"Spread Your Own Party" from 1934

Anyone who's followed this blog for awhile or my writing on Old Fashioned Living knows I love finding articles or books with references to old fashioned parties and celebrations. Though I love all of our modern technology and being able to chat with all of you online, we've kind of lost some of the simple ways to entertain along the way. I was looking through my cookbooks this weekend and found an idea for a canape party. I think this would be wonderful for a baby or bridal shower. It's from the Practical Recipes for the Housewife, published by the Detroit Times in 1934.

Let canapes run riot in your after-bridge refreshment menus-indeed, they have to the extent that hostesses are now having "spread your own" parties. By that we mean they simply provide the canape spreads, the crackers, and let the guests help themselves. Unsalted crackers are favored for the canape spread-toasted if you wish, or some prefer Melba Toast, which it is possible to buy if you do not wish to go to the trouble of making it.

Celery, olives, marinated in salad oil, and perhaps salted nuts will add sufficient variety to satisfy anyone's appetite. However, if a more elaborate menu is desired, one creamed hot dish with tiny biscuits, followed by a simple dessert may be included.

They suggested using some of these canape spreads that serve 6-8 persons.

Roquefort and Cream Cheese Spread

Mash one four ounce package Roquefort cheese with one three ounce package cream cheese, one tablespoon minced onions and one-quarter cup top milk or cream.

Cottage Cheese and Green Pepper Spread

Combine one-half pound fresh cottage cheese with two tablespoons minced green pepper, one tablespoon minced onion, a dash of cayenne and one tablespoon garlic flavored French dressing. (Allow one cut clove of garlic to stand in French dressing for several hours or longer.)

Lobster Spread

Combine one six-ounce can of lobster, minced, one tablespoon lemon juice, one and a half tablespoon mayonnaise and one tablespoon garlic flavored French dressing (above).

Minced Ham and Egg Spread

Combine one-eighth pound minced cooked ham (two-thirds cup) with three shelled hard-cooked eggs, minced, two tablespoons minced onion, one and a half teaspoon prepared mustard, one teaspoon bottled condiment sauce and two tablespoons mayonnaise. (Kitchen Bouquet is considered a condiment sauce.)

Pineapple and Chicken Spread

Combine one-quarter cup canned crushed pineapple with one-half cup chopped chicken and two tablespoons mayonnaise.

Crabmeat Spread

Mix one six and a half ounce can of crabmeat, minced with one-half cup chopped celery, one-quarter cup minced pimento, one quarter cup garlic flavored mayonnaise, one-eighth teaspoon salt and one-eighth teaspoon paprika.

On OFL we have some tea sandwich recipes for parties.

~Brenda

Children's Valentine's Day Party

Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit. ~Peter Ustinov

Last week I shared from the 1905 book Bright Ideas for Entertaining by Mrs. Herbert B. Linscott. I wanted to share this week from her ideas for a children's Valentine's Day party. Before I do, I wanted to mention that I have helped plan two classroom parties in past years and helped during many others. Hands down, the favorite activity is making homemade Valentines for parents and/or grandparents. Last year I brought in small paper doilies, plus red, pink and white construction paper. The teacher had crayons and markers we put in the middle of the table. I also had precut hearts I had picked up at the store. The kids LOVED making cards; boys and girls alike. I think sometimes we try to make things more complicated than they need to be, and forget that kids just love to express themselves.

Mrs. Linscott recommends these things:
Cut from pink paper as many hearts as there are to be boys, but no two of these hearts must be the same size; cut from gilt paper the same number of hearts, one for each girl, matching in size those cut from the pink paper.

When the guests arrive, give each boy a pink and each girl a gilt heart. When a boy finds a girl who holds a gilt heart matching in size his pink one, they are partners for the evening. In this search, all the formality will have worn off.

Notes: Gilt paper was a paper that had a very very thin layer of gold on the top of the paper itself. You can find gold metallic paper, but I think it would be much cheaper and easier to use pink and red construction paper for the hearts.

I have to admit I'm not sure what age this would work with. The tiny ones; 3 to maybe 6 or so wouldn't care too much, but after that age it would be "I have to partner up with a BOY?". I still think it's a cute idea though.

MORE PARTY FUN
Next Mrs. Linscott describes this game:

Cupid's Dart will pass a jolly half hour. Make a large heart of several layers of pink tissue paper, and fill in loosely with bonbons; encase this in a slightly larger heart of open-meshed bobinet; hang on the wall on one side of the room by two loops sewed to the large, upper part of the heart. Provide a toy bow and arrow, and let each child in turn shoot at the heart. The arrows will remain sticking in the lace and paper, and the one whose arrow comes nearest the center receives the first prize-a heart shaped box of candy.

Also provide small heart shaped boxes filled with candies for each child to take home.

