Mother Blair laughed. "I think it is all their mothers would want them to eat for luncheon, anyway. Now what did Norah find for you?"
Brownie told about the little muffin tins, and said Norah said they could have something made of rice in them; and there was a little star cooky cutter and a little bit of a tumbler.
Mrs. Blair said they were all exactly what would be needed.
"I rather think Norah meant to use the muffin tins for these, Brownie. See how easy they are to make, and so good, too."
RICE PATTIES
| 1 | heaping tablespoonful of rice. |
| 2 | cups of cold water. |
| ½ | teaspoonful salt. |
| 1 | teaspoonful butter. |
| ½ | an egg. |
| 1 | large cupful of cooked chicken, cut into bits. |
| 1 | small cup of thick white sauce. (See your rule.) |
Wash the rice and put it over to cook in the double boiler in the water; add the salt; when it has cooked twenty minutes without stirring, taste it and see if it is soft, and notice if the water has boiled away so it is dry; if it is done, take off the cover and stand the boiler in the oven or on the back of the stove till each grain of rice is full and there is not a drop of water left. Then mix with the egg after you have beaten it and divided it, and put a spoonful into each muffin pan after it has been buttered; press this on the sides and bottom like a thick pie crust; warm the butter and put a little on the edges of each and put them in the oven till brown. Make the white sauce, heat the chicken in it and fill the patties at the last moment; put a bit of parsley on top of each one.
"We used to have these patties often for lunch and Norah would put in creamed fish or left-over vegetables, or eggs. We have not had them for ever so long, and we must remember and have them again, they are so good. And Brownie, remind me to have chicken for dinner the night before the party, so there will be some to warm up the next day."
"Wait one minute, Mother, please. I want to ask Norah if these are what she had thought of for us."
Strangely enough they were, only she had intended to have the rice shells filled with scrambled eggs. "But the chicken's better," she said. "Trust your mother for thinkin' of it."