The Washington times., 1921-12-18

r Asst Christmas l had planned
to have thirty persons for din
- nsr. . crowd Of young people
Of whom We are fond and who look
to us for an annual frolic and
homo masquerade at holiday time
During the week previous ] 70
ceived an urgent wire asking me
to speak to an important organize
, tion on the day before Christmas-
Il was impossible to refuse and
90 two days before Christmas ]
packed my valise for distant city
and did not return until shout 10
o'clock Christmas Eve And .
party for more than thirty on
Christmas Day In the morning!
And yet the party was . great
success, especially the dinner,
which was cooked practically two
days before. II h shout this dinner
that I wish to tell. merely TO point
the moral that II pays to do much
preparing In advance either FOR
Christmas or any other holiday. 20
that the housekeeper may herself
share In the true holiday pleasures
without being All tired out"
For the first course ! had selected
q cream of corn soup. made a. .
PURGE, and served, with freshly pop
ped corn. When found I was to-
be away the day before Christmas
I at once made the PURGE by boiling
and straining the corn, seasoning II
n n0pthAn
bowl. On the day OF the dinner II
was only necessary to add milk and
serve. Likewise the cranberry
sauce and the pumpkin pies and
mince tarts were all made In ad-
vance. carefully placed IN the cool
pantry and covered.
The celery was washed and
cleaned and put IN parafYin paper.
The nuts were cracked and shelled;
the olives were opened and put IN
q dish. The exact amount Of coffee
necessary was measured and put IN
the pot. The sweet potatoes were
boiled and skinned and made al
ready for the last touch Of frying to
transmute them into candied
sweets.
Since the crowd was so large We
had to change the dining room en-
tirely around. We had to bring
two tables from other rooms and
construct a kind of picnic bench to
help out the chairs When I found
I had to be away the day before
Christmas we placed the tables and
the chairs all as they would be re-
quired at the Christmas dinner.
Then I spread the table with the
three crepe paper tablecioths in
holly design, and marked out the
place for each guest.
The napkins we're laid in place.
the doilies. most OF the glass and
some OF the silverware. Even the
favors were in place, and the cen
trail bunch of laurel leaves and red
poinsettas, which was the central
decoration.
The large turkey was duly In.
vestigated and his partial cooking
begun. let him roast over two
hours, without dressing inside. l.
made up the gravy of the giblets,
chopped them and placed them In
the saucepan In which 1t was to Do
heated.
Then we counted out all the
plates, dishes. platters and silver
that would be required and stacked
them on q special table. We
sharpened the carving knife and
filled all the salts and peppers.
looked over the pantry to make
sure that our supply OF bread and
butter and crackers was going to
hold out. While handling the bread
I decided to make up the dressing.
took the driest loaf, poured hot
water over 1t, squeezed II and add
ed the seasonings. I packed this
into an enameled bowl and covered
II carefully from the air.
had intended to have An elab.
crate salad, but knew that could
never find the time II I were gone
all the previous day. 80 com.
promised on q 'Candlestick Salad"
made most easily and quickly from
slices of canned pineapple, small
whole bananas and maraschino
cherries.
think the last thing l did was
to look 1t the dining table, with its