Hey, my mom used to make that!

1978 wholegrain topping

The 1970s were not known for being particularly health-conscious. So it's surprising that this 1978 Quaker Oats ad includes a recipe for a wholegrain topping.

Savory Add-a-Crunch

2 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old-fashioned)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped nuts, wheat germ or un-processed bran, if desired
1/4 teaspoon onion or garlic salt

Combine all ingredients; mix well. Bake in ungreased large shallow baking pan in moderate oven (350˚F) 15 - 18 minutes. Cool; store in tightly covered container in refrigerator. Makes about 3 cups of topping.

Add-a-Crunch Crescent Dinner Rolls

Separate one 8 oz. pkg. refrigerated crescent dinner rolls into triangles. Brush 1 side of each triangle with melted butter; sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon Savory Add-a-Crunch. Roll up; brush tops with melted butter. Sprinkle tops with Savory Add-a-Crunch. Bake according to crescent dinner roll package directions. Makes 8 rolls.

Click here for another vintage healthful recipe.

Retro Happy Hour: Three cocktails made with chocolate mint cordial

Here are three 1970 cocktail recipes from Hiram Walker.

Misted Chocolate Mint

Pour Hiram Walker Chocolate Mint over crushed ice in a mist glass. Sip with a straw.

Italian Mousse 

Combine 1 1/4 oz. Hiram Walker Chocolate Mint, 1 oz. Hiram Walker's Vodka, 1/2 oz. cream. Shake with cracked ice and serve in a champagne saucer. Garnish with grated chocolate.

Ski Lift

Combine in a mug 1 1/2 oz. Hiram Walker Chocolate Mint and 6 oz. hot chocolate made with milk and unsweetened chocolate. Top with whipped cream. Garnish with grated chocolate and use candy cane as stirrer. (This is really a cold-weather cocktail. I'll remind you of it come winter.)

Click here to see the 1979 cocktail recipe from Hiram Walker.

Retro Comfort: Baked Macaroni & Cheese

You know that saying about sex and pizza?

When it's good, it's really good. When it's not so good, it's still pretty darn good.

It applies to macaroni and cheese, too. 

From the orange-y Kraft classic to the microwaveable stuff to the sublime homemade version, macaroni and cheese is always worth having.

That said, if you've never made the baked homemade kind, you haven't lived.

Baked Tenderoni and Cheese

Cook 1 (6-oz.) package Tenderoni as directed on the package. Mix with: 1 cup milk, 1 tbsp. grated onion (optional) and 1 cup grated American cheese. Turn into a greased casserole. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup buttered, toasted bread crumbs. Bake in a moderate oven (350˚F) 40 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

It's me again. Instead of buttered bread crumbs, I use buttered crushed Corn Flakes to top my mac & cheese. It makes an amazingly crispy crust. 

Click here for a retro recipe for Tuna Macaroni Bake.

Retro Happy Hour: Blackberry Sour

Today's cocktail comes from this 1979 ad.

Leroux Blackberry Sour

Mix 3/4 oz. lemon or lime juice, 1 1/2 oz. Leroux Blackberry Flavored Brandy, 1 tsp. sugar. Shake, strain, garnish with orange slice, cherry.

Click here to learn how to make a Pomegranate Key Lime Vodka cocktail

Mama June and Sugar Bear's wedding menu

The bride wore camo.

Honey Boo Boo's parents, June "Mama June" Shannon and Mike "Sugar Bear" Thompson, recently renewed their vows.

(I only know this because I read about it. No, seriously. I don't watch the show. My guilty pleasures run along the lines of SyFy originals like Sharktopus and Ray Harryhausen's Clash of the Titans.)

According to Huffington Post, Mama June and Sugar Bear's wedding menu consisted of "a whole roasted pig with the head still intact (the meat was served as pulled pork sandwiches and ribs), corn on the cob, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, rolls and sweet tea."

This being a food blog, I thought you'd want to know.

I also thought, "What, no Spam?" 

Image via OMG

Retro Cinco de Mayo

This gorgeous 1968 ad claims that Jose Cuervo created the Margarita, though Wikipedia says no one knows for sure the origin of the cocktail.

Margarita

Mix 1 1/2 oz. Jose Cuervo Tequila with 1/2 oz. Triple Sec, 1 oz. fresh lime or lemon juice. Shake with shaved ice. Serve in salt-rimmed glass.

Click here for Jose Cuervo's retro recipe for tacos.

