Peanut-Butter 'N' Bacon Sandwiches (1974) from McCall's Family-Style Cook Book

Happy National Peanut Butter Day! You'd think a Peanut Butter and Bacon Sandwich would be pretty straightforward. But the folks at McCall's clearly take their sandwiches very seriously.

"The lunch you carry can, and should, be as appealing and satisfying as the lunch you eat at home. And if you pack a lunch for a school child, a calorie-conscious teenager, an office worker, or a husband with a man-size job and a man-size appetite, you'll find our menus and recipes not only nutritious, but highlighted with those little extras that children and grown-ups appreciate. So go ahead — prove that ... you CAN take it with you ..."

Here's a recipe and menu from 'McCall's Family-Style Cook Book' (1974). Click picture for full-size image. — Dan Taylor

Popcorn Lollipops (1974) from McCall's Book of Merry Eating

It's National Popcorn Day! Why not calm those pre-game jitters by making some Popcorn Lollipops, courtesy of 'McCall's Book of Merry Eating' (1974). 

Sour Cream Pancakes from McCall's Home-Baked Breads (1974)

When Ryan was little, we always made pancakes on snow days. With Winter Storm Blair headed our way, I thought it would be a good time to pull out a pancake recipe in case school is closed tomorrow. Bonus points for the use of sour cream!

From 'McCall's Home-Baked Breads' (1974).

WIENER WEDNESDAY: Microwave Hot Dogs (Date Unknown)

WIENER WEDNESDAY: Microwave Week rolls on into everybody’s favorite day, Wiener Wednesday. But I must admit. Microwave cookbooks lack imagination in two areas: titles and wiener recipes. The three books sitting on my desk are ‘Microwave Magic’, ‘More Microwave Magic’, and the source of today’s “recipe”, ‘Magic of Microwave Cookbook,’ which appears to have accompanied an MCD microwave (whatever that is). It’s literally not magic, people—the food is cooked by high frequency radio waves, like an AM/FM radio or CB. And when it comes to hot dogs, franks, and wieners, there’s a similar dearth of imagination. Oh sure, you can tell me how to whip up Turkey Italienne or $5,000 Fiesta Chicken Kiev, but the extent of their hot dog “magic” is pretty much summed up by today’s instructions: wrap your wiener in a paper towel and cook for 30 seconds. Click picture for full-size image.

#wienerwednesday #microwaveweek #vintagerecipes #microwaverecipes #vintagecookbooks #microwaves #kitsch

TACO TUESDAY: Nutty Taco Salad (Date Unknown)

TACO TUESDAY: Microwave Week Continues! Are you one of the “many people” who bought a microwave oven just to have an “expensive toy”? For shame! The microwave is an “asset” to your kitchen! In fact, the fine folks at the Oklahoma Peanut Commission thought so highly of the marvelous microwave that they produced ‘Microwave Magic’ (date unknown), a 32-page recipe booklet of nothing but microwave recipes featuring—you guessed it—peanuts. From Chicken Peanut Casserole and Peanut Tea Ring to Peanut Surprise and Aunt Jean’s Poppycock, if it has peanuts in it and you can microwave it, well, it’s probably in here. But since today is Taco Tuesday, I figured I’d share Nutty Taco Salad, which features microwaved ground beef and taco seasoning mixed with peanut butter and topped with lettuce, tomatoes and cheddar cheese. Click picture for full-size image.

#tacotuesday #microwaveweek #microwaverecipes #recipes #peanutrecipes #tacosalad #vintagecookbooks #vintagerecipes #peanuts #peanutbutter

MICROWAVE MONDAY: English Reubens (1990)

MICROWAVE MONDAY: As methods for warming up sandwiches go, the microwave is right up there with setting it on the hood of a warm car. This recipe from 'More Microwave Magic' (Modern Publishing, 1990, edited by Wendy Lazor) turns a plain old Reuben into a trip to the United Kingdom by swapping in (checks notes) English Muffins. Once can only imagine the soggy mess that results from nuking untoasted English Muffin halves, dressing and kraut. Click picture for full-size image.

