5 summer into fall perfect vintage comfort food recipes

This past week has been a bit of a bumpy ride for me as a result of the routine medical procedure (mentioned here) that I had at the hospital last Monday. I have a follow-up doctor's appointment later this week to find out more about how it went and what the next course of action will be in regards to the particular chronic illness of mine that such was for, and that's weighing on my mind a fair bit at the moment.

I'm always an optimist though, and after fourteen years of being a multiple severe chronic illness fighter, I've been down similar - and much worse - paths many a time before, so I'm just thinking positively, hoping for the best, and reminding myself that anything can be tackled in one way or another.

Thankfully I've had our upcoming trip to Edmonton to help divert my thoughts from my health this month and that has been quite a blessing for sure. And this past weekend, I took a stab at answering the 40 Random Beauty Questions tag here, which was oodles of (distracting) fun as well.

Before delving further into today's post, I wholeheartedly want to thank all of you who have left caring blog comments and/or sent well wish filled emails my way in recent days. They truly mean so much to me.

While last week wasn't a ton of fun and this week won't likely be worlds better, I really am doing positively and can feel my body recovering more and more from last Monday's procedure with each passing day. Thus, I expect this week to be "life as usual" on all blogging fronts.

As we head into the final month of summer and the weather is starting to shift (we had, for example, some pounding rain and strong wind here last night that felt and sounded more like November, than August!), many of us are starting to rouse our ovens from hibernation and are thinking to hearty, delicious comfort foods once more.

Between the season and the fact that I'm in recovery mode right now on the health front, comfort foods are definitely on my mind as we kick off the second to last week of August. As such, I wanted to share a fun little selection of five different mid-century vintage comfort food dishes I've come across lately online that all fit that bill for me.

Of course what constitutes a comfort food will differ for each of us and there are probably dozens, if not hundreds, of recipes that I'd put under that header myself.

These five have common elements that are often seen as being part and parcel for a comfort dish (such as simmering, baking, or fragrant, inviting aromas), and as they suit the tail end of summer and certainly all of the fall (and winter) awesomely, I thought that today would be a great time to share them here with all of you.



1. Bold, flavourful, and a cinch to multiple as many times over as you need, Chili con Carne is a fabulous dish that, arguably, tastes even better a day or two after it was made. If you're not a meat eater or simply prefer your chili without the carne, ditch it and up the quantity of beans (or a vegetarian/vegan ground meat substitute) instead.

This particular chili recipe calls for Campbell’s Tomato Soup, but of course it can be made with tomato sauce or even simmered (diced) stewed tomatoes instead, if you’d prefer.

Though not overly traditional, I'm also partial to adding some sweet bell pepper to my chilli as well. And on the toppings front, sour cream and a sharp cheddar or Monetary Jack cheese are musts for me. It's hard to go wrong, too, with a hefty slab of corn bread served up on the side.



2. One of the very first things that I rush head first for the moment we start to get even the tiniest hint that fall is on its way again, is pumpkin (canned, fresh and frozen alike). Each year I make up at least one or two classic spiced pumpkin cakes or batches of cupcakes (on top of other pumpkin standards like pie, muffins, and soup) and they have become a lovely family tradition around our home (we always invite my folks 'round to tuck into such with us).

This delightful Pumpkin Cake recipe from 1948 is somewhat similar to the (albeit it GF and EF) version that I make, though I add more spices, including a couple teaspoons of cinnamon, and frost mine with a rich cream cheese icing.

Pumpkin Cake is an awesome, beautifully scented dessert and one that I find compliments nearly any autumn time meal to a tee.




3. Another fabulous vintage dish that lends itself to being multiplied is the classic Swedish Meatball. Easily, made, too, if so desired with alternative ground meats such as turkey, chicken, or (lean) pork, Swedish Meatballs are great as appetizers, starters, or as the heart of a meal itself.

If opting for the latter, they're especially nice served on a bed of hot buttered rice, noodles, (cooked) spaghetti squash, or fluffy mashed potatoes. They also freeze wonderfully, which makes them a great choice for busy fall evenings when you might not have time to prepare dinner from scratch.



4. There's just something about the scent of bread baking that fills the soul with comfort and happiness. It's almost a primal feeling for many of us, as we knowing that this glorious smell has indicated that nourishing subsistence was coming humanity's way for thousands of years now.

