Dear P.D.: A tailgate party is when a group of athletic guys and gals get together and either listen to an American football game or they play it. After the game, still enjoying the fun of it, they get out the picnic baskets, spread a tablecloth on the tailgate of their pick-ups, and have a party. Here are a couple of tailgate salads just ready for your picnic.

*** TAILGATE MACARONI AND TUNA 8 oz. elbow macaroni 1 cup mayonnaise 1 cup each tomatoes and green peppers, chopped 1 cup finely chopped onion 1 5-oz. can tuna, drained 1 cup vegetable oil Salt and pepper to taste Mix all ingredients together and chill.

*** TAILGATE POTATO SALAD 5 cups cooked potatoes, cubed 1 cup minced onion 1 cup chopped Spanish olives 2 tbsp. sweet relish 2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped 3 tbsp. vegetable oil 1 cup mayonnaise Sprinkle oil over potatoes in a large bowl. Toss. Add other ingredients and mix well. Chill.

When taking salads to a picnic be sure you chill them for several hours in the refrigerator and transport them in a cooler packed with ice.

Dear Miss d'Arcy: How long would I bake a potato so it is soft on the inside but the skin is nice and crisp? -- A.S., Smith's.

Dear A.S.: Scrub potatoes very well, especially if you plan to eat the skins.

Pierce the skins with a sharp knife all over. Bake for one hour at 400 degrees F. Potatoes should be soft and fluffy inside and the skins firm. If you want a very crisp skin, rub potatoes with a little oil after piercing the skin. Place oiled potatoes on a baking pan or cookie sheet.

Dear Miss d'Arcy: Does spaghetti squash really taste like spaghetti? Can I put spaghetti sauce on it? -- A.M., Hamilton.

Dear A.M.: Spaghetti squash gets its name from its flesh, which resembles spaghetti when cooked. It doesn't taste like spaghetti, mind you, but is a different vegetable so far as looks are concerned.

The way I prepare it is to cut it in half lengthwise and discard all seeds.

Place the halves, cut side down, on a cookie sheet. Prick the skins all over.

Bake for one hour in a 375 degree F. oven. Remove and turn halves over so cut side is up. Run a fork over the flesh like a rake. It will look like spaghetti. I like to serve it with margarine and garlic powder. You may want to try it with some spaghetti sauce, but remember: it won't taste like spaghetti.

Dear Miss d'Arcy: You had a lovely tea party recipe in one of your columns.

Can you give me something to serve at a children's party? -- G.A., Somerset.

Dear G.A.: How about a children's party without a cake but which still opens little eyes wide in surprise? Try this: DIRT AND WORMS 4 cups cold milk 2 pkgs. instant chocolate pudding mix 2 8-oz. containers whipped topping 2 16-oz. chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed and divided in half gummy-type candy worms and bugs silk flowers 10-12 10-oz. plastic buckets Pour milk into a large bowl and add pudding mix. Beat with a mixer or with a wire whisk until well blended. Let pudding stand, then stir in whipped topping and half the crushed cookies very gently until blended and all the same colour. Fill buckets about 3 full with pudding mix. Top each bucket with remainder of crushed cookies. Chill until set, about 11 to 2 hours. Garnish with silk flowers, gummy worms and bugs. And please remember to tell the children that the flowers aren't edible! *** COOKIE CUTTER SANDWICHES 30 slices bread Strawberry jam Smooth peanut butter mini marshmallows raisins chocolate chips With a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out 30 circles from the bread. Save trimmings and make into bread crumbs. Spread 15 rounds with jam and 15 rounds with smooth peanut butter. Put the rounds together with the peanut butter side up.

Decorate tops with raisins, chocolate chips and marshmallows.

Dear Readers: When serving the meals you have worked so hard to prepare, don't expect automatic praise from your family. Work to create eye-appeal at the table too. Arrange the food attractively on the dinner plates, or use pretty serving dishes. Set the table nicely, including napkins and a simple arrangement of fresh flowers or leaves from the garden.