American Agriculturist, November 17,1923 
Remember the Strangers 
An Idea Fov a Novel Thanksgiving Dinnev 
349 
L AST year, when sister and I were 
lamenting the fact that the family 
were so separated that we could not 
have the usual Thanksgiving gather¬ 
ing she suddenly remarked that we 
ought to be ashamed of ourselves_ 
there were so. many people who would 
be thankful just to come out to the 
farm for a day! 
So . we put our heads together and 
sent invitations to people so far from 
their homes that it would be impossible 
for them to go there for the holiday. 
. and, of course, this made a rather mixed 
crowd which somehow made it all the 
more enjoyable. 
To avoid any chance of formality 
creeping in to spoil our fun, as soon 
as each guest arrived, he or she was 
introduced and given a little blue ging¬ 
ham apron. There were eighteen 
guests and these we divided into three 
groups—six to help get dinner, six to 
plan a program and six to ftiake place- 
cards, favors and prizes. 
Meeting’ at two o’clock there was 
plenty of time for all this before the 
four o’clock dinner. My sister bossed 
the kitchen “help,” having everything 
well planned beforehand and I gave out 
materials and suggestions to both the 
other groups to make sure that these 
would carry on. 
Individual Talent Comes Out 
It didn’t take long for that crowd to 
get acquainted. The middle aged bach¬ 
elor from sister’s office made as fine a 
cook as you’d want, while the rather 
sad-faced girl from our village had 
more cute ideas for the favors and 
games than one ever would have 
thought, A supply of cardboard, 
pumpkin seeds, small chrysanthemums, 
raisins and marshmallows, odd little 
toy novelties from the ten-cent store, 
crepe paper and toothpicks gave ample 
material for the placecards, favors 
and prizes. No one was allowed to 
know anything that was going on in 
another group, as they were placed in 
different rooms to work. In this way 
we worked up a great deal of curiosity 
and interest. Laughter and odd noises 
constantly came from behind the 
kitchen door as the potatoes were 
mashed, celery stuffed, salad made, 
cream whipped and coffee ground. 
Both my sister and I were assured that 
if you want to make people happy, let 
them have a part in the fun making— 
keep them busy and no ugly silences 
and stiffness can creep in to spoil the 
party! 
To show our guests that while we 
lived on a farm we still knew how to 
serve a dinner, we planned some dishes 
which would not be expected outside of 
a good hotel. Our menu was: 
Lobster Cup Roast Turkey 
Mashed potatoes, string beans in milk, 
Stuffed celery, onions au gratin, 
cranberry mold 
Pear salad 
Individual mince pies with 
frozen custards 
Nuts Coffee 
more. This removed much of the 
strong taste. A white sauce was made 
of flour, butter and rich milk and 
poured over them. Then, slices of 
strong cheese was placed generously 
over the top, cracker crumbs dusted 
over all, and the dish browned in the 
oven. This we served from the dish, 
although, had we had more table room, 
this would have been served in indivi¬ 
dual ramekins. 
Cranberry is always so pretty that it 
brightens any meal. Ours was made 
very stiff, the berries left as nearly 
whole as possible. A dash of clove and 
cinnamon was cooked in at the last and 
the sauce molded in long narrow glasses 
from which we turned it and sliced the 
portions, serving them on platters with 
the stuffed celery, several platters to 
our long table. 
AfterJso heavy a meal a light salad 
is always welcome. Mother’s canned 
pears gave us the foundation. These 
we chilled thoroughly as we did the 
lettuce hearts on which we served them. 
The dressing was made of chopped red 
cherries and butternuts mixed with the 
cherry juice, a tablespoon of lemon 
juice, half a cup of olive oil and 
paprika. 
Mince pie is usually a sure bet and 
so is frozen custard, so, instead of 
serving a lot of the usual desserts, we 
made individual pies and on each plate 
served molds of frozen pudding in which 
there were currants, nuts and chopped 
citron! 
After the Dinner, Some Fun 
It is needless to say that it was long 
after six when we lingeringly got up 
from our coffee and nuts and we were 
then ready for some quiet games. 
During the evening the rugs were 
rolled back and the victrola started, 
dancing alternated with stunts—silly 
but none the less laughable—recita¬ 
tions, dancing and imitations. A Paul 
Jones preceded the last bit of fun, 
which was a mock trial in which the 
quiet, tall girl from across the street 
was tried for eating the turkey placed 
on Fat Bailey’s plate. The judge and 
jury and the lawyers were all dressed 
for the part in aprons, veils, hats, and 
brooms found in the house. They 
judged her guilty and she was sentenced 
to make sandwiches and coffee with 
Fat Bailey. 
