Saturday, April 26, 2014

A somewhat messy attempt at communication from 1906


In these days of cellphones, text messaging, Twitter and Facebook, it's certainly easier to communicate with someone than it was 100+ years ago. Some people, though, made things even harder on themselves by failing at the simple act of writing and sending a postcard.

This postcard from 1906 was addressed to Miss M. Edna Wilson in Rising Sun, Maryland, and contains two messages on the front. The first message, in the lighter writing, states:

Avondale, Pa. August 27, '06.
Hi Eden [?]
Please send my skirt down with Lucy Sunday. Look for the ball team Saturday. Several Avondalites expect to come along even J. Crowell. Excuse the card the only one I could find.
"Ann [Con?] Amore." Bess.

In addition, the following is written between the lines of the first message in smaller, darker handwriting:

P.S. Wrote this the other day and failed to mail it. I do certainly wish you could come down Sunday. If so [?] you could even drive to Oxford and come down with Fred on the morning train. Love to all Bess.

I hope they connected in time for the Sunday gathering. But the odds might have been against them.

Friday, April 25, 2014

Friday night's vaguely creepy vintage snapshot


Discuss.



Thursday, April 24, 2014

Fanzine flashback #1: 1964's "Con" by Christopher Priest


Preface

Blogs are nothing new. I mean, they're really nothing new.

Blogs are amateur-driven exchanges of information, ideas and comments (and often a lot of silliness) and, as such, are descendants of the amateur press associations of the late 19th century and, even more directly, the science-fiction fanzines that sprang up starting around 1930 and had their print heyday from the 1950s through 1970s.

In an article for Asimov's Science Fiction fabulously titled "Thought Experiments: How Propeller-Heads, BNFs, Sercon Geeks, Newbies, Recovering GAFIAtors, and Kids in the Basements Invented the World Wide Web, All Except for the Delivery System," the late Roger Ebert once wrote:
"[W]e were online before there was online. It is perfectly obvious to me that fanzines were web pages before there was a web, and locs were message threads and bulletin boards before there was cyberspace. Someday an academic will write a study proving that the style, tone, and much of the language of the online world developed in a direct linear fashion from science fiction fandom–not to mention the unorthodox incorporation of ersatz letters and numbers in spelling, later to influence the naming of computer companies and programs. Fanzines acted uncannily like mimeographed versions of Usenet groups, forums, message boards, and web pages — even to such universal design strategies as IYGTFUI (If You’ve Got the Font, Use It)."1
Indeed, 21st century bloggers aren't doing anything new. We're just continuing a decades-old form of idea-sharing and interaction on a digital platform.

As an ephemera collector, historian of the obscure and fan of science fiction and fantasy, I have gathered a modest collection of 20th century fanzines over the past few years. But it's no fun keeping them under plastic and stuffed in a drawer. I am launching this occasional series to share and celebrate the work of these amateur fanzine editors and publishers whose passion and creativity blazed the path for the zebibytes of geek culture and conversation that now reside in cyberspace.2 (For a list of other fanzines that I plan to write about, see the bottom of this post.)

Fanzine flashback #1: At a glance

Title: Con
Issue: Volume 1, No. 1
Date: August 1964
Primary theme: Science fiction
Pages: 20
Size: 8 inches by 10 inches
Binding: Three staples
Publisher/editor: Christopher M. Priest
Publisher's location: "Cornerways," Willow Close, Doddinghurst, Brentwood, Essex, United Kingdom
Artwork: Dick Howett
Duplicating services: Charles Platt

List of contents3
  • Introduction
  • "A Star is Calling Earth"
  • CONsum-er
  • Extrapolation in SF
  • D.o.U.I.
  • Purge — a short story by Philip Harbottle
  • The Lights in the Sky
  • CONscience
  • CONnotations

Background: About Priest and "sercon"

This isn't going to happen with every fanzine that I review, but it turns out that Christopher McKenzie Priest, who was born in 1943, went on to become a very successful author in the years after he published Con.

You might know him best as the author of the award-winning 1995 novel The Prestige, which was adapted into an excellent movie starring Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman. But that was hardly the British author's only notable work. He has won the British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) award for best novel four times — in 1974 for Inverted World, in 1998 for The Extremes, in 2002 for The Separation, and in 2011 for The Islanders.

He has his own website and, ironically, blog. And his Wikipedia page is here.

