Black & White Telly #100DaysOfOldDays

Posted on April 23, 2022 by Gloria

Day 67 #100DaysOfOldDays

A telly with no internet, no pause, record or rewind, no remote control, and worst of all…no colour! Just a humongous black and white telly rented from Kellett’s electrical shop in town.

***Lucy’s drawing of an Old Television.***

They were always on the blink and as sure as death and taxes, interference would disrupt a good film or the Looney Tunes. When fiddling with the buttons wouldn’t work, a good thump on the side of it often did.

Sometimes the weather and a dodgy aerial was the problem. It wasn’t unusual in those days to see a man on the roof of his house fiddling with the aerial and one of his children below shouting up at him, “Another bit…turn it to the right…another bit to the left,” as they looked through the window at the telly waiting for a clear steady picture.

And when all the DIY solutions failed, David Kellett would pick up the telly and leave a different one in its place. It was a great novelty getting a ‘new’ telly every few months.

There were arguments about whose turn it was to change the station (there was only about 5) or turn up the volume. It wasn’t a job for the weakest family member because you needed strength to be able to push those buttons!

I’d say it was around the mid-seventies when our neighbours, Anne and Noel Rogers, got a new colour telly and Lynda brought me in to see it. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. I was amazed at the vibrant colours and how they lit up the whole room. I wanted to stay all night in front of the blazing fire in the open hearth watching their new colour telly.

We used to look at our black and white telly through plastic coloured wrappers to pretend it was a colour one.

When we eventually got a colour telly, we thought we were brilliant!

I remember thinking we had really gone up in the world the year we got a Nordmende. I have no idea why! Maybe it had a more stylish look to it!

The other brands I remember: Toshiba, Panasonic, Bush, Philips and Sharp.

Thin Arrowroot & Marietta #100DaysOfOldDays

Posted on April 19, 2022 by Gloria

Day 65 #100DaysOfOldDays

Fancy biscuits were for Christmas time and other special occasions. My mam bought chocolate and cream filled biscuits whenever she’d host a Tupperware or make-up party. The parties were usually on a Friday night, so we didn’t have to be in bed early. We weren’t allowed near the sitting room where the party was being held but we’d hang around on the stairs waiting for the women to finish their tea because Mam would always give us the left-over biscuits. It’d seem like hours before she’d come out with the trays and empty cups. Often we’d fight over the last chocolate biscuit, and argue about who got it the last time.

My sister-in-law Margaret, reminded me of the days when buttered plain biscuits were a treat. Margaret remembers getting Thin Arrowroot biscuits from her grandfather; plain on a plain day, buttered on a good day!

Arrowroot biscuits were/are the plainest of all biscuits. I’m not sure if they are still available in Ireland.

A chocolate digestive was the Roll Royce of the biscuit world and an Arrowroot was the Lada.

However, when you’d sandwich two together with real butter and a blob of strawberry jam, they became a Ferrari to a 70’s child.

My great-granny used to give us Marietta biscuits, but not with butter or jam. We didn’t mind either way. A biscuit was a biscuit and it wasn’t every day we got one!

Thank You Lucy for your Drawing of the Arrowroot Biscuit!

Eye Tasting Mains #100DaysOfOldDays

Posted on April 3, 2022 by Gloria

Day 50 #100DaysOfOldDays

I’m still talking about dinner parties from the 1970’s. First we looked at some of the canapés these super women dished up in the 70’s. You can read the post HERE. And if you’re interested in treating your eyeballs to some very interesting looking starters, you may go HERE.

Today, on our half-way point of our ‘100DaysOfOldDays Challenge’, I’m talking main courses. (These photos are from a little book I got from a friend; 70’s Dinner Party by Anna Pallai.) I’m amazed at the sight of these dishes…really!

🍅 🥑 🍗

I wouldn’t be surprised if it was during the 70’s that scientists began to study how the appearance of our food affects how we perceive the taste of it.

I mean…just look at how creative they were with their dishes. As for appetizing…well, that depends on whose eyes are upon it!

This is veal covered in a jelly of some sort.

Had gelatine only just been invented? They really did enjoy wrapping savoury food in jelly. Good ole ‘Vintage Recipe Cards .com’ has the recipe for these jellyish eggs. Find it HERE!

A similar recipe for the Chaud-froid of chicken can be found HERE – if you’re able for it. Surprise surprise…you’ll need gelatine!

The only thing I’ve ever dressed a cauliflower with was béchamel sauce.

This next dish very much appeals to me. I’m a gamey girl! I found a similar recipe HERE.

I couldn’t help but throw in some desserts! Cheesy desserts because they looked the most interesting.

I’m not sure where exactly the cheese is in this pineapple and apple dessert. It’s called Cheese ‘Pineapple.’ Oh…wait…it is a load of cheese shaped into a pineapple?

I’m sorry, but this blue cheese ball is not visually attractive. I don’t want to look up the recipe for it. Sorry!

This prune whip looks delicious and yes, it would probably keep you regular but…not so sure if I could stomach it. You?

Lucy’s drawing today is of seafood mousse. A dish I actually have eaten before and it’s very nice.

This is only a ‘taste’ of what you would find in Anna Pallai’s beautifully illustrated 70’s Dinner Party Book. If you fancy some more, her book is available to buy here!

Canapé in a Fish Bowl #100DaysOfOldDays

Posted on April 1, 2022 by Gloria

Day 48 #100DaysOfOldDays

A friend gave me this little book a couple of years ago because she knows I love delving into the past and I also love food and cooking.

I wasn’t born into a posh family; dinner parties didn’t happen in our house. I didn’t know what a dinner party was until I was well into my 20’s.

However, I’ve had a few dinner parties down through the years and I love to experiment with food. I contemplated throwing a 70’s dinner party but after looking through the dishes in this little book…I’m not so sure I have the culinary skills to pull it off. My dinner guests would usually expect to be served pasta dishes, curries, one-pot meals, salad dishes, and ice-cream for dessert.

The effort it must have taken to put these dishes together. The detail and presentation involved. This is like something out of MasterChef!

Today we’ll look at some of the canapés from this little gem of a book. These creations have me respecting the 70’s housewife in a whole new light!

As you can see, the images are ingeniously captioned by the humorous author, Anna Pallai.

***I’ve no idea what the grapes are stuffed with!***

I found a recipe for the next one – if by any chance you fancy giving it a go! Sardine Egg Canapés Recip e .

I have absolutely no idea what’s in this goldfish bowl!

I found a recipe for these party cheese balls. Here you go, if you want to make an impression on some of your cheesy friends! Party Cheese Ball Recipe. I’ll pass, thank you!