Notes: I did some looking, and bobinet is material much like a screen or some type of netting. So open-meshed would mean the holes are bigger, which would allow the arrows to "catch" when they hit the heart. I also noticed she mentioned lace and paper later. I'm thinking maybe it was more like loose doily material?

Lastly, she suggests refreshments and decorations:

Make sandwiches from heart-shaped pieces of bread, cut with a cake cutter; bake the cakes in heart-shaped tins, and have the ices frozen in the same design. As red and pink are the proper colors for decoration on this day, it will be a pretty idea to have the lemonade colored pink with fruit juice.

Pretty favors can be made from crepe tissue-paper. Flowers, bonbon boxes, handkerchief-cases, and many another trifle, will please young folks, more especially if they are the work of their little hostess's own hands.

This last paragraph is an example of why I love learning how they entertained in years past. How many of us have handkerchief-cases laying around or bonbon boxes? But then some things are timeless like tissue paper and tea sandwiches!

~Brenda

What About a Measuring Party?

I am thankful for the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends. ~Nancie J. Carmody

I was looking through some of my vintage books and found this odd party idea in my copy of Bright Ideas for Entertaining from Mrs. Herbert B. Linscott. The small hardcover was published in 1905. The entry is for a "Measuring Party". She mentions that this is a "pleasing way" of raising money for charity. This verse should be printed on the invitations in addition to the usual where and when information:


A measuring party we give for you,
'Tis something pleasant as well as new.
The invitation carries a sack,
For use in bringing or sending back
Five cents for every foot you're tall,
Measure yourself against the wall.
An extra cent for each inch you'll give,
And thereby show how high you live.
Then with music and song, recitation and pleasure,
We will meet one and all at our party of measure.

The author also suggests that a "tiny bag made of a bit of silk or ribbon" should be sent with each invitation. On the night of the party guests will bring these little bags with their money and place in a bowl or basket by the door. She suggests:

"Care should be taken to carry out the program suggested in the last two lines of the above verse. Much amusement may be created by having some one appointed to take various measurements of the guests attending, such as the length of the nose, size of the head, size of the hand etc. "

This could be a lot of fun, especially if the hostess puts something on the invitations like "A Measuring Party from 1905!". The bags could be little party favor bags which as inexpensive and can be folded into the invitation. The author also suggests there be music, food and drink during the party. Here are some other ideas:

-Change it to anywhere from $1.00 to $10.00 a foot depending on what you are raising money for. This could work for many types of fundraisers, and it would be unique!

-Little sheets could be printed up with spaces for writing in measurements of the nose, head, arm, hand etc. and door prizes could be given randomly by having everyone turn in their sheets with their names on them.

-This would be a very neat party for the entire family. The kids would love it and you could have door prizes for the adults and the kids.

-To keep the cost down, ask for volunteers to bake cookies, punch etc.

What do you think about this party idea?

~Brenda

October Party Ideas from 1937

The leaves lay like hands upon the ground.
When the wind rustles them, they applaud
softly. ~Laura E. Stevens

Rural Progress Magazine from 1937 has many neat ideas for October parties. The headline reads "October is the Month for Parties"! The article is rather long but I have here some of the ideas and menu plans to share. The emphasis is on keeping expense to a minimum and making food from scratch with what is in season.

If your house is small, plan a yard picnic and cook part of the food over an open fire, even if it is only coffee to go with cake or doughnuts. A fish fry is a good way to entertain a large group of friends or neighbors, providing you live where fish abound. We might also borrow an idea from our neighbors down-south and have an outdoor barbecue. Then there is steak fries and hamburgers. A
slight flavor of wood smoke improves food immeasurably.

This being the month of apple and pumpkin harvests, we
can think of other good ideas for entertaining!

Sweet Cider Party: serve apple cider or fresh apple juice
and fresh baked doughnuts.

Apple Pie Supper: serve apple pies, homemade ice cream
and plates of cheese.

Pumpkin Pie Supper: serve pumpkin pies, fresh homemade
whipped cream, new harvest of black walnuts, and pots of
coffee

Buffet Supper Party: serve baked ham and/or fried chicken,
scalloped potatoes, salad using endive, lettuce, raw cauliflower,
green pepper, tomato with French dressing. Also serve rolls or
muffins and a seasonal dessert such as angel food cake with
orange icing.

To have a successful party it is important for your guests to
participate in activities or games. One popular game is
Popcorn-on-a-string. Thread a darning needle with a yard
length of string. Pierce a large piece of popcorn with the
needle and slip to the middle of the string. Allow one string
for two players. Give one end to each of the players and
instruct them to eat their way to the popcorn. First there
wins a prize!

(I had to read this FOUR times and still don't quite understand. I'm guessing they are suppose to gather the string into their mouths until they reach the popcorn piece!)

On OFL I also have an article on Halloween party ideas from 1915. You can read it here: http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/halloween.html