Chicago seems to have a thing for egg and green pepper sandwiches-not quite like this one though. You can get them year-round in some places-other places seem to save them for Lent. Instead of fish on Friday…it is an egg and pepper sandwich on Friday.

Your corner sandwich shop doesn’t have these adorable retro beauties. You can’t beat them for thrifty, fun and tasty though!

Imagine fighting childhood obesity too-one sandwich for the whole family. Of course, if I tried to feed this to the whole family, my kids would choose no dinner. (One hates mayo, two not keen on eggs, three not fond of green pepper) That is quite all right-I find it the right size for a casual meal for the two of us.

Note the hot mayonnaise sauce is NOT spicey-but rather a cream cheese sauce with olives and pimento-adding a nice touch to this sandwich. Skip the spreading of mayo as you prepare if you plan to “pass the hot mayonnaise sauce” as suggested OR just make the hot mayo sauce and spread while assembling.

Egg and Green Pepper Family Club Sandwich

Remove the crusts from a day-old loaf of unsliced enriched or a specialty white bread. Cut in 3 lengthwise slices. Toast lightly under the broiler. Spread with mayonnaise. Place on a tray or platter. Arrange sliced green pepper on 1 slice. Cover with another slice of bread, then with a layer of hard-cooked eggs. Cover this with the remaining slice of bread. Top with seasoned sliced tomatoes. And here’s a tip–pass hot mayonnaise sauce.

Hot Mayonnaise Sauce

Combine 1/3 cup real mayonnaise, 1 (3 oz) package cream cheese and 3/4 cup milk. Beat with rotary beater until smooth. Add 1/3 cup each sliced olives and diced pimentos’ heat thoroughly in the top of a double boiler, stir occasionally.

I have a fondness for club sandwiches. I blame a childhood where such things were ladylike and fancy. Of course, I failed at ladylike anything…but I sure did like some grown up lady food. I couldn’t figure out the dresses, heels, discussions or make-up. I didn’t quite understand why all the ladies didn’t have “jobs” but never had a minute to spare. I did understand the club sandwich, but not why it was marked “lady food.”

I still like club sandwiches. My love does not…but I aim to convince her with…the MUSHROOM club sandwich! Yes! A mushroom club sandwich. Coarse cut butter fried mushrooms instead of the original chicken. I need to investigate the peppy mayo though. Because I live with an anti bacon person…I have to skip that too…making it a vegetarian dream sandwich. You know why? Because a little bit of olive makes a fine substitute for bacon when it comes to vegetarians.

I will start with the “Original” club sandwich and continue with the mushroom. Look at the photo though for the Turkey, Duck, Goose, Tongue, Roast Pork, Lobster, Salmon, Flounder Cheese, Boston, or Oyster Club sandwiches.

The Original Club Sandwich

3 slices toast
Butter or Margarine
Lettuce
Mayonnaise
2 slice cooked white chicken meat
2 crisp cooked bacon slices
2 slices tomato

Toast the bread and spread with butter or margarine.Cover one slice with chicken; spread with mayonnaise and top with a lettuce leaf. Place bacon and tomato slices on top. Cover with the remaining toast slice. Fasten securely with 4 wooden toothpicks. Cut the sandwich diagonally into 4 triangles. Stand them upright on a plate. Garnish with pickles, olives, or halved slices tomato.

Mushroom Club Sandwiches

Make according to directions for the original club sandwich; but use instead of chicke, a layer of coarse-chopped butter-fried fresh mushrooms. Add a little chopped scallion or minced olives and use “pepped up mayonnaise”

Better Cooking Library, Sandwich and Party Snack Cook Book, 1964

Do you ski? Kraft has a solution for you! Or they did. I can’t find the Olive Pimento cheese spread anymore-just the pimento cheese spread. (Note for those of you who are foodies out there-Kraft jars of Pimento Cheese are not at all kin to THE Pimento Cheese. They are more like oh one of those Philly cream cheese flavored spreads. It doesn’t matter, just grab two jars of Kraft Pasteurized cheese spreads-maybe near the Velveeta in your store. They could be near the American Cheese case.

Anyhow, Chalet dip promises a hot and hearty dip to warm up chilly skiers. I can tell you it is a hot and easy dip or dinner if say you are on your own or just want to have a quiet easy romantic meal without the mess or fuss of real fondue. Candlelight, the two of you sharing a loaf of bread (oh who cares about the 1-inch cubes-tear it like heathens) Grab a piece of fruit or two. Let it go from there.

Or of course, you could pretend it is a fab Grammys or Super Bowl Party food. It is…I just got carried away thinking of my last “fondue” or fond of you night with my love.

Chalet Dip

1 5 oz jar Old English Pasteurized Process Cheese Spread, Sharp
1 5 oz jar Kraft Olive Pimento Pasteurized Neufchatel Cheese Spread
2 Tablespoons dry sherry
French Bread, cut in 1-inch cubes

Combine the two 5-oz jars with sherry; heat thoroughly over low heat, stirring occasionally. Serve warm with bread as dippers. 1 1/4 cups.

Sorry source buffs…that little ripped out piece of magazine has no dating information on it or even anything on the other side that would help me…just the pictures of the jars and I can’t positively id a year for that style.

