crazy. Lisa said as much to the group in the kitchen.
Phyllis nodded sympathetically. “Kate’s grandmother, my mother, was like that. She was a marvelous cook—still is, in fact. But I never felt free to experiment in the kitchen at home. I didn’t really learn to cook until I got to college. I’ve never worried about cooking for the guests, not even when we had the crew from Hollywood staying with us.” Phyllis laughed. “But when Mom comes for Thanksgiving or Christmas, I stay up half the night getting ready!”
“It’s true,” Kate said, grinning. “You’ve never seen a woman go from calm to panic so fast.”
Stevie and Lisa chuckled. Neither of them could imagine Kate’s mother worrying about her cooking. “How’s this?” Stevie asked, holding up her mixing bowl. “I did mine by the old method of two knives.”
Phyllis examined the mixture. “Not quite done.”
Stevie’s face fell. In spite of herself, she was feeling competitive with Lisa.
“But don’t worry,” Phyllis hurried on, “because I haven’t even showed you the best method.”
“You haven’t?” Stevie and Lisa said in unison.
Phyllis shook her head. “Nope. It’s right over there.” They looked to see where she was pointing.
“A food processor!” Lisa exclaimed, scandalized. “But I thought with cooking and baking you had to do everything from scratch, and by hand, or else you were cheating!”
Phyllis raised her eyebrows. “A nice idea. Actually, the more you can cheat, the better. And now I’ll show you how to make perfect, instant crust with a flick of the On-Off button.”
In a matter of seconds, Phyllis had used the electric food processor to mix the flour and butter. Then she moved on to the next step: adding tablespoonfuls of ice water so that the crust would stick together. A quick pulse of the machine and the dough was ready to be gathered into a ball. “Now we’ll let it chill for an hour. Meanwhile,you can both try the ‘cheating’ method. I’ll help my poor, overworked daughter peel apples.”
Before the girls could trade places with Phyllis, there was a loud knock on the front door. “I’ll get it!” Kate cried, tossing the peeler aside. She ran out of the kitchen. A moment later she was back. “Company!” she announced.
The girls turned to see their old friend Christine Lonetree in the doorway.
“Christine!” cried Stevie and Lisa. They ran to embrace her. Christine was a close friend of the Devines and, like Kate, was an out-of-town member of The Saddle Club. She lived close enough to the Bar None to ride over, and often did, on her horse, Arrow.
“I was out on Arrow when I remembered you guys were here on a visit. So I stuck him in an empty stall and stopped in.”
“We’re so glad you did, Christine,” said Phyllis.
“How is it out there?” Lisa asked anxiously.
Christine shivered. “It’s cold—and I mean
cold
,” she said. “It’s a good thing I ride bareback. Arrow has better circulation than I do and he keeps me warm.”
That was not the weather report Lisa had hoped for. Quickly the girls explained the situation with the black mare to Christine. “Gosh, I didn’t see any sign of a loose horse.”
Phyllis looked at the clock. “They’ve been out a couple of hours already,” she noted. Then her face brightened.“Listen, Christine, why don’t you help us make pies and stay for dinner tonight? We’d love your company.”
Christine had barely said yes when Kate thrust a paring knife into her hand. “Peel,” she ordered. “Peel, peel, peel, peel, peel.”
C AROLE WILLED HERSELF to ride on in silence. She had begged to come, despite Frank’s warnings. She couldn’t start complaining now. It seemed colder than when they had started six hours earlier. The sun had come out briefly, then vanished behind clouds. Carole wriggled her toes in her boots to make sure they were still there. She held the reins loosely, giving Stewball his head to follow the other
Phyllis nodded sympathetically. “Kate’s grandmother, my mother, was like that. She was a marvelous cook—still is, in fact. But I never felt free to experiment in the kitchen at home. I didn’t really learn to cook until I got to college. I’ve never worried about cooking for the guests, not even when we had the crew from Hollywood staying with us.” Phyllis laughed. “But when Mom comes for Thanksgiving or Christmas, I stay up half the night getting ready!”
“It’s true,” Kate said, grinning. “You’ve never seen a woman go from calm to panic so fast.”
Stevie and Lisa chuckled. Neither of them could imagine Kate’s mother worrying about her cooking. “How’s this?” Stevie asked, holding up her mixing bowl. “I did mine by the old method of two knives.”
Phyllis examined the mixture. “Not quite done.”
Stevie’s face fell. In spite of herself, she was feeling competitive with Lisa.
“But don’t worry,” Phyllis hurried on, “because I haven’t even showed you the best method.”
“You haven’t?” Stevie and Lisa said in unison.
Phyllis shook her head. “Nope. It’s right over there.” They looked to see where she was pointing.
“A food processor!” Lisa exclaimed, scandalized. “But I thought with cooking and baking you had to do everything from scratch, and by hand, or else you were cheating!”
Phyllis raised her eyebrows. “A nice idea. Actually, the more you can cheat, the better. And now I’ll show you how to make perfect, instant crust with a flick of the On-Off button.”
In a matter of seconds, Phyllis had used the electric food processor to mix the flour and butter. Then she moved on to the next step: adding tablespoonfuls of ice water so that the crust would stick together. A quick pulse of the machine and the dough was ready to be gathered into a ball. “Now we’ll let it chill for an hour. Meanwhile,you can both try the ‘cheating’ method. I’ll help my poor, overworked daughter peel apples.”
Before the girls could trade places with Phyllis, there was a loud knock on the front door. “I’ll get it!” Kate cried, tossing the peeler aside. She ran out of the kitchen. A moment later she was back. “Company!” she announced.
The girls turned to see their old friend Christine Lonetree in the doorway.
“Christine!” cried Stevie and Lisa. They ran to embrace her. Christine was a close friend of the Devines and, like Kate, was an out-of-town member of The Saddle Club. She lived close enough to the Bar None to ride over, and often did, on her horse, Arrow.
“I was out on Arrow when I remembered you guys were here on a visit. So I stuck him in an empty stall and stopped in.”
“We’re so glad you did, Christine,” said Phyllis.
“How is it out there?” Lisa asked anxiously.
Christine shivered. “It’s cold—and I mean
cold
,” she said. “It’s a good thing I ride bareback. Arrow has better circulation than I do and he keeps me warm.”
That was not the weather report Lisa had hoped for. Quickly the girls explained the situation with the black mare to Christine. “Gosh, I didn’t see any sign of a loose horse.”
Phyllis looked at the clock. “They’ve been out a couple of hours already,” she noted. Then her face brightened.“Listen, Christine, why don’t you help us make pies and stay for dinner tonight? We’d love your company.”
Christine had barely said yes when Kate thrust a paring knife into her hand. “Peel,” she ordered. “Peel, peel, peel, peel, peel.”
C AROLE WILLED HERSELF to ride on in silence. She had begged to come, despite Frank’s warnings. She couldn’t start complaining now. It seemed colder than when they had started six hours earlier. The sun had come out briefly, then vanished behind clouds. Carole wriggled her toes in her boots to make sure they were still there. She held the reins loosely, giving Stewball his head to follow the other
Similar Books