Today’s bread recipe isn't quite that ancient, but it is a few decades old and calls for the inclusion of a hearty breakfast cereal that dates all the way back to 1897.

This quick, easy and delicious recipe for Grape-Nut Bread is a wonderful a base for savoury or sweet toppings alike, and is wonderful enjoyed on its own, too - perhaps with a steaming mug of pumpkin spice latte, spiced apple cider, or hot cocoa.



5. As touched on a time or two before here over the years (such as in this 2014's vintage recipe post for Honey Pound Cake - itself a marvelous yesteryear comfort food), I know that raisins aren't exactly everyone's cup of tea.

If, however, like me, you flip for them, then this recipe for a classic - and, IMO, far too infrequently seen these days - Raisin Pie is bound to have you swooning up a storm.

I love raisin pie so much, I'd say it's in my top ten (or perhaps even top five) favourite pies of all-time. Sometimes I'll make it with a mix of regular raisins (like those here) and golden sultans, too, and frequently dish slices of this awesome pie up with a generous scoop of vanilla, butterscotch ripple, or cinnamon ice cream.



{To learn more about a specific vintage recipe image used in today's post, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}

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Though you could of course serve all five of these dishes together as part of one big meal, you certainly do not have to in the slightest (aka, this list isn't a menu plan per se, just a fun assortment of lovely, stick-to-your ribs mid-century foods).

Each of them shines on its own and can usually be modified/adapted to suit your tastes and/or dietary needs, as required (save perhaps if you need to make the Grape-Nut Bread GF, as Grape-Nuts themselves contain scads of gluten; in that case, I'd probably make a similar style of GF bread using real chopped nuts and/or a similar style of gluten-free breakfast cereal, such as Crunchy Flax from the brand Enjoy Life, instead).

Over the years I've shared quite a few other vintage comfort food posts here as well. So definitely check out the vintage recipes section for scads more ideas on that front, if you are looking to put together a larger meal, dinner party, or holiday feast, or would simply like some further old school culinary inspiration.

While the past few days haven't been the best ever for me, it's wonderful to have so many things in my life - from the gift of sweet online friends to our upcoming travels to the fact that fall is just around the corner - to help keep my spirits up, no matter what the universe throws my way.

When the seasons start to change hands once more and a familiar nip returns to the air, what are some of your favourite - vintage or contemporary - comfort foods to whip up for these gorgeous, all-too-short days of summer into autumn?

Celebrate the unofficial start of summer with vintage Cherry Top-Notch Pie

Today is the lead into a long weekend here in Canada, as we gear up to celebrate Victoria Day on Monday, which many in this country see as the unofficial start of summer.

Goodness knows I'm ready for such and am so excited to welcome the warmest chapter of the year back into my life again. It's a great time, not only for its own wealth of merits, but because of all of the fun, exciting events and every day pleasures alike that it houses.

From mine and Tony's birthdays to Canada Day, picnics to star gazing session atop the lofty hills that flank our town, summer will keep me on my toes and in high spirits from start to finish.

With summer champing at the bit, my mind has already turned the lush abundance of fresh produce and other seasonal fare that will call the season home. I've talked before here about how integral cherries are to the local economy, as well as the reputation, of the Okanagan Valley where we live, in addition to the plethora of memories this instantly evoke for me.

Cherries, much like peaches, are summer in fruit form around these parts and nary a roadside stand, grocery store, or farmer's market is devoid of them between (roughly) late June and the end of August (with July often being peak cherry season).

I love the fact that cherries, one of the reddest hued fruits of all, are usually out when Canada Day rolls around on July 1st. Given that our national colours are red and white, foods of the crimson variety are always a welcome treat on any festive table - just as they are for this coming holiday weekend.

It's scarcely a secret, too, that cherries are evocative of the mid-twentieth century and their use - both in decor and fashion - is legendary from the time period.

Naturally, being such a beloved fruit, they often appeared in dishes of the day, too from trendy concoctions to timeless classics. In the later camp, one finds that perpetual warm weather favourite,  cherry pie, and the 1950s recipe below looks like a real winner when it come to this marvelous dessert.