This recipe is a pain. I will confess to this right up front. It makes for a lot of dirty dishes. It seems fussy. It matters not…it is one of my favorites.

You see…this is a completely wonderful dish to serve to company or to take to a friend with a new baby. Put it in a heart-shaped springform pan-you have a Valentine’s Day to remember.

It comes from a grocery store checkout cookbooklet I bought in the early 90s that is all pies. The cover is missing. No decent information on the publisher at all. I could make guesses based on the products pimped in it…but it is irrelevant really. It isn’t  retro but this recipe makes people swoon.

Please REALLY read all the directions first and as you go along. Otherwise you will end up with some missing egg whites or cheese or generally going “huh?”

Layered Pasta Ricotta Pie

Makes 6 to 8 servings ( I feel like it makes a bit more than that-but I tend to serve with sides)

1/4 (1lb package) Creamette Vermicelli (I tend to use about 1/2 of the package and you can use whatever brand you like)
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1 cup grated fresh Romano cheese (Yes, I tend to use Parmesan)
3 eggs
1 15 or 16 oz container ricotta cheese
1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained. (I mean it, WELL DRAINED. Press it once it is thawed.)
1/2 tsp salt
1 26 oz jar Classico Di Sicilia Ripe Olives and Mushrooms Pasta Sauce (or any chunky pasta sauce with olive and mushrooms)

Preheat oven to 350. Break vermicelli into thirds; cook according to package directions. Drain. Meanwhile, in large skillet, cook onion and garlic in oil until tender; remove from heat. Add cooked vermicelli, 1/2 cup Romano cheese and 1 egg; mix well. Press into well-greased 9-inch springform pan. Combine 2 egg yolks, ricotta, spinach, salt and remaining 1/2 cup Romano cheese. Spread over pasta layer. In small mixer bowl, beat 2 egg whites until stiff but not dry; fold into 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce. Pour over spinach mixture. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until set; let stand 10 minutes. Heat remaining pasta sauce. Serve with pie. Garnish as desired. Refrigerate leftovers. This reheats well.

On the menu for today, also from the 1959 Better Homes and Gardens cookbook: Blue Cheese Fluff. Picture of creepy elf/Pinocchio holding pretzels on his nose from book coming. Also-in comments-please share your ideas for using up a 10 lb wheel of Blue Cheese.

Soften 2 3 oz packages cream cheese. Add 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt and a tablespoon milk. Blend. Mound in serving bowl. Sprinkle with parsley.

My son thought we should make this recipe. Really he did…until he was in the middle of a video game and IN A MOOD. We ended up doubling the corn muffin mix (maybe-how many ounces is a box of Jiffy). The peanuts didn’t get chopped. The butter was doubled. Son forgot to double the cheese and no idea if the garlic salt made it in.

However, it is strangely yummy.

1 8-oz package corn-muffin mix
1 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic salt
3 tablespoons butter or margarine

Prepare corn-muffin mix according to package directions; spread evenly in well-greased 15 1/2 x 10 x1 -inch jelly-roll pan (cookie sheet that has sides folks). Sprinkle with peanuts, cheese, and garlic salt. Drizzle butter over top. Bake in moderate oven (375) for about 25 minutes or till crisp and lightly browned. Immediately cut in squares. Cool slightly, remove from pan.

Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Cookbook 1959

Magpie’s comment to my pie disaster caused me to look for the red hot jello recipe. It doesn’t appear to be here. How can that be? It is the family FAVORITE. Even the vegetarian child who knows gelatin has animal products in it makes an exception here. It is his ONLY exception.

I have eaten this since a child and served it on holidays my entire life. This was the last food requested (and I believe the last meal eaten) by a woman whose child I cared for as her nanny. She passed away in her early 40s from breast cancer after a horrible last couple of years. Mostly though, I associate this with my kids, holidays, and gathering together in joy.

Red Hot Jell-o

1/4 to 1/2 cup cinnamon imperials/red hots-I encourage the kind from the candy section-the ones in the decor/baking section do not reliably dissolve perfectly and cost more. On the night before Christmas-I will take them in any form whatsoever if for some reason we are out.
2 cups water
1 packet Knox Gelatin
1 large box strawberry banana Jell-o
1 jar applesauce-unsweetened (but if you get sweetened it won’t be the end of the world)

Set water to boil on stove with candies in it. Stir and wait for all candies to dissolve and rolling boil to be reached. While doing this mix the dry gelatin with box of strawberry gelatin. (Yeah you can do the soften gelatin in a few tablespoons of water thing-but I end up with lumps and why bother if you can mix it together dry.) When candies dissolve and you have a good boil (usually boil comes first) dump that into the gelatin combo. Stir until all gelatin is dissolved. Add one cup cold water and the jar of applesauce. Stir. Now…here is the thing about this…if you let the gelatin partially set before you add the applesauce or if you stir while the gelatin sets-you will get a more even distribution of applesauce. Otherwise, you end up with about 1/4-1 inch of non textured jello. This really doesn’t matter to anyone but me. I often forget to do this because I am too busy making other things on holidays. If you don’t add the Knox-no worries-it won’t come out as firm and I wouldn’t flip it on a plate but it is still yummy. Add another cup of cold water, more applesauce, more red hots. It is a forgiving recipe. It also doubles well.