And so it will be partially within the context of knowing that Priest went onto a successful career that we examine this issue of Con.

We also know, thanks to an article in THEN, Rob Hansen's history-in-progress of British science fiction fandom, that Con came along at a time in fanzine history when a wave of sercon — "serious and constructive" — publications were beginning to emerge. Hansen writes of "the new wave" in the mid 1960s:

"Chris Priest published his first fanzine, CON, in August 1964. The second, and final, issue appeared the following February. CON carried amateur fiction by such as Charles Platt, fannish anecdotes by Priest, and the like. Overall, it was considerably more accomplished than some of its contemporaries and when reviewing the first issue in LES SPINGE 14, Jim Linwood called it: 'one of the best first ishs for many years, displaying a maturity that is usually reached only by the fourth or fifth ish'."

Looking inside Con

The 50-year anniversary of this fanzine's publication is quickly approaching. In the introduction, which also features artist Dick Howett's sketches of both himself and Priest (shown at right), Priest lays out his vision:
"This is the first edition of CON, and this is the fourth introduction written for it. The previous three have been left at the wayside, scrapped as new thoughts have taken shape on editorial policy. With the first issue of a magazine, particularly an amateur one, it is to tread a perilous path to be dogmatic about editorial aspirations; and yet every magazine must have a definite plan of some kind to follow.

"CON's policy is rather difficult to describe, yet somewhat simpler in execution. ... Occasionally it will discuss sf in serious tones, at times it may be fannish -- but most of the time it will attempt to print articles which although not directly connected to sf, will be written in a manner that should interest the science fiction reader, fan or otherwise."

Unfortunately — and as we will see with numerous vintage fanzines that are discussed in the coming months — there were many obstacles to successfully publishing on a regular basis. Priest had a vision for his magazine, but, according to this British fanzine bibliography (and confirmed by Hansen), only two issues of Con were ever published: this one and a second one in February 1965.

This first issue has an interesting mix of content, and I believe Priest succeeded in his goal of making it compelling for readers with a general interest in both science and science fiction.

"A Star is Calling Earth," a two-page article written by Priest, discusses 61 Cygni and the (somewhat daft) belief of two Russian scientists at the time that one of its stars was "attempting to contact Earth by transmitting powerful radio or light beams in its direction." The scientists tried to weave the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa and the 1908 Tunguska event into their convoluted theory of attempted contact by alien races.

Priest has a healthy dose of skepticism for the theory: "There a number of holes in the story that underline the needlessness of immediate action." And yet he also leaves the door open for further investigation: "Perhaps the Russians are correct then. Perhaps there is a race of extra-terrestials trying to contact us. But does it not occur to you that they are going about it in a heavy-handed way? What can the mentality of a race be, that they use a weapon of inconceivable power to call us. One is reminded of a man who, on getting no replay to his front-door knock, kicks down the door to ensure he is heard!"

Moving along, in the "CONsum-er" essay, Priest presents the 1=2 algebraic paradox (which is discussed here, if you're interested) and offers "any currently-published science fiction paperback ... to the first person to pinpoint the fallacy." It's a neat little change of pace.

Moving along... "Extrapolation in SF" is a critical essay by Priest that mentions works by Frederik Pohl, Robert Sheckley, Arthur C. Clarke, Fritz Leiber and others. ... D.o.U.I. stands for "Department of Useless Information" and includes trivial tidbits such as "The moon's distance from the earth increases by five inches every sidereal year." ... And "Purge," the short story, takes up five pages and has some minor parallels to the tale of the X-Men, which first began appearing in the comics in September 1963, about a year before this fanzine was published. The story's author, Philip Harbottle, has also gone on to have a successful and interesting career in science fiction. (See his biographical entries on DarkFantasy.org and The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.)

