Mouthwatering...

I thought after yesterday's post about my discouraging body image, I would post some brand new wonderful finds on the Vintage Cookbook front (maybe explaining exactly why I don't look like a stick figure...well, a stick figure with muscles now that I'm at the gym every day...) (HA! Gotcha'...I've never actually used a recipe from any of my little vintage books...but, I shall remedy that soon...)

This little stack came to me from a good friend and book dealer in town...and I was giggling and clapping my hands and doing the Happy Dance of Vintage Cookbooks (there is one you know...perhaps I shall post it on YouTube one day...)

Now, we've got the Knox Gelatin Eat and Reduce Plan (1952) Which has come at the perfect time (considering the content of yesterday's post) not only does it have several aspic and mold recipes, but it comes with a Gelatin "Eat-And-Reduce plan menus...mmmm, gelatin. There is also a Table of Desired Weight in the back (for adults in normal health at age 25 or over with shoes on and light clothing...no need to be nakey in the 50's) I'm a bit over on their chart...gulp. Well, I'm sure it's not anything a whole bunch of gelatin can't fix...although, there is a recipe using Whipped Evaporated Milk as a topping for dessert...I can't imagine that being low fat...and did you see how nice this lady's husband is standing next to the scale and weighing her? And her little girl? Waving them both over to the "Eat and Reduce Plan" how thoughtful, "Daddy? Has mommy turned into a whale while she was cleaning your house, washing your clothes, making your meals and raising your kids? Well..." The minute my dear darling husband decided it would be a fun family activity to put me on a scale may result in gelatin being used to starch his undies...

Quaker Surprise Recipes with such classics as Deep Sea Timbales, Glazed Ham Balls, Year Round Fruit Cake (because just once a year isn't enough) and, "Surprise Honey!! I've made Broiled Humdingers for dinner!!" You'll be happy to know, that Mary Alden, Director of Home Economics at The Quaker Oat Company says, "How Amazing!..." about the entire Quaker Oat thing...I'm just amazed that there's a Home Economics department at Quaker Oats...

The Twelve Dream Dishes from General Foods Minute Rice "Yours-For Delightful Class Luncheons" is actually a little folder containing more than 12 separate sheets of recipes...it is delightful in every way, and totally different since it's not necessarily in book form, but rather, recipe card form...swoon.

Miss Dine About Town "Marvelous Meals With Minute Rice" (1938) Look at her intense yet earnest face, leaning in to the person she's lunching with to tell them the wonder that is Minute Tapioca...the girl who claims not to be a cook but rather a girl who's lucky enough to be invited to a lot of interesting places, to eat a lot of interesting food. (I'm not bragging-I'm just amazed and thankful, every day of my life, at my luck!) Yeah...I'm thinking you might be single to0 girlie...otherwise how could you write a cookbook in between your household chores and taking care of your family? (and you may want to get cracking on the family thing...we wouldn't want you to end up a spinster) The Red Plum Puff Pudding looks interesting...or maybe the Chantilly Orange Tapioca?

Mealtime Marvels with Margarine...Look at that chefs face will you? He is very excited about margarine, and well...who wouldn't be? With Menus for every occasion tucked inside:

• Dad and His Cronies Enjoy a Snack (cronies, eh?)
• Teen Ager's Coke Party (margarine and Coke...there's an interesting combo...oh wait...theres a suggestion for cottage cheese and chives...every teen ager's favorite!)
• Supper When the Budget's Low (with grilled canned luncheon meat and a slab of margarine)
• Your Turn at Church Supper (with clover leaf rolls...)

19 Wonderful Coffee Recipes (1951) Sponsored by Maxwell House Instant Coffee...With such crowd pleasers as: Coffee Eggnog sundae, Coffee Dream Puffs, Chocolate Chip Coffee Fudge, and did you know you could just sprinkle the Instant Maxwell House Coffee lightly over ice cream for a quick coffee sundae? I wonder if it works with decaf too? Rich...get the instant decaf ready I'm coming over for dessert...

Coconut Glamour Desserts (1949) Chock full of Coconut Quickies! (titter) I think actually though, all these recipes look wonderful...Plus? There's a macaroon recipe in here that I may have to try...

And my current favorite from this stack? Chiquita Banana's Recipe Book (1950) Who knew that you could have a 24 page recipe book centered around bananas? Well, it also has a lot of good tips on selecting the perfect banana...and some pretty fabu recipes...Including a Peanut and Banana salad, with a picture of a cut banana with peanuts sprinkled over it (I kid you not...now that's a time saver in the kitchen if I ever saw one) there's also a Banana Melon Ball Salad (again, halved bananas with melon balls on them...)

This particular cook book starts looking a little phallic at some point, and Rich turned bright red when I showed him the Banana Pineapple Salad...Picture a peeled banana inserted into the middle of 2 slices of pineapple...Rich is always good for a blush...unfortunately he's allergic to bananas, which is sad because there's a recipe Ham Banana Rolls...

Oh...how I love these books. I think, for your pleasure (and mine) I will haul them out the next time my mom comes over and have her help me choose recipes for me to make, and I shall let you vote on which ones...How does that sound? I mean, I can hardly keep collecting these things and not using them for what they're intended for...just oogling them, waiting for my husband to come home so I can whip off my apron, grab his slippers and make him a drink...