{Beautiful look and sink your teeth into alike, cherry pie is a warm weather standby that is both delicious and nostalgic at the same time. It's vibrant interior colour also makes it a fabulous choice for Canada Day and the 4th of July alike. Vintage recipe ad image source.}


Whether you opt for fresh, frozen, or canned fruit when baking, cherry pie is hard to beat and if you've never tried making one from scratch, I can't recommend doing highly enough.

For a fun twist on things, try making a chocolate or cinnamon crust instead of the standard plain variety. With a generous dollop of whipped cream, a chocolate crust filled with juicy, sweet-tart cherries and their silky juices instantly becomes redolent of another long standing favourite the world over: Black Forest Cake.

You can also add in some other spring/summertime fruit, if you have any to hand, such as - but certainly not limited to - blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, peaches, nectarines, and even (trust me on this one, it's surprisingly good!) grapes.

As I always like to say with vintage dishes that call for it, if shortening isn't your cup of yesteryear tea, by all means ditch it and use butter, margarine, or your favourite vegan cooking fat substitute instead.

A good cherry pie is a thing of culinary beauty and needs little, if anything, to enhance it. However, during the dog days that lay ahead, it never hurts to dish thick slices of this timeless dessert up with some vanilla, chocolate, berry, caramel, peach, lemon, orange, or even mocha ice cream for a treat that will never go out of style or fail to win rave reviews - much like summertime itself!

Turn any day into a celebration with Mid-Winter Carnival Marble Cake

It's safe to say that for most folks, especially in the Western World, January through to March is not exactly bustling with holidays. The biggest exception to that statement for many is Valentine's Day, but even there, that celebration of all things romantic doesn't usually hold the same gravitas or widespread communal merriment of days like Christmas, Easter, the 4th of July (or Canada Day on this side of the 49th), Halloween, and Thanksgiving.

In these dark, long, icicle bedecked months of winter you'd think that there would be celebrations right, left and center, but alas, in most societies there is not. A point that has always rather perplexed me, a lover of holidays and happy times.

That isn't to say these slate grey months are completely devoid of festivities, they're not - we have the cute and meaningful alike, from Groundhog's Day (which shares a date with the traditional observations of Candlemas) on February 2nd to Mardi Gras, which falls on the 9th next month, to St. Patrick's Day on March 17th, as winter - on paper at least - gets ready to hightail it out of town once more.

Still, even with these and a small number of  other observances (such as the traditional Pagan celebration of Imbolic at the beginning of February), winter calls for every excuse we can find to liven up this often bleak and ridiculously cold chapter of the calendar.

As vintage loving folks, I think we're especially adapt at celebrating life in general. We do so with our fashion joys, our adoration of the past, the toe tapping music so many of us delight in, the vibrancy and fun of the many ways we weave history into the present, and of course with our delightful old school recipes. We're a merry bunch in general and we're well suited to weather, quite literally, these lengthy, frozen months.

Today's recipe from 1947 for Mid-Winter Carnival Cake is a wonderful way to liven up and make a feast out of nearly any meal, be it for one of winter's few holidays/special days or otherwise. At its heart it is really a classic marble cake and thus works splendidly for a wide array of events or everyday meals alike.



{A traditional and much loved dessert for generations now, marble cake is a snap to whip up, always draws cheers, and can be frosted (or not) with a huge range of icings and/or sauces. Vintage Betty Crocker cake recipe ad image source.}


Marble cake is an age old classic that many people adore (myself and Tony both very much included, in fact, it's one of his favourite desserts), that has the added bonus of looking impressive, while being really quite simple to whip up.

One can always tint the white/yellow part of the cake with food colouring, if so desired, to fit a given holiday/special occasion or swap out the chocolate for another flavouring of choice such as cinnamon, orange, strawberry, coffee, or almond - and it takes, I find, wonderfully to being made (either from scratch or store bought mixes) in gluten-free form.

We often like our marble cake un-frosted, with just a little dusting (pretty stencil pattern optional) of icing (powdered) sugar and/or a scoop of ice cream on top. Given the time of the year however, I'd be more apt to reach for hot fudge, warmed up butterscotch, or a straight-from-the-stove top strawberry, raspberry, peach, pineapple, or winter fruit compote instead of ice cream though.

