davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1949-02-14
Bv JoSethine L07vman

Serial stories have a great fas-
cination for most people, and it
seems to me that a serial taken
from real life would be especially
interesting.
Therefore, for the next few
days, I am going to divide a
readers letter up into chapters
because think it will bring home
the dangers of incorrect dieting
to my readers in a way I myself
could not possibly do.
This is the first chapter:
Dear Mrs. LoWman:
"It is often said that we profit
by our experiences and no one
realizes this better than I do
now. Although I am not yet Is
years old. 1 have learned great
deal from my trials and errors
that I would like to pass on to
your readers that they may not
make the mistake I made.
There Is always help for the
overweight who wish to reduce
volumes have been written about
it! A year ago this past March
was an awkward, unhappy obese
girl. suffering from an inferiority
complex which I tried to soothe
with enormous doses of food.
Then I took myself in hand
and, I am proud to say, showed
more perseverance than 1 believed
myself capable of. However, un-
happily for my health, consulted
Evening star., 1949-02-14
Star Staf Photo by John Koran.

constantly and be careful not to
scorch it. Complete the browning
before you add any liquid as the
gravy will not brown after the
liquid has been added. Gradually
stir in l cup of water, stock. milk
or vegetable juices for each Q
tablespoons of fat and flour.
While stirring, scrape the pan
with the edge of the spoon so that
the Drowned meat extractives on
the bottom and around the edges
of the pan will be mixed with the
gravy. Add gravy coloring if nee
essary and season with salt and
pepper to suit your taste.
To make cream gravy from
pan fried chicken follow the same
general procedure. After the
chicken is done, remove from pan
and measure the amount of fat
left in the skillet. A little eX-
perience will soon help you to
judge this quite accurately so it
won't be necessary to pour the
fat out into another pan. Re-
member this you can't make
an unlimited amount of rich,
well favored gravy from a small
amount of meat drippings. After
the flour is added blend it well
with the fat and allow it to brown
slightly. being careful not to let
it burn. Add the milk or water
all at once and stir constantly
until the gravy is smooth and
thickened. If you like your gravy
on the thin side simply use a
little less flour, say ~ table
spoons to each cup of liquid. The
standard proportions are 2 table
spoons Of flour, 2 tablespoons Of
fat to one cup of liquid. It's the
old table of proportions for white
sauce that you learned years and
years ago; now you're applying it
to making pan gravies.
Evening star., 1949-02-14
Ballet in a Doll House

Mary Day. co-directors Of the
; Washington School of the Ballet,
created this ballet. Prokofeff's o
Peter and the Wolf" and Tschia-
kowsky's "Nutcracker Suite" are
the only two children's ballets in
existence, and at that the Nut
cracker Suite" is considered rather
adult. They chose Offenbach's
music for "Racketty Packetty
House." because it was gay and
humorous. though it became
problem to find good, catchy
Ofenbach themes that hadn't
been used in "Galte Parisienne."
"Racketty Packetty House" is,
Of course, the classic by Frances
Hodgson Burnett, author Of Lit
tie Lord Fauntleroy." AS a mat
ter Of fact. the little lord appears
at tea party staged in this play.
Turning a book into a ballet
doesn't demand q technique any
different from that required to
turn a book into a play, Miss
Gardiner pointed out. "A ballet
is, after ALL" she explained, "a
story told in dancing and panto-
mime"
There will be q little dialogue
in this ballet, which is naturally
quite an innovation.
At points where dialogue is
used I'VE have to arrange the
Dances" Miss Gardiner explained,
80 the children will have breath
left to speak"
Racketty Packetty House."
tells the story Of life in and about
two dollhouses. One Is very old
and run down, and that is Rack
city Packetty House." circa 1840.
The other is very handsome, and
that is Tidy Castle, circa 1900.
Most Of the costumes were de-
signed and made at the school.
The rest were bought at auction
last summer. Among this group is
the charming white starched cot
ton dressing gown, belted with
aqua ribbon, that is worn by Lady
Patsy.
The imaginative sets were
created by Jean Montgomery
Riddell and Marie Foster.
There won't be any performers
younger than 7 years in Rack
city Packetty House." and the
oldest will be Is. The direc-
tors of this school don't believe in
accepting children younger than
for ballet study. The chill
dren get bored, they feel. and
even Il they are exceptional. they
will profit more by study If they
do not begin before they are
Z or years old.
The Children's Theater Of
Washington, sponsored by the D.
C. Recreation Department, is now
3 years old "Racketty Packetty
House" will be the second offering
of this season.
Evening star., 1949-02-14
Readers Clearing House