The oldest daughter up and got married last spring. Then she moved to Hawaii! That is pretty far away and we miss her. We also are unmoved by her grumbles when it rains and she has “bad weather.” Hello child. Your moms live in Illinois. A little rain and 75? Oh well.

I thought of her though when I saw this recipe–even though I can’t imagine what is “Beach Boy” about it. It sounds just like the Cranberry Holiday punch my mother served to “the kids” and the church ladies when I was a child. She threw some fresh oranges on top and froze some oranges and cranberries in the ice ring though.

Beach Boy Punch

Mix 1 quart cranberry juice, juice of two lemons, and 1 pint orange juice; pour into punch bowl over cake of ice. Add two quarts chilled ginger ale. Makes about 4 quarts.

Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Cookbook, 1959

Once upon a time I didn’t know @Haldechick. Denise read her blog. They had figured out we lived in the same town and commented on each others blogs. Nothing compelling I thought-kind of a hippy/hipster geek knitter Unitarian book lover. I read a post here and there. I didn’t pay attention.

Then came the fateful day I came upon a pair of socks.(Follow with me-it does get back to food) That day was March 8, 2007. How do I know what day I came upon a pair of socks? I saved it to the Extravagant Gift List that year. Look! Space Invaders Socks.

So gifted-Denise said something along the lines of “Hey, those are cool.” At which point I was struck by that madness that periodically strikes me and I decide that I can knit them. I declare such. Denise looked at me skeptically, no doubt. You see. I didn’t know how to knit.

My love wants socks. I shall make her socks! In time for sock day! Oh wait-sock day is April 12. I have just over a month to learn to knit and knit a pair of socks-not just any socks but Space Invaders socks. No problem. I can be dense sometimes about how good I am at learning stuff.

Denise suggested I ask her mother about making them. Her mother didn’t know about sock knitting and doubted my ability to pick up knitting that fast and suggested I give Denise a scarf. No. I want to make socks. Denise suggested I talk to Lorena about it. Lorena WHO? Haldechick. Or Sharon. Who?

We went to Michael’s. I bought some aluminum needles and sport weight blue yarn as well as the Stitch and Bitch book to learn with. The next day we went to my first stitch-y bitchy meeting at the used book store. People were nice. Really nice. I made a lot of rat hammocks. We had a rat at the time-Elvis. I eventually made a pair of socks-still haven’t learned how to make space invader socks though. More importantly we made friends.

One of those was Haldechick. Lorena. She is a sucker for my shortbread. She also rescued my knitting more times than you can imagine. We were pretty heartbroken when we moved-and even now-about leaving the “LYS ladies” in Gainesville. Really. It ranks up there above weather and below missing the big kids. She came and intro’d me to a new yarn store up here after we moved. (and to alpaca…)

Then last Christmas, we got a box. Yay! Yarn store box. Yay! Soap! (Lorena makes fab soap. Like snickerdoodle, fresh baked bread, and just for me sandalwood vanilla-though I am still after her for a sandalwood cedar juniper type soap)

And…Chex Mix. Hmmm. Ok. I had heard whispers about it. But…how good could a Chex Mix be? And nuts! Nuts are on my owie tummy list. Um yeah, well, about that. Denise however is a Chex Mix fan of sorts. And really, any food we don’t have to make and can eat immediately gets consumed. This is why every year after BlogHer our diet relies heavily on that year’s swag. (Yes, I am a food blogger but uh there are days and even weeks where I don’t actually cook-especially before my mother moved in) It was really prettily packaged Chex Mix and so FRIENDLY to send Chex Mix. We were sort of excited in spite of ourselves. (and really downright touched and giddy) But we put it down and I stuck the extra bars of soap in my drawer and one in the shower. Some time later it was opened. And fought over and eaten.

This was THE BEST CHEX MIX EVER. How could that be? Were we that homesick? (maybe but no) It just IS the best Chex Mix ever. Really. Even if you don’t do nuts. Or Chex Mix. Or you believe Chex Mix is that weird stuff that comes prepacked in shiny plastic bags in the store. (That in hardly any way resembles this)

Ok…so @haldechick has posted the recipe (and apparently did before) for Lorena’s Chex Mix. Make it. Really. Yes, I see. 10 Sticks of Real Butter. It is worth it.

My mother was asking what I was blogging this week. Oh, Thanksgiving stuff, I told her. She started rambling, bless her heart.

Here is the contents of her ramble:

Tell them when they make their ambrosia for Thanksgiving, because many people do, that they should cut the oranges in half to do it and hollow them out. (Me: We don’t make ambrosia. We make some fluff thing.) Then save the shells for mashed sweet potatoes. Mash your sweet potatoes with a little orange juice and fill the orange shells. Then you have individual servings and it looks so pretty.

So, while my family would rather die than eat mashed sweet potatoes and definitely not mashed sweet potatoes with orange juice, keep it in mind. She is right. It is a nice serving suggestion.