopped fine
1 qt. water
3 T-flour
2 T-butter
1 t-salt
1 C-milk
1/4 C-cracker or dry bread crumbs
1 T-butter
Wash the cabbage and chop into half inch pieces. Cook in boiling water
fifteen minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Make a white sauce by
melting the butter, adding the flour and salt, and then adding the milk.
Cook two minutes, stirring constantly. Add the cabbage, and pour into a
well-buttered open baking dish. Melt the one tablespoon of butter, add
the crumbs and mix well. Spread the buttered crumbs over the top of the
cabbage. Bake fifteen minutes in a moderate oven. Serve in the dish.
=Cocoanut Pudding= (Four portions)
1 C-milk
1/4 t-salt
3 T-corn starch
1 egg yolk
1/2 t-lemon extract
1/2 t-vanilla
3 T-cocoanut
2 T-sugar
Mix the corn starch and salt in the upper part of the double boiler.
Add the milk slowly, stirring all the time. Add the sugar. Place the
upper in the lower part of the double boiler and cook, stirring
occasionally to prevent lumping. When very thick, add the egg-yolk, the
vanilla and lemon extracts and the cocoanut. Beat one minute. Cook again
for three minutes. Place in a buttered baking dish. Beat the egg-white
and when very stiff, add the two tablespoons of sugar. Pile lightly on
the top of the pudding and place in a moderate oven for ten minutes to
brown the meringue.