A Recession Diet?

I was just reading an interesting article on New York Times on-line, the Recession Diet (link in blog title is working). It is about what people are doing to save money. They mention Save-A-Lot supermarkets which is where I shop. I did my shopping there yesterday and believe me the prices are going up. I commented about it to the cashier and she agreed that the increases were getting bad. My niece recently was promoted to assistant manager at Starbucks and her store has seen a slow down. At work (Wal-Mart) they have started cutting back every ones hours. From 40 hours to 35 and sometimes even less. They want cashiers to work only four hours shifts. This is leading to very long lines and disgruntled customers. I guess they figure there is no cheaper place to shop so they will just keep coming back anyway.

In keeping with this frugal attitude I found this ad from Van Camp's Pork and Beans (1974). This ad cracks me up because they are promoting pork and beans as an ingredient for a celebration meal. They have Hole-in-one Peppers, Good Report Card Cantonese, Baseball Muffins and Big Promotion beans. The only one that makes sense is New Car Casserole. After buying a new car you just might need to resort to a few bean meals.

The Big Promotion Beans is the silliest. Heaven help the day when we need to celebrate a promotion with this concoction.

Big Promotion Beans

In saucepan mix 31 0z. Van Camp's pork and beans, 33 0z. Stokley's Finest fruit cocktail (well drained), 1/4 cup Stokley's Finest catsup, 1/4 cup chopped green pepper, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon. Simmer on grill until warm. Serves 6 to 8.

Yes, there is almost equal proportion of beans to fruit cocktail, and with sweet spices. Yuk.

Chicken With Pineapple

This recipe is from another one of my odd recipe cards. It is labeled Marjon Promotions Inc. 1972. I only have three or four of them and haven't a clue what series they are from. This series had a suggested menu and a timed preparation schedule. The menu suggested was Chicken with Pineapple, Lettuce Wedges with dressing (way retro), Relish Tray, Hot Rolls and Marble pound cake It is a little different from the usual chicken and pineapple recipes as it is not a sweet and sour type dish.

Chicken With Pineapple

4 lbs chicken parts
1/2 cup flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
12 teaspoon pepper
1 14-1/2 oz. can sliced pineapple
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, sliced in rings
1 10-oz. package frozen peas
chicken bouillon
salt and pepper
Cut chicken into serving pieces and coat with a mixture of flour, salt and pepper. Drain pineapple slices, reserving juice. Heat butter in a heavy skillet and brown pineapple lightly on both sides. Remove from skillet. Add oil and cook onion rings until golden . Remove onion, then brown chicken in the same fat. Place chicken and onion in a casserole dish. Measure pineapple juice and add enough chicken bouillon to make 2 cups, pour over chicken, season with salt and pepper and bake for about 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. 20 minutes before serving add defrosted peas and pineapple slice. Makes 4-5 servings. May be made ahead and reheated.

What Mrs Dewey did with the New Jell-O!

What Mrs Dewey did with the New Jell-O is a little booklet from 1933. What Mrs Dewey did is told in in story form on the first three pages. She and her daughter Nancy are very excited that the strawberry jello in the new box is much prettier that the old jello and tastes more like fresh strawberries.

This is what she did with asparagus. I love asparagus but I sure wouldn't want it in Jello! If you look closely at the photo you can see the she went to the trouble of placing asparagus tips in the grooves of the mold. Maybe the eye ball effect was made with an especially large end of an asparagus spear.This is her recipe:

Fresh Asparagus Salad

1 package Lemon Jell-O
1 cup warm water
3/4 cup asparagus stock or water
3 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups asparagus, cooked and sliced
1 pimiento, chopped
Dissolve Jell-O in warm water. Add asparagus stock, vinegar, and salt. Chill When slightly thickened, fold in asparagus and pimiento. Turn into individual molds. Chill until firm. Unmold on crisp lettuce. Garnish with mayonnaise. Sprinkle with paprika. Serves 8.

This recipe might actually be very refreshing on a hot day.

Grapefruit and Grape Salad or Dessert

1 package Orange Jell-O
1 cup warm water
1 cup grapefruit juice and water
1 grapefruit, sections free from membrane, diced and drained
1 cup white grapes, halved and seeded
Dissolve Jell-O in warm water. Add grapefruit juice and water. Chill When slightly thickened, fold in grapefruit and graped. Turn into ring mold. Chill until firm. Unmold on crisp watercress and garnish with mayonnaise, or serve plain as dessert. Center may be filled with additional fruit, if desired. Serves 6.

Recipe cards make cooking Pepper Steak fun

I love how happy this woman looks. All because she can make dinner easy and enjoyable with her new recipe card set. Well I have quite a few recipe card sets and I really don't find making dinner enjoyable. Looking at my recipes yes, but actually cooking no. This ad was for an International recipe card club and I don't have any from this series.

This recipe is from a series called My Great Recipes. I have just a few of the cards. An interesting thing about this card is that it has directions to modify the recipe to serve 2 or 8.

Pepper Steak

1 lb. beef chuck or round, fat trimmed

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 clove garlic

1-1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ground

1/4 cup salad oil

1cup green onion, thinly sliced

1 cup read or green peppers cut into 1-inch squares

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup water

2 tomatoes, cut into wedges

With a very sharp knife cut beef across grain into thin strips, 1/8-inch thick. Combine soy sauce, garlic, ginger. Add beef. Toss and set aside while preparing vegetables

Heat oil in large frying pan or wok. Add beef and toss over high heat until browned. Taste meat. It it is not tender, cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes over low heat. Turn heat up and add vegetables. Toss until vegetables are tender crisp, about 10 minutes. Mix cornstarch with water. Add to pan; stir and cook until thickened. Add tomatoes and heat through. Serves 4.

Retro "Butterfly Gelatin Salad

This is a retro gelatin salad that is a little more appealing than some- no meat products involved. It is from a Best Foods Mayonnaise ad in the August 1965 issue of Family Circle Magazine. The copy says "Believe it or not, just an ordinary layer cake pan is all it takes to make this interesting salad shape." I have seen butterfly cut-up cakes made this way but never a salad.

"Butterfly" Gelatin Salad

2 cups boiling water

2 (3 ounce) packages lime gelatin

1 cup cold water

1 tablespoon vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dash pepper

3/4 cup Best Foods Real Mayonnaise

1/2 cup each shredded carrot, finely chopped radish, celery, and green pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

Pour boiling water over gelatin; stir until completely dissolved. Add cold water, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour 1 cup of the mixture into 9-inch layer cake pan. Set aside. Add Real Mayonnaise to remaining gelatin; blend with rotary beater. Pour into freezer tray. Chill in freezer until firm at edge, still soft in center, 30 minutes. Meanwhile, chill clear gelatin 10 minutes or until thickened. Turn mayonnaise mixture into bowl; whip with rotary beater until fluffy. Fold in vegetables. Spoon on top of clear gelatin. Place in refrigerator until set, 1 hour; Unmold onto moist cookie sheet. Cut in half. Using wide spatulas, lift to large plate; place rounded edges to center to form butterfly. Garnish as desired. 8 servings.