1 qt. butter beaus. 1 hpd. tbsp. butter. 1 saltsp. pepper.

1 saltsp. nutmeg. 1 tsp. salt.

Break off the ends and strings, and if the latter do not come off readily, take a thin sharp paring knife and pare off the thickest string on the inside edge of the pod, taking as thin a strip as possible. Hold the bean with this edge toward you, and cut in thin slanting pieces not more than an inch and a half long, holding the back edge of the pod against the left forefinger. I give this minute direction because many of my pupils have found it difficult to get the knack of cutting them "on the bias," as we call it, and it does make a difference in the flavor if they are broken or snapped in the old way. It takes time to do this, but after you learn the art, it can be done as quickly as one shells peas. Beans prepared in this way require much less time for cooking, and housekeepers who often give up having a dinner of string beans because they could not get them on at nine o'clock, or do not want a hot fire all the morning, will do well to try this recipe. Do not be afraid to use the nutmeg. You will not recognize it, yet you will miss something if you omit it.

If the beans are not fresh from the vines, it may be well to put them in cold water before cutting, to make them more crisp and firm. After slicing, put them again into cold water, but do not prepare them more than half an hour before needed. Put the butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg into a broad granite stewpan having a tight cover, and when the butter is melted, take the beans from the water in handfuls, with only the water that clings to them, and put them into the butter.

Add no more water. Cover tightly, and as soon as they are hot set them where they will cook very slowly. The butter and liquid that is drawn from the beans will make sufficient moisture to steam the beans, and they will be perfectly tender if cooked slowly and of finer flavor than when deluged with water. Stir them up from the bottom occasionally, and so long as there is barely liquid enough to cover the bottom of the pan they are safe. If they cook too rapidly, and become quite dry, you may add two or three tablespoonfuls of water. They should be quite dry except for the coating of butter, when done, and being already seasoned they are simply turned into the dish and sent at once to the table.

Small fresh-picked beans will cook in from thirty to forty minutes, larger or stale ones sometimes require nearly an hour. It will do no harm to let them stand some time in the kettle on the back of the stove or beyond the chance of burning, if they are tender before you are ready for them.

Pure'E Of Green Beans

One of the most wholesome, delicious, and convenient ways of using Lima or other shelled beans while in the green state is in a puree. Cook the beans in boiling water for ten minutes, then drain, rinse, and put again into boiling water, plenty of it, and cook until very tender. Turn into a puree strainer and press all the pulp through. Put on to boil again, and add milk or cream sufficient to make it the usual puree consistency. For each quart of the mixture, cook one tablespoouful each of butter and flour together as for white sauce, and stir it into the boiling liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with wafers.

It is convenient to cook a quantity of the beans at once And sift them, then add milk and thickening only to whatever portion may be needed for that meal.