Given the chocolate in this beloved dessert, it's a natural shoe in for Valentine's Day, but really does suit a wide array of celebrations, very much including a random Tuesday night where you need something sweet and toothsome to help make the week more enjoyable.

Lengthy though mid-winter may be, there are ways to spice it up and delicious, budget-friendly old school recipes like this tasty vintage marble cake can go a very long way on that front. So why not bust out the mixing bowls and give this fantastic dessert a spin?

15 of my favourite desserts ever (with vintage recipes for many of them)

With my birthday less than two weeks (yippee!), my thoughts have already started shifting towards how I'm going to spend it and what I'm going to serve up on the menu to celebrate it (sooo many possibilities!).

I've covered such things in various posts here over the years before, so I won't veer into broken record territory here again, but just to recap, between the fact that my diet is wildly restricted due to many of my chronic illnesses that are seriously affected by what I eat, that I'm a card carrying member of team Celiac Disease, have a nasty egg allergy, and, oh, you know, have eaten low carb at least 95% of the time for more than 3.5 years now (doing so is not only helpful in managing my weight, which some of my meds wreck havoc with at the best of times, but which is extremely beneficial, I find, for some of my conditions), planning the feast - very much including the sweet treat - for a special occasion is not something I take lightly.

As touched on in this vintage recipe post last December, if dining with a good number of my family members, I also happily have to keep their own dietary needs and preferences in mind, too, though for my birthday, I'll sometimes make multiple desserts so that everyone is safely covered and then just ensure that the one I'm tucking into is safe for me to consume sans awful repercussions.

Though I've always been more of a "salty tooth" than a sweet too, like most folks, I'm not adverse something on the saccharine side of things every now than then, especially when celebrating an event as marvelously exciting as a birthday.



{Just a few days stand between me and my 31st birthday, so as it rounds the bend again, I've suddenly got my favourite desserts on the brain! Image via Etsy seller Veetzy Innovations.}


The world of desserts is an incredibly diverse and exciting one, which has long been amongst the most voluminous in terms of its scope in the whole wide world. Each culture across time has created anywhere from a handful to hundreds (if not thousands, is some cases) of sugary treats that would set nearly anyone's tummy rumbling at the mere thought. In recent year the hybrid dessert (a mashup of two or more traditionally separate desserts - such as cookie cupcakes, red velvet cake s'mores, or the doughnut croissant lovechild that is cronuts) has caught on like wildfire.

Though there are some such exciting combination desserts I can eat, as I usually have to adapt dessert recipes quite heavily at the best of times to make them safe for me to tuck into, this isn't an area I've been able to explore to its fullest when cooking or baking for myself. Again, though, I do delight in those that I can and always keep my eyes open for desserts that look like they might work well on that front.

With the literal sweetest part of any celebratory meal at the forefront of my mind as my birthday rounds the bend again, I though that it would be rather fun on this last Sunday in June to shine the spotlight on a list of 15 of my favourite desserts of all-time.

I need to state emphatically before we proceed with this list that I cannot safely eat all of these things any more. Some of them have not graced my lips in over thirteen years now, and others have to be heavily modified (ditching the eggs, gluten, alcohol, caffeine, and other ingredients that massacre me ) before I can even contemplate sticking my fork, knife or spoon into them.

Much as I never stopped reading and adoring cookbooks when my diet was forced to make drastic changes though, I haven’t ceased loving these desserts either and just because I might not be able to eat them or consume them in their original form, doesn't mean that they don't still hold a special spot in my heart and memories. The latter of which is something I find always goes hand-in-hand with birthday celebrations, so that strikes me as all the more reason to highlight them here.

As some of these desserts are newer inventions and/or were not common in North America or the UK during the mid-twentieth century (or earlier), I haven't been able to find recipe pages (from cookbooks, magazines, ads, newspapers, etc) online for all of them, so when one wasn't forthcoming in my search, I tried to find an image that related to it in some capacity instead.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the desserts I enjoy (nor is it in any kind of "top favourite" order; the entries here are all completely random), but it does certainly shine the spotlight on some of my all-time favourites and I hope that you'll find some of your own most beloved sweet treats amongst them as well.




