UNUSUAL SONG: Lime Jell-O Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise

Although this is a novelty song by William Bolcom and originally performed by Joan Morris in the early 80's, it is an ode an equally novelty dish your Mom or Grandma may have made in the 1960s or 1970s, Lime Jell-O Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise and mentions other "creative" dishes that were in magazines at that time that ladies would make and take to potlucks.

This rendition is by Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en, a Youtube channel by a husband and wife that have their house decorated in the groovy 60's and 70's kitsch and feature themed drinks and retro dishes.  In this video, they even created other novelty dishes that are mentioned in the song.

There is a real recipe for this here, although the version I had as a kid also had mayonnaise in with the whipped cream (or maybe it was cream cheese and mayo?) and it was topped with maraschino cherries instead of tomatoes and it was not as bad as it sounds.

THRIFT STORE FIND: VINTAGE NUTCRACKER SET

If you have ever heard the term "hard nut to crack" it was probably after dealing with something like the above.

I had not seen since I was a kid a Christmas at my Grandmother's house and I am not surprised they are not popular today, although they did fancy up a Holiday table visually with all of the different shapes, colors, and textures of assorted nuts on a table or buffet. 

This should also be under the category of "Kids don't know how easy they have it today" to be able to get pre-packaged shelled nuts.

Back in the days before you could buy packages of nuts that had already been shelled, you would purchase nuts in the shell and have to crack them yourself.

Usually, it was an assortment of nuts that were placed in the bowl then you would take metal nutcracker that is stored in the center, place the nut in between and squeeze hoping the nut would crack open.  Unless it was a peanut, the first attempt was not successful, or only partially so.  There were also those occasions where it would slip out and project all or part of it the nut across the room. I can still hear my Grandmother's voice saying "Be careful!  Go pick that up!". 

Once you cracked the nut open, usually in two or more pieces, there was a pick like metal object also in the center that you would use to pry out tiny portions of the nut to eat.  Walnuts were the worst.  Usually, you could only pick out a crumb-like morsel at a time.  

While the above has a Depression glass vibe to it, I am guessing this is a late 50's to early 60's reproduction.  

I used to go with my mother-in-law, who was a Depression glass fanatic to flea markets on the weekend to hunt for Depression area glass that she collected and displayed in a large glass china cabinet in her dining room.  She would hand a piece to me to guess if it was real or reproduction and then tell me if it was or was not and why and on this it felt heavier and the glass was too clear, but I by no means am an expert.   It also has more of the look and feel of a tea/snack set my mother had from the late 50's/early 1960s.

While a piece like brings back childhood memories, they are more ones of frustration that joy so I left this treasure at the thrift store for someone else to find.