The fun of cooking

Drain the oysters and examine each one carefully to see that it is free from shell; strain and measure the juice; add to it an equal quantity of milk. Butter a deep bakingdish and put in a layer of crumbs, and cover these with a layer of oysters; sprinkle with salt and pepper and dot with butter; put on another layer of crumbs, then one of oysters, season, and so on till the dish is full, with a layer of crumbs on top; cover with small bits of butter; pour on the oyster juice and milk, and bake about half an hour, or till brown. Serve at once — ^it must not stand. ** Sometimes, instead of baking these in one large dish, I fill little brown baking-dishes in just the same way; only, of course, I do not bake these so long — only ten or fifteen minutes. And sometimes for a lunch party, I get from the fishmarket very large oyster, or clam, or scallop shells, and fill those instead of the little dishes, and they are very pretty. ' ' * * Mother Blair, those would be sweet — simply sweet 1 I think I '11 give a luncheon and have them.'' **Do, Mildred, and I *11 help/* said Brownie, unselfishly. * ' Or you can have a luncheon and I 'II help 1 * ' Mildred replied. **And now what else can we do to-day, Mother? Make some sort of dessert?'* ''Yes, I think so; try this; it *s simple and very nice. * ' CHOCOLATE CREAM 1 pint of milk. 4 tablespoonfuls of sugar. 2 squares of unsweetened chocolate. 1 tablespoonf ul of cornstarch. 1 pinch of salt. % teaspoonful of vanilla. % pint of thick, sweet cream. (Or this may be omitted.) Put the milk in a saucepan after taking out a small halfcupful and mixing it with the cornstarch; put in the sugar and salt. Scrape the chocolate (the squares are those marked on the large cake) and put this in next. When it steams and the chocolate is melted and looks brown and smooth, stir up the cornstarch and put it in, stirring till smooth. Cool, add the vanilla, and pour into glasses. Just before serving put a spoonful of whipped cream on top of each glass. **I do love that,'' said Brownie, as she wrote down the last word. **When I eat it, I always think I 'm eating melted chocolate creams. ' ' THANKSGIVING DAY SUPPER 223 **So do II'' laughed Mildred. ^'Perhaps Uncle. Tom and Aunt Mary won't eat their creams to-morrow night, and then you and I can have them for lunch the next day, Brownie. ' ' * * They 'U surely eat them ! ' ' sighed Brownie. * * They 're too good to leave. ' ' When these were made and safely put away, all but the creamy tops, which were to go on just before supper the next day. Jack came strolling in. *^ Smells awfully good!" he said. ** Turkey, and onions, and mince-pies, and spicy things. Got any cooking for a boy to do — ^proper cooking, I mean?" **I 've just thought of something," his mother said quickly, **and I need you to do it right away. The girls are getting up a supper for Thanksgiving night, and they really ought to have some cake to eat with the dessert they have just been making." "Cake I" ejaculated Jack. "I draw the line at cake. Mother Blair; making cake is not a man's job." * ' Not cake. Jack, — only something to go in cake. I want you to crack some nuts and pick them out for the girls. Here is what they are going to make now." NUT CAKES 2 eggs. 1 cup of light brown sugar. 1 cup of nut meats, chopped fine. 2 tablespoonfuls of sifted flour. y^ teaspoonful of salt. Beat the eggs without separating them, and stir in the sugar, flour, and salt. Add the nuts last, and spread the whole in a thin layer on a well-greased tin; bake ten minutes, or till the top is brown. Cut into squares and take quickly from the tin ; lay on a platter till cold.