And it was midnight when the last 
guest left, everyone voting the “far, far 
from home dinner” a great success. 
Try it on some lonesome friends this 
year on your farm, or if the church or 
club wants to do something suitable to 
the day, urge them to hold just such a 
party, each member to bring a stranger. 
Giving of oneself is far greater than 
giving material things and there are 
many, many hungry hearts—hearts 
which long to play and to forget for 
just a little while. Help them to do 
so!— Effie Maurine Paige. 
We make the Lobster Cup from 
canned lobster, but we found it very 
good. We shredded the meat and half 
filled glass cups and over the lobster 
we poured a vinegar and oil dressing 
brightly colored with paprika. The 
turkey was roasted with the old fash¬ 
ioned bread dressing into which we 
had cut part of the giblets and folded 
two well beaten eggs. The mashed 
potatoes were left plain but beaten 
until they were like foam, then re¬ 
heated and served lightly brown from 
the oven. Mother’s own canned string 
beans were simmered ten minutes in 
milk well seasoned, The celery strips 
had been washed and laid in cold water 
over night. For the filling we worked 
cream cheese until soft, adding a table¬ 
spoon of finely chopped spiced pickle 
to each cup and spreading smoothly 
into the celery. 
Onions and Cheese Popular 
. Onions au gratin proved a favorite 
m spite of the fact that they are 
usually refused because of their strong 
odor. We cooked tlje smallest, whitest 
ones we could get in salted water for 
half an hour, poured off the water and 
added fresh to cook fifteen minutes 
OPENING UP A CITY MA RKE T 
This is the story of a fruit cake that 
I sent to a friend last November for 
a Christmas present. Immediately I 
received a letter asking if I would make 
a couple more for friends of hers. 
Then I had to admit that I did not 
make that particular cake, but it 
started a little business for the woman 
who did. Seven fruit cakes she made 
and sent by parcels post to that neigh¬ 
boring city before Christmas. Many 
women who work in the city prefer 
home-made cake that they can be sure 
contains no impurities, but they do not 
care to take the risk of one not turn¬ 
ing out well or do not have time to 
make cakes themselves. 
My friend thus got in touch with 
women to whom she sent dressed 
chickens and butter as long as the sea¬ 
son permitted. This summer she is 
making dozens of jars of preserves, 
mixed pickles, catsup, and spiced ap¬ 
ples for her “city trade.”— Mrs. R. G. 
Armstrong._ 
Your fashion magazine is one of the 
best I ever saw and a wonderful help 
in planning wardrobes. It is always so 
sensible.— Mrs. Lulu McDonald, Mem¬ 
phis, N. Y. 
Your Bargain Book 
Will Fill Your 
Christmas List 
for 
Less 
HIS great Catalog 
of The Charles 
William Stores, 
Your Bargain 
Book—the modern 
Santa Claus, offers you tens of 
thousands of practical sugges¬ 
tions for your Christmas 
shopping. 
No matter whether it is 
toys, games, musical instru¬ 
ments, jewelry,' clothing, 
novelties or something for the 
home or farm, Your Bargain 
Book is sure to have it in a 
guaranteed quality — and the 
price will, invariably, be lower 
than you expect. 
Sit down today, make your 
list now of the gifts you plan 
to give—do as we have done at 
the left, put down the Catalog 
price alongside the usual price 
asked in the retail stores—then 
you will know beyond question, 
that here at The Charles 
William Stores is the place to 
do your Christmas shopping. 
There are no holiday profits 
added to these low prices. The 
prices you pay are based on 
our usual economical methods 
of merchandising. 
Order your gifts early — 
Christmas will be here before 
you know it. 
Our stocks are now complete. 
Order now, and let us demon¬ 
strate to you the fine service 
that our customers everywhere 
at e complimenting us on. Make 
up your Christmas list today. 
If you have not already 
received a Catalog and want to 
save on your Christmas 
shopping as thousands of our 
customers are now doing, clip 
and mail the coupon below 
TODAY. It will bring Your 
Bargain Book at once. 
TheCharlesWilliam Stores i nc . 
NewTforkCity 
TvChariesWilli amStoresiM. 
255 Stores Building, New York City 
Sena me FREE "Your Bargain Book 1 ' for Pajl and 
Winter. This places me under no obligation. 
Name 
B. R. or St No. 
City and State... 
rfhis Book Brings /chnM $au& To \burDoor 
Cut Out This Coupon 
/ 
