IN HOUSECLEANING TIME
[Illustration]
"GOODNESS gracious, Ruth!" said Bettina. "Surely it can't be half-past
five already!"
"Yes, it is, Bettina. Exactly that!" said Ruth, glancing at her tiny
wrist watch. "But Bob won't be home till six, will he?"
"No, but I want to have dinner ready when he arrives. You see, as I told
you before, I simply shouldn't have gone to Mary's this afternoon. My
curtains are down and my rugs are up, and my house isn't an attractive
place for a man to come home to, to say the least. And then to come
straight from a party and give Bob a pick-up lunch instead of a full
meal, will be----"
"The last straw? What had you planned for lunch?"
"Well, I have some soup all made, ready to reheat. Then I think I'll
have banana salad, tea, and hot baking-powder biscuits."
"De-licious!" said Ruth, with a Teddy-fied grin. "I believe I'll invite
myself to stay!"
"Good! You can make the salad while I'm mixing the biscuits. I also have
some chocolate cookies, and I'll open a jar of canned peaches----"
"And I'll be so bright and scintillating that old Bobbie won't even miss
the curtains and the rugs!"
That night Bettina served:
Bettina Soup Oyster Crackers
Banana Salad
Hot Biscuits
Canned Peaches Chocolate Cookies
Tea
BETTINA'S RECIPES
(All measurements are level)
=Bettina Soup= (Three portions)
3 C-meat stock (left over)
1/2 C-cooked rice
1/2 C-tomato pulp
1 T-sliced onion
1/2 t-salt
1/4 t-paprika
3 celery leaves
Add the rice, tomato pulp, onion, salt, paprika and celery leaves to the
meat stock. Cook for twenty minutes over a slow fire. Strain and serve
in hot soup dishes or bouillon cups.
=Banana Salad= (Three portions)
2 bananas
1/2 C-shelled peanuts, broken in halves
1/2 C-celery, cut small
1 T-lemon juice
1/2 t-salt
1/4 t-paprika
1/2 C-salad dressing
3 lettuce leaves
Cut the bananas in one-fourth inch cubes. Add the lemon juice, mixing
thoroughly. Add the peanuts, celery, salt and paprika. Add the salad
dressing, mixing lightly with a silver fork. Pile on the lettuce leaves
which have been washed and arranged on a serving dish. Serve
immediately.
=Baking Powder Biscuits= (Eight biscuits)
1-1/2 C-flour
3 t-baking powder
1/4 t-salt
1-1/2 T-lard
1/2 C-milk
Mix and sift well the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the lard
with a knife until the consistency of cornmeal. Add the milk slowly,
stirring with a knife until the dough is soft enough to be handled
without sticking to the fingers. Place on a floured board, pat into
shape, with the hands, to a thickness of two-thirds of an inch. Cut with
a biscuit cutter. Place the biscuits side by side in a tin pan. Bake in
a moderate oven fifteen minutes. Serve on a folded napkin.