Contributions and requests
must be accompanied by the
sender's, full name and ad-
dress. We will withhold both
and use only initials. Please
address mail to the Readers
Clearing House, Woman's
Page. The Evening Star,
Washington 4.
Views expressed in the
Clearing House are not neces-
sarily those of The Star and,
as it is obviously impossible
for us to test all recipes sub
mitted. we cannot assume re-
sponsibility for them.
Betsy CaS,CeH
Evening star., 1949-02-14
By Violet Faulkner
Food Editor.

Are you q good gravy maker?
Or have there been times when
you were ashamed Of the gravy
you put on the dinner table?
Maybe you've even heard some
biting criticism from friend hus-
band who reminds you of the
superb gravy his mother used to
make. Although you attempt to
follow his instructions to the let
ter the result seems to be some
thing quite unrecognizable. The
explanation Is simple enough. In
the first place our modern meth
ods of meat cookery call for low
temperatures and the flavorful
meat extractives from your roasts
don't get as brown as your moth
ers did. That will account for
your gravy looking pale and wan,
However, there are modern meth
obs of remedying that situation,
too, as you'll see later on.
Once upon time. if the house
wife saw that the gravy she was
about to serve up with the Sunday
roast was anemic-looking she had
10 rely on her own ingenuity to
give it added color. In addition
to the high temperatures used in
roasting, which we know now in
creases the shrinkage of the meat,
she probably used one OF these
remedies. I remember my mother
used to keep a jar of caramel
lied sugar on hand to use in a
pinch. The result was a too
sweet gravy with a slightly
burned taste. Drowned flour was
another practice they resorted to
in emergencies. but. aside from
the bother of browning the flour.
it wasn't too satisfactory. Now
in this modern day We have a
commercial preparation to take
the place of these home remedies.
It is blend of garden-fresll
vegetables, plus subtly combined
herbs and spices and caramelized
sugar that is designed to give an
attractive color to gravies when
the need arises.
There's nothing complicated or
mysterious about making a gravy.
And whether you like your gravy.
thick or thin, there's one point
we all agree on :. we like 1t to be
smooth and free of Jumps.
For the beginner this method
may prove to be easier and some
what safer than attempting to
make the gravy directly In the
roasting pan. Pour off 4 table
spoons of fat from the pan in
which the roast was cooked into
a saucepan and add 4 tablespoons
of flour. Stir this until it is well
blended. Remove from the stove
and stir in 2 cupfuls of cold meat
stock, water or milk. Return to
the stove and stir over direct
heat until the gravy boils. Sea-
son with salt and pepper and add
gravy coloring to give the gravy
q rich brown color.
Evening star., 1949-02-14

Here is a comfortable wearable
two-piece dress for the young in
spirit. The yoked top buttons
down the back, has button trim
and partial belt to nip in the
waist; the paneled skirt is full
and free.
Barbara Bell seW-rite perforated
pattern No. 1888 is for sizes IL. r..
13, IA, 16 and 18. Size II requires
47s yards of 39-inch.
For this pattern, send Is cents
in coins, your name, address, pat
tern number and size wanted to
Barbara Bell, The Washington
Star, P. o. Box SO, Station G, New
York 10, N. Y.
Evening star., 1949-02-14
Rr Betty Miles

