Modern Woman Mondays: It’s OK To Eat The Pink Elephants

OK, normally I save the food recipes for Things Your Grandmother Knew — but this? This is not food. …Technically edible; but not food. Plus, it involves pink elephants. And pink elephants are pretty darn kitschy. A recipe from a 1956 Wilton candy & food molds booklet:

“Pink Elephants”

These are fun to make and serve as a garnish on an Hors d’Ouevre Tray! Use the little elephants as socles or holders for toothpick appetizers (such as olives, cubes of cheese, miniature meat balls, etc.). Should the guest be inquisitive, he can just eat the elephants!”

Number one, I am surprised that last sentence doesn’t read, “Should The Guest be inquisitive” — because I hear that said with a sigh and an eyeball roll, like there’s always that one guest, aka The Guest.

And number two — and that may be a pun? — once The Guest gets that pink elephant socle on his tongue, he is not going to be happy. The ingredients are dry cream of wheat; salt; cold water (I am guessing the temperature is important); onion juice Worcestershire or Tobasco sauce, pepper or mustard; and food coloring. Ugh.

Well, at least I learned the word “socles.” Hey, I may be a lowbrow, low-class, kitsch lover; but even without knowing the name of those things I know better than to eat one of ’em.

Full “recipe” details below, which include options for “Tawny Tigers” and “Bears”. (Poor bears, they get no cute colorful name.  …Though it does just beg for a crappy name anyway due to the emphasis on brown coloring for this pasty concoction.) Click for a bigger scan if you need it.

vintage wilton molds appetizer trays

Modern Woman Mondays: The Canister Vac That Can’t

No matter the suction of this mod canister vacuum, it can’t clean up all the pattern clutter in this vintage photo. Via.

Modern Woman Monday: Eat Gelatin, Don’t Wiggle Like It

Sure, women should have a little wiggle and jiggle — but not too much. A vintage weight loss promotional booklet from Knox: Mrs. Knox’s Be Fit Not Fat

Modern Woman Monday’s: 1950s Hipster Edition

So you want the look of not really caring if it rains. But you can’t just go place a newspaper on your head — what will wet newsprint do to your hair?! You spent hours getting your coif to look like you don’t care! Enter the faux newspaper scarf. Les Lunettes Noires, c1950 (Chris Tselios).

Modern Woman Mondays: Shopping With Points

I’m guessing from this vintage ephemera set I’ve listed that Emling Products was, if not like S&H Green Stamps, operating some sort of point rewards system for shoppers back in the day. I don’t know anything about Emling. If you do, please share!

A vintage Seasons Greetings holiday card with poinsettias on the front. Inside it reads:

Greetings:

Just as friendship grows and flourishes at the Holiday Season, so it is our sincere wish that our business relationship shall grow in mutual understanding and strength.

Best of everything for Christmas and New Year’s.
From the EMLING “Business Family”

I think it might be a Gibson greeting card — on back: E. 63, made in USA, what looks like a G.Co. It’s one of those “money” sized greeting cards, measuring roughly 8 by 3 1/2 inches.

Tucked inside, a gift certificate for “Five Hundred Merchandise Points” which reads as follows:

You may use these points at any time to obtain merchandise listed in our point catalogue. Ask your Emling representative for our point catalogue.

When you purchase Emling Products your representative will give you additional point coupons throughout the year.

Gift certificate measures approximately 8 by 3 1/2 inches. At the bottom of the paper gift certificate: copyright GOES 417.

Modern Woman Mondays: Stars & Stripes Forever

An original 1940s candid 8 X 10 photograph taken by Joseph Jasqur of Betty Brown, a contestant at one of the Miss Victory contests held at the Hollywood Canteen during World War Two. Via.