Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-12-19

Hospitality is q word of amazing
charm. 1t warns the heart and stirs
| the memory with visions of times
and places that we have broken bread
with another where we felt our pres
ence really counted. 1t is during the
| Christmas season that the overflow
| Ing happiness of the houSemother bids
her open her doors to friend and
| neighbor. She wants to entertain"
u little as the word is understood to-
| day, but she hesitates because of the
expense involved. OF course formal
affairs always run into big money, but
the small social afternoon ''At Home"
may easily come within the limited
| income. Probably, if asked afterward,
the guests would acknowledge that a
greater amount of real pleasure was
derived from the little informal affair
than from the larger one.
Dispensing with all ceremony, it is
! permissible to invite most of the guests
! by telephone to call upon n certain
day when you plan to be at home to
a few friends between and 5 p. m.
/ Those who cannot be reached thus
should have a short note sent them
/ or your visiting card with the day and
hour written beneath the words "At
Home" in the lower left hand corner
and the address in the lower right
hand. But phoning saves the cost of
stationary and postage. If from 20
to 80 or more guests are invited, the
hostess stands to receive. If only a
few, they may gather sociably in COM
Portable chairs with light sewing or
form into groups for cards.
Tea is surved buffet style from q
table set for the occasion with plates
and napkins arranged in piles. Two
intimate friends of the hostess, seated,
attend to the pouring. The maid or
the younger women guests serve.
A word as to the finish of the table
which should be dressed only with
centerpiece and doilies or handsome
luncheon cloth. If the wood has be-
come worn and shabby through hard
usage, rub sweet oil well into the grain
with powdered pummice enclosed in a
small cheesecloth bag. Then go over
| it with a soft dry cloth and plenty
of active elbow grease. This done
once a week will keep an old table in
good condition with soft dull luster.
An ample menu for an informal
"At Home consists of
Hot Tea
Sugar Cream Lemon Whole Cloves
Lettuce Sandwiches
Hot Cocoa
Loaf Cake
Mints Sailed Peanuts
Saltines
Orange Pekoe cake is generally con-
ceded to be the choicest brand for
the afternoon cup, but is one of the
good substitute is any first-class tea
Ceylon or mixed green-to which is
! added the grated rind of oranges,
dried. L keep a jar in my kitchen
| for this purpose alone and instead
of throwing away the orange peels
they are scalded and kept for future
use.
The sandwich loaves cut to better
advantage than other bread and
should be at least one day old. Cut
the slices very thin and remove crusts.
In making lettuce sandwiches which
can be comfortably eaten while stand
ing in a crowded room | have found
it both quicker and more satisfactory
to run the lettuce leaves through the
meat chopper Then mix well into a
thin paste with mayonnaise and
spread over the bread. This allows
the use of even the large outer leaves
and no butter is required, as the may
onaise takes its place.
The hot cocoa is made to the pro-
portion of one teaspoon cocoa powder,
| y teaspoon sugar to 20 cup milk and
p cup water. Whipped cream or the
canned marshmallow froth can be
served over the top of each cup or
one or two whole marshmallows
dropped into a cup of hot cocoa will
melt and have the same effect.
RaiSin Sandwiches
One cup chopped nut meats, one
cup SeedleSS raiS1nS, chopped II large;
p teaspoon lemon juice. two tea
spoons powdered sugar, white one egg.
Add sugar and then other ingredients
in their order to the stiffiy beaten egg
white until it forms a paste. A tiny
pinch of salt added to the white of an
egg will cause it to beat up much
stiffer.) Spread on thin slices of bread
slightly buttered.
Use any plain cake such as Elias
One-Egg Cake / gave previously with
any desired icing. | would suggest
doubling the receipt and baking in two
large fiat tins, then cutting into pieces
two inches square. Pile these on
cake plates in such a way that the
frosting will not be bruised.
Some people prefer an unsweetened
wafer with tea and a dish of saltines
supplies this want, while a dish OF
mints and one of salted nuts balances
the menu, the average cost of which
amounts to s3.25 for enough to serve
twenty guests.
AS near as it can be gagged the fol
lowing prices cover the cost of the
refreshments prepared by the hostess
2 sandwich loaveS .............$ 80
Lettuce 1t
Mayonaise dressing ............ .15
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