Delightful ideas for spring entertaining

When you sell vintage cookbooks, you are duty-bound to sit down and go through them page by page to make sure they aren't damaged and stained. This can take a few minutes, or a few hours, depending upon how much you like to look through cookbooks.

I like looking through cookbooks quite a lot. Especially ones that remind me of childhood birthdays. The decorations on this cake were made by rolling gumdrops flat, then cutting them out with cookie cutters.

Timely suggestions for a salute to St. Patrick's Day. We always have corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick's Day, but I've never really thought of apple pie as especially Irish. Did you make a pie for Pi Day (3-14) yesterday? I did. Key Lime. It doesn't need to be Pi Day to make pie, you know.

I wish I'd had this cookbook when I was planning my parents' 50th wedding anniversary party a few years ago. I like almost nothing more than a nice bowl of punch. I looked high and low for a punch recipe for that party, but I could not find one I liked. It didn't occur to me to look in a cookbook from the 1950s and 60s. This book has so many punch recipes I could throw a party every month and not repeat beverages.

These cookbooks had a peculiar fascination with anything served at Neiman-Marcus, the epitome of ladies-who-lunch cuisine. I never ate at a Neiman-Marcus, but I have many fond memories of eating lunch with my mom and grandmother at department-store restaurants.

If you'd like to create the experience, here's a recipe you could try. I think it's unlikely I'll make any baked-Alaska-in-a-flowerpot kinds of desserts, but the straw as a stem for a fresh flower? Genius. 

 

 

Comments

[Sunny Simple Life]

How I love the simpler days in those pictures. Things you could make at home. Love those old cookbooks.

[Lynn at Cottage and Creek]

Hi there - I just stumbled on your blog and wanted to let you know you have another kindred spirit in blogland! As I scrolled through your posts, I almost giggled because I love all the kitschy vintage goodness you do. Anyways, just sayin' "hi!" and will be sure to stop back and continue reading of your adventures.
Lynn at Cottage and Creek

[Musings from Kim K.]

I'm especially fond of that last table spread with the pink theme. I also love old cookbooks...especially ones filled with pictures.

[Renee]

Wait a minute...you mean it doesn't come out a box or from the drive thru? This is what kids are missing. When we saw Buddy in concert "CakeBoss" my daughter was the only one who told him that her mom cooked from scratch. He called the other moms cheaters. My dad did the cooking at our house and is an excellent cook. Thanks for the memories...smiles..Renee

[Into Vintage]

Lovely to know someone else makes key lime pie. I missed Pi Day but hope to make up for it in spades this weekend. Banana cream, perhaps.

PS I recall eating lunch with my mom at the counter at Woolworths. Boy, was that a long time ago...

[laurie mapgie ethel]

I bought a cook book last weekend from 1938. Have sat and paged through it. The woman inserted all sorts of recipes cut from the newspaper and given to her within the pages. A good cookbook is a good read.

If I lived closer I would be knocking on your door for a slice of that pie. It is one of my favorites.

[julie]

Three things...
I have the same cookbook and love looking through it.

We celebrated pi day in my classroom...cupcakes, cookies and other round foods (and a little math)

Our hometown department store was famous for.their french onion soup...still miss it.

[Lisa W.]

Oh, I love those old cookbooks ! My mom had some when I was a kid and I have collected them for a number of years. The desserts are always so cute. Thanks for sharing !

[Kim]

I have a few of those old cookbooks and enjoy looking through them. They do bring back memories of the happy gatherings of my childhood. Back then punch with sherbet floating in it seemed so fancy :).