So, I’m a little late posting, and I can only blame my slacker ways for this one. lol. However, we have something good in store for you this time around. With the 3rd Annual Ladies Tipsy Tea approaching (this year’s theme is the 1950′s), our favorite picks will highlight some of our favorites from that era. Maybe they will inspire you to throw a 1950′s themed party soon.
This post war era was rich with new recipes. With the lift on food rationing, there was a vast selection for the era’s housewives to pick from. Pre-packaged and convenience foods were a huge hit. This era brought us such things as Chex Party Mix, Corn Flake crusted baked chicken, and lots of casseroles that involved Campbell’s soups, especially cream of mushroom. Also, the returning soldiers brought back new recipes and traditions from the South Pacific. Some recipes that were Americanized were: Sukiyaki, Chicken Chop Suey, and Egg Fu Young. Themed parties became the “it” thing, especially Hawaiian and Polynesian. Another American past time that made its debut, and became a big hit, was outdoor BBQ’s.
5.) Meatloaf
This was a common meal in the 1950′s, usually served with its companion dish of mashed potatoes. There are many, many recipes for making meatloaf, including baking a hard boiled egg into the center the way my Aunt Sis always did. I make my meatloaf the same way my mother did, as I am sure most everyone does. My recipe is simple: ground beef, chopped onions, an egg, and crushed saltine crackers. The twist was in the sauce on top. That is made to taste with ketchup, mustard and bit of A-1 sauce. Betty Crocker offers a recipe that looks to be good.
*photo found in the recipe link.
4.) Olive Cheese Puffs
This is an appetizer that my mother-in-law makes. Its a chedder dough that is wrapped around pimento stuffed olives. I haven’t been able to weasle the recipe out of her, so I have yet to try making this one myself. And, I will admit, I was a little leary of them when she suggested them for our wedding reception. But, she made a small batch for me months in advance, and I was hooked. Here is a link to a recipe that looks very easy, and sounds just as good as my mother-in-laws.
*photo found on the blog in the recipe link.
3.) Mini Meatballs
A popular appetizer in the 1950′s was mini meatballs cooked and served in tomato sauce with grape jelly. This is still a huge party favorite. I even know a hostess or two that likes to toss in a little bourbon, just for taste. 
This is a quick and simple dish to make. I have no set recipe for these. I did find this recipe, and it looks yummy.
*photo found on the blog in the recipe link.
2.) Jello and fruit molds
Gelatine molds were very much the party rage in 1950′s. Sweet and savory alike. Growing up, it was just me and mom and we were very poor. It was always a treat for mom to make a jello mold with some fruit cocktail in it. You can toss in all kinds of fruits. I have even seem some with vegetables. My mom even did this one time. Let this be a cautionary tale for you. Please, do not put vegetables in jello. Everyone will thank you for it. When I was about 10 or 11, my mom made lime jello and put chopped carrots and celery in it. It was nasty. When I brought this up a few months ago, she denied ever doing it. I was outraged. lol. She had made me eat it on several ocassions. She made it not just once, but twice. It was that bad that I remember it. She made me eat all that she served me. You know what it was like as a kid. “Eat everything on your plate, and don’t move until you do.” After much prodding, she started to remember. Then had the nerve to ask, “It wasn’t that bad, was it?” Yes. Yes, mom. It was that bad. In the years since, I have only ever make jello with fruit in it. I haven’t done so recently and need to brush, as this will be one of my dishes for Tipsy Tea. Here is one that looks really appealing to me.
*photo found on the blog in the recipe link.
1.) Deviled Eggs
Here is an appetizer that was a big hit in the 1950′s. They were a quick dish that was great for BBQ’s, and casual parties. I have grown up eating deviled eggs at just about every “cook out” and holiday family function. My mom was always the one to make them. So, I didn’t learn to make them until about 10 years ago. I was helping a friend prepare for her big BBQ, when she shoved the hard boiled eggs at me and told me to make Deviled Eggs. When I explained that I didn’t know how, she stared at me in disbelief, then quickly told me what to do and rushed to finish up other things. I caught on quickly, and haven’t looked back since. When I make Deviled Eggs I use mayo (the real stuff, not crazy about the fake stuff), yellow mustard, salt and pepper. I do everything by “feel”. So, here is a link to a recipe that looks pretty tasty.
*photo found on the blog in the recipe link
Girl, I dated a guy who brought a lime gelatin veggie mold with cottage cheese in it one year for Thanksgiving (his mother made it). Now, not to assault anyone’s culinary taste-buds (I know this is a traditional southern dish, and I certainly love my southern dishes, being from good southern stock and all), but it was just wrong, all wrong…lol!