Evening star., 1935-07-25
Opportunity to Renew
Childhood Friendship
With the Starry Skies
Has Advantages of Picnic With
None of the Customary
Drawbacks.

the candles, and use those strung along
the center to the table. Chairs may
be brought out from the house, or you
may choose to let one Of your children
who has talent for carpentry work.
make two long, rough benches. of the
refectory type that may be painted,
and allowed to remain outdoors
permanently. If these are a sue
cess the young artisan might be en-
couraged to make whole sturdy table
that would only need to be busted off
to be ready for use.
The menu should be simple. COM
prising picnic foods, for the most
part, with one hot dish. Barbecued
meats are always good for this sort
of meal, and may be quickly prepared
in the kitchen, and brought out hot
and juicy. tasting just as if they had
been turning on the traditional spit!
Chicken livers and bacon, cooked on
long skewers are particularly good in
the open air-lambs' kidneys may be
prepared in the same fashion. DeVlled
eggs, a big bowl of salad, iced tea,
and fresh fruit for dessert would COM
bine we'll with either of the meats
mentioned.
A MOTHER wonderful outdoors
menu is a bit messy. but oh, so
tasty! Some Summer bachelors,
year or so ago, abandoned by their
wives during the warm months. in
vented it as a way of paying off their
social obligations in the least expen-
sive and amusing style. Their menu
was this: Steamed clans. with lots OF
broth and butter, succulent corn on
the cob, with more butter, and plenty
of salt and pepper, and great chilled
wedges of watermelon. Tall glasses
of beer and iced coffee were provided,
and the guests sat on the grass and ate
and ate and ate. Every one voted it
the best Summer party of the season,
with the most delicious food, and gen.
orally convivial atmosphere.
OF course, it was bit drippy and
buttery. but the guests were warned
beforehand to come in old clothes,
so no one minded spots and grass
stains. The clans were cooked in
the kitchen, in great kettles, side by
side with other kettles containing the
corn. Heaped on large platters and
covered with napkins, the finished
products were borne into the garden,
in relays, and set on a long, bare,
wooden table, already groaning under
tubs of ice holding butter balls, big
shakers of salt and pepper, mixed;
boats of Seafood cocktail sauce. quar-
tered lemons, oyster crackers, pickles
and crisp curls of cucumber. Stacks
of paper plates and napkins stood
ready; liquid refreshment was grouped
at one end of the table, and every
body was told to Come and get it,"
They did, with enthusiasm. Clutching
cups of melted butter and OF clam
broth, also brought out from the
kitchen, they settled themselves COM
fortably on the green grass. sur
rounded by plates of clans and corn.
After the worst was over. and the
company was just about to call it a
day, out came the watermelon-de-
liciously cold and refreshing, and too
tempting to be withstood.
x X
HERE, for the sake of manners, let
me draw a veil. A number of
usually well-behaved grown-ups. when
turned loose in primitive fashion on
wedges of watermelon, is not pretty
sight. But in the end the party was
an unmitigated success, and has gone
down in the annals of Washington
Summer time entertaining as such.
In fact, the hosts have been forced
to repeat it annually, so that 1t is
rapidly becoming an institution in
their particular group.
Elaborate food and too much formal
ity are anathema to the true alfresco
party. Much more enjoyment may
be got out of one or two very, very
simple dishes, done to a turn. with
the least possible number of ex-
traneous gadgets and fussiness. This
fact endears the scheme to mother,
for it saves her many minutes and
effort usually spent in dressing up
the meal, so that she, too, is able
to relax in the cool air, with no
dishes to think of. in calm and
rested frame of mind. The children
can do the necessary clearing up
for there is no delicate china or glass
for them to break-and usually there
is no food left over to be put away
II you wish advice on your indi-
vidual household problems write to
Betsy CaSHeII. in care of The Star,