Well, we don’t have any alcohol around the house…save for some apricot brandy from a party 5 years ago and a bottle of dry sack sherry that hasn’t been opened and was a gift to my father a couple of decades ago. You can tell…big drinkers in this house. However, this sauce may have me beg a bit of rum from someone…or see if I can find a similarly old bottle of rum extract around here. Of course, I may just leave it out entirely.

From a newspaper clipping with no date…

1/2 pineapple peeled and cut up
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsps rum

Blend pineapple, coconut milk, sugar and rum in food processor or blender until smooth. Spoon over sherbet or ice cream. Makes about 2 3/4 cups.

It is hot here. Really hot. Pink snow salad is just the thing. Really. Try it. My mother sometimes made this while we were growing up…not expensive…lots of healthy stuff in it…she actually cut the sugar quite a bit. I would be surprised if she uses more than a 1/2 cup

1 2/3 cup evaporated milk, chilled
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 can fruit cocktail, drained
2 c. fresh sliced peaches (or 1 can)
3/4 c. sugar
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
1 sm bottle Maraschino cherries, drained reserving 3 tbsp cherry juice
1 c miniature marshmallows
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Beat milk at high speed in mixer until stiff. Add lemon juice. Fold in remaining ingredients and freeze.

Happy National Fruit Cocktail Day! Fruit cocktail is a favorite in this house. I don’t know why. The kids don’t even beg for the overpriced extra cherry kind. Any kind is fine. On this day though…a nice ice box pie from my head or from my mother’s head or most likely transferred there from a magazine advertisement in the 60s or 70s.

Fruit Cocktail Jell-0 Pie

Graham cracker crust
1 4-serving size box Jello (cherry or strawberry banana are favorites for this recipe)
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 #2 can fruit cocktail

Drain juice from fruit cocktail into measuring cup. Add water to bring measure to 1 cup.  Bring liquid to boil. Add boiling liquid to Jell-o powder, stir until Jell-o is dissolved. Add ice cream, stir until smooth/melted. Stir in fruit. Pour into graham cracker crust. Refrigerate until set. Top with Cool Whip. (Maybe that interesting new strawberry Cool Whip?)

You knew this was coming sooner or later–the marriage of two of my favorites in one lovely retro Jell-0 dish. Just how many recipes have all that AND GRATED cream cheese?

1 pkg raspberry gelatin
1 pkg cherry gelatin
1 large can crushed pineapple
1 can seedless white cherries (good luck finding them…I can’t…use maraschino cherries instead)
1 cup pecans
2 coca colas (partially frozen)
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese (frozen)

Dissolve gelatin in juices (heated) from cherries and pineapple. Add cokes, cherries, pineapple and nuts. Grate frozen cream cheese over the top of mold. Place in refrigerator until firm. Serves 10.

This is another beautiful but EASY Lady Finger recipe. I love the”serve with whipped cream or liquid” instruction.

1 1/2 qt strawberries

3/4 to 1 cup sugar–to taste

Slice strawberries, stir in sugar to taste. Cover and let stand at room temperature about 1 hour. Place several Lady Fingers on each serving dish, and cover with berries. Serve with whipped cream or liquid.

Recently we had a recipe with Apricot Nectar. Here is another and a family favorite. It is quick, easy, inexpensive, and just a bit grown up and different from Nini’s Apricot Nectar cake…not better…just different.

Apricot Rum Cake

1 pkg yellow cake mix
4 lg eggs
3/4 c oil
3/4 c Apricot nectar

Rum Glaze
1/2 c butter
2/3 c sugar
1/3 c rum

Combine cake mix, eggs, oil and apricot nectar and beat well with mixer. Pour into lightly greased and floured tube pan and bake for 50 minutes at 325 F. Combine butter, sugar and rum in saucepan and bring to a boil. Use fork to poke holes in cooled cake. Slowly pour glaze over top and sides.

I love apricot nectar. We also have a bunch of marshmallows I am trying to use right now. This retro Jell-o mold seems perfect.

Apricot Nectar

2 pkg orange gelatin
1  1/2 cups hot water
2 1/2 cups apricot nectar
1 cup marshmallows
Mandarin oranges

Dissolve gelatin in hot water. Add apricot nectar, marshmallows and mandarin oranges; let set.

Topping

1/2 cup sugar
salt
2 tbsp flour
1 egg
1 cup apricot nectar
1 cup whipping cream

Combine sugar, salt, flour, egg and nectar. Cook until thickened. Fold in whipped cream; spread on set gelatin. Yield:10-12 servings

We have a can of purple plums in our refrigerator. Unopened. It has been there for well over a year. We had several cans at one point. Now, just one. Maybe, I should make this or would that defile the holy canned plums? I think not…but people with childhood affections for foods can be troublesome. In any case this makes a lovely salad course or light dessert.

Ambrosia Fruit Compote

2 medium oranges, peeled
1 17-ounce can whole, unpitted purple plums, drained
1 13 1/2 ounce can pineapple tidbits
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rum flavoring
1/4 cup shredded coconut

Grate 1/2 teaspoon orange peel; set aside. Section oranges, reserving juice. Halve and pit plums. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/4 cup syrup. Combine fruits, and orange juice. Heat pineapple syrup, brown sugar, and orange peel till sugar dissolves. Stir in rum flavoring. Pour over fruits. Stir; chill. Garnish with coconut. Serves 8

From Good Food on a Budget, 1971

The surprise in this pie might be just how good it is for you. Coconut daily gains a reputation as a healthy food and oatmeal is a classic health food! This homey retro pie is easy and should find its way into your dessert rotation. Use up that bit of coconut left from holiday baking in this perfect for winter temptation.

Surprise Pie

1/2  cup sugar
1/4 cup margarine or butter, soften
1 cup dark or light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 well-beaten eggs
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell

Add sugar gradually to margarine; cream till fluffy. Add syrup and salt; beat well. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in coconutand oats. Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 350 till knife inserted off-center comes out clean, 50 minutes. Cool.  From Good Food on a Budget, 1971.

Cottage Cheese (the retro diet fave)  and Jell-0, both are popular diet choices. January and diets go together…so how about this lovely salad? You can even substitute sugar free jello if you are the sugar free sort!

1 pkg. lime jello
4 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese
1/2 c. cottage cheese, sm. curd
1/4 c. shredded coconut
Instructions
Prepare jello as directed on package. Place in bowl. Refrigerate until partly solid (soft enough to be mixed with other ingredients.) Add cottage cheese, small chunks of cream cheese and coconut. With electric mixer, mix on low until mixture is well blended together. Increase speed and mix to desired texture. Place in individual molds or in one container. Place in refrigerator until solid.