South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-07-10
Hints for the
Picnic Season
Old Time Lunch Evolved
Into Dainty Dinner With
Special Service

With the ending of school the pic
mic is the summer pleasure universal
for many families, and the automo-
bile lends itself we'll TO the enjoyable
feature OF warm weather
So that a knowledge of how to
make up an attractive picnic basket
is part of the training of every mod
ern girl and housekeeper. Gone are
the days when we could place two
chunks OF ham between two slices of
bread, add a few hardboiled eggs and
a large and sticky layer cake. The
modern picnic basket has standards
ali its own.
In the first place, it has evolved
from an ordinary peach basket into a
hamper with fittings of plates,
spoons and alcohol lamp, or a ham
per with an ice compartment which
will keep our foods cool until we de-
sire to serve them at the picnic
spot Then the invention of vac
uum vessel is another boon to pic
nickers, as this device comes in many
shapes and sizes from bottles to jars,
to keep foods and liquids both hot
and cold.
Alcohol. too, makes possible coffee
made on the spot or the heating of
bouillon or canned dainties.
The staff of the basket is the sand
wiches, and there is indeed an art in
sandwich making. First the bread
must be buttered, then sliced very
thin. AS many meats and filings as
possible should be chopped or made
into paste form. The outside of
chicken, all meats. eggs, ETC., make
better sandwich fittings if reduced TO
a paste and then spread, because such
sandwiches are easier to eat and less
likely to fall apart.
The salad is the next important
item, and the kind is not so much
the point as it's consistency, which
must not be too sloppy so that il
won't carry well or too dry so that
it will not be refreshing. Potato.
p o ia to e, celery-potato, crab.
shrimp. etc, are all pleasing.
Large cakes do not carry as well
as small ones, so that cup cakes.
cookies and little separate cakes are
preferable to the old-faShioned layer
cake. OF crackers there are all sorts,
too, and many of the salty ones when
com bined with cheese sardines. pi-
mentO paste, have an important place
in the picnic basket.
Relishes are without end. The oil
forms of deviled eggs are seen in new
guise with sardine and pimentO fill
ings.
Olives. radishes. tomatoes stuffed
with cheese or eggs are all tasty.
In carrying beverages, it is a bet
ter plan to make a strong extract Of
lemonade or grape juice or other
fruit juice, waiting until arrival at
the picnic ground before adding wa
ter. Sugar should be put in before
hand TO avoid extra work at the
picnic.
Paper plates are so well made and
come with waXed disks which can be
changed with the serving of salads
sandwiches and desserts, using the
same plates. There are also paper
dishes and bowls. sundae cups and
paper glasses, both tall and short.
Most attractive paper tableclOths too,
and napkins. come in sets with
doilies, plates and sauce dishes to
match-if one wants TO be very gay.
indeed.
Great care should be taken in
packing. placing the heavier articles
at the bottom, wrapping all sticky
things in parchment paper and using
glass containers for foods with juice
or syrup. Indeed, the packing is the
whole secret, and a good packer of a
picnic basket is almost as rare as
good trunk packet But attention to
the details and care all around will
help any woman to attain the art of
planning and packing a perfect pic
mic.
SUGGE STED PICNIC MENUS
Meat Loaf Cor Sandwiches
Pimento DeViled Eggs