Ice Cream Sundae Cake © 1970

1 pkg. of devils food cake mix
3 pt. ice cream (coffee, strawberry or peppermint)
1 pkg. of white frosting mix
1/2 cup favorite ice cream sundae toppings
Chopped nuts

Bake cake mix in 2 round layer pans, 9x1 1/2", as directed on pkg. Cool. Split to make 4 layers.

Soften ice cream slightly. Working quickly, fill layers, spreading 1 pt. ice cream between each. Wrap side of cake in double thickness of aluminum foil; freeze 8 hr. or until firm.

Just before serving, prepare frosting mix as directed on pkg. Remove foil from cake; frost side and top of cake. Spoon topping over cake, allowing some to drizzle down side. Sprinkle with nuts.

Betty Crocker's Show-Off Desserts

Green Bean Slaw © 2004

1/2 pound fresh green beans
1/4 small onion, cut into thin strips (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup thin sweet red pepper strips
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into thin strips
2 1/2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar or other herb vinegar
2 tablespoons nonfat process cream cheese
1 tablespoon skim milk
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Wash beans; remove ends. Cook in boiling water 8 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Plunge into ice water to stop cooking process; drain.
Combine beans, onions, sweet red pepper, cucumbers; toss gently, and set aside.
Combine vinegar and next 5 ingredients, stirring until smooth. Pour dressing over bean mixture; toss gently. Cover and chill thoroughly before serving. Yield: 4 (1-cup) servings

Family Living: Hooray for Side Dishes

Tuna-Pasta Salad © 2004

I realize that his recipe and the book it came from can't be considered 'retro,' but this looked like a nice cool recipe, and since it's been in the 100's for weeks now, here in Texas, anything cool is okay by me! Plus, a friend of mine just sent me these recipe booklets (available at your local Dollar General for just $1!) and I wanted to share some of them.

6 ounces spinach or tricolored corkscrew noodles, uncooked
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup sweet yellow or orange green pepper strips
1/2 cup sliced ripe olives*
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 carrot, scraped and shredded
2 (6 1/2-ounce) cans chunk light tuna, drained and flaked
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 green onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 larger clove garlic, halved
Lettuce leaves

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain. Combine pasta and next 6 ingredients. Set aside.
Combine oil and remaining ingredients except lettuce leaves in an electric blender, and process until mixture is smooth.
Pour dressing over salad, and toss gently. Cover and chill at least 8 hours, stirring occasionally. Spoon salad over lettuce leaves, using a slotted spoon. Yield: 6 to 8 servings

*I prefer black olives, plus, I'm not sure why the recipe calls for 'light' tuna THEN calls for vegetable oil. It seems like you could just use the tuna in sunflower oil and add less vegetable oil. Kind of redundant...just an observation.

Family Living: Hooray for Salads

Homemakers Holiday Casserole © 1967

1 7-ounce package Creamettes (2 cups dry)
1 10 1/2-ounce can condensed cream style soup (mushroom, celery)
1 cup milk
1/4 pound processed Cheddar cheese, grated (1 cup)
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 12-ounce can luncheon meat, cut into 1/4-inch strips or cubes

Cook Creamettes according to general directions on package. Meanwhile, combine soup, milk and cheese. Heat slowly, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. Mix Creamettes, green pepper and luncheon meat in a 1 1/2-quart casserole. Add cheese sauce and blend well. Bake at 325ºF. about 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly. Makes 4 to 6 delicious servings.

Favorite Macaroni Recipes

Steak Supper in a Foil Package © 1970

1 1/2-lb chuck steak, 1" thick
1 can (10 1/2 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope (about 1 1/2 oz.) onion soup mix
3 medium carrots, quartered
2 stalks celery, cut into 2" pieces
2 to 3 medium potatoes, pared and quartered
2 tbsp. water



Heat oven to 450º. Place 24x18" piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil in baking pan; place meat on foil. Stir together mushroom soup and onion soup mix; spread over meat. Top with vegetables; sprinkle with water. Fold foil over; seal securely. Cook 1 1/2 hr. 4 servings.

Betty Crocker's Piggy Bank Casseroles

Pineapple Sherbet © 1960

2 1/2 cups crushed pineapple
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 egg whites
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon mint (optional)



Boil water, pineapple, juice and sugar for 3 minutes. Cool. Add fruit, egg whites, lemon juice, mint. Blend thoroughly and freeze.*

*Judging from similar recipes in the booklet, I think this should read, 'boil water and sugar for 3 minutes,' then adding the rest of the ingredients once cooled.

**To see more pictures & recipes from this booklet, click here!

It's Ice Cream Time!

Peach Marlow © 1939

2 quarter-pound packages (32) Campfire Marshmallows
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Place marshmallows and 2 tablespoons pineapple juice in saucepan. Heat slowly, folding over and over until marshmallows are half melted. Remove from heat and continue folding until mixture is smooth and fluffy. Allow to cool, then blend in the pineapple and lemon juice.