There are more essays by Priest in the fanzine's final pages. "CONscience" considers the mysteries of our solar system, including the rings of Saturn, the axial tilt of Uranus and the contradictions of Pluto. And "The Lights in the Sky" is part-speculative and part-philosophical in nature, focusing on star-gazing and space travel. Priest writes:
"Today, as interplanetary flight is being planned and man will leave the atmosphere at last, navigation will come to depend more and more on the art of celestial course-plotting. ... But were were to go out in space, what would we see? Out in space there is no atmosphere to distort our view of the stars. To date, no man has really been outside the Earth's atmosphere; including those men who achieve orbital flight. What will be seen, once we're well away from our plant? Will the stars, as forecast by prominent astronomers and scientists, shine forth in a new blaze of unprecedented glory? Or will they fade to apparent invisibility, lost in the reaches of airless space — their rays of light dissipated by the incredible distances travelled?"
I bet Priest has loved living through everything from Voyager to Cosmos to the Hubble telescope to Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Finally, "CONnotations" is a long closing statement from Priest. A few excerpts:
  • "It will be obvious by now that CON is not a frivolous magazine, and perhaps this is a major fault. The overall effect seems to be, on a quick re-appraisal, one of overwhelming seriousness. Let me say at this point that this was not the intention, and it is a genuine hope that subsequent issues will change this."
  • "With with exception of the short story, the entire contents of this first issue have been written by me. Although this is fairly usual state of affairs with new fanzines, it cannot go on. Only so much can be written by one person, because after a while the standard of work goes down and lapses into hack-work. Outside CONtributions, therefore, are requested."
  • "On the subject of fiction, by the way, CON will publish one short story each issue, for which the contributing author will be paid in cash. I am, evidently, one of those rare people who think that amateur fiction-writers should be encouraged."
  • "CON, like many other fanzines, is only produced on an irregular basis. ... To earn a copy, write a letter of comment, send me a shilling for each copy you want, send me your fanzine, or else make friends with me."

Finally, I should also note that Con contains at least a dozen illustrations by Howett. This is the one that appears on the back cover...


* * *

Other fanzine issues to be featured
Each of these will have its own future installment. If you know anything about one of these fanzines or editors, contact me at chrisottopa@gmail.com.
  • Karma, No. 2 (August 1961); publisher Earl Noē, associate editor Timothy J. Dumont; Fort Worth, Texas
  • Wizard, No. 1 (May 1966); coordinator Alma Hill; Boston, Massachusetts
  • Loki, No. 7 (no date); publisher and editor Dave Hulan, art editor Katya Hulan; Van Nuys, California
  • The Odd One, first annish (anniversary) issue (late 1950s); publisher Clayton Hamlin, art editor Tim Dumont; Bangor, Maine
  • Fafhrd, Vol. 1, No. 1 (May 1955); published and edited by Ed Cox (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) and Ron Ellik (Long Beach, Calif.); art editor Howard Miller
  • Umbra, No. 13 (April 1956); published and edited by John Hitchcock; Baltimore, Maryland
  • Hobgoblin, No. 12 (January 1964); "published for SAPS and Redd Boggs by Terry Carr"; Brooklyn, New York
  • Troll Chowder, No. 1 (September 1962); written and published by Terry Carr; New York, New York
  • The National Fantasy Fan, Vol. 21, No. 3 (June 1962); edited by Albert J. Lewis; Los Angeles, California
  • The Twilight Zine, No. 19 (August 1966); edited by Cory Seidman and Leslie Turek; Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • Omnifan, Vol. 2, No. 4 (Spring 1974); published and edited by David Anthony Kraft; Saint Michael, North Dakota
  • Pot Pourri, No. 30 (July 1963); printed and published by John Berry; Belfast, Northern Ireland
  • Warlock, Vol. 1, No. 3 (March 1964); published by Larry Montgomery; Anniston, Alabama
  • Amra, Vol. 2, No. 44 (October 1967); published by "the Terminus, Owlswick, & Ft Mudge Electrick Street Railway Gazette" and serving as "the official organ of the Hyborean Legion"; Eatontown, New Jersey
  • Amazing, Thrilling, Sexy, Astounding, Analog, and Dry Dull Boring Scientific Fact Neffer Stories, Vol. 1, No. 1 (June 1961); published by "the Fan Hillton"; Los Angeles, California
  • Salamander, No. 3 (July/August 1962); published by Fred Patten; Los Angeles, California
  • Fadaway (formerly The Monday Evening Ghost), Vol. 3, No. 3 (early 1960s); published by Bob Jennings; Nashville, Tennessee

Footnotes
1. I highly recommend that you read the rest of that article by Ebert. It's filled with anecdotes about how fanzines influenced him and his experiences publishing his own fanzine, Stymie. You might also enjoy a shorter, related piece that Ebert wrote in 2008, titled "Fanzines Beget Blogs." Finally, I love that young Ebert labeled his own fanzines (see a picture here). You can read more about that in this 2013 remembrance written by "The Editors" of RogerEbert.com.
2. I don't know if it's actually true that there are zebibytes of geek culture on the internet. My wife might. But it just seemed like an equally impressive and humorous word to use there. So I did.
3. Given the fanzine's title, it's labeled as the "CONtents."

