dinner on tuesday night
The menu is: Cold cream of avocado soup; beef stew in red wine; mashed potatoes; quick-frozen green beans; French bread; honeydew melon with lime wedges; coffee.

1. Monday night: Buy: avocado, chicken broth, heavy cream, stew ing beef, "Instant" mashed potatoes, beans, honeydew and a lime.
While making Monday's dinner: prepare the stew and let it cook all evening. Make avocado soup and place, covered, in refrigerator to chill thoroughly. Put the beans in the coldest possible place (probably not in an ice tray, because you'll need all the ice). Put the honeydew where it will chill well. Before you go to bed, refrigerate the stew.
2.Tuesday morning: make bed and straighten house (unless the cleaning woman's coming). Make as much preparation for tonight as you can.
3.Tuesday on the way home: Buy flowers and French bread.
4.As soon as home:
a. Take stew from refrigerator and put into double boiler to heat.
b. Fill ice bucket and refill refrigerator trays.
c. Arrange flowers.
d. Set table, if not already done.
e. Cut melon, remove seeds, and return to refrigerator.
f. Get out all needed silver, china and glass,
g. Put salted water into pot for beans.
h. Get water, milk and butter ready for making potatoes.
i. Bathe and dress.
j. Light oven.
k. Prepare cocktails.
l. Fifteen minutes before dinner is to be served, while your guests are being happily occupied with cocktails, put the beans on to cook, make the mashed potatoes, and put the bread into the oven to heat. When beans are done, drain them and place the colander over hot water. Keep the potatoes ready, covered and in a warm place. Serve the soup. Now you're off to a good dinner!

your menus
That sample party schedule requires some explanation. For instance, you approach the matter of making a menu for a dinner party as any other host or hostess does (see Chapter V). You are, of course, limited by your budget, by your abilities as a cook, by the size of your apart­ment and by the time element. In small quarters, it is advisable not to have more than four at the table. Despite these difficulties, however, with careful planning and some imagination you can have a wonderful dinner party!

time-savers
Especially important to you are canned, packaged, or quick-frozen foods. You should make every possible use of them. If you want to make your table famous and appreciated, supply yourself with wine (red, white and sherry, perhaps Marsala and any others you want to experi­ment with in cooking). Use with discretion and a light hand. Herbs and spices, used with the same delicacy, can turn an ordinary dish into something quite special.