The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-30

with autumn leaves or WaXed paper.
The time honored Thanksgiving
dinner is not a course dinner. In the
majority of homes the turkey,
plump, brown and smoking, with all
its "fxings," must be on the table
before the blessing can be asked
with any degree of responsive feel
ing, on the part of the juvenile men,
bers of the family at least
An excellent bill of fare, which
contains everything that the children
of the family feel that they have
right to expect, is the following
Coffee.
Oyster Soup.
Celery. Picked Peaches. Mints.
Grape Jelly.
Roast Turkey.
Chestnut Stuffing. Giblet Gravy.
Cranberry Sauce,
Mashed Potato, Hubbard Squash.
Cream Onions, Succotash.
Cabbage Salad, Crackers and Cheese
Pumpkin Pie, Mince Pie. Cider.
Butternut Ice Cream.
Apples, Nuts, Home Made Candies.
Coffee.
The secret of successfully serving
a Thanksgiving dinner so as not to
include a roast housewife as well is
to have the greater part of 1t ready
the day before. While there is
good fire for the Tuesday ironing the
mince pies, cake and bread can all be
baked, the cranberry sauce made and
the pumpkin cooked and strained for
the pies; then set where il will keep
cold until Thursday morning, for
pumpkin pies to be a delight should
be baked the day they are to be
eaten.
Go to the market personally, If
possible, and select your own turkey.
Avoid too large ones, as the meat is
neither so sweet nor so tender as
smaller ones. Pick out one that is
smooth and fair, with short, plump
breast and scarcity of pin featherss.
Beware of long hairs or sharply
scaled legs, which are the signs of
turkeys senility.
If one prefers a chestnut dressing
1t is made in this way:-Cook a doz-
en- large chestnuts in boiling water
| until the skins loosen. Remove these
and again cook in slightly salt
ed water until tender. While still
hot rub through coarse sieve or
vegetable press. Add salt, little
white pepper, a grating of nutmeg
and two tablespoonfuls of sweet
| cream. Toss six tablespoonfuls of
| bread crumbs in two tablespoonfuls
| of hot melted butter, add the season
| ed chestnuts and mix thoroughly.
Other variations in dressing may
| be made with oysters, olives, mush-
rooms, chopped almonds or pecans
and seeded raisins.
The question as to whether cram
| berry sauce should be strained or
not is matter of individual prefer
ence. Most housewives, however, be-
lieve it to be culinary mistake to
strain them, holding that the most
delicious part of the peculiar acid of
| these berries lies in the skins, the
flavor of which is developed in the
cooking. The bright red Cape Cod
berries are considered best and cer-
tainly make the more brilliant dish
At the end of the THANKSGIVING
dinner there must be pie. This is
absolute. While pies of apple mince
and cranberry are all in order, the
rich, yellow pumpkin pie sung by
Whittier holds the place of honor.
Pumpkin pies require a very hot
oven, AS the rim of the pies is apt
to get burned before the inside is
baked sufficiently, it is good plan
TO heat the pumpkin mixture scald-
ing hot before turning into the pie
tins. Bake as soon as the crusts are
filled or else the under crust will be
clammy. The larger the number of
eggs in the pie the less time will be
required in the baking.
The pie should be accompanied
with American cheese md followed
by home grown nuts. Fruit may be
added If desired, while popcorn, nuts
and raisins should be left on tap
where the guests can help them
selves whenever so disposed
The drink with the dinner should
be cider.