The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1884-09-26


to utter a complaint, and Lily came
back to be mistress and queen of the
home where she had once been only q
goyerncss.
PICNIC FIXlNS.
Metaphysics OF Picknicking---Why
We Do IL and What We Suffer
ThcrefrOni.
A picnic ut best is Il penance, which
every adult involuntarily performs for
some forgotten sin, and, however ben
ciicial this chastisemcnt may be, there
is but one feature that makes day in
the woods tolerablc. and that is the
dinner or midday lunch. A man will
go long way and. endure a vast
amount of uncomfor;ablencss for u
good. savory meal. But if that repast
is insufficient and unpalatable the pic
mic is failure that tho ordinary run
of events will scarcely redeem. =
AS a rule the women folks prepare
the lunch, and rs n rule it is wofui
failure. The first thing they do is to
bake . lot of cakes and stack of pies.
Their ncighbors do the same, $50 do
the sisters, and the cousins, and the
aunts"; cookies and tarts are legion; a
few glasses of currant jelly are selected
and the smallest bottle of new jam is
offered up. The result is that the pic
ME is too sweet for anything; choco-
late cake and cherry pie pail on the pal
ate, while the stomach hungers for a
slice OF good, clean bread and butter,
piece of beeksteak, and cup of cof-
fee.
Pastry will do well enough to finish
meal on, but little should be made
to go long way. 1t may please and
satisfy the children. but it won't do for
people of sound sense ami good health,
nor for many men of any description.
There is really no use for this prodi-
gality Of sweets. and if the dear ladies
were reasonable il the matter there
are dozens of good things with which
TO make up the lunch basket that would
be both refreshing and healthful.
In hot weather there is some danger
in drinking much water. Lemonade
is q beverage that meets with little OPP
position and is both cheap and easily
| made. The lemons can be cut in quar-
tSio SdL III 81 I'LL IVA VI Ctoufs
Arrived at the picnic grounds. a pail
of water is readily secured. Fill cup
with the crystal fluid, squeeze one
piece of lemon in it, add sugar to suit
the taste, and there you have q lemon
adc individualc. For an adult who pre-
fcrs more acid use half a lemon.
Caterers now have tea frappe, iced
coffee, and cold milk, which is espec-
tally designed for private picnics and
is delivered in little coolers. packed in
ice similar to ice-cream. These orders
cost very little and add very much to-
the pleasure of the forest meal.
In making sandwiches cut the bread
as thin as possible without breaking.
Fer this purpose bakers loaf day
old is preferable to homemade, which,
if not too dry, is sure to be too soft to
cut thin. Remove all the crust, let the
thickness be less than an eighth of an
inch, and cut in circles, squares, OBJ
longs, diamonds, or any figure fancy
may dictate. See that the pieces fit
exactly. for neat sandwich has so per
cent more flavor to it than O shaggy,
irregular one. Don't use tibrous veal,
fat ham, nor lumpy chicken. Mutton
and beef are too tough ever to be used.
We are mindful that corned beef is ten
der, but after meat has been boiled
from three to five hours. it has just
about as much flavor and nutrition in
it as fresh shaving. Tongue makes a
good sandwich if well dressed, but the
dressing is mussy and that is q condi-
ton 10 be avoided.
People are adverse to deviled hf1n,
| moi only on account of its trichin9
| scare. but also because, like hash. it is
| considerable OF riddle. Chicken
salad makes as good Il sandwich rs can
be suggested. Make that dish to suit
the taste, put plenty of chopped pickle
or pickle lily in it, and complete the
dish by Il copious amount of salad
dressing with or without oil. When
sufficiently wet, cover a piece of bread
evenly, and sparingly enough to be
neat, fit the other piece down, and
you have as tOothsOme q sandwich
rs tie late DclmonicO ever made.
It should have been stated that
meagrc amount of butter should
bc used on the bread. II they are
good they will be very very good. and
large supply will be needed, for two
hungay boys can get outside of dozen
very easily.
Another delicious sandwich can be
made with pate dc foie gras, which
should be spread on a thin slice OF soft
pliable bread that can be rolled or
doubled up like a lady-inger. In either
case the crust must be removed and
the cylindrical sandwich tied at both
ends with water-cress. This is very
appealing, and can only have one fault
scarcity.
Another sandwich that will be put to
flight ut sight is the sardine sandwich.
| Circular pieces of bread sparingly but
tered arc made the background for
three sardines which are coaXed to-
gether and made to lie in from the
edge. Very thin slices of lemon from
which seeds, skin, and rind have been
removed are placed on top. No bread
covers it. Pieces of oiled paper sepa-
rate these one-s;dcd sandwiches which
may be piled up in box or hamper.
No cold lunch is complete without
olives, sweet pickles, or picked
peaches. Fruit of some kind should
be served after each course, and there
is nothing nicer than few good figs.
| in order to serve the more juicy fruits
| for dessert Bananas are nice cut in
thin slices and served with sugar and
cream. For meats, game is always
agreeable, especially when bruised and
| fried in crumbs. Patties. too, are pal
| atable, and a salad of some kind is in
| dispensable. When creams are left to
| the caterers judgment these artists To-
| variably select ices or Roman punch,
| since the fruit acid they contain are
more desirable than the insipid sweet
ness of creams, rouches aud jellies.
If you must have pie, remember the
| cheese.
For neatness, economy, and comfort
buy paper napkins. The little wooden
or paper plates should be covered with
q lettuce-leaf, which when removed
gives place to fresh leaf and leaves
the plate clean for the last course.
Biscuits that are served with game
should never be sweetened. Brown
bread and apricots followed by crack
ers and cheese may comprise two
courses, and if all the merry-makers
are not prohibitionists, a champagne
| frappe with biscuit will be found de-
licious.
1t is stated that in an average life OF
fifty years man works 5000 days
and sleeps as many more, eats 1000,
walks 800, and is sick 500, and spends
the rest of the half century in amusing
himself.
"Pyramids of instruction" are being