The Picnic by MRS. EDITH E. BRUCE

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 3, 1908

The Picnic

By MRS. EDITH E. BRUCE

MRS. EDITH E. BRUCE

After talking things over, and consulting with the other members of the church, the Good Housekeeping and Cooking Club decided to hold the picnic on the fourth of July. That would furnish recreation for the children and young people, and at the same time take them away from worldly amusements.

Every one was ready bright and early on the appointed day, with a basket of lunch, and happy anticipations for their little outing. A program of singing and other exercises was rendered by the children, and Dr. Goodhope, who had joined the company, gave an interesting talk.

The dinner, which always figures so prominently in a picnic, was a success. Mrs. Brown, who had now become an expert housekeeper, made the sandwiches after the following recipe:—

Cut white bread very thin, and trim off the crusts. Butter the slices smoothly, placing a tender lettuce leaf between, with a filling of hard-boiled eggs. To prepare the filling, boil the eggs one hour, then press through a colander, and season with a little celery-salt and lemon-juice. Each sandwich may be cut diagonally.

One of the sisters from the country had thoughtfully made a dish of cottage cheese. When complimented on her cheese, she said: “Although I have always lived in the country, I did not know how to make cottage cheese until I joined the cooking club. I always threw away my sour milk, but I have learned to make the cheese, and we all like it. I find that it is not easy to make good cheese. Most people heat the milk too long, which makes the cheese hard and dry. It is much better to let it heat slowly till it will just separate, then pour into a cheese-cloth bag, and let it drain till quite dry. I season with a little celery-salt or parsley minced fine, or some kind of mint, and add a liberal amount of cream, then beat thoroughly till the cheese is nice and light.”

Cottage cheese made in this way can be formed into balls, or pressed into a mold, and garnished with parsley.

Some one else had made a dish of potato salad after the following recipe:—

Take sound potatoes boiled in salted water, and cut into dice about one-half inch square. Chop onions,—not too strong, and just enough to give flavor,—and mix with the potatoes. To this add a mayonnaise dressing made by beating together till well blended two large eggs, one-fourth cup of butter or olive-oil, a little less than half a cup of lemon-juice, and half a teaspoonful of salt. Put into a double boiler containing warm water, and heat, stirring continuously until it begins to thicken. Remove, set in a dish of cold water, and stir until partly cooled.

Aunt Mary made a simple cream cake, which proved good, and contained no harmful ingredients. The recipe follows:—

Four eggs, one cup of sugar, one tablespoonful of lemon-juice with a little of the grated rind, and one cup of white flour.

“Success in making this cake depends upon putting it together,” said Aunt Mary. “Beat the yolks of the eggs until very light and thick, then add the sugar little by little, beating it thoroughly; add the lemon-juice and grated rind. Beat the whites of the eggs until perfectly stiff and firm, and fold them lightly into the yolk mixture. Sift the flour little by little over the mixture, and fold it carefully in. On no account stir in either the white of the egg or the flour, since stirring will drive out the air which has been beaten into the eggs. Bake in shallow pans in a rather hot oven for about fifteen minutes.

“For the cream filling stir into one-half pint of boiling milk two teaspoonfuls of corn-starch, rubbed smooth in a little milk. Take out a little of the hot milk, and mix gradually with a well-beaten egg and two tablespoonfuls of sugar; return to the rest of the custard, and cook, stirring constantly until quite thick. Cool, and flavor with vanilla or lemon.”

Aunt Mary had also prepared some simple sweets, which she had done up in white tissue-paper, and tied with red and blue baby ribbon,—one package for each person at the table,—and in each package was found a health proverb. This furnished a cheerful part of the dinner, as each one was requested to read his proverb.

The report of this picnic is only a suggestion of the good things that they enjoyed, and all went home feeling refreshed and happy.

Mussoorie, India.