Sandwiches and Drinks
SANDWICHES OF CHICKEN OR MEAT
For picnics, school luncheons, and her evening parties my little maid
will want sandwiches, and there are many kinds easily made. And
generally she will want the bread cut very thin and spread with soft
butter. For ordinary occasions she may use any kind of meat she happens
to find in the house, slicing it if she can, then seasoning with
mustard, or else putting it through the grinder and seasoning with
mustard, a small minced pickle, or finely chopped sweet green pepper. In
using the ground meat, however, rub it to a paste with the butter
intended for the bread, and it will spread more easily.
HAM SANDWICHES
To be particularly nice, mince the ham, cream with the butter, season
with mustard, spread on one slice of bread, cover with a crisp lettuce
leaf, add the top slice of bread, then cut in triangles.
LETTUCE SANDWICHES
On thin slices of buttered bread lay a fresh leaf of lettuce, and spread
with salad dressing, before adding top slice.
OLIVE AND CHEESE SANDWICHES
These are especially good for afternoon tea or parties. Butter the bread
each time before slicing, so it can be cut very thin without breaking.
Spread with cream cheese that has been rubbed to a paste with cream, and
sprinkle with chopped olives. Cut in fancy shapes.
RAISIN SANDWICHES
Spread thinly sliced brown bread with butter first, then with raisins,
seeded and chopped.
CRACKER SANDWICHES
Butter graham crackers, and spread with chopped and mixed nuts and
raisins. Or, take square soda crackers, sprinkle with sugar and
cinnamon, and toast a light brown. The latter, served hot, are also
very nice for afternoon tea.
* * * * *
Though children should not be allowed to drink tea and coffee, (and
young people are better off without them,) every little maid should be
taught how to prepare these drinks for the grown-ups, most of whom are
apt to be critical.
TEA
First, find out the kind your friends like if you possibly can, and do
not give Ceylon to a lover of uncolored Japan! Then have fresh boiling
water, and scald out your teapot, which should be earthenware or china.
While it is still hot, put in the tea, a teaspoonful for each cup if you
use the ordinary kinds, but only half a teaspoonful of some of the
strong black varieties. Pour on immediately the required amount of
boiling water, and set in a warm place, or cover with a cozy for five
minutes. If desired cold, then pour off the grounds, and when cool
enough, put in the ice box or serve at once with chopped ice. Never boil
tea, nor allow to stand on the leaves very long, as it draws out the
injurious tannin, besides impairing the flavor. A thin slice of lemon
in each glass improves the taste as well as the looks.
COFFEE
People have different ways of making coffee, but a very easy one is to
measure out a tablespoonful of ground coffee for each cup desired, tie
up in a square cheesecloth, and cover with an equal number of cups of
boiling water. Set on the stove where it will keep just below the
boiling point, for three minutes, then pour and serve with cream and
sugar. But to make this way, grind very fine. If your friends prefer
boiled coffee, however, measure out a tablespoonful for each person,
moisten well with part of the white of an egg, cover with one cup of
cold water, and when that boils, add rest of the required amount from
your boiling teakettle. Cook for five minutes, then settle with a third
of a cup of cold water, and place where it will not boil up again. This
will make one cupful apiece.
COCOA
Cool drinks are most welcomed in hot weather, and several kinds are
quite nice for little girls to make. Iced cocoa requires for each
person half a glass of milk and half a glass of water, heated to the
boiling point. Mix in a cup a round teaspoonful of cocoa with one round
spoonful of sugar, and dissolve with the hot milk. Then put together in
the kettle, boil gently several minutes, and flavor with a drop or two
of vanilla before taking from the fire. After cooling, place on ice, and
when ready to serve, pour in glasses over ice, and cover the top with
sweetened whipped cream. Delicious hot, however.
GRAPE JUICE
Grape-juice is the most nourishing kind of a fruit drink, and every
family ought to put up enough in the fall when grapes are plentiful and
cheap to last all winter. First pick the fruit from the stem, wash and
put on in water enough to cover. Cook until the grapes lose their form,
put in a jelly-bag, and let them hang overnight. Next day measure, and
put on to boil with half as much sugar. Cook for five minutes and put at
once into air-tight bottles. When ready to serve, either dilute with a
small quantity of water or pour on chopped ice.
LEMONADE
A most refreshing beverage on a very warm day is a lemonade made from
the juice of two lemons, a half cupful of sugar and eight glasses of
water, to which is added the pulp of a small grapefruit that has been
removed with a sharp-edged teaspoon. Fill up glasses with shaved ice.
FRUIT SYRUPS
During the canning season often a small quantity of rich juice will be
left. If this is strained through a cloth and bottled boiling hot, it
will make a splendid drink, diluted with water and served iced.