The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-12-23
Plans For NoDeL Parties
BY H. M. WILLY In Charge of Social Functions

Christmas day dinner. We do not contemplate it without seeing first of all a beautiful and festive table. with the family gathered about it in a mood of high merriment. It is neither high noon nor early in the evening, but rather in mid-after- noon, when all may come to the ta- ble with hearty appetites and con- tented minds after an exchange of gifts and greetings.
 For such a dinner, then, we do not go to extremes in decoration or in food, but strive to carry out the Christmas spirit in 8 manner that is llomelike and delightfully."- infor- maj.
 As a center decoration for the ta- ble my personal taste invariably suggests some adaptation of the pine tree motif, with pine cones and candles and jewel colors supplied by codpotes filled with bon bons wrapped in gold, silver, amethyst, ruby and emerald foil. If flowers are desired the choice is the poinsetta which, of all flowers, is most typical of the season.
 Christmas Menu
 The Christmas menu is always distinctive when it includes one or several holiday specialties. First there may be a cocktail of grape fruit and orange juice, followed by a delicious cream of mushroom soup and relishes such as hearts of cel- cry, ripe and green olives as well as Sa1ted nuts. The fish course may be omitted, for the meat dish will be 8 substantial and important one. You say turkey? But no say jol- 1y goose roasted crisp and brown and surrounded with apples is ideal for the Christmas feast. With it there may be stufing and sim pie vegetable dish such as carrots and fresh peas in butter with pars- ley sprinkled over.
 Then we shall want a light deli- cacy to offset the richness of the main course, and nothing answers SO well as a hot artichoke with Hol- landaise sauce served as a separate kSC 4AobC1A O1 obAo1s ! 4llo UOOU14@ some vegetable may be presented with much ceremony, since in ap- pearance it so closely resembles a great pine cone plucked from a giant Christmas tree. would ar- range each artichoke supright upon a decorative plate, in which position it iS most easily handled. The sauce may be served in small dish that can be reached conveniently as one pulls leaf after leaf from the succu- lent vegetable, dipping each in its turn in the sauce, and so one until the tender heart of the artichoke is uncovered and eaten with 8 fork. Yol may be sure that none will miss the appropriateness of this dish as 1t cannes to the Christmas table, and all will be grateful for its lightness when the substantial dessert ar- rives.
 The suggestion for the last course is plum pudding, with a sauce of rare old brandy or rich creamy hard souce.. A demitasse of coffee would naturally follow dessert. 7. :. And there we conclude menu for thoroughly enjoyable Christmas Day dinner which has few frills and extra fancies, but which embodies all the charm and goodness of the occasion as it has been celebrated for many centuries in America and on the continent. Simplicity Effective
 Even when planning great Christmas party for those whose means would permit boyish use of food and decoration, the preferred scheme is one that is simple and natural as distinguished from that which is bizarre or oStentatious. At one very large party which l planned the decorations and the menu were hardly more elaborate than those have just suggested yet the affair was considered a tremen- dous success.
 When dinner was announced the guests were ushered from the digni- fled ballroom through spacious foyer which had been decorated as an everyday scene out of doors around Christmas time. The mo- ment the guests left the ballroom all lights were dimmed so that on entering the foyer they seemed to be stepping out into the moonlight light where snowflakes were actual ly falling, an effect created entirely by the manipulation of light rays which gave the appearance of sift- ing snow.
 Decorations
 In each corner of the foyer stood huge Snow-covered pine trees and \ ,RRIDCE MENT|