Found recipe: A pie made with Brer Rabbit syrup (or perhaps molasses)


This typed recipe was tucked away inside a copy of Jessie Marie DeBoth's Cook Book, which was published in 1940.

I was thrown off at first by the misspelling at the top of the recipe. "Baer Rabbit Syrup" actually refers to Brer Rabbit, which has been producing various varieties of molasses1 and syrup "for over 100 years," according to its website and is now part of B&G Foods. Regarding the product's name:

"The Brer Rabbit name comes from the mischievous Br’er Rabbit from the Uncle Remus folktales passed down by oral tradition in the 1800’s and popularized for mainstream audiences in the late 19th century by the published works of Joel Chandler Harris. In these tales, Br’er Rabbit is a trickster who wins by using his wits instead of brawn. Trickery and fun can certainly come in handy in the kitchen as you create winning dishes with Brer Rabbit!"

But what are we to make of the dessert outlined on this piece of ephemera? It seems like a standard, dry-bottom shoo-fly pie recipe, no? And you're supposed to use molasses instead of syrup, right? (It states "syrup" at the top and "molasses" down below, and those are two different products.)

An excellent history of shoo-fly pie appears in this 1998 Chicago Tribune article, which features the subhead "Crumbly, Sweet Confection Softens Spartan Image Of The Pennsylvania Dutch."

Share your thoughts on Brer Rabbit products and shoo-fly pie down in the comments section!

Footnote
1. Indeed, according to the website, "Brer Rabbit molasses comes in three grades: Mild Flavor, Full Flavor and Blackstrap.
  • Mild Flavor: Lightest color and is the sweetest, is used to sweeten hot cereals, yogurts, or hot drinks, like coffee, tea or hot cocoa
  • Full Flavor: More concentrated and has a richer flavor than Mild, that is used in gingerbreads, cookies, pies, cakes, and glazes
  • Blackstrap: Bold, robust flavor used in slow-cooked dishes, like such as baked beans or barbeque sauces. Blackstrap is also an excellent source of Calcium and Magnesium and a good source of Potassium."

1914 Delaware College junior prom group photograph


Every time I look at this century-old group photo, I expect to see Jack Torrance in the front row, grinning and staring into the camera.1 But he's not there, of course. This is just a black-and-white photograph from the 1914 junior prom at Delaware College, which is now the University of Delaware.2

I can't find any specific information about the 1914 junior prom online. It's likely that it was held in late January or early February, probably in the campus gymnasium.

I did, however, find a lot of information about the 1913 Delaware College prom, and I think it's safe to assume that the two events had a lot in common. Here is a lengthy excerpt from a weekly college publication called The Review:

"THOSE who attended the Junior Prom given by the Class of 1914 have pronounced it the best ever held at Delaware. Some who have attended the Proms for over a decade declared this Prom excelled any they had ever seen here. The ideal of each committee chairman and his assistants was perfection. And, truly, each one realized his ideal. The music was charming, the floor was as smooth as glass; but the most striking features were the programs and decorations.

"The Old Gold and Blue effect was carried out very prettily on the programs. The backs were of brass, which shone like pure gold. On the front side the Delaware seal was sunken, while at the lower right hand corner the engraved numerals, '1914,' very neatly added to the finished appearance. The cord was of blue silk. The permanency of the materials will only be excelled by the ever lingering remembrance of this jovial occasion. Our decorations were the most elaborate of any that have ever been produced ... The color effect of Blue and Gold was carried out. There was not a light — with the exception of the 'moon' — which did not shine through a blue or gold globe. The entire top of the gymnasium was converted into a canopy of bunting. From the ridge pole beams it connected with arches formed around the running track. Underneath the track, in the arches, on the beams and the ridge pole, blue and gold lights glimmered without any glare whatever. At each end was a sign made of blue and gold lights; that at the north end blazed forth '1914,' while the south end sign bore the letters D-E-L-A-W-A-R-E. Hanging from a beam in one corner a large globe gave the impression, when the other lights were off, of a full moon. The electrical effect was completed by two large acorns covered with blue and gold lights suspended from the points at each end, which formed the centre of the semicircle of the canopy.

