The shortest month of the year, February, boasts of the most holidays. It is truly a mecca for the hostess to give pleasingly  different  parties

Beyer, Harriet

English

The shortest month of the year, February, boasts of the most holidays. It is truly a mecca for the hostess to give pleasingly "different" parties.</p

Digital Repository @ Iowa State University (ISU)

the words "State of Matrimony" around the edge. + The centerpiece is made of lettuce, to-matoes, beets, onions, and other vege-tables placed on the table covered with pale green cellophane paper. Around the centerpiece is a wreath of smilax. The first course is a hot bouillon. On the side of the plate are two saltines tied together; these the guests separate and find a slip of paper which says: "Lettuce look further." If the second course is the meat course around the rolls which are placed on the table is another slip which says, "Lettuce wait a little longer," and so on until the dessert course is served. This is a par-fait. Sticking on top of the parfait is a tiny roll of paper, which when open-ed bears the names of the affianced pair. + The Valentine tree rests in the center of this table which is covered with red cellophane paper and white tarlatan cloth. This little tree is decorated with paper hearts of every color. Large red cardboard hearts and Cupids are scat-tered over the table. Just before the dessert course is served, the guests are asked to pick the hearts from the tree. Some of the hearts contain words, which when pieced together form the names of the prospective bride and groom. Another beautiful table can be ar-ranged by covering it with dark blue Cfillophane paper. In front of each plate is a large silver star to be used as a doily. Smaller stars are under the goblets. The place-cards are silver stars, and stars of every size ar-e sprinkled over the table. The center-piece is four large silver stars laced together with silver tulle to make a Jack Horner pie. The ribbons which are tied around the favors in the pie reach to the various places. The favors are little handker-chiefs with the announcement of the engagement written with pencil in the c-enter of each handkerchief. In the center of this white covered table stands a large cardboard box decorated with pink crepe-paper and the word "Cupid" written on it. After the first course has been served, the guests are asked to look on the bottom of their nut cups, and follow the in-structions th2y find written there. The directions are, "Take a letter from the mail-box." This letter then con-tains the message announcing the engagement. The Iowa Homemaker February---Short but Sweet T HE SHORTEST month of the year, February, boasts of the most holi-days. It is truly a mecca for the hostess to give pleasingly "different" parties. On Candlemas day February 2, Eu-ropean suitors send white flowers to their sweethearts. The festival has re-ligious signficance, and white signifies purity. An ingenious hostess may bor-row this charming custom by planning a white party for the date. An attrac-tive centerpiece for this is a circle of white candles in silver or white holders in the center of the table. Dishes and table linen should be white. Another not-so-well-known Febru-ary holiday which may form the basis for novel entertainment is the birth-day of Charles Dickens on February 9. Such an event is best observed in the true English manner-a buffet sup-per-on serving dishes of English china or pewter. The only decoration should be candles in silver or pewter holders. Lincoln's birthday seems to require realistic setting. A miniature log cabin, purchased or made of painted card-board, can be surrounded by small green gumdrop trees, with a wood pile of twigs near-by. The ambitious hostess would enjoy by Harriet Beyer constructing a Lincoln's cabin out of cookie dough. Use a very stiff dough, such as is required for sugar cookies, and roll to one-fourth inch thickness. Cut six pieces the desired size, two for the front and back, two for the sides, and two for the roof. When these are baked they may be covered with a dark chocolate frosting to give the effect of logs and fastened together by covering the edges with a thick sugar and water sirup. Place the cabin in the center of the table, together with green gumdrop trees. A Lincoln's birthday entertainment is also an occasion for patriotic de-corations. White candles in blue hold-ers, and a blue bowl containing red and white carnations make an attractive formal centerpiece. On Valentine's Day, following soon after Lincoln's birthday, hearts rule the day. A miscellaneous scattering of hearts over a white cloth creates a gay atmosphere. The centerpiece for such a table might be a simple large red heart, or a nicely-dressed Pierrette doll. A dainty centerpiece may be ar-ranged with two silver doves sur-rounded by pink and white flowers on a mirror. Four pink candles in silver holders may be placed at the mirror's center. A Valentine thought sug-gests an old-fashioned bou-quet made of candy hearts for a centerpiece, with small-er bouquets at the place of each guest. An inform a 1 Valentine luncheon, large paper doilies may be cut into heart shapes. Used in place of the usual luncheon doilies, they are at-tractive either on the dark sur-face of the table or mounted on red cardboard. Washington's birthday may be celebrated with a table set with a miniature spinning wheel in the center. From this streamers of yarn lead to place cards for each guest. Whatever the limit of bud-get or time, there need be no limit to the possibilities for entertaining in February, the month of holidays. 13 

Short but Sweet

https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/bitstreams/0dfdd296-4f3f-464c-b9c3-c65439ca2ad2/download

Short but Sweet

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Digital Repository @ Iowa State University (ISU)