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.

Head Lettuce Salad with Dressing

1 cup Miracle Whip Mayonnaise
4 Tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tablespoons India Relish
2 hard cooked eggs

Mix well: add eggs cut in lengthwise sections. Pour over quartered heads of lettuce.

Here is one recipe from her files. It may or may not be “the one” but it is tasty.

Brandy Sauce

1/4 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons brandy
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites
1/2 cup cream or milk

Cook over hot water until thickens, add beaten egg whites.

3 17 oz cans apricots in syrup or 24 fresh apricots
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/3 cup candied ginger
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3 whole cloves
1 whole allspice
1/3 stick cinnamon
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
salt

Drain canned apricots. (Or blanch apricots in 1 cup boiling water, then drain, peel and remove pits.) Dice apricots and set aside 1/3. Combine remaining 2/3 of apricots with raisins, ginger, vinegar, brown sugar, cloves, allspice, cinnamon and garlic in saucepan. Bring to boil, simmer 5 minutes. Puree reserved apricots and stir into mixture with almonds. Season to taste with salt. Makes about 3 1/2 cups.

I have been known to grate my own horseradish and do things that way. (definitely a must try, especially if you like that straight vinegar/horseradish.) However, this is a favorite of mine and was the accompaniment to every roast beef at my great-grandmother’s house and a good number at my mother’s house. Piquant, delicious and oh so perfect for chips, fries, errr I mean a nice roast beef or steak. Yes, I know the recipe written out is slightly different. Typos you know. Fortunately I have made this with both of them often enough, I don’t really need the recipe…except to remind me of the secret mustard ingredient.

Horseradish Sauce

1½ tsp horseradish
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tablespoon sugar
½ tsp salt
2 tbs cider vinegar
½ cup sour cream

Beat well.

Quick Sour Cream Dressing

½ cup sour cream
2 or 3 dashes black pepper
1½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
â…› teaspoon prepared mustard, optional.

Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until well blended. Delicious on sliced cucumbers and onions, or sliced cucumbers , onions and tomatoes, or cole slaw. Makes ½ cup. The Modern Family Cookbook

As for the Hollandaise Sauce…yes, you can buy a mix. But, it is like white sauce and gravy, you really should take the time to learn how to make a good Hollandaise. Not quite as versatile…but still…a woman (or man) who can whip up a Hollandaise Sauce that doesn’t fall apart and tastes good…can do anything in life.

Eggs Benedictine

6 ham slices, cut thin
Butter or bacon fat
3 large English Muffins
6 eggs, poached
â…” cup Hollandaise Sauce

Pan-broil ham in fat until edges are curly. Split muffins in halves and toast. Place hot ham slices on hot toasted muffins, then put hot poached eggs on the ham and pour Hollandaise Sauce over all. Serve hot. 6 servings.

Hollandaise Sauce

¼ cup butter
¼ cup cream (sweet or sour)
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt to taste
Dash cayenne

Melt butter in top of double boiler; add cream and beaten egg yolks, stirring well. Add lemon juice and salt, and cook over boiling water, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove from heat and beat until light. Stir in cayenne if desired. Makes â…” cup.

Mock Hollandaise Sauce

3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon salt
â…” cup milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 egg yolks, beaten

Melt butter in saucepan, blend in flour and salt, then stir in milk; cook with constant stirring over direct heat until sauce boils and thickens. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and stir into beaten egg yolks. Place over boiling water and cook with constant stirring for 2 minutes or until sauce is somooth and thick. Serve with cooked vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, green beans or green onions which have been thoroughly drained. About 1 cup.

The Modern Family Cookbook

2 cups milk
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
4 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla

Scald milk with 4 tablespoons of the sugar in top of double boiler. Beat egg yolks well, and slowly stir in the hot milk. Return to double boiler and cook over simmering water, stirring constantly until custard just coats a metal spoon. Remove immediately from heat, add vanilla and chille. Just before serving time, beat the egg whites until fluffy, add remaining sugar slowly and continue beating until very stiff. Drop meringue on top of chilled custard in individual serving dishes, and serve immediately. For cooked meringue, use only 2 egg whites and â…“ cup sugar, then poach spoonfuls about 2 minutes in simmering water, covered. 5 servings.

Note: 2 or three left-over egg yolks may be used in making this dessert, in which case smaller “islands” will result unless you can combine the smaller quantity of beaten whites with some whipped cream.

