Monday, December 10, 2012

Your gas company would like to share some holiday recipes with you

"Holiday Recipes" is a staplebound booklet that was published in 1951 by the Home Economics Department1 of Pittsburgh Group Companies of the Columbia Gas System.2

The preface, which is filled with Gratuitous Capitalization, states:
"Here are some suggestions for the simplest Yuletide Teen-Age Get Togethers to the most elaborate round of Eggnog Parties. We've included our favorite Christmas Recipes and hope that soon they will become yours.

"May the fragrance of Holiday baking and the rush and excitement of Holiday preparations combine with all the cheer and good will that Christmas inspires to make this the merriest of Holidays."

Here's a list of some of the many recipes that are included in the 24-page booklet. Let me know in the Comments section which ones interest you most, and I'll share a few later this week — in plenty of time for you to whip them up for your Yuletide Teen-Age Get Togethers.
  • Marshmallow Nut Puffs (which should be chilled in your Servel Gas Refrigerator)
  • Candy-Coated Nut Meats
  • Butterscotch Lolly Pops
  • Candied Orange Peel
  • California Brandy Snaps
  • Dark Fruit Cake
  • Fruit Cake Encore
  • Eggnog Ice Cream
  • Nesselrode Pudding
  • Peppermint Candy Crunch Cake
  • Apricot Nut Loaf
  • Cinnamon-Apple Dessert Salad
  • "How To Make A Cookie House"
  • Cranberry Christmas Trees
  • Christmas Package Salads
  • Popcorn Balls3
  • Hot Oyster Canape
  • Christmas Broccoli4
  • Lime-Cranberry Salad5
  • Swedish Christmas Cookies
  • Rolled Swedish Wafers
  • Pfefferneusse
  • Fattigmand
  • Norwegian Kringle
  • Dutch Lebkuchen
  • Swedish Pepparkakor
  • Eier Platchen
  • Zimmetstern
  • Bohemian Kolatchen
  • Norwegian Christmas Bread (aka Jule Kage)
So, go ahead and let me know what Gas Company Recipes pique your interest!

Footnotes
1. Yes, I agree that it's kind of a disturbing for the gas company to have a home economics department.
2. The "Pittsburgh Group Companies" were The Manufacturers Light and Heat Company, Natural Gas Company of West Virginia, Cumberland and Allegheny Gas Company, The Keystone Gas Company Inc., and Binghamton Gas Works.
3. I was just telling my family that you don't see popcorn balls any more these days. But I'm kind of nostalgic for them, although we all agree that the memories are probably better than the actual taste.
4. Go ahead and request this one. I guarantee you will be underwhelmed.
5. Warning: Contains gelatin.

3 comments:

  1. The Apricot Nut Loaf & Norwegian Christmas Bread sound good to me!

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  2. I'm prepared to be underwhelmed by any of them :)

    Note: If my band, "Betty White's Cadillac" ever breaks up ... I'm totally starting a band called "Bohemian Kolatchen". I have dibs!!

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  3. Does the Christmas broccoli involve sugar or sprinkles or crushed peppermint??

    ReplyDelete