1. Dessert pizza: I'll never forget the first time I had dessert pizza. The setting was a Pizza Hut restaurant and I was maybe all of six years old. It was cherry, with crumbly, fantastic streusel topping and oodles of white icing piped across the top. It pretty much blew my young mind and I've been a devoted fan of all kinds of dessert pizzas ever since (the first time I had the apple cinnamon one from them, it did the same thing, too). You can easily make your own at home with any number of toppings, ranging from fresh or canned fruit to s'mores ingredients to ice cream, and each one will have you coming back for seconds for sure!




2. Ice cream cake: This - in the form of Dairy Queen's classic offering - was one of two staple birthday desserts for me when I was growing up (the other being homemade chocolate cake topped with mountains of seven-minute frosting), especially during the first ten or so years of my life, so it is impossible for my b-day to roll around with my mind racing straight to ice cream cake no matter how old I get.




3. Cherry Pie: I'm a huge fan of pies in general, but with the glorious abundance of cherries that are grown in Okanagan and which are in season at this time of the year, a cherry pie becomes a very natural fit for any July celebration (ditto for peaches and peach pie as the summer rolls on).




4. Nanaimo Bars: Canada has given the world many incredibly tasty recipes over the course of the few centuries, but few - if any - top the chocolate + coconut + custard filling heaven-on-your-tongue that is the mighty Nanaimo Bar.




5. Rice Pudding: File rice pudding under one of those foods that I could happily eat every single day for the rest of my life without growing tired of it. The creamier, the better, but rarely have I met a rice pudding I didn't adore and am always game to try new versions (plus, I love that most are GF right off and bat and many can be made sans eggs no problem).




6. Strawberry or raspberry trifle: Hands down the best English trifle I've ever had comes by way of my paternal Grandma, who would make one or more every summer with fresh picked raspberries from her thriving garden and generous amounts of rich custard sandwiched between the layers of fruit and cake. It, along with potato chip coated chicken and her delicious hamburger pie, were the tastes of summer at my grandparents house when I was a youngster.




7. Millionaire's Shortbread: A rich, crumbly shortbread base combine with tongue pleasing caramel (usually made with condensed milk) and alluring chocolate in this endlessly delicious treat that's served up in bars or wedges and for which anyone you make it for, will beg you for the recipe. I first discovered Millionaire's Shortbread while living in Ireland and have been hooked ever since.




8. Cheesecake: Oh silken, luxurious cheesecake, how I melt for you! Perhaps because I've had such good luck with both baked and no-bake GF, EF versions of cheesecake, it is one of the most common desserts I bake, very much including for my birthday (two years ago I made a strawberry + raspberry version was the after dinner star of my birthday bash).




9. Baklava: Honey, walnuts and/or pistachios, countless layers of pastry - oh my word, what's not to madly love about this classic Greek desserts? Though GF versions somewhat pale in comparison to the real deal, that doesn't stop me from trying my best to replicate this awesome Mediterranean dessert at least once a year (Nicole from the wonderful blog Gluten-Free on a Shoestring has a very good gluten-free phyllo dough recipe, should you be searching for one).




10. Spice Cake: Granted we just kicked off summer, but a great spice cake (likewise for pumpkin pie) is one of those awesome autumn favourites that I could happily tuck into any single day of the year (especially since one's birthday is the perfect excuse to indulge in any dessert you want, no matter what season it is most closely associated with).




11. Apple Crisp: Another fall time classic for sure, but one that can easily be whipped up any day of the year. I love to serve mine piping hot with straight-from-the-freezer vanilla ice cream or chilled with hefty wedges of sharp cheddar cheese (much like many folks enjoy their apple pie).




12. Bread Pudding: Comfort food par excellence! I love all kinds of bread puddings (also known as "bread and butter pudding") and have even come up with some great GF ones over the years, including a version that is a rife on a recipe I invented back in my teen years that marries classic bread pudding with fresh pears, cinnamon, and vanilla pudding (and in the same vein as bread pudding, I flat out adore a great Summer Pudding or Eve's Pudding, too).




13. Chocolate Brownie Pie: If you thought hybrid desserts were a new craze, guess again! Clever cooks and bakers have been fusing two or more sweet treats together for ages now, as this seriously delicious Chocolate Brownie Pie recipe attests to (this is the very same recipe I base my own version off of and can attest that it is immensely tasty!).