"The walls were decorated with large fraternity and college banners. Spaced between each light on the running track a college pennant completed the wall decorations.3

"At one corner of the hall, situated under a lattice work which was entwined with cedars and laurels, a rustic stand held a barrel containing ice water. The corner was banked with blue and gold bunting. Diagonally opposite to this a 'well,' the top of which was built of huge rocks and covered with mosses and greens, contained the large punch bowl. The entire corner was a mass of laurels and cedars, thus giving restfulness to the eye. Our classmate, W. T. McCall, conceived and worked up this decorating scheme. His only reward was appreciation.

"Our description of the hall simply serves as a background for the chief objects — the girls. From all parts of Delaware and surrounding states came the prettiest of pretty maidens gowned in silken garments. They glided about like fairies until, when in the 'wee sma' hours' the orchestra softly played the strains of 'Good Night, Dear,' we awoke from our dreams to realize that 1914 had eclipsed all other classes with such a delightful Prom.

"Junior Promenade
CLASS OF 1914 OF DELAWARE COLLEGE, JAN. 31, 1913
COLLEGE GYMNASIUM
DANCES
Grand March and Introductory Waltz
To the Class of 1914

1 Two Step — Take Me to the Cabaret
2 Waltz — Venus Waltz
3 Two Step — Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee
4 Waltz — Waltz Caprice
5 Two Step — Hitchy Koo
6 Waltz — Druid's Prayer
7 Two Step — You're My Baby
8 Waltz — Wall Flower
9 Two Step — On the Mississippi
10 Waltz — Vision of Salome
11 Two Step — Row, Row, Row
12 Waltz — Roses Bloom Alone for Lovers
INTERMISSION
13 Two Step — Gaby Glide
14 Waltz — Message to the Honey Moon
15 Two Step — Everybody Two Step
16 Waltz — Dream Love
17 Two Step — Loving Honey Man
18 Waltz — Tales of Hoffman
19 Two Step — Red Rose Rag
20 Waltz — Love's Dream After the Ball
21 Two Step — Waiting for the Robt. E. Lee
22 Waltz — Marguerite
23 Two Step — Ghost of the Violin
24 Waltz — Good Night, Dear"

One of the best things about this prom photo is looking at all of the different people, their outfits and their expressions. Actually, most of their expressions feature closed eyes — the flash for such an indoor photograph must have been bright and blinding.4

Here are some magnified portions of the photograph...





Footnotes
1. Here's a neat piece by Devin Faraci about how they created the photograph that was used at the end of Kubrick's The Shining, in the days before Photoshop.
2. You might also be interested in this 2011 post: Photos of the University of Delaware, circa 1937-41.
3. In the upper-left corner of the photo, there is a William & Mary pennant.
4. Either that, or this is the largest memento mori group photo in history.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

1907 postcard of Crawford House in the White Mountains


This scenic postcard was copyrighted in 1907 by the Detroit Publishing Company — it's a Phostint card — and the caption on the front states: "Gate of notch toward Crawford House, White Mountains, N.H."

An excellent history of the now-vanished Crawford House can be found at WhiteMountainHistory.org. Construction began on the first Crawford House in 1850. It suffered major fire damage in 1859 and was rebuilt. In 1875, the hotel entered its heyday when the Portland & Ogdensburg Railroad reached Crawford Notch.

The Crawford House closed in 1975 and burned down in 1977, in what is believed to have been an act of arson. The WhiteMountainHistory.org history of the Crawford House includes links to photos and an account of the fire. It also suggests The Grand Resort Hotels of the White Mountains: A Vanishing Architectural Legacy by Bryant F. Tolles and And Then There Was One: A History of the Hotels of the Summit and the West Side of Mt. Washington by George E. McAvoy for further reading.

The postcard was mailed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with the short message: "On our trip Aug 11th 1907."1 It is postmarked on that same date at Fabyan House in New Hampshire.


Regarding Fabyan House, we can once again turn to WhiteMountainHistory.org for solid information. Fabyan House was another resort hotel that benefited from the railroad coming through Crawford Notch. It opened in 1873 and touted all the wonders of the White Mountains, where guests could leave hay fever and asthma behind and enjoy the "seasonal luxuries" of fresh farm food.

