Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-21
HOUSE
HOLD
/ HINTS

| sitting there is nothing in it that may
! not be shared with others less fortunate
| or that will spoil in the keeping This,
indeed is one of the things to be thankful
| for on Thanksgiving day-that for several
days to come ice box pantry shelves and
| cellar will hold such reserve of good
| things to eat that the housewife can afford
| to give her whole time to enjoying her
guests, If they have stayed over, or else
| devote herself to clearing up and rest
| ing. The first Thanksgiving went on for
three days, with one hundred friendly saw
ages for guests. and surely We have quite
| as much to be thankful for.
AS a nation we have grown to take our
pleasures not only too sadly, but in too
businesslike and condensed form. We
want to crowd our holiday celebration into
the briefest possible compass, then be able
to say, That's over with, thank heaven"
ard begin to get ready in a perfunctory
way for the next thing on the calendar.
May we not at least extend our Thanks
giving over the Sabbath, feeling
IF thou art blest,
To let the sunshine of thy gladness rest
On the dark edges of each cloud that lies
Black in thy brothers skies
If thou art sad.
Still be thou in thy brothers gladness,
glad
In preparing for Thanksgiving the largest
part of the work can be done early in the
week.
On Monday.-If Monday is wash day and
there is any doubt about the best table
linen. the choicest centerpieces and doies
! being in order look them over and have
them attended to. Besides the cleaning of
the kitchen, the porch and cellar stairs,
the pantry floors and the other extras that
usually come in wash day, you may be
able to strain point and press the fian-
nels and many of the plain clothes as they
come in from the line. This will give more
time on Tuesday to allow for extra baking
while the fire is hot for the ironing.
On Tuesday, if you make your own bread
goodly number of loaves, both wn1te and
brown, may be baked, as also the mince
pies, for which, if you have been a wise
housekeeper, the mincemeat itself was pre-
pared days ago An old-fashioned pound
or raisin cake may also be baked, or a
batch each of good homemade molasses
and sugar cookies, such as the children
love to nibble at between meals. If there
is room enough on the stove the cranber-
ries can be cooked, then set away to mold.
OF course one pair of hands cannot achieve
all this unaided, but for Thanksgiving
preparations all the reserves should be
called in, and if the home guards do not
suffice, outside help hired by the day or
hour. Let the children help. After school,
II you live in the suburbs or in the coun-
try send them on fOraging expedition to
see what they can find in the way of au-
tumn-hued leaves red berries, moss glossy
waxy berries, blackberry canes and stalks
of barley, rye bearded wheat. In the
south and extreme west the chaparral Of
fers the cane the silvery mazanita, the
glossy-leaved California holly, the lustrous
coffee berry, the exquisite pepper branches
with their clusters of scarlet berries, or
the delicate pink and white sprays of the
long-stemmed cosmos that outlive the
early frosts Let them find a glossy yell
low pumpkin, and after carefully exhum-
ing it's contents for the morrow's pies,
make a fruit dish out of one-half of 1t,
cutting the edge into points, then lining
with the silky corn husksl If they can't
get pumpkin, Hubbard squash with its
real royal Worcester color Of bronze green,
makes an effective receptacle for fruit or
nuts. Let them clean the braSseS and the
silver, taking care to have their own
clothes, the table and the floor well pro-
tected from the surplusage of energy and
silver polish that is sure to overflow.
On Wednesday comes whatever OF sweep
ing Is necessary, but there should be
no more. Then the pumpkin may be cook
ed and strained the turkey stuffed. the
doughnuts fried. apple pies baked. nuts
cracked. apples polished and mayonnaise
made mot for Thanksgiving proper, but
for the salad that comes further along in
the festivitiesl. If there is to be chicken
pie the chickens may be boiled, the nam
baked. the succotash prepared and the
decorations prepared or planned for.
Thanksgiving Favors.-Iittle decorations
for each plate give additional charm to the
Thanksgiving dinner. In the shops there
are all sorts OF clever favors suitable for
Thanksgiving There are tiny bonbon
boxes, with gay little turkeys perched on
top Other turkeys repose on platters
brown drumsticks in air. ready for the
carver. There are vegetables in infinite va
riety. turnips beets. green corn, pump
kins and watermelons. There are foot ball
men with the head and body each of min
iature pumpkins. the legs cucumbers. the
feet English walnuts. Other bonbon boxes
with the different DartS of the
body formed Of different fruits and vege-
tables; pear for the head and an apple
for the body, or beets and turnips for heads
and bodies. One of the cleverest is made
entirely in the form of carrots. the feath-
cry foliage serving a headdress. All the
fruits are represented in candy boxes. as
well strawberry shortcake and little
pies with deicately Drowned suede tops set
on genuine white pottery plates. Many Of
| these trade novelties offer suggestions that
can be utilized in homemade favors and
decorations. Little brownie men can be
| made of small, round potatoes with the aid
of toothpicks. Gourds can be fashioned
! into dainty cups. Corn huskS make the
daintiest Of dolls, and wishbones. hickory
nuts and acorns furnish the foundation for
numberless odd devices, the hickory nut,
! for instance Select one with a sharp pro-
| file. Mark it's features with ink. having
| the sharp little point for it's nose. Drill
| small hole under its chin and insert
| small stick as foundation for the body.
| or tall red conical cap. Gather on a full,
| stiff skirt that will enable 1t to stand alone.
| Put a three-cornered shawl over the Shout
| ders and arms made of twist Of paper
| and hang on one arm a tiny basket made
| of an English walnut shell, and fill with
the old-fashioned "comfits'' that our grand
| mothers INDUCED in. These may be pur-
| chased at the confectioner's or made at
home by dipping caraway seeds. anise or
| cassie buds in a syrup made from a half
| pound of graduated sugar and half pint
| of water, boiled until it spins a thread"
then drying, redipping and busting with
sifted crystallized or graduated sugar
| On Thursday Morning-Early Thursday
| morning the vegetables may all be prepared
! and placed in cold water, the table and side
| board set ready for the feast and the deco
| rations completed. Then. while the turkey
| is roasting. the housemother can rest a few
| moments, review her family to see that the
| children are properly dressed. with clean
| nails and hands above repfoach, dress her.
| self. and be ready to receive her guests,
| assured that all is we'll
| In Carving the Turkey-No mention has
| been made of the necessity for seeing ahead
| that the carving knife is sharp, for. as a