  A RAINY NIGHT MEAL "WHY, Bob, I thought you'd be miles away by this time!" cried Bettina, as Bob came into the house at the usual time one evening. "They called off our trip on account of the weather. And I supposed you'd be at your mother's!" "It was raining so that I decided to build a cozy little fire in the fireplace and stay at home." "Well, I'm glad you're here! I was expecting to come home to a cold, dark house, and this is much more cheerful." "And I expected not to see you till midnight, so I'm well suited too! But, Bobby, you mustn't complain if I give you a 'pick-up meal.' I expected to eat only a lunch myself." "I don't care what you give me, just so it's hot. My walk through the rain has given me an appetite. I'll help you get supper and wash the dishes, Bettina, and then afterward we'll pop corn and toast marshmallows by the fire. What do you say?" "Fine, Bob! I cooked some celery today—just a little—and I think I'll fix 'celery au gratin' for you. The cooky-jar is full of rocks——" "A full cooky-jar! Bettina, that ought to be the symbol of our happy home. May it always be full!" "You're altogether too oratorical for a staid married man, Bob. Well, as I was saying, here is apple sauce, and I'll soon have some emergency biscuit stirred up. Then with scrambled eggs——" "Hurry, Bettina! My appetite grows with every dish you mention!" They had a meal of: BETTINA'S RECIPES (All measurements are level) Scrambled Eggs (Two portions) 3 eggs 5 T-milk ¼ t-salt 1/8 t-paprika 1 T-butter Beat the eggs slightly; add milk, salt and paprika. Melt the butter in a frying pan or omelet pan. When hot, add the egg mixture, and cook slowly, scraping from bottom and sides of the pan when mixture first sets. Cook until creamy, or longer if preferred. If desired, the egg may be constantly "scrambled" with a fork while cooking. Turn into a hot dish and serve at once. Celery au Gratin (Two portions) 1 C-cooked diced celery 1 T-butter 1 T-flour ½ C-milk and celery stock 3 T-grated cheese 1/8 t-paprika ¼ t-salt Cook the celery in a small amount of water at a low temperature, as too fast boiling makes it tough. Simmer until tender. Melt the butter, add the flour and blend well. Add the milk and stock, pepper and salt. Add the cheese. Allow to cook until it is the consistency of a thin vegetable white sauce. Add the celery. Place in a hot oven for fifteen minutes. (Bettina uses a part of the water in which the celery is simmered to make up the cup of combined milk and celery stock. The remainder of the celery stock she saves for soup.) Rocks (Two dozen) 1½ C-brown sugar 2/3 C-butter 2 eggs 1 t-cinnamon ¼ t-ground cloves ¼ t-salt 2½ C-flour 1 t-soda 1½ C-chopped nut meats and raisins 1 t-vanilla Cream the butter, add the sugar, and cream the mixture. Add the eggs, well beaten, and the remaining dry ingredients (except nuts and raisins) sifted together. Mix well. Add the nut meats and chopped raisins, and vanilla. The mixture should be very stiff. Drop from a spoon onto flat buttered pans or preferably onto a buttered baking sheet. Bake about twelve minutes in a moderate oven. (Bettina keeps rocks in a stone jar, and finds that they keep well, and are really better when a day old.) |
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