Tippy Tuesday!

[not to be confused with "Tipsy Tuesday," which some of you may celebrate...hey, maybe we'll do that next week.]

Betty Crocker's "Dinner for Two Cook Book" (c)'58 has a bevy of tips on preparing meals perfectly for pairs. Every bride, business girl, career wife and mother whose children are away from home will appreciate tips like these, on marketing:

"Good marketing is as important as good cooking, and the good shopper will always be prepared for any emergency. Dinner for unexpected guests, snacks for friends who drop by on a Sunday afternoon, ingredients for a last-minute hurry-up meal - all this should be on your shelves within easy reach. This will make your reputation as a good homemaker and a cordial and unflustered hostess, and without any strain on you."

[And ladies - gents, too - as we all know, without your good reputation you have nothing. Well, nothing anyone else gives a hoot about.]

She then goes on to share info every lady of the house can't dare live without: Choosing a good head of lettuce. I don't want to find you stuck in the produce section of the market hemming and hawing over a head of leafy greens, so I'm passing this tip on to you:

"Weigh the heads of lettuce with your hand to see whether they are firm and heavy or lighter and more loosely formed. [oh my - Betty you dirty bird!] A heavy head is the best buy for tossed salads. A lighter head will be easier to handle if you want lettuce cups in which to arrange a salad."

So now, when you're standing mid-aisle with two handfuls of lettuce, loose [the lettuce, not you] or otherwise, don't feel like a ninny, feel like a smarty pants.