When the Children's Theater o
Washington presents Racket.
|Packetty House." a ballet by tn
Washington School of the Ballet
15-year-old June Tushin will fine
herself in a role requiring more
skill, indeed, than that in which
she appeared when the school first
presented this original ballet in
1941.
Then, June was a tiny tot, and
fiuttered around as an altar bird
at the wedding of Lady Patsy, one
of the dolls from Tidy Castle. This
time, she will be Lady Patsy her
self.
The only member Of that orig
inal cast to appear in this pres
entation Of the ballet. June Is now
a sophomore at Bethesda Chevy
Chase High School. and hopes to
continue to study ballet after she
graduates from high school. Her
early appearance as an altar bird
was not her first. however. At 4
she appeared as monkey and at
5 she was a sheep. Last year, ver-
satile June was a pony and drew
Cinderella's coach in the first act
of "Cinderella," presented by the
Children's Theater of Washing
ton, was a Chinese entertainer in
act 2 and a village boy in the
third.
Two casts will present Racket
ty Packetty. House." which will
play this Friday at 8:15 pm. at
Roosevelt High School, at Thir-
teenth and Upshur streets NV.
and Saturday afternoon at 2:30
pm, and will again be seen under
a similar schedule next week end.
Joan Levy is the other Lady Patsy.
Sixteen and a junior at woodrow
Wilson High School, Joan also has
serious plans for a dancing career.
An avid collector of ballet music,
she has just about all of the bal
lets that have been recorded. Her
favorites are Tschiakowsky's eau
rora's Wedding" Chopin's Lies
Sylphides" and TschiakoWsky's
Swan Lake"
In spite of schedules that are
bursting at the proverbial seams,
both girls managed to see the
Ballet Russo de Monte Carlo when
it played here last week. June felt
she could only spare one evening.
and chose "Gaite Parisienne." But
Joan attended all three nights
that famous company was in
town.
Profound perfectionists, bud
ding ballerinas rehearse again,
and again, and many, many more
times, if necessary, in order to
turn out an exciting performance.
Work it is, the girls declare, but
It's also a very special kind of fun
Miss Lisa Gardiner and Miss
Evening star., 1949-02-14

Another method, and one which
I think you can handle easily
after a time or two, is this: Skim
off the fat, leaving 2 tablespoons
of fat in the roasting pan for each
cup of gravy required. Add 2
tablespoons Of flour for each 2
tablespoons of fat. Blend fat and
flour together over a low heat
until it is rich brown color. Stir
Evening star., 1949-02-14

-
This delightfully."- sheer chair set
will take only q few of your spare
minutes to crochet. Finished with
q loop stitch edging, this set will
keep upholstered pieces fresh as
we'll as lovely to look at.
Pattern envelope No. R2787 con-
tains complete crocheting instruc-
tions stitch illustrations. material
requirements and finishing di-
rections.
To obtain this pattern. send 20
cents in coins, giving pattern num-
ber, your name, address and zone
number to Peggy Roberts, The
Washington Star, P. o. Box 100,
Station G, New York 10. N. Y.
Evening star., 1949-02-14
PICKLED SHRIMP?
CHICKEN DIABLE?
FADED HASSOCK?
/Ern1n M r Wnshinnf0ff