Fruit Salad Dressing

3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
½ cup milk
¼ cup egg yolks (about 3 yolks)
¼ cup orange juice
1½  tablespoons lemon juice
2 or 3 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon prepared mustard

Melt butter, blend in flour, add milk and cook over direct heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in beaten egg yolks and cook one minute longer, continuing to stir. Remove from heat; stir in fruit juices, sugar, salt and mustard. Chill thoroughly before using. About 1 cup. The Modern Family Cookbook

Cranberry Sauce or Jelly

1 lb. cranberries (about 1 qt.)
1 cup boiling water
2 cups sugar
pinch salt

Pick over berries, removing stems and discarding all soft ones. Wash and drain, put into saucepan with the water, cover and boil briskly for 10 minutes. If a smooth sauce or jelly is desired, rub berries and juice through a sieve. Add the sugar and salt to the purée or to the un-sieved berries and continue cooking until sugar is entirely dissolved. Serve either hot or cold. The puréed sauce will jell on cooling. 3¼  cups sauce or 3 cups jelly.

Butterscotch Sauce

1½ cups brown sugar, packed
⅔ cup white corn syrup
⅓ cup water
¼ cup butter
⅔ cup evaporated milk
½  teaspoon vanilla
½  cup chopped nuts, if desired

Put sugar, corn syrup, water and butter into a saucepan and boil to the soft ball stage (236° F.). Cool, then beat in the evaporated milk, a little salt and vanilla. Stir in nuts and serve on ice cream, bananas, or any desired pudding. Makes about 2 cups. The Modern Family Cookbook

Custard Sauce

2 cups milk
2 egg yolks and 2 whole eggs or 5 egg yolks
¼ cup sugar
¹/₈ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
 

Scald milk in top of double boiler. Beat eggs slightly, add sugar and salt and slowly stir in the scalded milk. Return to double-boiler and cook over boiling water until mixture just coats a metal sppon. Remove from heat immediately, then stir in vanilla and chill. If over cooked, custard will curdle. Curdled custard may often be restored by cooling immediately and beating with a rotary egg beater, but it will not be so thick. About 2¼ cups. The Modern Family Cookbook

Meat Gravy

To each ¼  cup fat and savory brown juice in the roasting pan, add ¼ cup flour and blend until smooth. Add 2 cups cold water or cooking water from boiled potatoes, or milk; stir constantly over direct heat while heating until it boils and thickens. Season to taste4. If a thinner gravy is desired, add more water. Gravy coloring or caramel gives a more attractive brown gravy, but usually does not improve the flavor.

Variation: To make gravy for braised meat or pot roast, which has a considerable amount of liquid in the pan, remove the meat and slowly stir into the simmering liquid enough flour-water paste to make gravy the right thickness. If it is too thick, add water, cooking water from potatoes or other vegetables, to give the desired consistency. Season to suit taste with salt and pepper.

Flour-Water Paste for Thickening Gravy, Etc.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons flour over ¼ cup cold water in a small jar; cover and shake it vigorously until blended. This amount thickens 1 cup milk to a good average thickness when stirred in, brought to boiling point, and simmered 2 or 3 minutes.  The Modern Family Cookbook

I tend to prefer my lemon sauce on gingerbread. Grab me a box of Jiffy Gingerbread Mix and give me time to whip it up and the lemon sauce. Soon, we will have food to soothe a broken heart or to keep the chill away whether from air conditioning or a winter freeze.

Lemon Sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch
¾ cup sugar
Dash salt
¾ cup water
1 egg, separated
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon grated lemon rind

Mix the cornstarch, sugar, and salt in top of double boiler; add water and cook over direct heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens. Stir into beaten egg yolk; return to plan, place over boiling water and cook 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add butter and lemon juice and rind. Cool. Beat egg white until stiff and fold into the sauce. Serve hot or cold as a sauce for cottage pudding. 5 servings.

With this recipe you don’t start with one of the standard white sauce recipes, but there is white sauce involved nonetheless. The August Menu recommends serving over toast, so you could skip the croutons. Too bad we are out of evaporated milk, we have carrots and celery!

Creamed Carrots and Celery

2 cups sliced carrots
1 cup diced celery
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup cooking water from vegetables
Salt to taste
Croutons 

Put carrots and celery into a 3-qt saucepan, cover with boiling salted water, 1 teaspoon salt to 1 quart water, cover pan and boil gently until tender. Drain, saving water. Meanwhile melt butter in saucepan, blend in flour, add milk and 1 cup water drained from vegetables, stirring constantly over low heat until sauce boils and thickens. Add salt if needed. Add cooked vegetables and reheat thoroughly. Serve the creamed vegetables poured over crisp croutons. 5 servings. From the Modern Family Cookbook