#reubensandwich #reuben #microwavemonday #microwaveweek #sandwiches #sandwichrecipes #vintage #vintagerecipes #vintagecookbooks #kitsch

FISH FRIDAY: Molded Tuna Salad (1940)

FISH FRIDAY: "Conjure this molded tuna salad out of your refrigerator when guests are hungry," suggests Frances Troy Northcross in '250 Fish And Sea Food Recipes' (Culinary Arts Institute, 1940). Click picture for full-size image. 

#tuna #tunarecipes #molded #vintage #vintagerecipes #vintagecookbooks #kitsch #culinaryarts

THIRSTY THURSDAY: Delicious Ways to Use Merito Rum (1944)

THIRSTY THURSDAY: It’s spring in Maryland and that can mean anything from temperatures in the 40s to temperatures in the 80s—sometimes in the same day! But with the trees and flowers blooming, lawns green and lush from the rain, and the smell of mulch wafting through the air, thoughts turn to drinks on the patio. And why not make your next Manhattan or Old Fashioned with rum, “the most versatile of liquors” according to our friends at Merito Rum in their delightful booklet, ’40 Delicious Ways to Use Merito Rum’ (1944). Popular during the period of the 1940s-1960s, Merito is no longer made but some suggest using 86 proof Ron Canita Alambique Rum as a substitute. Click picture ofr full-size image.

#thirstythursdays #rum #rumrecipes #rumcocktails #vintage #vintagecookbooks #vintagecocktails #kitsch

WIENER WEDNESDAY: Three Favorites from '80 Favorites' (1963)

WIENER WEDNESDAY – Listen, I know how you’re feeling. Sometimes the alarm goes off on Wiener Wednesday and you’re totally conflicted. You grew up thinking Wednesday was Prince Spaghetti Day, so you crave something that speaks to your inner Italian. But what if you missed Taco Tuesday and you really want to make up for it? Then again, you’re 100% red-blooded American, and you need to feed all that. Don’t fret. Our friends at Oscar Meyer have a trifecta of Italiano-Mexicali-‘Mercan wiener meals courtesy of ’80 Favorites’ (1963) to feed whatever cuisine wants to reign supreme. Choose from Pizza Wieners featuring something called “wiener wagon buns”, Mexicali Wiener Supper complete with the cornerstones of South of the Border cuisine like thyme and grated process American cheese, or a Chip ‘n Cheese Wieners recipe that has you stuffing slit wieners with a mixture of cheese, potato chips, catsup, minced onion and Worcestershire. Click picture for full-size image.

#wienerwednesday #hotdogs #hotdogrecipes #italianfood #mexicanfood #vintagecookbooks #oscarmayer #vintagerecipes #kitsch #vintage

TACO TUESDAY: Tacos from McCall's Family Style Cookbook (1965)

TACO TUESDAY — Remember that old kids game "Telephone" where you'd whisper a phrase down the line and then compare the original to what the last person heard? That's the vibe I get from this "Tacos" recipe out of 'McCall's Family Style Cook Book' (1965). It's as if the Estradas down the street went to Tijuana, and when they came back told the Smiths all about these great "tacos" they had with "tortillas, tomatoes, ground beef and shredded cheese." By the time the Hendersons got the idea to make them for Saturday night dinner they're throwing in sausage meat and grated Parm, rolling up canned tortillas (?!) and baking the whole thing like enchiladas. Click image for full-size picture.

#tacotuesday #tacorecipes #vintagerecipes #vintagecookbooks #retro #kitsch

Microwave Monday - Ham & Pineapple Kabobs (1987)

MICROWAVE MONDAY – My friends, the microwave is not limited to reheating last night’s leftovers! Just ask the people behind ‘The Fabulous Microwave Cookbook’ (1987, Greentree Marketing). This ambitious, 48-page dining dynamo is designed for you to “kick off your shoes and have some fun for a change!” Editor Kelly McCoy pulls together not one, not two, but eight (!) unique menus for everything from a romantic French date night (“ship the kids off to Grandma’s”) and a Maine Micro Fest (complete with microwaved Lobsta Tails) to a Chic Last-Minute Cocktail Party featuring (checks notes) Nachos and Pigs-in-a-Blanket. Tres chic, indeed! I’ve selected a couple dishes from the Microwave Luau so you can “transport family and friends to the South Seas for the evening.” So, break out those Don Ho records, put on your best moo-moo, and fire up that microwave! Click picture for full-size image.