The 250-room Fabyan House featured gas lighting, a billiards room, private baths, fine wines, and a house orchestra. With the advent of the automobile, however, its business decreased. Instead of staying for an entire summer season, guests stayed for a few days and then drove somewhere else. Fabyan House was destroyed by a fire in 1951.

Footnote
1. On August 11, 1907, the Philadelphia Phillies were in Chicago and were swept in a doubleheader against the Cubs. Chicago won both games by a score of 1-0. A nice little day of futility. (This was before Wrigley Field, by the way. The Cubs were playing their home games at West Side Park.)

Monday, April 21, 2014

A nostalgic peek at a kitchen from eight decades ago


This color photograph is featured inside the 1933 edition of All About Home Baking, which was published by the General Foods Corporation.

Why did cupboards with glass doors fall out of style, anyway? Too expensive? It seems like they're really convenient. Find what you want before you go opening half the doors in the kitchen.

It's interesting to see what's changed and what hasn't, with regard to the products show here. Jell-O, Calumet double-acting baking powder, Grape-Nuts, Baker's Chocolate, Instant Postum and Sanka coffee are some of the items that are identifiable.

And how about this one? Is it the side of a Log Cabin Syrup container?


Share the memories that this photo brings back for you...

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Book cover: "The House on the Borderland"


  • Title: The House on the Borderland
  • Author: William Hope Hodgson (1877-1918)
  • Publisher: Ace Books (Ace Science Fiction Classics, D-553)
  • Year: 1962
  • Cover illustration: The fabulous artwork, which is much of the reason that I love this edition, is by the award-winning Ed Emshwiller (1925-1990). Emshwiller won five Hugo Awards for his science-fiction artwork in the 1950s and 1960s. ... An exhaustive summary of his artwork can be found on the Internet Speculative Fiction Database. ... Here's the coolest thing I found, though. A Flickr user has posted the complete piece of Emshwiller artwork that was used for the cover of The House on the Borderland. Gorgeous!
  • Notes: So, yes, this is my beat-up, partially taped copy of the classic weird-fiction novel by Hodgson. It was originally published in 1908, and it greatly influenced H.P. Lovecraft, among others.1 ... Beneath the title on the title page is the following: "From the Manuscript, discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog, in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland. Set out here, with Notes". ... This copy runs 159 pages. ... Copies are available on Amazon starting at about $9, but if the Ace Books D-553 is what you definitely want, read the descriptions carefully to make sure that's what you're getting. There have been many editions of this novel. ... There were some rumblings last summer that an independent production company was planning to film this novel and its Interdimensional Pig Creatures (IPCs), but that might be stalled.

Emshwiller's depiction of the house reminds me of Norway's Borgund Stave Church, which I wrote about in March 2012.


Also, I love this blurb from The New York Times on the back cover...


Footnote
1. For a bit of a laugh, check out this January 2013 post — Imaginary H.P. Lovecraft postcard.

Two selections from 1942 Borden booklet of "magic recipes"

A few days ago, I wrote about a "well-loved 1942 Borden recipe booklet," and I asked you which recipes from its pages you wanted me to reprint here.

I received two requests, so here they are...

Unbaked brownies
(Makes about 18)
  • 2 squares (2 oz.) unsweetened chocolate
  • 1⅓ cups (15 oz. can) Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 2 cups (⅓ pound) vanilla wafer crumbs
  • 1 cup finely chopped walnut meats
1. Melt chocolate in top of double boiler.
2. Add Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk and stir over rapidly boiling water 5 minutes until thick.
3. Remove from heat. Add vanilla wafer crumbs and ½ cup of the nut meats.
4. Butter shallow pan and sprinkle with ¼ cup nut meats. Place chocolate mixture in pan and spread evenly, using a knife dipped in hot water. Sprinkle top with rest of nuts.
5. Chill in refrigerator 6 hours or overnight. Cut into squares.


Magic lemon meringue pie
(Makes an 8-inch pie)
  • 1⅓ cups (15 oz. can) Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • ½ cup lemon juice
  • Grated rind of 1 lemon or ¼ teaspoon lemon extract
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 2 tablespoons sugars
  • baked pie shell (8-inch)
1. Blend Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk, lemon juice, grated lemon rind or lemon extract, and egg yolks.
2. Pour into baked pie shell.
3. Cover with meringue, made by beating egg whites until foamy, then adding sugar gradually, beating until stiff.
4. Bake in moderate oven (350° F.) 10 minutes or until brown. Chill.