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Show A STRAWBERRY TEA. A Delightful Plan Outlined by Annie Isabel' Willis. Copyright by American Press Association. A strawberry tea, coming as it would in most places at the time when roses as well as berries are at their height, is an affair which will admit of effective devices de-vices and arrangement, when the hostess possesses good taste and the means to give it full play. Everything about the table should be as nearly like roses or berries in color, at least as possible. Lights may be shaded with red shades or white ones, ornamented if possible with roses and berries. The center decoration of the table can consist of an oblong mat of strawberry colored Telvet, edged with a row of the growing plants. Rose bowls and tall, clear glass vases, with red and white roses in them, form the floral decorations. dec-orations. The finger bowls, of a rich red hue, may be accompanied by doilies of fine white linen on which are strawberry straw-berry plants, done in outline stitch with red silk. If possible have few bloa-nni bloa-nni in each bowl. Another beautiful way to decorate the table will be to hav a glass center, on which are set low, cut glass dishes holding strawberry plants, both those with fruit and with blossoms. Wild strawberry plants are prettier than cultivated one, if it is possible to obtain thorn. The strawberry is used to make and Savor many delicious dishes, the best known of which is the dainty culled "strawberry shortcake." This will, of course, Vie one of the viands. Some of tho toothsome Scotch jam, which can be purchased in jars of various sizes, may also be on the table, though it must not expect tho attention given to the fresh fruit. The berries should be served with hulls on, every diah being lined with leaves of the fruit. Each berry is picked ap with tho fingers, dipped into sugar j and conveyed to the mouth. This has become quite a favorite way of eating strawberries, but cannot be adopted with 1iat part of the fruit which is served with cream. Ice cream flavored with strawberry should also be a prominent dish, and it would be well to have no other colored ice cream, in order that the white and pink may harmonise with the prevailing tints of the table. The first dishes to be served are the cold meats, salads and scalloped oysters. Strawberry jam may accompany these, also fancy rolls and biscuits, besides the bread. Next should come the shortcake, served with rich cream, and after that the fresh fruit, some of it with cream and some having the hulls on, to be eaten with sugar, as described above. Ice cream and ices follow, and with them strawberry sherbet, a delicious dish prepared by mashing the ripe fruit, sprinkling it with sugar (a pint of sugar to a quart of berries), the juice of a lemon, and a tablcspoonful of gelatine dissolved in a half pint of water, the whole to be frozen like ice cream. Strawberry Straw-berry tutti frutti is another viand which is easily prepared and served with whipped cream. The basis of the dish is preserved strawberry. Into this are cut figs, bananas, pineapples and oranges in fancy shapes. These are mixed among the preserved berries with raisins; the cream is brought on separately. Fancy cakes should accompany this course. Last of all coffee is served. . The number of devices presented at this tea will depend on the purse of the hostess. If possible, the strawberry ice cream should be froten in the shape of the fruit for which it is named. As many of the dishes as possible should be colored like the fruit or decorated with it. On each napkin may lie a single cluster of strawberry leaves and blossoms, blos-soms, and, if they can be procured, one of the fine confections shaped like strawberries, straw-berries, obtainable in large city confectionery confec-tionery stores. Each guost card should be painted with either a blossom, leaf or fruit of the strawberry, and some line or lines abont the fruit, as: With thy red lip redder still. Kissed by strawberries on the bin. ANXIB IflABFX WlLLtS. |
