Helen Cowles LeCron

“ And I want to ask you so much about house furnishings—curtains, and all that."
"I'd love to help!" cried Bettina with enthusiasm. "There isn't anything that is such fun. Oh, Ruth!"
"Gracious me! What?" cried Ruth, for Bettina had jumped up suddenly.
"Poor Ruth," laughed Bettina, "I didn't mean to frighten you. I forgot my cake, that was all, and I was afraid it had burned. But it hasn't. A minute longer though—you know a chocolate cake does burn so easily. But it's all right. However, you must admit that I did pretty well not to burn it while I was listening to wedding plans!" ”

“ But this afternoon I've been to a shower for Alice,—do you remember Alice, Jack?"
"Very well. The gay dark-eyed one. You don't mean to say that she's found a man who's lively enough to suit her?"
"Well, she seems to be suited, all right. But I must fly into an apron if you boys are to get any dinner within a half-hour. Jack, you'll have to pardon me if after all of Bob's eloquence I give you a meal of left-overs——"
"Don't apologize to a bachelor, Bettina. He probably won't know left-overs from the real thing," said Bob.
"Bachelors are said to be the most critical of all," she answered. ”

“ I don't intend to die now, Uncle Bob! I'm going to live and have the most fun helping Aunt Bettina! I like that so much better than lessons. I brought two aprons in my suit case; Mother said I acted as if I wouldn't meet anybody in a three day visit but your kitchen stove. And to tell the truth, Aunt Bettina, I just hope I won't! I'd rather help you cook than see sights or meet people. ”

“ We're racking our brains now to think of something that will be individual—really ours, you know. I think a tiny snapshot of yourself or your home, or your baby or your dog—or even a sprig of holly or a bit of evergreen on a card with a few written words of greeting means more to a friend than all the lovely engraved cards in the world! Of course, some people can draw or paint and make their own—Alice will, I'm sure. One girl I know makes wonderful fruit cake, and she always sends a piece of it, in a little box tied with holly ribbon, to each of her friends. ”

“ It was a mighty good dinner tonight, Bettina. The nice kind of a hot meal that it seems good to come home to on a night like this."
"It was an oven dinner, Bob. You see, the meat loaf, the escalloped potatoes, and the rice pudding were all in the oven at once. I always try to use the oven for more than one dish if I am using it at all."
"We seem to have eaten all of this tomato sauce," said Bob, as he carried out the dish, "but there is a good deal of meat left. Will you have to make more sauce?" ”

“ AFTER THE CIRCUS
"THERE is nothing so exciting as a circus," said Ruth, "but oh, how comfortable and peaceful it seems to get away at last from the crowds and the noise! How quiet and cool this porch is, Bettina. In two minutes I'll get up and help you with dinner, but you made a mistake to put such a comfortable chair here in this particular spot."
"Ruth, stay just where you are! This meal is supper, not dinner, and it will be ready in the shortest possible time. Where are the men?"
"Going over the plans of our house, I suppose. Fred has worn them almost in pieces by exhibiting them so often. ”

“ 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?" ”

“ Here come the waffles—hot from the stove! Fred, do have a hot muffin!"
"Not at the same meal, Ruth!"
"No, he'll be fortunate if he gets anything to eat at all! He isn't marrying a Bettina. But he says he's satisfied. Bettina, does Bob help get breakfast?"
"Indeed he does. He loves to make coffee in the electric percolator and toast on the toaster. He says that an electric toaster and plenty of bath towels are the real necessities of life, but I say I cannot live without flowers and a fireplace. Oh, you will have such fun, Ruth! Let Fred help you all he will." ”

“ Bettina hastened to make her preparations, and at half after one her house was in order and she was ready to go. Besides, she was comfortably conscious of a well-filled larder—cold fried chicken ready and waiting, cold boiled potatoes to be [148] creamed, green corn to be boiled, peaches to be sliced, and delicious chocolate cookies to delight the hearts of the children.
"It will take only a few moments," she thought as she arranged the nasturtiums on her dining table, "to set the table, cream the potatoes, boil the corn, slice the peaches and make the tea. ”

“ I planned a special little celebration dinner, a kind of salad that Bob particularly likes, and a good dessert, too. And now, if you'll come into the kitchen with me, I'll show you how to make peanut butter rolls. You never heard of them? Well, they're a little like pinwheel biscuit. Don't you remember the pinwheel biscuit that I make sometimes—baking powder biscuit dough rolled out and spread with butter and sugar and cinnamon—then rolled up and cut like cinnamon rolls and baked?"
"Of course, I remember, Bettina! They're the best little things, and so easy to make!" ”

“ Say, there's nothing like living in a real home! Why, people, just think of having Charlotte say to me as she did yesterday, 'Frank, Bob and Bettina are coming to dinner to-morrow, and I want you to plan the menu!' And here it is! ”

“ Maybe Bob and Bettina won't like your choice of dishes or your wife's cooking!"
"What!" said Bob. "I have yet to meet the person who doesn't like fried chicken! And roasting ears and new potatoes! Sa-ay!"
"It's a man-size dinner all right, isn't it?" said Mr. Dixon. "You know ever since I was a boy my idea of Sunday dinner (at least in the summer) has been fried chicken with gravy, new potatoes, boiled corn on the cob, and ice cream with sliced peaches! Because ice cream is coming, isn't it, Charlotte? ”