14. Pineapple Upside-Down Cake: Not only is this a massive mid-century dessert staple, but I find that it's surprisingly easy to make a GF and EF version that tastes strikingly similar to original versions we all know and love. Were I planning a tiki or tropical themed party, this would be one of the first things in the oven!

15. Cinnamon Buns: Bar none the best of which I've ever had are my mom's. You know Cinnabon's offerings - those sublimely scented temptations that make malls smell like pure dessert heaven? Yah, they smoke those out of the water. My mom is an amazing home cook and baker, but nothing, IMO, that she makes tops her cinnamon buns (note, the recipe above is not hers, but I think it looks pretty great, too). If I seriously had to plan my last meal, they would be a part of it (and it wouldn't matter that they have gluten in them, as, hello, last meal, gluten = mute point! ;)). Even the very modified gluten and egg-free version of it that I've been making for years now is still lip-lickingly fantastic.

{To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}

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Tell me you aren't hungry as a bear after reading all those? Or at least very, very in the mood for something sweet! Which are of these scrumptious eats land on your own roundup of favourite desserts?

I must admit, with having to cut certain foods out my diet entirely for so long now, my mind does tend to gravitate towards things that I know I can still eat and thus isn't as apt as it would have been to list the same things it might have had I penned this post fifteen years ago (back then you might have found entries like lemon meringue pie, creme brulee, chiffon cake, pavlova, root beer floats, doughnuts, angle food cake, tiramisu, baked Alaska, and canolli), but I did let myself branch out still a bit here, as touched on above and it was fun to think about certain foods that I don't often get a chance to any more, unless I'm cooking for others or pining them to one of my many (many!) food related Pinterest boards.

With a touch under two weeks to go until my 31st birthday rolls around on July 10th, I still have time to finalize my birthday dessert or desserts. As is so often the case, there's a few big contenders, but I rarely end up making the final decision until the proverbial 11th hour (and on a few occasions, the literal one, too, on the evening of the 9th). Plus, in the course of putting together this post I came across two great articles 50 of the Best Dessert Recipes of All Time from Huffington Post and 92 Top Rated Desserts from Southern Living Magazine, respectively, that added some new contenders to the list big time!

It's been an age and half since I last had an ice cream cake, so that is well and truly up there, as is trifle, and a classic chocolate cake. We'll see. It will likely come down to my plans and menu for the rest of the day and what I'm in the mood for as I enter the second year of my thirties.

Whatever I make, it will be a treat of the sweetest caliber and one that will satisfy me on the sugar front if not until my next birthday, at least until Halloween rolls around again in just four months (what, I swear I'm not planning every last detail of that day already - nooo, it being my favourite holiday of all time, I'd never do that. Tee-hee-hee :D)

You'll love the unexpected flavour combo in this great vintage Autumn Refrigerator Cake recipe

It was the appealing, and not overly common, combination of bananas, cinnamon, cloves and marshmallows that drew me instantly to this creative, scrumptious vintage Autumn Refrigerator Cake recipe. I adore each of those ingredients on their own, so I knew that I would likely enjoy this hearty cake once I'd hammered out a version that was gluten and egg free, so that I could safely eat it. Though mine isn't quite as tall, it is otherwise a dead ringer for the one depicted in this photo and really, really hits the spot now the weather has turned chilly and we're all in the mood for oodles of fragrant, stick-to-your ribs food, even when it comes to our dessert choices.

That said, I wouldn't define this as an overly heavy or rich cake. It has a great summer meets fall flavour thanks to the combo of bananas and marshmallows partnered with heady, classic spices and is the sort of cake that would be ideal for all manner of get-togethers, holidays (including Thanksgiving), and everyday meals alike this fall. It's also an excellent choice if you need to, or are cooking for someone who does, avoid chocolate and/or nuts, as both are no where to be seen in this vintage recipe.




{Yum, yum, yum!!! This appealing and easy to make vintage cake recipe forgoes frosting in favour of whipped cream and features a fantastic filling that's bursting with bananas and marshmallows. Vintage recipe image via the Frugal Cafe blog.}



Naturally, by all means skip the shortening and use butter, margarine or a vegetarian butter substitute instead. Though shortening has its rightfully culinary merit and place, objectively very few of us use it often (if at all) any more. By the same token, if you aren't a fan of bananas or don't want to use them here, some canned peaches, apricots, cherries, or blueberries work fabulously as well (just make sure they're very well drained before you add them to the gelatine mixture).

