Bizarre Foods People Once Ate for Christmas



Weird History looks back at some of the midcentury Christmas recipes invented by food manufacturers in order to push their products, namely, Jell-O, Campbell's Soup, and mayonnaise. Not only did they sell a lot of processed convenience foods, the overcomplicated recipes gave suburban housewives something to do while their kids were at school that they could be proud of. Some of these sound like they might be tasty, if you reduce or remove the exact product they are pushing. And you'd probably want to simplify the presentation. And not serve it to people you don't know well. In fact, let's just simplify them all by using real ingredients instead of ultra-processed food products. I believe that's pretty much what we did as the 20th century slipped into the 21st century.

You'll still find food like this being served at holiday feasts, because they are the comfort foods your grandparents ate when they were kids. If you ask me, the only thing worth keeping from the era of processed convenience food recipes is Rice Krispies marshmallow treats. And I don't even make that anymore because I'd have to eat the whole batch myself. -via Digg


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Other than hot Dr. Pepper, never heard of any of these, but I've always liked jello. Growing up it was a common desert. Mix a flavor with a can of drained fruit cocktail. Or sometimes a banana. Good stuff. As for 'chewing' it, not sure how that would work. I liked to kind of swish it around. And: Pistachio pudding is the key ingredient in an Ambrosia Salad. The glue that holds this marvelous concoction all together. Chocolate pudding is nothing more than cream, sugar, chocolate (bakers or cocoa), egg yolks, and maybe cornstarch. So easy to make and better than anything store bought.
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No, not jello!!! I cannot abide jello. I rarely ever eat it. I do like their pudding mixes that you have to cook. But the instant puddings are awful because they start sweating and dissolving and breaking down after a few hours. They leak! And the instant puddings don't taste as good as the ones you cook on a stove. Does anyone else chew their plain jello when eating it or am I the only one who does that?
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