(FrOnt M. r., W1Shtngt0nJ
First, does any one have recipe
for spiced or, as they are some
times called, picked shrimp. You
can get them in any raw bar. but
all cookbooks have any other
mode of preparing but this. 1t is
the raw spicy style, using many
seeds of some type.
Second, I should love to obtain
a recipe for a dish prepared in a
local restaurant, and perhaps a
speciality de la maison. 1t is roast
ed chicken with a very piquant
garlic sauce, called chicken dia-
BILE. The garlic is in the sauce
served over it, I believe, and it is
delicious, and very different.
Last, does any one have a sug-
gestion to improve the color of a
foreign hassOck which has faded
badly, due to the crude quality OF
work, and because the dye is but
painted on the outside. I am
afraid shoe dye will wear off.
PIE RECIPES?
(From Mrs. G. w. L., Washing
ton.)
Will some of the readers be kind
enough to send in a good recipe
for lemon chiffon pie? seem to
have been unable to find a good
one, so do not have the results
would like to have.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
Information and requests
sent in by the tollowing haze
been forwarded to those for
Uhom they Were intended:
Washington--C. F. S., Mrs.
A. j. S.. E. r. B. McLean-Mrs.
G. R. o. Mount Crawford
Mrs. v. r. T. Newburg-Mrs.
E. E. S. Sterling-Mrs. j. A. H.
Our thanks to these readers
whose contributions 1Oere sinnt-
lar to others previously re-
ceiUed:
Washington-Mrs. D. L. W.,
Mrs. H. r. M, c. D., Mrs. w.
y. W., Mrs. H. P. H., M. P. c.,
]. F. c., G. G. M, c. McC,
Mrs. F. c. c., Mrs. L. M. M,
MIS-. D. B. G.
Arlington--Mrs. c. r. A.,
Mrs. H. M. E., Mrs. r. D. B.,
Mrs. c. F. N. Bethesda-Mrs.
S. L. B. Hyattsville-Mrs. r.
A. R., Mrs. P. c. H, Kensing-
ton-Mrs. c. H. H. Manassas
Mrs. r. A. H. Patuxent River
Mrs. H. w. U. Silver Spring
Mrs. j. A. D.
Evening star., 1949-02-14
NUTMEATS?
LILY OF THE VALLEY?
1IZuah akn.n


Hope some reader will help me
out. I have bagful Of paper
shell pecans that I would like
very much to salt. Is there a
way Of taking the shell off with
out breaking the nut part any?
Thanks so much for any sugges-
ton as to how it is done.
Another thing I should like to
ask. Which Government depart
ment could mail me instructions
on how to grow lily of the valley
from pips, planting them out
doors? Or maybe some reader
has had experience in growing this
flower outdoors from pips.
Evening star., 1949-02-14
TOMATO OR MYSTERY CAKE;
7-MINUTE FROSTING?

(From Mrs. C. w. M, Wash
ington.J
/, This is my initiation to the
RICH. and am so very pleased to
be able to help some one. My
mother in law is responsible,
though, for it was she who gave
me this recipe. 1t is very econom-
ical and you will find that the
men simply love it.
To Mrs. j. w.. Washington:
Tomato Cake: Sift I cup sugar,
beat until soft 2 tablespoons
shortening, then blend these two
ingredients. Sift 2 cups bread
-four. resift with y teaspoon salt,
/ teaspoon cinnamon, u teaspoon
cloves, u teaspoon nutmeg. l tea
spoon soda. Stir the sifted in
gradients into the sugar mixture
alternately with l can tomato
soup. Beat the batter until it is
smooth. Fold in l cup nut meats
and / cup raisins. Bake the cake
in a creased 9-inch' tube pan in
q moderate oven $50 degrees for
about As minutes.
Frosting: Cream l package of
Philadelphia cream cheese and
112 cups confectioner's sugar, 12
teaspoon vanilla.
minute Frosting: Is there any
way to keep 7-minute frosting
from forming a thin hard crust
after being spread for few
hours? Maybe it is supposed to
form the crust. but it is so nice
and creamy when spread that
I'd like to keep it that way. I've
asked numerous people and they
say the same thing happens to
theirs. I wonder if one of you
would kindly put my mind at
ease! Thanks.
Evening star., 1949-02-14
CANDLE PROBLEM?

from Miss A. H., WashingtonJ
Can some reader help solve my
candle making problem? Whether
I pour the wax hot or cold, when
the candle hardens there is a deep
depression in the center. that has
to be filled with a later pouring Of
wax, sometimes several additions,
to level the top.
Enjoy RICH very much, why, I
don't know, domestic activities not
being my forte. Proof herewith,
have progressed from "avid read
er" to correspondent.
Evening star., 1949-02-14
CLEANING COMBS AND
BRUSHES:
FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT
LIKE LIVER.