One thing that I would note is that the original recipe states that it serves 12 to 16, which I think is a tad optimistic. Even if you slice it very thin, it would be hard to get more than ten or twelve thin servings out of this cake, and I'd say that it is more apt to serve about eight to ten people, assuming you're not dishing up massive portions.

Aside from the tasty, clever flavours at work in this mid-century dessert, I really like how it looks when you present it. Filling the center with the gelatine, fruit and marshmallows makes for a very lovely presentation that lends an air of sophistication to this cake and instantly boasts the "oooohhhs and ahhhhhs" you're apt to receive when you bring it to the table.

Much as fall's colour palette is by far my very favourite of the year, so too is its culinary offerings and I fall into the camp of those folks who can't get enough of pumpkin and other autumn produce, warm soups and strews, roasted and baked dishes, and all manner of gorgeous, fragrant spices like the cinnamon and gloves in today's great vintage cake recipe, so I'm sure this gem of a dessert will appear on my table year after year come the nippy days of fall.

If you're looking for a new dessert or just want to shake things up, give this absolutely lovely Autumn Refrigerator Cake a spin. It is surprisingly, marvelously delicious!

Celebrate Chronically Vintage's 5th birthday, and Easter, with a 1950s Cocoa Chiffon Cake

 
Hang up the banners, inflate the balloons, put your favourite vintage party dress on and shout out some hearty cheers, because today, my dear friends, Chronically Vintage turns five years old!





{Hip hip hooray! Chronically Vintage is five years old today, and much like Lucy, Desi and their two young kids in this fantastic 1950s family photo, I'm in the mood to party!!! Image source.}


That's right, though at times it feels just like just yesterday that I took my first exciting steps into the world of vintage blogging (my personal reflections on the first four years of CV's life can be found in this post from last April), it has in fact been half a decade since the very first post debuted here on the evening of April 17, 2009.

In the years that followed, more than 1,050 blog posts have appeared here, this blog has become my actual full-time job, and an unendingly important part of my life. Even if I haven't been penning posts, not a single day in the past five years has been devoid of at least a few thoughts pertaining to my blog.

Whether I'm working on next month's post schedule, sourcing post ideas, doing research, brainstorming ideas, taking vintage outfit photos, visiting some of the many other wonderful vintage blogs in our sphere, hanging out on social media, shopping for vintage, cooking or baking a vintage recipe, watching a classic Hollywood film, looking at old photos, or just chatting about the past with a loved one, by the sheer fact that so much of my life centres around vintage related topics, my blog - and what I want to write here - is never far from my mind.

And I wouldn't have it any other way! Though, yes, of course, there are times when I need a brief breather (aka, blogcation), have had to put blogging on hold for a little while because of my health, had pressing worries or problems in life take center stage, or my blogging mojo feels like its temporarily waning, no matter what, when all is said and done, I've always, always felt the pull, drive and desire to keep on blogging and sharing in my love of the past with all of you!
To celebrate this fabulous birthday and the fact that Easter, another awesome annual event is just around the corner, today we're baking up a thoroughly scrumptious, and beautiful, looking vintage Cocoa Chiffon Cake (because, both special events suit chocolate so very well!).




{Airy and lovely as a springtime cloud, this attention grabbing 1940s Cocoa Chiffon Cake is the perfect dessert to make any special day all the more delicious and festive! Image source.}


I have loved, with all my heart and soul, the last five years of my life as a vintage blogger. During that time, I've learned so much, made many incredible friends, been inspired in an untold number of ways, and known a kind of happiness unlike any other I've ever experienced. This blog would not be what it is today, however, without all of you, my amazing, encouraging, fabulous readers, and with all my heart, I thank you for each comment, friendship and source of inspiration you have bestowed upon me since 2009.

The fires of my passion for vintage blogging burn stronger today than ever before and I have the highest of hopes that, in what will probably feel like another mere blink of the eye, before we know we'll be toasting Chronically Vintage's sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth birthday, plus scores more to come after that.