Retro pork roast, glazed with currant jelly

In old TV shows, the ones I grew up with in the 1960s and 1970s, people were always inviting the boss over to dinner. Just look at how often Darrin and Samantha had the Larry Tates over. 

People don't do that anymore, do they?

If they did, pork roast would be the perfect thing to serve — assuming your boss isn't Jewish or Muslim.

A great pork roast is pretty easy to make. Be sure to ask the butcher at your grocery store to provide you with exactly the type of rolled, tied pork this recipe calls for. Trust me, the butcher will be happy to help you. 

Here's the 1979 recipe from National Pork Producers.

Currant Jelly Glazed Pork Roast

4 to 6 pound boneless pork loin roast (double loin, rolled, tied)
1 jar (10 oz.) currant jelly
1/3 cup light corn syrup
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. ginger

Place roast on rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer so bulb is in center of thickest park of roast. Roast, uncovered, in 325˚F oven for about 2 1/2 ro 3 hours or until the meat thermometer registers 170˚F. While roast is cooking, prepare glaze. Combine jelly, corn syrup, vinegar, dry mustard and ginger in saucepan. Bring to simmering stage; simmer 2 minutes. Brush glaze over roast several times during last 30 minutes of cooking time. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Click here for three more retro recipes from the National Pork Producers. 

Retro Strawberries and Cream Pie

Have you noticed how freaking ginormous strawberries are these days?

I mean the ones you get at the grocery store, not the adorable little guys you grow yourself.

My husband says they look like baboon hearts.

Sorry.

Forget I said that.

 

Here's the 1990 recipe from Pillsbury.

 

Strawberries and Cream Pie

 

15-oz. pkg. Pillsbury All Ready Pie Crusts

1 teaspoon flour

 

Filling:

8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon shortening
4 cups fresh strawberries, washed and hulled

 

Heat oven to 450˚F. Prepare pie crust according to package directions for unfilled one-crust pie using 9-inch pie pan. (Refrigerate remaining crust for later use.) Bake at 450˚F for 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

 

In large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and almond extract; blend well. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon into cooled pie crust. Arrange strawberries, pointed side up, over filling. Chill. In small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips and shortening, stirring constantly until smooth. Drizzle over strawberries and filling. Chill until set. Store in refrigerator. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

 

Click here for a quick retro recipe for citrus pie.

Retro Recipe: Soup-er Sloppy Joes

You can't go wrong with Sloppy Joes. Unless you try to eat them like a hamburger. Then all the Sloppy goodness falls out onto the plate. Or your lap.

I like to put Sloppy Joes on half of a toasted bun and eat them with a knife and fork. Much neater. And because you don't fill up on bread, you can have seconds.

I know, I'm a genius.

Here are Campbell's 1989 recipes for Sloppy Joes.

Golden Joe

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can Campbell's Golden Mushroom Soup
1 tbsp. ketchup
dash pepper
hamburger buns, split and toasted 

Conventional: In skillet, cook beef and onion until beef is browned and onion is tender; stir to separate meat. Spoon off fat. Stir in soup, ketchup and pepper. Heat; stir occasionally. Serve on buns. Top with sliced green pepper, sliced onion and chopped tomato if desired. Makes 6 servings.

Microwave: In 1 1/2 qt. microwave-safe casserole, crumble beef; add onion. Cover; microwave on HIGH 5 min. or until beef is no longer pink, stirring once during cooking to break up meat. Spoon off fat. Stir in soup, ketchup and pepper. Cover; microwave on HIGH 3 min. or until hot, stirring once during cooking.

Mushroom Joe
Substitute 1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup and 1 tbsp. prepared mustard for Golden Mushroom Soop and ketchup.

Cheddar Joe
Substitute 1 can Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup/Sauce for Golden Mushroom Soup and add 1/4 chopped dill pickle. Serve topped with sliced tomato and pickle slices.

Zesty Joe
Substitute 1/4 cup chopped green pepper and 1 tbsp. chili powder for chopped onion. Also substitute 1 can Campbell's Zesty Tomato Soup/Sauce and 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce for Golden Mushroom Soup and ketchup. 

Click here to see a 1955 recipe for Vienna Beef Sandwiches.

Retro Happy Hour: Whiskey Sour

Today's cocktail recipe comes from this 1979 ad.

Add 1 1/2 oz. Seagram's 7 to the juice of one lemon and one tsp. extra fine sugar. Shake, strain over ice and garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.

Click here for another retro cocktail with whiskey.