This month brings the two most important gala days of the year, and
gives therefore the best possible opportunity for entertaining at
luncheon. Then, too, this is the time when every one is giving teas,
dinners, and social affairs of all sorts and the sense of gaiety is
inspiring to all hostesses. In cities the spring flowers, fruits, and
vegetables begin to come in with this month, and there ample scope is
given for a fresh and delicious menu. Of course, where one has no access
to large markets she must content herself with the usual winter foods,
yet with a little ingenuity she can give the impression of a spring-like
meal, using the resources at her command.
[Illustration: FOR A ST. VALENTINE S DAY LUNCHEON.]
A luncheon on Valentine's Day is one of the prettiest possible, for the
profusion of flowers which might be excessive at another time is quite
the proper thing now, and the accessories of the occasion, the ribbon
bows, the cupids, the heart-shaped cakes and ices all make the table
attractive. Lay it as daintily as possible with your most elaborate
doilies, your prettiest candle-shades, and all your odd little dishes of
silver. Of course, pink is the colour to choose, and the more pink roses
you can have, the better. A very beautiful table which will suggest the
day at first sight is set with five tall slender glass vases, one in the
centre and four grouped around it at intervals filled with roses. This
arrangement really takes no more flowers than is required for one large
bunch, but the effect is of far more. The florist will sell or rent to
you a large snow-white dove, the emblem of Venus, which can be suspended
from the ceiling with an invisible wire; you can tie a number of narrow
pink ribbons to his feet, or to his bill, and draw them down to the
table, fastening two or three by each plate with a pink rose. If you
have a large bisque Cupid it will do quite as well as the dove, and if
you prefer to use vines instead of ribbon, these will form a sort of
bower under which the meal is served. Put the central vase on a lace
centrepiece laid over pink silk, and if your doilies are of lace they,
too, may be lined with pink for this one occasion. There are
candle-shades made of small paper roses which are very inexpensive and
pretty, and these may be used with pink candles in silver sticks. If you
fancy the idea, large pink satin bows laid on the corners of the table,
if it is a square one, or at intervals if the table is round, add to the
colour. Fill your bonbon dishes with small heart-shaped candies,
pink-iced cakes of the same shape, and candied rose leaves, in addition
to those filled with the usual olives and salted almonds.
Your guest cards will of course be valentines, and you can buy them in
any variety and at any price, but the most appropriate are those painted
with old-fashioned figures, or with Watteau-like groups. Of course, if
these valentines are on heart-shaped cardboard they are still better; it
is easy for one who paints in water-colour to decorate such pieces of
board with figures and an appropriate rhyme or a quotation, adding the
name of the guest and the date of the luncheon. Besides these cards,
there are boxes in heart shapes of all prices, from the plain ones which
need the addition of sketches, to those of satin which come from Paris
and cost a small fortune. The plainer boxes may take the place of guest
cards, and so serve a double duty; in any case, the boxes may be filled
either with tiny candy hearts or with rose leaves such as are in the
small dishes.
The sandwiches served with the meal are of course to be cut out with a
heart-shaped cutter, as are the cakes, and the latter should have small
silver arrows stuck through each of them.