Vintage 1960

New Year's Eve

 As a New Yorker, I have to say we embraced New Year's Eve. In the 1960s this included celebrating by dancing to the music of Guy Lombardo, freezing in Times Square to watch the mirror ball fall, or taking a beer at the corner bar. Most places offered entertainment of some sort on New Year's Eve.

          Those too far from downtown New York, (we lived on Long Island) celebrated at home with friends and family. The main fare was a buffet with just about anything you could imagine. They offered cold and hot finger foods, easy to make desserts and an array of liquor to ring in the New Year.

     I remember the many cheeses and crackers that lined the table, hot appetizers, pickled vegetables, and winter fruit salads. But nothing stayed in my mind as the table full of different cookies, donuts, and muffins galore. In fact my mother use to feed us a light dinner before we left for a friends or family party knowing all we'd eat was desserts!

          So, no matter where you were, how old you were or who you were with during the 1960s, New Year's was a time to celebrate, wave good bye to the old year and embrace the New Year.

 

Happy New Years!

 

This salad appeared at EVERY holiday dinner/buffet/party we went to in December...every year.

 

Christmas Jello Salad

2 small pkg. of lime Jello
2 small pkg. of cherry Jello
1 small pkg. lemon Jello
8 oz cream cheese
20 oz crushed pineapple (drained...but save the Juice)
1 cup thawed cool whip
1/2 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup pineapple juice

 

Dissolve lime Jello in 2 cups of hot water. Add 2 cups of cold water. Pour into a 10″ x 13″ clear glass casserole dish Let sit in the fridge until almost firm**

 

Dissolve lemon Jello in 1 cup of hot water in a small saucepan on the stove. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Remove from the heat. Add in pineapple juice and cream cheese and stir until cream cheese is melted and smooth in the mixture. Cool slightly then fold in the cool whip. Pour over lime Jello and let set until almost firm.

 

Dissolve cherry Jello in 2 cups of hot water then add 2 cups of cold water. Chill till slightly thickened, add drained pineapple, and stir. Pour over the rest of the Jello mixture.

TIPS:

If using a glass casserole dish use the following sequence.. Green layer – then the lemon.. then the Red layer
If using a large Jello mold reverse the order of the layers. .. Red layer first.. then the lemon layer.. then the Green layer.

 

Warning:

 If you let the layers set until completely firm this salad will slide apart when it is cut and served

 

 

This was an after school snack in the dead of winter in New York. We could smell the peppermint When we came home from school and felt the warm hot chocolate roll down to your stomach.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Recipe

1 cup of hot water

5 cups of milk

1/2 cup of cocoa powder

1/2 cup white sugar

2-4 Tablespoons of peppermint syrup ( depending on taste)

Red sprinkles

Candy canes or sticks

 

Take a large pan and put the hot water, sugar, cocoa in it. Bring it to a gentle boil and stir continuously. Put the mixture in a Crockpot and add the milk and the peppermint syrup. Then heat it and keep stirring occasionally for around 2 hours until it is hot. Pour into cups,  top it off with whip cream, red sprinkles and candy cane or sticks.