This week on Kitchen Kitsch we have inappropriate illustrations, imaginary tea parties, fancy macaroni loaves, and delicious and unusual ham!
Vintage Happy Holiday Drink Book Cookbook Hallmark
Why I Want This: Do I really want this? Maybe not. Maybe what I really want to know is what heck-a-roo is going on in that picture with the rocking horse.
Wait…no I don’t. What I want to know is why that page is even in a cookbook.
Vintage 1955, 2 Books: Snacks & Canapes, & Hor D’Oeuvres How to make them,
Why I Want This: “Remove armour from a number of shrimps…”
“…well seasoned with paprika and a suspicion of onion juice.”
Who even writes like that? Apparently cookbook writers from the UK in 1955. I love it, and I have to say I am devilishly interested in owning these. Did I ever confess my obsession with Two Fat Ladies? Love that show!
Vintage Recipe Booklet from 1963, Invitation to Tea
Why I Want This: In my fantasy life, the one where I don’t have anything to do all day but cook food from mid-century cookbooks, I am planning a enormous mid-century tea party. I am pretty sure that party is going to have hundreds and hundreds of tiny sandwiches on vintage trays. So, to prepare for the party that will never happen, I need to get this book.
Vintage Collectible Recipe Booklet – Merita Sandwich Booklet -1948
Why I Want This: See above. Imaginary tea party, here I come!
Why I Want This: More sandwiches for the imaginary tea party! Apparently it is going to be some party.
VTG 1971 Buffy’s Cookbook TV Family Affair
Why I Want This: A Family Affair cookbook! Sign me up! And Jelly Roll Pancakes and Peanut Butter French Toast actually sound pretty good.
Vintage Peanuts Lunch Bag Cookbook Scholastic Book Services 1970
Why I Want This: Peanuts Cookbook! Of course I want this. I have one of these with Linus on it, and I had no idea that there were others.
Vintage SOLO Cake and Pastry Fillings Cookbook
Why I Want This: Seriously, that cake looks amazing!
VINTAGE 1950’S CARNATION MILK , BOOKLETS, RECIPES
Why I Want This: Okay, horrible cover aside, what is with the theme? Who goes wild over Cheese and Tuna Casserole? Or scrambled eggs with cottage cheese? How is that even wild?
Which is why I must own this.
Vintage Jane Wilson’s 14 Favorite Ham Recipes
Why I Want This: Let’s just all be honest here. I LIVE for cookbooks like this. Ham and Apple Crisp?? Ham Peanut Butter Salad??? Where can I sign Tom up?
Put Some Kraut in Your Life Vintage Cookbook
Why I Want This: Everyone needs more kraut! Especially Tom!
Vintage 70’s Collectible Cookbook Del monte dried
Why I Want This: Half the time I think that if I could just look at the insides of these cookbooks then I wouldn’t have to keep buying them. I mean, look at this. I am dying to know what is inside. Raisin rolls? Prune whips? Of course, the one look idea usually backfires. Most of the time I get a look inside and know I just have to have it!
Vintage 60’s EAsy Guide to Good eating
Why I Want This: If Chex Mix with pecans thrown in it served with tomato juice is an example of what this cookbook is all about, I can’t help but want it.
Huge Lot Vintage Cake Decorating Books
Why I Want This: I am obsessed with vintage cake decorating books! Besides that, those Mail Box News bulletins are pretty much gold. I always find the BEST baking recipes in them.
VINTAGE1946 SCHOOLGIRLS SCRAPBOOK~ RECIPES & ADS ALSO SENIOR CLASS COOKBOOK
Why I Want This: You’re kidding me, right? There is nothing more fascinating than someone’s personal recipe collection, especially when it contains a crazy looking macaroni loaf and some pink things that look like…well…they look bad. And I want them.
BETTY CROCKER’S CAKES KIDS LOVE VINTAGE COOKBOOK 1969
Why I Want This: Speaking of great cake books! This one is totally a winner.
Vintage USA United States Map Cake Pan
Why I Want This: This would pretty much make the best birthday cake for Tom, ever, ever.
Vintage “The Kraft CookBook” 75 Years of Good Food Ideas
Why I Want This: Really Kraft? Good Food Ideas? I might have a few words to say about that. And because some of the Kraft recipes I have seen have been real doozies, I want this badly.
vintage seagram’s weekend bar and barbecue book
Why I Want This: I could totally see how all that drinking would lead to a happy barbecue. You can sign me up!
VTG CAMPBELLS SOUP LEAFLET COOK BOOK FOR TOMATO SOUP
Why I Want It: Yeah, I’d say tomato soup in a cake mix is a surprise. I’ve seen tomato soup cake recipes from scratch (and this chocolate one is great), but I’ve never seen one that uses a cake mix! I must try it.
You know, I normally don’t go back and purchase these after I make this list…but there are some real temptations this week! And if you want to be tempted by more kitschy eBay finds, be sure to head over to my other blog where there is a whole other list of great stuff!
*Disclaimer: Mid-Century Menu is part of the eBay Partner Network, and that means that when you click on our eBay links we may earn a very small commission.
I can’t shake the feeling that the apple on the cover of “Put Some Kraut in Your Life” is flashing her.. well… intimate bits at me.
Wow. I remember buying one of the Peanuts Cook Books back when I was in school. 2nd or 3rd grade. It was a great book. I still use their recipe for making fries to this day, and that’s a lot of years under the bridge.
The “Two Fat Ladies” was one of my favorite cooking shows of all time (and still is, since I own the whole set on DVD and cook their recipes frequently)! The settings all around the British isles were magnificent and the very opinionated fat ladies were always a hoot (“Don’t buy it if it’s Dutch!”). They were a couple of real characters. Apparently, during her alcoholic years, the fatter of the two once had sex with an MP behind the speaker’s chair in the House of Commons! Now think about that for a while!
As for Buffy’s Cookbook, all I can say is that I thought Mr. French did all the cooking in that household. Maybe he had a cookbook too.
Have both the Peanuts and the Kraft cookbooks. Still use the Kraft one but I’m not sure where the Peanuts one went.
Hi, about the rocking horse picture for Saratoga Sour. There is a big horse race track in Saratoga, NY.
I ended up buying the lot of cake decorating books you highlighted here, in no small part you’ve raved about Mailbox News so many times that I felt I had to see for myself!
Really enjoy the blog! (And No Pattern, too).
I just found your site…it’s awesome. Anywho…my mom used to make that Solo cake- it’s a poppyseed cake and it is amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing. So good. She stopped making it when my dad worked at a nuke plant and the poppy seeds would show as illicit drugs in his pee test.
It’s a great cake, and the recipe is still on the Solo poppyseed filling cans.