Fold in the cream, pour into tray of automatic refrigerator and freeze without stirring. Serves 6.

Make Mine With Marshmallows! Marcia Camp's Modern Recipes

Ruby Jewel Bars (A cake-like cooky)

1/3 cup Jewel Oil*
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup drained, crushed pineapple
1/4 cup sliced maraschino cherries
1 cup sifted flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup blanched almonds, chopped
Powdered sugar



Pour Jewel Oil, brown sugar, crushed pineapple, and cherries into a bowl. Blend. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Add egg and vanilla. Beat well. Add nuts and stir lightly to combine. Pour into 9 inch square pan (bottom brushed with Jewel Oil). Bake in a moderate oven (350º F.) about 30 minutes. Cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into bars. Yield: 18 bars (1 1/2 by 3 inches)

*Jewel was the name brand of a vegetable oil that is no longer in production.

Party Jewels

Shirley Temple's French Chocolate Balls © 1953

2 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tbs. flour
2 cups milk
3 1/2 lbs. sweet chocolate*
This is not milk chocolate, but German Sweet Chocolate

Mix flour and sugar in the upper part of a double boiler, add egg yolks and beat well. Put the egg mixture over hot water, and add 1/4 of it to the remainder of the hot milk, stirring until thick. Remove from the fire and cool. Melt the sweet chocolate over hot water, and add to the custard mixture then let stand aside and cool and set. Roll into small balls and roll in grated sweet chocolate, grated bitter chocolate, cocoanut, nut meats or powdered sugar whichever is preferred.

Stars in the Kitchen

Bob Hope's Lemon Pie © 1953

1 cup sugar
2 1/3 tbs. corn starch
1 cup boiling water
Scant 1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tbs. butter
2 eggs
Pinch of salt
Grated rind of 1/2 lemon

Combine corn starch and add sugar and water slowly, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth. Add slighlty beaten egg yolks, butter, rind and juice and salt. Cook 2-3 minutes. Pour into baked shell. Cover with meringue made of egg whites and 2 1/2 tbs. sugar. Bake in slow oven 15 minutes, or until light brown. (3 eggs mackes it richer.)

Stars in the Kitchen

Alfred Hitchcock's Quiche Lorraine © 1953

Make a paste as follows: Sift 1 1/2 cups pastry flour with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Work into with the finger tips 1 bar of salt butter (1/4 lb). Moisten with 4 tablespoonfuls of ice water to hold it together. Make a smooth ball of it, wrap in waxed paper and place in refrigerator for half an hour or so before rolling it out on a lightly floured board. Line a large tart or pie tin with it, trim the edges and crimp them. Prick the surface with a fork and place in refrigerator while you prepare the following ingredients. (Set your oven at 450º and light it.)

Grate Swiss cheese until you have one cup of it. Fry a dozen strips of bacon until crisp, but don't overcook it. Break or cut into small pieces.

Break four whole eggs into a bowl and add them to 2 cups of cream (thick or thin), a pinch of nutmeg, a pinch of sugar, three quarters teaspoon of salt, a big pinch of cayenne pepper and plenty of ground pepper. Beat with rotary beater just long enough to mix thoroughly.

Now rub a little soft butter over the surface of the pastry and sprinkle the bacon over the bottom, sprinkle the cheese over the bacon and pour the egg mixture over all. Place in preheated oven and bake 10 to 15 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 300º and continue cooking until an inserted knife comes out clean, showing the custard has set (about 25 to 30 minutes). If it is not a light golden brown on top, lace under a hot grill for a second before serving piping hot.

*To save time, you can bypass making the crust from scratch and purchase a premade crust, brushing it with melted butter.

Stars in the Kitchen

Joan Crawford's Cheese and Bean Casserole © 1953

Melt in a chafing dish 4 large cups grated American cheese. Stir until melted. Add 5 large cans of kidney beans, already heated, and 1 cup of diced peppers, fresh and uncooked. Add tabasco to taste. Serve extremely hot.
*I don't necessarily think this combo sounds bad, but it's just such a half-ass recipe for someone like Joan Crawford to pull outta her ass for a recipe book that's actually being published and has the potential to be seen by a lot of people. It'd be like Greta Garbo giving her recipe for s'mores.

Stars in the Kitchen

Tyrone Power's Bel-Air Avocado Surprise © 1953

1 avocado
3 tbs. cottage cheese
1 tbs. chopped nuts
1 tbs. minced olives
1 tbs. minced chives
Cut the avocado in half and remove pit. Peel carefully so as not to mash. Mix cheese with nuts, olives, choves and fill center of pear. Put halves together, wrapped in wax paper, and place in refrigerator to chill for several hours. To serve cut in thick slices crosswise, place on lettuce and cover with French dressing.

Stars in the Kitchen