The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-08-19
novel
Refreshments For Parties On.
Lawn And Porch

Refreshments for porch and lawn
parties may be served in variety of
ways. If the porch is large enough
to permit, the dinlng-room table may
be used, or If the porch IS long and
narrow, several small tables are more
convenient. A sheltered spot should
be chosen where the guests do not
have to sit in the hot sun or In fun
view of the passersby If the porch
is not desirable, the table or tables
may be set under shade trees. Out-of-
door refreshments may be so nicely
served without tables that these may
be dispensed with altogether # de-
sired. Table service demands more
formality and work so the hostess
who wishes to simplify" will intro
duce some novel way Of serving the
refreshments. One ingenious hostess
gave a cafeteria Sunday night tea to
unexpected company. The food was
prepared and left in the kitchen. The
plates were then carried to convenient
seats. The small boy Of the family
served the drink and brought fresh
supplies Of bread, cake, etc.
This same plan was nicely utilized
by another hostess for invited guests.
Each gentleman was given menu
card and told to 30 to the kitchen
and find all dishes on his card. The
hostess sat on the porch with the la
dies Of the company while The gen
tleman arranged a plate for himself
and one for his lady The food was
found in different places -all the cold
things in the ice-box, the hot things
On the stove, and bread, cakes, etc,
in their usual places. There was gen.
eral merrymakfng and wing with each
other as to who should get the larg
est piece Of cake. When the lunch
was arranged the gentlemen found
pleasant seats for the ladies' The
soiled dishes were returned to the
kitchen by the gentlemen.
Other ways to serve refreshments
for the lawn and porch entertaining
are the usual lap service or the use
of the lunch box. The latter method
has much to recommend il. By the
use of the dainty lunch boxes which
may be procured at any department
store or stationer's, very attractive
lunches may be served. This method
Of service enables the hostess to have
everything done before the guests ar
rive. Paper napkins, small paper
olive dishes and small envelopes for
salt and pepper come with these lunch
box sets If the boxes are neatly
wrapped in eolored paper they are
very attractive. A card with the
names of two guests should be slip
ped under the string of each box. This
plan permits of nice arrangement
of guests for refreshments. A hot bev-
erage and Ice cream may be served
in connection with the box luncheon.
Out-of-doOr entertainment enables
the hostess 10 use almost any sort of
corations-branches of trees from
the woods, wild flowers, or if there
are few flowers, ags, bright colored
rugs and awnings are nicely used. If
small tables are used it is a pretty
plan to have different color scheme
for each table.
The menu for any out-of-door sery-
ice should be simple, tempting and
refreshing Such foods as fruits, sal
ads, cold iellied meats, sandwiches,
cake, ice cream, fruit cup and either
hot or cold drink. If hot tea is
served, it is nicely changed by the
use of slice of lemon or pineapple;
others like a whole Glove dropped in
the cup just before serving.
For any out-of-door affair a fruit
punch is popular.-Eldora Lockwood
Dow in Woman's World.