Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-11
The Hostess Wise


| time.
She will have some regard to making
her guests acquainted if they have not
already met and she Will furnish forth her
table so invitingly that those who como
perfunctorily will remain to chat over the
teacups and pay her the compliment OF tor
getting the time of day.
On q, chilly afternoon a bright open fire
is,a great acquisition. Near to 1t, to look
cozy. must stand the tea table; not one of
the small affairs which will hold only a
half dozen cups, but good-sized one,
capable of practical service. In the center
should be a bowl OF flowers, and about it
two candeiabra several individual
candlesticks with or without shades.
Scattered between will be room for plates
of sandwiches cakes, bonbons and sailed
nuts or crystallized fruits, while at one
side the tea or coffee may stand, or
the chocolate pot and at the other side
may be large punch bowl of lemonade
or tea punch.
Of course the quantity and variety of the
refreshments must depend on the size OF
the gatherings. If only a dozen or two
are invited then the simpler the things are
the better. But if the so-called tea Is
really function, something more elao-
crate is in keeping.
The tea urn is the best thing to use in
serving large NUMBER nave ltle tea
made In the kitchen and carefully strained;
then put it in the urn and light the lamp,
and it will keep fresh for hours Have
cream, sugar and sliced lemons on the
table, and if you fancy novelty try put
ting two cloves in each cup and pouring
the hot tea over them, removing them be-
fore passing the cup.
Infinite are the varieties of afternoon tea
sandwiches. Olives chopped fine make an
excellent salad sandwich, either plain or
with a dressing. Delicious sandwiches are
made by using the thinnest possible shaV-
ings of lemon, and cucumbers with Frehch
dressing are also appetizing, providing net
too much of the strongly favored vege-
table is used.
Sweet sandwiches are made of orange
marmalade or pear conserve, which Is
rich lam with considerable ginger cooked
in it. Peach or apricot jam is most deli
cate.
Boston brown bread two days old, cut
thin spread first with little butter and
then with cream cheese mixed with chopped
peanuts is one of the best of sandwiches,
but care must be taken not to have the
bread damp or soggy. Whole wheat bread
may be prepared with this same filling.
Raisins and chopped English walnuts are
nice, and so are chopped dates and ALMONDS
together Often whipped cream is used
with these filings to bind them.
The cake served at an afternoon tea
should always be of the highest sort 1t
is never wise to offer any sort of layer or
fruit cake anything which is sticky.
Ice cream sandwiches are simple ana uS-
llghtful. Get white ice cream in bricks,
firmly packed, and slice il on a marble slab.
such as an old-fashioned table or bureau
top. Then with a round biscuit cutter,
take out circles from the slices and place
between macaroons or sugar waters. Serve
with forks on small plates
The bonbons may be all chocolates, or.
else peppermints or creams matching the
flowers in color. If sailed nuts used
pecans mixed with a few green pistache
nuts make a pretty and more novel dish
than the familiar almonds.
Rare
1t is nowadays TO meet with person who
is well acquainted with physiology and
who consequently has an appreciative I'M
Outstanding of the ordinary needs of hu-
manity, who does not believe that most
people would be better on a diet containing
little meat. There are two good reasons
for the defense of this statement. \ we'll
selected vegetable diet added to such sim
pie animal foods as eggs and milk, is con-
ducive to health and leads to a more quiet
life. 1t produces normal strength with less
nervous energy. Such a diet is far cheaper
and vegetable diet is certainly clean
diet. Taking all the vegetables, the fruits.
seeds, nuts, leaves, stems and roots of
plants, the diet is attractive and allows
great variety Objections to such a diet
come largely from persons who do not know
how to cook vegetables and who are too
ignorant of the laws of chemistry to be
able to select well-balanced diet, 1t
would be foolish, indeed, to substitute po-
tatoes or rice for lean beef, but beans,
peas, lentils nuts. eggs and cheese contain
more nitrogen than meats, and when well
cooked are certainly palatable and whole
some. All vegetables must go on the fire
in boiling water and be cooked to the boil
ing point. The moment they are tender
drain them carefully and add well-made
sauce. Save the water for soups: it con-
tains some of the favoring and much of
the dissolved mineral matter All nitro
genouS vegetables are more concentrated
than meat and when eaten with potatoes
and rice and a well-made salad give q
dainty meal The legumes-beans, lentis,
peas, peanuts-contain more nitrogen than
the grains-wheat, rye barley, oats, corn
and rice-and should be considered meat in
a vegetable diet. They contain mineral
matters In goodly proportion, but less fat
than the grains.
The vegetarian adds the fatty nuts-pine,
black walnuts or Brazilian nuts; the flesh
eater. fat pork
Lentils are excellent with butter or cream
or olive oil.
Roots-beets. carrots, turnips, satisfy and
parsnips-are succulent, not nutritious, bus
important as waste. The starchy yege-
tabies-rlce, cereals and chestnuts-give
heat and in turn energy, but do not to any
extent produce flesh. Wheat oats and corn.
however. contain fair proportion of flesh
building material-nitrogen.
Green vegetables Contain salts and the
necessary fiavors-the sayories essential to
an agreeable or dainty cuisine. Fruits are
of this class, although many do contain a
little nourishment. Select at each meal a
pleasant combination, keeping in mind the
balanced ration. and above all things have
the foods tasty. One cannot enjoy, hence
cannot digest neutral, tasteless food. Vege-
tarians are, class thin and muscular
a condition conducive to longer and more
comfortable life. Observe the difference
between good meat eater and a ''vege-
tartan in waist measure. The first is cor
pulent and ford, "the picture OF health"
during his short, nervously active life. The
vegetarian is muscular. pale and quiet. but
is provided with wel-developed holden
qualities. Meat plays an unimportant part
in the dietary of unskilled laborers who do
heavy work.
St. Patrick's Day
Can be celebrated by little dinner Ar
range a fat basket of shamrocks edged
with white vioets for centerpiece, and
have green candles with white shades
painted with wreaths of shamrocks. For
favors have streamers of bright green rib
bons leading out from the center piece TO