“ Poppies, sweet-peas, nasturtiums, cosmos, more kinds than I can count! It's a little earlier than they usually have weddings, too; isn't nine-thirty early?"
"Yes, but Frances thought that this would be the prettiest time for it, and you know they aren't at all conventional."
"What are you two gossiping about?" shouted big Cousin Charles in Bettina's ear: "don't you see enough of each other at home without avoiding the rest of us at a time like this? Go and kiss the bride and congratulate the groom as soon as you can get to them. ”

“ Ruth inquired one Sunday evening on the porch.
"Why, this is a mixture of green and black tea," said Bettina. "I like that better for iced tea than either kind alone."
"I like tea," said Fred, "although perhaps that isn't considered a manly sentiment in this country. I hope you do too, Ruth. Nothing seems so cozy to me as tea and toast. And I like iced tea like this in the summertime. An uncle of mine is very fond of tea, and has offered to send me some that he considers particularly fine. I believe that Orange Pekoe is his favorite." ”

“ Meanwhile, Bettina was busying herself with the little supper, for which she had made preparations that morning. When she had creamed the oysters and placed them in the ramekins, she popped them in the oven. Next she put on the coffee in her percolator, and placed in the oven with the oysters the small loaf of bran bread that she had steamed that morning. "Bob likes it better warm," she said to herself.
Then she arranged her tea-cart with plates, cups, silver, napkins and peach preserves, not forgetting the rice parfait from the refrigerator. ”

“ HELPING WITH A COMPANY DINNER
"COOKING a company dinner is such fun!" sighed Mildred. "I like the dinner part, but I always wish that the company would stay away at the last minute."
"Oh, you'll like Mr. Jackson, Mildred. He's one of Uncle Bob's best friends, and so nice and jolly!"
"The jolly men always like to tease, and the ones who aren't jolly are always cross. I don't intend to get married myself. I'm going to live in a nice little bungalow like this one and do my own cooking."
"Will you live all alone?" asked Bettina. ”

“ For Alice's deft fingers had fashioned the rose nut cups (now holding candied orange peel) , and the rose buds in the sunset shades in the center of the table. "They are almost more real than real ones! I can scarcely believe that they are made of crêpe paper."
The square luncheon cloth on the round table was of linen, decorated with a cross-stitch design in the same sunset shades, so that the table was all in pink and white. A French basket enameled in ivory color held the rose buds, and another Christmas gift to Bettina was the flat ivory basket filled with light rolls. ”

“ I don't want any boys around."
"Your bungalow will have to be larger than this to accommodate them all if you adopt seven or eight."
"I don't want a large one; that would spoil the fun. I'll let the children take turns sleeping on the floor. Children always love to sleep on the floor, and mothers never like to have them do it! I wonder why? Now, will you let me brown the flour for the gravy?"
"Yes, dear. Put half a cup of white flour in that frying-pan over the fire and keep stirring it constantly until it is a nice brown color, about like powdered cinnamon." ”

“ AFTER all the excitement of Alice's wedding, Bettina was more than delighted when she and Bob were invited to a family dinner at Aunt Lucy's on Thanksgiving day. "It always seems to me the most comfortable and restful place in the world," said she to Bob. "And Aunt Lucy is such a wonderful cook, too! ”

“ I don't like a single dish or utensil in sight when the kitchen is in order. This roll of paper toweling here by the sink is very convenient for wiping off the table or taking grease off pans and dishes or even for drying glass and silver. A roll lasts a long time, and certainly does save dishcloths and towels.
"Do you use your fireless cooker often?"
"Every day of the year—I do believe. I cook breakfast food in it, and all kinds of meats except those that are boiled or fried. Then it is splendid for steaming brown bread and baking beans, and oh, so many other things! ”

“ Stir up the dough with a spoon?"
"No, indeed; you use a knife. Then you pat the dough down, and cut out the dear little biscuits with a biscuit cutter."
"And put them side by side in a nicely buttered pan? I know how!"
"But you don't butter the pan," said Mildred triumphantly. "Or flour it, either. Aunt Bettina says that lots of people think the pan has to be buttered or floured, but they're wrong. It's lots better to put the biscuits into a nice clean pan." ”

“ Of course we're not exactly primitive—with our electric percolator and toaster——"
"Sorry, Bob, but you can't use the toaster this morning; I'm about to stir up some pop-overs."
"Well, I'll forgive you for taking away my toy, inasmuch as I do like pop-overs. Let me help you with them, Bettina; this is one place where you can use my strong right arm."
"Yes, indeed I can, Bob. I'll never forget those splendid pop-overs that you made the first time you ever tried. They look simple, but not very many people can make good ones. ”

“ Bob had slept late that morning, and consequently had eaten no breakfast, but he did not regret his keen appetite when Uncle John was carving the great brown turkey.
"The children first, John," said kind Aunt Lucy. "The grown folks can wait."
Little Dick and Sarah had exclaimed with delight at the place cards of proud turkeys standing beside each plate. In the center of the table was a great wicker basket heaped with oranges, nuts and raisins.
"It doesn't seem natural without pumpkin pie," said Aunt Lucy, "but John was all for plum pudding instead." ”

“ I want so much to please him, but he has everything that money can buy except perhaps a cook that suits him. Finally I decided to send him a box containing a jar of spiced peaches, a jar of Russian dressing, a little round fruit cake, and a box of fudge. The things will all be wrapped with tissue paper, and gold cord and holly——"
"Lucky Uncle Eric!" sighed Bob. "I wish Santa Claus would bring me a Christmas box like that—fruit cake and spiced peaches and Russian dressing——"
"Maybe he will if you're very good!" laughed Bettina. "If you eat everything your cook sets before you." ”