The fun of cooking

*' Things don't sound as good as they taste, do they?'* said Mildred, as she read the receipt over. **I just love gingerbread, but butter and lard and soda don't sound appetizing/' **Well, then, try this," laughed Mother Blair; ** every bit of this sounds good: PEANUT WAFERS 1 cup of sugar. % cup of milk. % teaspoonful of soda. % cup of butter. 2 cups of flour. 1 cup of chopped peanuts. Cream the butter and sugar; put the soda in the milk, stir thoroughly, and put in next; then the flour. Beat well. Grease a shallow pan and spread the mixture evenly over the bottom, and scatter the nuts on top. Bake till light brown, and cut in squares while warm." ^*0h, those do sound good!*' Mildred exclaimed, as she wrote the last words down. *'What sounds good?'* asked Miss Betty's voice, as her pretty head popped in the door. So they told her all about the luncheons, and she said she knew some good things, too, and the first one was CHOCOLATE CRACKERS 2 squares of chocolate. 1 teaspoonful of sugar. ./. Butter, the size of tbe tip of your thumb. 3 drops of vanilla. Cut the chocolate np into bits and pat it in a saucer over the tea-kettle; when it melts, add the sugar and butter and vanilla; stir, and drop in some small crackers, only one at a time, and lay them on a greased paper to dry. "Oh, Mother, I *ve just got to stop writing "I've got to make some this very minute." and make some of those this very minute!" Mildred exclaimed. Miss Betty said she had lots of things she wanted to talk over with Mother Blair while Mildred was busy. Brownie came running in just then, and the two girls worked so fast they had a whole plateful of crackers done in no time ; and after everybody had had one apiece to eat, Mildred said: ^^NoWj I will learn to make some more things/' **Let me see," said her mother, slowly. * * Sandwiches and cake — ^what else can you think of for luncheons, Betiyf ^* Deviled eggs," said Miss Betty, as quick as a flash. "Please let me tell how I DEVILED EGGS Boil three eggs for ten minutes; peel them, cut them in halves, and put the yolks in a bowl; add y^ teaspoonful of salt. ^ teaspoonful of dry mustard. 1 pinch of pepper. 1 teaspoonful of oil. ^ teaspoonful of vinegar. Mix well, fill the whites, press smooth with a knife, and put two halves together.'* ^*But three eggs are too many for Jack,'' complained Brownie. **He won't need three; can't I have one for my lunch here!" Miss Betty laughed, and said it would be easy for Mildred to make enough for everybody instead of making three, as the rule said. **If I just made one, I suppose I 'd take pinches instead of teaspoonfuls,** said Mildred, thoughtfully. **I mean, I 'd take just a little of everything, enough to make the egg taste good? **Exactly!^' said Miss Betty; *^that is just the way a real grown-up cook does. And, Mildred, when I had to take my lunch to school, I used to have the best thing — salad. I had it when there were no real sandwiches, only bread and butter; it was put in a little round china jar with a tin top that screwed on, so it never spilled. But perhaps Jack does n't like salad.'' **He just loves it," said Brownie; ^^he loves every single thing to eat that there is I " ^'Then he will surely ^just love' these things! Write them down, Mildred. ' ' CHICKEN SALAD y^ cup of cold chicken, cut in small bits. % a hard boiled egg, cut up. Or use celeiy in place of the egg, or use both. FRENCH DRESSING 2 teaspoonfuls of oil. ^ teaspoonful vinegar. 1 pinch of salt. 2 shakes of pepper (paprika is best). Beat the dressing well and mix with the chicken and egg. Make more dressing if the salad is too dry. LUNCHEON FRUIT SALAD