Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-13
CHRIS TMAS FOOD
Timely Column for the Busy
Housekeeper.
FOUR TASTY MEN US
PARTS CAN BE PREPARED THE
DAY BEFORE.
Makes Everybody's Work Light on
. the Festival
Itself.
FOUR TASTY MEN US
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star
In England the plum pudding for the
Christmas dinner is always made and put
away for future use the week before Ad-
vent. In America, with our modern inven-
tons. we do not have to make such early
preparations, for we can buy almost all ma
terials already prepared; but there is one
disadvantage in this system. Women are
likely to leave everything until the last day;
then, when Christmas comes, they work all
the time and are too tired to enjoy the din
ner they have cooked, the festivities
which follow. More than two-thirds of the
women in this country who keep house
either do their own homework or employ
only one servant, seldom a good cook. So
when it comes to a Christmas dinner the
most everything herself or personally SUI
perintend the getting of the meal.
Now, how to have Christmas dinner
that will delight ones husband to have the
rated the children neatly dressed and yet
to have time to put on ones best frock in
time to sit at the head of the table before
the dinner is served and afterward to
join in the pleasures of the evening is
merely a matter of management and fore
thought.
1t is not matter of making the Christ
mas pudding six weeks in advance, but
hand, and of having everything ready, so
that there will be no hurry and confusion
at the last moment.
If roast turkey is to be the piece de re-
sistance, buy your turkey three days be-
fore Christmas. Dress and stuff it the day
before Christmas, so that it will be all ready
to put into the oven when the day for cook
ing it arrives. Have your jellies, your pies,
your cake, all made and ready the day
before. If you have children large enough,
have them help to set the table on Christ
mas morning. Do not let the children scat
ter their Christmas toys about; they should
keep them in one room until after dinner.
Enlist your husband into your service and
make him useful. There are many things
he can do, and doubtless would gladly do,
to tighten your labors.
Here are given four menus as suggestions
for Christmas dinners. None is inexpen-
sive, but Christmas it Is ones duty
to have the very best dinner of the whole
year. This is menu No. j
Cream of oysters.
olives and Sailed Almonds
Crab Flakes Gratin. s
Roast Turkey, Cranberry Sauce.
Mashed Potatoes. Boiled Onions.
Celery Salad.
Toast ed Waters.
Edam Cheese.
Mince Pie. Ice Cream.
Get all your materials for this dinner the
day before Christmas. Make the cranberry
jelly the day before, ana prepare the tur-
key already outlined. Make the mince
pies three or four daysEbefofe Christmas;
they are better for being kept. See that
your husband puts the olives and sailed
almonds on the table, and when the time
comes for Ice cream let shim take 1t out of
the freezer.
Crab flakes come in cans. and are said to
be very good, but If 1t is possible to do so
get them fresh from reliable fish dealer.
One pound of crab flakes VIII make an
entree for six persons. Put a pint of rich
milk in saucepan over che fire with two
heaping teaspoonfuls of butter. Dissolve
thoroughly two heaping tablespoonful of
flour in enough milk to make 1t have the
consistency of thick cream. When the
milk in the saucepan begins to bubble stir
In the dissolved flour a little at time,
stirring brskly and constantly to keep 1t
from Jumping. When all is in and the
cream sauce is very thick stir In the crab
flakes. season with little red pepper.
teaspoonful of salt and a suggestion of
powdered mace. Butter well the inside of
a baking dish large enough to hold the
creamed fakes, then turn the mixture into
the baking dish, sprinkle the surface with
fine bread crumbs, put few lit tie pats of
butter over the crumbs, stand the dish in
quick oven and let it remain till the mix
ture is brown over the top. Then remove,
garnish the dish round the edge with a
fringe of parsley, put a few quarters of
lemon over the top and serve.
Menu No. II Is as follows:
Cream of Celery.
Olives. Sailed Almonds.
Stuffed Tomatoes.
Roast Goose, Apple Sauce.
Mashed Potatoes Boiled Onions.
Grape Fruit Salad.
Cream Tapioca Pudding.
Currant Jelly.
Fruit. Coffee.