Breakfasts and Teas - Paul Pierce (popular ebook readers .TXT) 📗

For a prize for the best answers give a little leather sewing case fitted with needles and thread.

Generally speaking, one will use their sorority colors in flowers and ribbons and their insignia cut from paste-board and covered with tissue paper of the desired color. A gigantic insignia would make a suitable wall decoration. Hang pennants of the colors everywhere, and if it is a musical sorority, work in the staff and notes in the decorations. These can be painted on cheap white muslin or paper and tacked about the walls. If one cares to learn a little musical yell, do so as a surprise. If the "rushing" is for new members, one can easily plan a series of funny tableaux picturing the new member in various incidents: Leaving home, or Breaking Home Ties; Arriving at College; Crossing the Campus; Meeting the President; Meeting Her Roommate; Unpacking, etc. Insist upon the new members' answering each question to the tune of some college song, or else coach the old members to answer all questions by new members in this manner. Have a sorority of dolls dressed in the colors, each doll holding a pennant, in the center of the table. Paint the staff and notes on the muslin tablecloth and make little paper drums to hold the salted nuts and bonbons. Serve grape juice, a salad of mixed fruits, sweet wafers and chocolate.

The first requisite in the preparation of good sandwiches is to have perfect bread in suitable condition. Either white, brown or entire wheat bread may be used, but it should be of close, even texture, and at least one day old.

For very small, dainty sandwiches to be served at afternoon teas or breakfasts, the bread may be baked at home in baking-powder tins. These should be only half-filled, and allowed to rise before baking. The butter should be softened by creaming, not melting, and spread smoothly on the bread before it is cut. Cut the slices as thin as possible, and when a variety is offered it is well to keep each kind of a different shape, as, for instance, circles of anchovy, triangles of chicken, fingers of game and squares of fruit butters.

Flavored butters are much used in making sandwiches, and are simply and easily prepared. Fresh, unsalted butter should be used. After creaming the butter, add the flavoring material, and beat until smooth and thoroughly blended. Caviare, anchovy, sardines, oysters, salmon, lobster, cheese, cress, chives, Chili, Chutney, olives, parsley, cucumbers, horseradish and paprika are all used for flavoring these various butters.

For afternoon teas, fruit and flower butters make delicious sandwiches. Of these the most popular are strawberry, pineapple, red raspberry and peach. Lemon butter mixed with fresh grated cocoanut is also a delectable sandwich filling, and cherry jelly with shavings of dried beef another. Butters flavored with rose or violet petals are very delicate and attractive, but, as may easily be imagined, find little favor with the sterner sex, who prefer their refreshments of a more substantial order.

Anchovy Sandwiches—Rub the yolks of hard-boiled eggs to a paste, season to taste with anchovy essence, and add a few olives, stoned and chopped very fine. Spread this mixture on very thin slices of buttered bread and cut into dainty shapes.

Caviare Sandwiches—Spread thinly-buttered bread with fresh caviare seasoned with lemon juice and on top of this lay a little minced lobster. Finish with another piece of buttered bread.

Olive Sandwiches—Scald and cool twelve large olives, stone them, and chop very fine. Add one spoonful of mayonnaise dressing, and one teaspoonful of cracker dust; mix well, and spread on buttered bread.

Queen Sandwiches—Mince finely two parts of cooked chicken or game to one part of cooked tongue, and one part minced cooked mushrooms or truffles. Add seasoning and a little lemon juice, and place between thin slices of buttered bread.

Lobster Sandwiches—Pound two tablespoonfuls of lobster meat fine; add one tablespoonful of the coral, dried and mashed smooth, a teaspoonful of lemon juice, a dash of nutmeg, one-fourth of a teaspoonful of paprika, and two tablespoonfuls of soft butter. Mix all to a smooth paste and spread between thin bread and butter.

Jelly Sandwiches—Mix a cupful of quince jelly with half a cupful of finely chopped hickory or pecan nuts, and spread on buttered bread.

Date Sandwiches—Wash, dry and stone the dates, mash them to a pulp, and add an equal amount of finely chopped English walnut or pecan meats. Moisten slightly with lemon juice. Spread smoothly on thinly-sliced brown bread.

Fig Sandwiches—Stem and chop very fine a sufficient number of figs. Add enough water to make of the consistency of marmalade, and simmer to a smooth paste. Flavor with a little lemon juice, and when cool spread on thin slices of buttered bread, and sprinkle thickly with finely chopped nuts.

Fruit Sandwiches—Cut equal quantities of fine fresh figs, raisins and blanched almonds very small. Moisten with orange juice and spread on white bread and butter.

Beef Sandwiches—To two parts of chopped lean, rare beef, add one part of finely minced celery, salt, pepper, and a little made mustard. Place on a lettuce leaf between thin slices of bread and butter.

Ginger and Orange Sandwiches—Soften Neufchatel cheese with a little butter or rich cream. Spread on white bread, cut in very thin slices, and cover with finely minced candied orange peel and preserved ginger. Place over another slice of bread. Candied lemon peel and preserved citron, finely minced, also make a delicious sandwich filling.

If you wish to vary the serving of your tea add three cloves to the lemon and sugar. Or a thin slice of apple added with sugar is delicious. In Sweden a piece of stick cinnamon is added by some to tea while it is steeping.

One of the prettiest decorations for a porch tea party is a hanger or pocket for flowers made by cutting pockets in large round pieces of bamboo, the rods being about three feet long. These pockets are filled with scarlet lilies and hung in the corners and on the posts of the porch. Hang Red Chinese lanterns in the open spaces and have red paper fans in Chinese jars on tables and ledges. The porch boxes along the railings can have their real contents almost concealed in ferns, and scarlet lilies stuck in amid the ferns. Across one corner the gay striped hammock, with its open meshes filled with wild cucumber and clematis vines fastened against the house, makes a background for the punch bowl. Orange ice and cream cake can be served on plates decorated with gold and white, with a bunch of daisies tied with pale green gauze ribbon on each plate.

A porch tea party given in the summer is a most enjoyable affair. The guests are seated on the porch which has immense jardinieres filled with garden flowers, and draperies of large American flags. The punchbowl is just inside the door in the hall. The guests bring their needlework and as they sew, one of the number reads a group of original stories. Following this have a little contest called The Menu. The prize for the correct list is a solid silver fork with a rose design. The refreshments are lemon sherbet, macaroons, sweet wafers, pecans and bonbons.

Soups.

The Capital of Portugal.

An imitation reptile.

Roasts.

A gentle English author.

Found in the Orient.

Boiled meats.

Woman's chief weapon.

A son of Noah.

Game.

A Universal crown.

A part of Caesar's message and a male relative.

Relishes.

A complete crush.

Elevated felines.

Lot's wife.

Vegetables.

Slang for stealing.

To pound.

Pudding.

What we don't want our creditors to do.

Fruits.

What a historian delights in.

Must be married at home.

Wines.

What a lover says to his sweetheart.

Imitation agony.

A sailor's harbor.

Answers: Soups: Lisbon, mock turtle; Roasts: lamb, turkey; Boiled Meats: tongue, ham; Game: hare, venison; Relishes: jam, catsup, salt; Vegetables: cabbage, beef; Pudding: suet; Fruits: dates, canteloupe; Wines: Madeira, champagne, Port.