From Mrs. w. D. c., RockDilleJ
Most of us I believe, dislike the
task of cleaning combs and
brushes. I have recently discov-
cred very easy yet thorough way
of cleaning mine and want to
pass along the idea to other read
ers., Dissolve three or four tea
spoons of baking soda in enough
warm water to cover your combs
and brushes. Let them stand q
few minutes, rinse and dry. I
usually do this while I am giving
my head and hair a good brisk
rubbing with a towel after a
shampoo. The combs and brushes
are ready in a jiffy and I have
wasted no time scrubbing them
clean.
For those who do not like liver.
Give this try. Cover the bottom
of baking dish with strips of
bacon. Add a layer of liver and
another of bacon. You can make
several layers but should end up
with bacon on top. Bake in a
moderate oven until the liver is
cooked throughly and serve. The
bacon gives the liver a flavor i'm
possible to beat. Preparing it
this way also eliminates that dry,
tough, velvety texture that comes
from pan frying liver.
X X X u
FAVORS?
(From Mrs. G. r., Arlington.)
Does any one have any sugges-
tions for favors for a young ladies
dinner? We make these favors
ourselves and limit the price to SO
cents each. Also, we like them to
be useful, too.
X X X X
CURLING HAIR?
COOKING ODORS?
(From D. X. L., Arlington.)
Can any of the readers tell me
how to curl the stubbornly straight
hair of my 2-year-old? I have
tried rolling it up on rubber curriers'
but it all fell out as soon as I
removed the curriers'. She refuses
to sleep on curriers'. anyway.
My second problem concerns my
electric stove. No matter what I
do the stove smells. Cooking odors
and smoke fill my small apartment
whenever I get a meal and it Is
all very annoying. Is there any
thing I can do to prevent this?
n X X
DIM SIM?
HOLE IN BOTTLE?
(Fron, Mrs. V. L. S., WashingtouJ
I would like to have a Chinese
recipe for Dim Sim" perhaps the
lady who has the Chinese cook
book can help me.
Can any reader tell me how to
cut a small hole for electric wire
in a large glass bottle as I have
one and want to make a lamp.
our male readers can help
with this.
BOXWoOD?
(From Mrs. H. w. c., Wash
ingtonJ
Could some one please tell me
what to do for lockwood that is
slowly being killed by that little
bug that gets inside the leaf,
causes a sort Of blister, then the
leaf turns brown? I am so anxious
to save the two plants so in
fected. if possible, and prevent
spreading to other plants.
X X II II
MENDING RUBBER GLOVES?
(From Mrs. A. M, ArlingtonJ
Has any one ever found a sat-
isfactory way of mending rubber
gloves? I always have a leaky
thumb on my right-hand glove.
PLASTIC" NYLONs.
(From Mrs. L. A. M. RiDerdaleJ
To the reader asking about the
treated nylons. I bought
two pairs last winter and they are
still wearable. They have a few
snags but have outlasted four or
five pairs of the regular kind.
These were fairly sheer. too. 81
gauge, IS denier. During the sum-
mer I got two more pairs and they
are still in fine shape.
Evening star., 1949-02-14
DIAPER SERVICE:
DISHWASHER.

