The other day I sat down with my grandma's old Betty Crocker cookbook. Just for a few minutes. Over an hour later, I couldn't put it down! Published in 1957, this book is a real time capsule filled with things that made me laugh, literally out loud. By the time I finished reading some of the snippets to my husband, I had no mascara left . . .
I don't think I've ever thought of appetizers this way . . . nor have I ever considered serving any of THESE, at least not to people I like.
The names alone - seriously?! And I'll bet if I served Herring-Appleteasers at MY next party, my guests would describe them as more than just "different". Even those "decorative bowls" couldn't make me eat Sardine Spread.
Brains? Yeah, I guess I'm NEVER going to know how good they are because I'm NEVER going to try them. But maybe the secret is in remembering to remove that membrane just before using.
But wait . . . there's MORE! Who would consider serving just plain, old brains when you can serve BREADED brains? I know they say that butter makes everything taste better but I have my doubts in this case.
Boy oh boy. I bet Myrna Johnston's neighbors all hoped THIS would be the summer they were invited over for some of that spiced tongue served in her garden!
But before you serve up these tasty delights, you'll want to make sure you've planned well for your party:
So let's see:
1. Dig out my light heart and happy frame of mind.
2. Go out and find a wild strawberry from the nearby meadow.
3. Figure out if my apartment, house or cottage includes help. (Does the dog cleaning up food I drop count?)
4. Do I have to make any preliminary preparation because of activities away from home? Wait. She was ALLOWED activities away from home??
5. Find friends who "mix well".
6. Recruit a surprise guest with some special talent or conversational skill or my party will be a bust.
7. Plan for that SHORT period of relaxation or rest before my guests arrive. Notice the word "short". Because heaven knows with everything else I'm supposed to do for this dinner party, there won't be time for much more THAN a short period of relaxation.
Now thank goodness Betty thoughtfully includes these "special helps" because no one, and I mean NO ONE wants to shirk on their household chores.
Fasten your seatbelts . . . it's a wild ride!
I'm guessing my yoga pants and fuzzy slippers don't count?
Don't be a sloth and JUST clean and cook. Use that brain of yours to plan all of the family outings and that garden you're going to have to work all summer.
FINALLY, something to lighten my load.
Because it's not enough that you planned dinner with a light and happy heart, foraged for a wild strawberry, realized that YOU are the only 'help' in your house/apartment/cottage, made sure at least ONE person you've invited has a special talent and took only a SHORT moment to relax. Now you better make sure that you have humorous and interesting incidents to relate like the neighbor's cat being stuck in a tree??
Prevent unnecessary fatigue?? I'm thinking eliminate 90% of all the other stuff and you won't need to have a dust mop and a long-handled dust pan OR a self-wringing mop to prevent fatigue.
HOWEVER, on the off chance that the long-handled dust pan and self-wringing mop don't eliminate your fatigue, lay down on the floor. Not a soft couch or comfy bed. And of course, no more than 3-5 minutes you lazy bum.
And I DO mean JUST a MOMENT. For just a moment you can do this. However, I'm pretty sure that the arms, hands and head falling limp are an indication that you surely MUST not have been wearing comfy shoes or been thinking happy thoughts or remembered to buy that long-handled dust pan and self-wringing mop. Shame on you.
Aside from all of the humor, I DID find some really great recipes. I made this Lemon Cake Pudding last night and oh my . . . it is SO good!
I adapted it by subbing Monkfruit sweetener for the sugar and almond milk for the regular milk. I've been following Weight Watchers for 8 months and have lost 48 pounds so I'm always looking for great recipes that I can 'adapt' to my new lifestyle.
The lemon cake pudding was delicious warm. Tonight I had it cold from the refrigerator and I think it was even better! With fat-free Redi Whip it was a one point dessert - Yum! There are other variations in the cookbook using different fruits/flavors that I plan to try as well.
I enjoyed (and am still enjoying!) this peek into the past and will be sharing more of the recipes soon!