#MicrowaveMonday #vintagerecipes #vintagecookbooks #hawaiianfood #hawaiiancuisine

Irish Cocktail from Just Cocktails (1939) by WC Whitfield

Happy St. Patrick's Day! There’s plenty of Irish-themed drink recipes out there. But I did a little digging through the collection and found my copy of ‘Just Cocktails’ (Published by The Three Mountaineers, Inc., 1939, Compiled and Edited by W.C. Whitfield, Decorations by Tad Shell), a wood-bound, hand-stitched collection of drinks published in Asheville, NC. The “Irish” comes from the “Cocktails of the ‘Gay Nineties’” section, which the author proposes “will be of particular interest to the younger set, who are eternally being reminded of the ‘good old days’ before Prohibition.” Now that’s an old recipe book. But “remember, these cocktails were the vogue long before Prohibition, so when a recipe calls for a jigger it means two full ounces.” Enjoy the obligatory cliche Irish illustration of a guy in a bowler smoking a cigar while he impatiently taps his feet. Probably late for a brawl. Click picture for full size image.

#cocktails #cocktailrecipes #whiskey #whiskeyrecipes

Wiener Wednesday: Bavarian Wiener Bake (1969)

WIENER WEDNESDAY: As soon as I saw the word "Bavarian" in the title I knew we were getting a) caraway seeds, and b) sauerkraut. Was not expecting the Cream of Mushroom Soup and mayo. From 'Shortcut Cooking' (Meredith Corporation, 1969), though I don't know what's so "shortcut" about this. Click image for full size picture. — Dan Taylor

#wiener #wienerwednesday #hotdogrecipes #hotdogs #vintage #vintagerecipes

Taco Tuesday - 250 Tasty Snacks: Ideas for Entertaining' (1971, Culinary Arts Institute)

TACO TUESDAY: When you really want to have some tacos made with (checks notes) "frozen or canned tortillas" with a plate of pears, avocado, orange sections and assorted olives. Don't use more than a few drops of Tabasco! From '250 Tasty Snacks: Ideas for Entertaining' (1971, Culinary Arts Institute). Click image for full size picture.

#tacos #tacotuesday #tacotuesdayvibes #recipes #vintagerecipes

Ham Cornucopias from Treasured Recipes of the Old South (1941)

Gosh darn-it, Mrs. Marie Kimball. I know you’re “an authority on early American documents, architecture, glass and Colonial furniture,” but why do you always have to take things too far? Your recipe for Ham Cornucopias starts off so well. We’ve got your thinly sliced deli ham (though it looks a tad thick), we’ve got your small pickles—representing the spike of the lily, of course—and then you have to ruin it by throwing in the gelatin mold featuring mayo and vegetable salad, not to mention the dang aspic jelly cubes as garnish. I’m nothing if not a gallant gentleman, but can’t we just have some deli ham slathered in cream cheese wrapped around a hunk of dill? To say ‘Treasured Recipes of the Old South’ (John Morrell & Co., 1941) is problematic is an understatement. And I'll leave it at that. Click picture for full size image. — Dan Taylor

#vintagecookbooks #southernrecipes #vintagerecipes #recipeoftheday

Frankfurters Go "High Hat" in Economy Salad from PET Milk Company (1939)