(From Mrs. F. P. p, WashingtonJ
To Mrs. J. S. B. re electric dish
washer. We have one with a top
opening which I believe was one
of the first ones out. For a family
of four we can wash breakfast and
dinner dishes all at one time. there
generally are no lunch dishes ex-
cept on the weekends. I generally
wash the pans by hand mainly be-
cause I think I can get them a
little cleaner. The dishes, glasses
and silverware are always clean
We dry only the silverware.
1t will not get a baking dish OF
pan clean. 1t will. however. clean
the average pan used in cooking.
We have only had a fepairman
twice in about Z or more years
and that was to remove a grape
fruit seed and a bobby pin which
had stopped the works. I am sure
you will find a dishwasher neces-
sity after you get used to it.
To the lady who inquired about
diaper service, by all means get
1t if you can afford it. 1t will
really save you a lot Of time and
extra work.
Evening star., 1949-02-14
BLACK WALNUT POUND CAKE.
(Ernrn Mrs M N MiddLetOpn. J

o4AS1SN w 114A4NO ~ oO4NO >@A4AS
(From Mrs. M. ~, MiddletoDnD
For Mrs. M. r. Men. Falls
Church. I am sorry I omitted
the quantity of milk in the black
walnut pound cake recipe which
I sent in some time ago. The
amount is three-quarters of a cup.
Also after the recipe had been
printed some one wrote in that
the nut meats should be added
last to keep them from going to
the bottom. This is not correct.
They are added after the egg
yolks and they will not settle to
the bottom because the batter is
so stiff you have to spoon it into
the pan. The lady who has that
trouble has her batter too thin,
and the nuts. being heavier, set
tie to the bottom. If. in her
recipes she will make her batter
sitter, am sure she will find
her nut meats staying evenly dis
tributed throughout the cake.
Evening star., 1949-02-14
GARDEN TRACTORS.

(From Mrs. C. A. S., LdndoUery
To K. B. M. of Monrovia. In
regard to your letter on garden
tractors, I will tell you our ex-
perience. My husband purchased
q 1h-horsepower garden tractor
from a well-known mail order
store in Baltimore. Md, over a
year ago. With this tractor he
also bought the lawn mower and
sickle bar attachment. We have
quite a large lawn to be moved
and several fields in which ne
keeps the weeds moved. Both the
lawn mower and sickle bar at
tachments have been very salts
factory.
He is very pleased with this
tractor, as it has given us excel
lent service with not a moment of
trouble. Hope this will answer
your questions.
Evening star., 1949-02-14
S o ST.!

S 0 81!
(From Mr.. J. G., Washington)
Please, ladies, what does a fellow
give his wife on their sixth we'd
ding anniversary, the iron one?
X
VIOLETS? LAMP SHADES?
From E. P, WdshingtonJ
Will you please give NE the ad-
dress of some one who has differ
ent colored violets in Takoma
Park. Some of the readers re-
quest information on covering
lamp shades. Years ago I got a
leaflet from Home Service De-
partment, Women's Day Magazine
I made shade of parchment paper
Used the old one as pattern.
y n X X
QUILT PATTERN.
From L. B. S., ArlingtonJ
For Mrs. H. K, Arlington, ]
believe it is the Floral Cameo
pattern you want. 1t may be pur-
chased for Is cents from the
Stearns & Foster Co. Lockland
Cincinnati, Ohio. A mail order
house carries the Mountain Mist
cotton batting. the paper it is
wrapped in. gives quilting patterns,
one quilt pattern and pictures OF
completed blocks of % different
designs.
CLOTHESLINE TROUBLE?
fFron1 L. S. NJ, WdshingtonJ
Does any one have a secret to
hanging clothes on pulley lines so
that they will not wrap around
and around the "other line" Of the
pulley. or the next line? 1t is
impossible to take in pulley lines
after each washday, as one can
do with lines that are easily taken
down, and as a result I cannot
keep the smudge off the line. and
lot of black lines get on pieces
of clothes like sheets and towels.
No amount of wiping off gets the
smudge off the line.
Evening star., 1949-02-14
BOXWOOD?

(Fron1 Mrs. L. A. M. RiDerdaleJ
To the reader asking about the
plastic-treated nylons. I bought
two pairs last winter and they are
still wearable. They have a few
snags but have outlasted four or
five pairs of the regular kind.
These were fairly sheer. too. 81
gauge, IS denier. During the sum-
mer I got two more pairs and they
re- still in fine shane