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

Children Who Play With Their Food

Grow up to be adults who play with their food. And even become magazine editors who encourage others to play with their food.

Exhibit A: How To Run A Successful Party: Party Ideas, Games, Fun, For Children & Grown Ups!, written by Elizabeth King (Fun Editor of Parents’ Magazine), copyright 1945, Doughnut Corporation of America. (This booklet, courtesy of my daughter, bears the name of Otto’s Bakery.)

doughnut donut vintage party booklet

elizabeth king party book

In these 30+ pages, are so many ways to play with donuts, I’m nearly speechless. Here are just a few of the games to play with donuts.

A horse racing game played with donuts:

donut horse racing game

Replace the pies with donuts for a donut-eating contest:

vintage donut eating contest

A donut relay:

vintage party idea donut relay

And, of course, the most popular donut games for all ages… Donut Dunking Contest, Donuts-On-A-String, Pass-The-Donut, and Pin The Dunk-ee. (Click to see larger scans.)

most popular donut games for all ages

Oh, there are more “most popular donut games for all ages” too! Though, as a parent, I’m not sure kids should be encouraged to play some of this smutty-stuff. Donut Treasure Hunt, Donut Snatch Dance, Donut Nose-Pushing Race, Dunking Relay Race, Chicken Fight with donuts, Donut Balancing Race, Donut Archery Contest, Donut String Kiss Stunt, Donuts From The Sky.

vintage doughnut games party booklet

This is by no means all of the games — nor all the things you can do with donuts. I’m just feeling the need to eat. And plan a party, maybe…

Pooh To You

I’ve shared my thoughts on the old Jell-O recipes, but there’s a recent story I haven’t shared with you…

Recently, at one of our yard sales, I sold a couple of college guys a retro Jell-O cookbook simply because of this firm beliefs that meat-gelatin salads are disgusting — not only that, I also sold him a retro Wilton cake pan in the shape of Winne The Pooh to go with it. That way, he could mix up a batch of some slimy-meat-salad, let it set in the mould, and serve “Pooh Salad.”

Hey, he bought it all; hook, line, and stinker. But as of yet, I’ve no invite to such a dining experience.

Thank heavens.

“VeganVille versus the Maynards Sour Patch Kids”

Lex is the Grand Prize Winner in our Sour Patch Kids Contest — when you see the entry, you’ll know why!

Hello. I swear I have no life. I just found Kitschy Kitschy Coo about 3 hours ago, saw your contest for the sour patch kids, realized that the contest ends in 2 days and that I have no time between now and then to send anything and haven’t gone shopping and…. anyway… this is what I did. It’s the great battle of the citizens of VeganVille versus the Maynards Sour Patch Kids. Please check out the official CNN coverage below.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151992963895048.880489.753885047&type=1&l=26b1abf960

And check out these exclusive pics from the battle.

Oh yeah, in case Maynards wants a new slogan (besides “Maynards: Crown your mouth”)- I came up with “Maynards: get chummy with the yummy gummy!”)

My name is Lex Kinast, I am 30 years old, I should probably grow up and I hail from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. I really would like to win this, because I have never won anything before and because… I want the T-shirt.

My cat also wants for me to win the T-shirt so I will be as cool as she is:

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