Mary Lee Taylor of the Pet Milk Experimental Kitchen makes a return appearance ... for a couple reasons. First, the holidays are coming up and we could all use a few extra pennies in our pockets. Second, I’m almost finished reading ‘Raw Dog’ by Jamie Loftus, so I’ve got frankfurters, wieners, and hot dogs dancing through my head. Granted, it was tough to pass up the “most unusual and delicious sauce” touted in the Salmon Casserole recipe, but when you introduce the Economy Salad recipe by saying “Frankfurters go ‘high hat’…”, I’m like putty in your hands. Click image for full size picture. (‘Delicious Wholesome Meals for 2 or 4 or 6’, Pet Milk Company, 1939). — Dan Taylor

#vintage #vintagerecipes #hotdogs #frankfurters #vintagecookbooks

Happy Veterans Day! Fried Liver Fingers (1966)

My uncles—Mike, Charlie, and Dan—are veterans of WWII and all made it home to live long lives. To them, and all who served, I say, “thank you for your service” and wish a Happy Veterans Day. (Insert awkward transition) That said, here’s some treats from ‘Dare to Excel in Cooking: Award Winning Group Recipes of USS Semmes (DDG-18)’. The Semmes, a Charles F. Adams-class destroyer which entered service in 1962, was the winner of the 1966 Ney Award for the “outstanding small mess afloat”. I’m not sure if the Fried Liver Fingers or Oysters Jambalaya helped secure the award, but here they are for the next time you have 20+ of your closest friends headed over. Oh, and the wonderful illustrations around the edges are courtesy of the Navy-Marine Corps Recipe Service and can be found throughout ‘Dare to Excel in Cooking’ (by Darrell Miles [LT, (SC), USN] and William Bigley [CS1, USN], 1966). Finally, a few words about the recipes contained in the cookbook from David F. Emerson, Commanding Officer of the USS SEMMES (whom I picture looks like Tom Atkins in LETHAL WEAPON): “Please note that the recipes are for food for strong young Americans who work in the open air; there are no dainty items here to divert a Continental palate”. (Click image for full size picture)— Dan Taylor

#vintage #recipes #cookbooks #neyaward #usssemmes #vintagerecipes #armedforces #vintagecookbooks

Spicy Wieners 'n Rice (1963)

Oscar Mayer might be “Specialists in sausage and smoked meats since 1883” but they’re also one of the titans of the recipe pamphlet. Our collection seemingly includes as many varieties of cookbooks and pamphlets from the “wurstmachers” at Oscar Mayer (now owned by Kraft Heinz) as the offerings from these sausage wizards. And this 1963 booklet celebrating their 80th anniversary is a fine example. Touting “80 recipes and suggestions, developed in the Oscar Meyer test kitchens”, this 48-pager features full-color photos and stylish illustrations highlighting everything from Wiener Spinach Casserole and Liver Sausage Peanut Buns to Liver Sausage Pickle Dip and Pumpkin-Hollow Dip (shhhh, the secret ingredient is liver sausage). Admittedly, it was hard to choose something to highlight but I know how you folks like to add a little spice to your life, so here’s something called Spicy Wieners ‘n Rice with a bonus recipe for Wiener Mashed Potato Pie. Click image for full size picture. (’80 Favorites’, Oscar Mayer, 1963) — Dan Taylor

#vintagerecipes #vintagecookbooks #oscarmayer #hotdogrecipes #retrorecipes

Man-Dazzlin Coconut Dream Cake (1948)

Alright, ladies! Got a man that needs “dazzlin”? Check out this lacy gold-and-white Ambrosia Cake featuring Swans Down Cake Flour and Baker’s Coconut. Complicated? Not a bit! You’ll have plenty of time to darn some socks, wash the kitchen floor, and get yourself all dolled up before your man comes home. Click image for full size picture. (General Foods, 1948) – Dan Taylor

#vintage #recipes #vintagerecipes #cakerecipes #coconutcakes

Pickled Fresh Tongue (1973)

Laissez les bon temps rouler! I know that when I think "New Orleans cookery" the first thing that comes to mind is Pickled Fresh Tongue and/or whatever the hell that is on the cover. From 'The New Orleans Cookbook' published by the Culinary Arts Institute, 1973. Click picture for full size image. – Dan Taylor

#cookbook #vintage #vintagerecipes #neworleans #vintagecookbook #recipes #retro