The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1930-01-02
THE HOMEMAKERs CORNER
BY MISS ELSIE BENTHIEN
Home Demonstration Agent


During the Christmas Holidays,
there is always some excuse for tea
party. Perhaps it is for the young
daughter or son of the family who is
at home from their first term at
school, who has come to spend Christ
mas with the family. At any rate,
it is an occasion for giving an extra
polish to the silver, taking down from
the cupboard the prettiest china, and
dressing up the dining room table
with its very best cover.
The dining room is really the center
around which the party revolves and
it should look it's best. If the wintry
afternoon happens to be gray and for
bidding, it is nice to draw the shades
and use lighted candles on the table.
The table centerpiece should be OF
flowers, artistically arranged in low
bowl, so that they will not obscure
the view. Or if flowers are not easily
procurable, a lovely arrangement can
be made of green frs with some white
berries or mistletoe. To give color
to the centerpiece, use tall rose
colored candles in silver candlesticks.
The lunch should be simple but
very dainty. Hot coffee or chocolate,
or both, for the beverage, with sand
witches and fancy little cakes, as
many varieties as desired.
Open or uncovered sandwiches are
very popular now and they add a
very interesting touch to the tea
table. A specially attractive Christ
mas sandwich is made by spreading
rounds of white bread with cream
cheese, sprinkling the surface with
finely chopped sweet green pepper
and placing slice of maraschino
cherry in the center. There are an
infinite number of combinations for
these open sandwiches. If the Christ
mas colors happen to be desirable, pi-
mento and sweet pickles fit in very
nicely. Red raspberry jam gives the
right touch of red, and makes a deli
cious morsel, particularly when a
border of stifly whipped cream is
piped around the edge.
For the sweets, there is nothing
better than dainty little cakes. Reel
pes for two of the simplest and most
delicious for this purpose are given
below. For one the whites of the
eggs are used, and for the other the
yolks. They may be spread with any
sort of frosting or even simply deco
rated with whipped cream and fancy
little candies.
Almond Cakes (White)
One-half cup crisco, 1 cup sigar, "
cup milk, IL cups flour, chopped
blanched almonds, 2 teaspoons bak-
ing powder, II teaspoon salt, 4 egg
whites, teaspoon almond favoring.
Cream crisco with sugar. Sift dry
| ingredients and add alternately with
| the milk. Fold in stiffly beaten egg
whites and favoring. Fill small muf-
| fin pans half full and sprinkle sur
face with sugar and finely chopped
almonds. Bake in moderate oven I'M
til Drowned lightly on surface.
Almond Cake (Yellow)
One-fourth cup crisco, " cup
sugar, A egg yolks, n cup milk,
powdered sugar, u teaspoon salt, rs
cup flour, 1 1-3 teaspoons baking
powder, shredded almonds.
Cream crisco, add sugar gradually,
egg yolks well beaten, milk and
flour mixed with baking powder. Put
in paper cases or tiny muffin pans,
sprinkled with shredded almonds and
powdered sugar. Bake at 375 de-
grees F. 20 minutes.
Special Sandwiches
Toast bread and spread with Mus
tard Butter. Lay slice of American
cheese on one slice of toast. Cover
with thin slices of tomato and sprin-
kle with salt and black pepper. Place
a second slice of toast on the tomato
and cover with crisp slices of bacon
/ and fresh crispy lettuce leaf. Add a
third slice of toast, butter side down;
cut sandwiche diagonally and serve at
once.