Vintage Recipes – Page 3 – nachounderpants.com (2024)

Okay, okay… I know I’ve been a little slack on the blogging as of late. It’s just that I’ve been a little busy lately with work and also getting ready for a big Halloween party this weekend. But, I realized that just because I’m busy, I should not use that as an excuse to let all three of my fans down!

So, in keeping with the topic at hand, please enjoy the cover of the Good Housekeeping Quick ‘N Easy Cookbook from 1958. It says right on the cover that it is “Time-Saver Dishes for Today’s Busy Woman” – and boy, those ladies must have been really f*cking busy to make some of the crap in this book.

Take, for instance, the “Can Opener Minestrone” on page 9 that is basically canned vegetable soup mixed with canned chicken noodle soup with parsley, garlic and a can of kidney beans. What does this take, five minutes to make? I would be pissed if I was away downtown working all day making a living for my lazy-ass wife who throws three cans of sh*t together in two minutes and serves it to me for dinner! WTF, June Cleaver?

I also love the cover photograph – I guess the art director was one of those busy, busy people who didn’t have time to select a proper photograph for this booklet because he had to get to the store and buy canned goods so his wife could make her famous minestrone soup. This looks like something strawberry Shortcake did after eating a McDonald’s Hash Brown and three coffees on the expressway. (You know what I’m talking about…) And, if you’re too busy not to be stupid, there are not one, but two props relating to the concept of time just in case you didn’t get it.

Brilliant.

Thanks to my other sister in law for the new addition to the collection!

What? First my net worth is half what it was two weeks ago – now Mother’s, makers of the delicious Animal Circus Cookies, is shutting its doors forever??? Say it ain’t so!

These were my favorite cookies as a kid – I don’t even like sweets, but I have always loved these cookies.It might have something to do with the fact that they contain lard and are about 200 calories per ounce. SO WHAT? They are f*ckING GOOD! Maybe Wells Fargo can come in and bail them out. We need our Circus Animal Cookies now more than ever!

*sigh* I think my childhood is officially dead.

These are some beautiful breasts!

Now that I got your attention, you know that I mean chicken breasts. Technically, Chicken Breasts Jeannette from the Gourmet Menu Cookbook circa 1969. Poached chicken, fois gras, chaud froid blanc (fancy word for milky jello sauce) and truffles. And, of course, you set the whole thing on top of a bed of unflavored gelatin.

This dish is said to only be served at high-end functions such as weddings, anniversaries and dinner parties. Oh, and at the vomitorium.

Well, how could I pass up posting beautiful glazed shrimp and fish sandwiches?

I couldn’t.

Courtesy of the General Foods Cookbook, 1960.

This li’l lady appears in the 1960General Foods Kitchens Cookbook, and frankly, she’s scaring the hell out of me! She looks as if she’s had some sort of lobotomy and is laughing hysterically at her frightening meal of, um… What’s up with those brains on a plat…. oh, wait. That’s spaghetti. I can see the directions say to boil the pasta for at least 2 hours until thoroughly cooked. And obviously this must be a picture of the famous Spaghetti and Meatpucks recipe… Meatballs areso 50s.

And, as anyone with a lobotomy will tell you – nothing goes better with Spaghetti and Meatpucks than canned Veg-All and vanilla pudding.

You so know she’s going to lick that hot grease when she’s donemaniacallylaughing.

This special dinner is brought to you by my friends at the General Foods Kitchens Cookbookcirca 1959. Officially it’s called the “Elegant Holiday Buffet for Twelve”, and includes a Decorated Baked Ham, Cherries Jubilee and Beef Stroganoff.

Yes, that green thing is the ham.

You know, I don’t really have a lot of commentary for this one – except it excites me somehow.

Courtesy of the 1953 Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Hello – welcome to the Aspics of Fliets of Sole. Yes, that’s the fancy-shmancy name for “Fish in Jello” from my Gourmet Cookbook Volume II – 1969.

WTF? Fish & Jello? Fish… and… jello? Wait for it… FISH and JELL-O!!!

Okay… I guess when you make this the only thing you can do to make it right is to make the jello in the shape of a fish.

* barf *

Behold this beautiful spread from the June Roth’s Fast & Fancy Cookbook, circa 1969. First question: Who the hell is June Roth? At first I thought she was some made-up happy housewife, like Betty Crocker or June Cleaver – but a quick Google search shows that she was indeed a real person, who, unfortunately died in 1990 at the age of 64. RIP June.

June’s Fast & Fancy cookbook promises us “Glamorous Gourmet Dishes from Inexpensive Quick-Fix Foods” right on the cover, and if by quick-fix foods she means using frozen potato products, then this book surely delivers! In fact, on the featured page above from the Seafood Section, June uses frozen potato products in three out of the four dishes, because you know nothing goes better with seafood than spuds!

Seen above (top clockwise) Baked Seafood Casserole (with frozen crinkle-cut fries), Broccoli Crab Divan (with no frozen potato products), Curried Quiche (with frozen french fries), Crab a la Parmentiere (with frozen tater tots)! I’m not sure, but I think June must have been from Idaho.

June may not be with us any more, but her legacy lives on!

(Thanks to my sister-in-law for adding this book to my collection.)

For Mother’s Day Supper a few weekends ago, I decided to honor my Mother-in-Law by making everything out of the 1956 Better Crocker Picture Cookbook. She is the Honorary Queen of 50s Cooking, as she still uses the same recipes today as she did when my husband was a kid in the 50s. Her recipes are all awesome and she kind of started my fascination with vintage recipes and cookbooks.

Here was the Menu:

• Sandwich Loaf
• Chicken Salad and Cranberry Chicken Salad with Toasted Bread Cups
• Roast Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Sauce
• Parker House Rolls
• Ring O’ Plenty with Creamed Vegetables
• Macaroni & Cheese Loaf (this was mainly for the kids)
• My Mom’s Waldorf Salad (can’t see in the picture)
• Spinach Saladwith Piquant Dressing

Also, my sister in law got in the spirit and asked me to pick a cake out of the book and she’d make it. So, we also had Bonnie Butter Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting.

The thing I noticed about all of these old recipes is the love of mayonnaise, mayonnaise and more mayonnaise. Everything had either tons of mayo, tons of celery or hard boiled eggs – or all three! (I went through two packages of celery alone.) How did everyone stay so thin back then eating all this stuff and we’re so fat today? (I’m back to the High Fructose Corn Syrup Theory.)

Anyway, if anyone wants any of the recipes, put it in the comments. Don’t let the bad photography fool you – everything tasted great – especially the cake.