I love, appreciate and am so very happy to know all of you, and to have this awesome platform upon with to delight in, celebrate, and preserve the past every day in fresh, fun, marvelous new ways! Here's to another stellar year of blogging and to everything the future holds in store for us!

Bake up a tasty vintage Honey Pound Cake

Like El Camios and Woody Allen films, raisins are one of those things that people generally tend to love or loath. Adoring them something fierce, I definitely fall into the first camp and have been known to combine raisins with everything from baby spinach to stuffed pork loin.

One of my favourite ways to enjoy raisins is actually so straight forward its instructions can't even be called a real recipe: simply smear however much plain cream cheese you like on bread, a bagel, crackers, etc and sprinkle over a handful of raisins and, should you like, shelled sunflower seeds, too (I could eat that combo until the cows come home!).

Today's vintage recipe for Honey Pound Cake - which originally appeared in the December 1944 edition of National Home Monthly magazine - calls for nine ingredients and is a somewhat more traditional use of these charming little dehydrated grapes.




{Honey and raisins mingle beautifully in this timelessly appealing 1940s cake recipe, which has a great cold weather vibe to it. Image via jbcurio on Flickr.}


Humans have harnessed the power of the sun to dry various fruits for thousands of years, one of the earliest of which is believed to be the grape. While not everyone adores raisins, many people do, which helps to explain widespread use (in both sweet and savoury dishes) and continued popularity. In simple to make loaf cakes like this they add flavour, texture, and a hint of moisture - as well as pops of dark colour in each delectable slice.

This cake sounds perfectly fine as it stands now, but (in a nod to raisin studded cinnamon buns) I'd most likely add a teaspoon of cinnamon, and perhaps a dash of nutmeg for extra spice. Alternatively, dried ginger or even cardamom would be lovely - and wholly aromatic - as well.

With each reading of this terrific 1940s recipe (which of course you can use butter or margarine in place of the shortening for), the more I keep thinking that a generous grating of orange zest (in lieu of the lemon extract, and perhaps in combination with some cinnamon) would be flat out fantastic here, too.

Cakes like this are excellent for those times - like an afternoon coffee break or relaxed weekend breakfast on a chilly winter morn - when you want a touch of sweetness, but not a full on sugar laden dessert.

It’s shape and compact crumb means it transports (and freezes) well, making Honey Pound Cake a delightful gift to bring your favourite hostess the next time you're invited over for dinner - assuming of course, she's a raisin fan.

A wonderful 1940s way with watermelon salad

Watermelon and summer go hand-in-suntanned-hand like winter and hot cocoa, spring and chocolate eggs, and autumn and pumpkin pie. They're a longstanding, hugely beloved favourite pairing the world over and though certain modern cookery writers might have you believe that they invented watermelon salads (Nigella's thoroughly scrumptious watermelon, feta, and black olive salad spring to mind in this regard), such – as we’ll see today – is certainly not the case.

It's a safe bet to say that watermelon is most often eaten in it's natural state, be it room temperate or pleasing chilled, but that doesn't mean it's a stranger to being used in recipes either. From sorbets to margaritas, jams to smoothies, the creative uses for this immensely refreshing fruit are nearly limitless.

I adore watermelon, though it's been tricky (as with most fruits) for me to eat for numerous years now, I still indulge in a small portion periodically during the summer months - how can one not, when a good, sweet, lip-lickingly juicy watermelon tastes better than any candy and is packed with oodles of vitamin C, vitamin A, and lycopene?

Without a doubt, one of my favourite ways to enjoy watermelon is in a salad, be it sweet or savory, the later of which I've been making a pasta salad with involving a honey and blood orange dressing for years now, as well as a mixed greens gem that involves chives and grilled chicken. I'm also a huge fan of the aforementioned pairing of feta, olive and watermelon, and have yet to serve that combination to anyone who didn't instantly go gaga for it.

While recently perusing one of my most beloved vintage ad and recipe websites, Found in Mom's Basement, I came across an intriguing sounding recipe from 1947 for a spice filled dressing to be partnered with melon salad. Interestingly, Wesson oil didn't name this dressing or recipe as a whole, so I've decided to dub it Summery Citrus and Watermelon Salad in a Mustard Paprika Dressing.




{If you don't have one already, why not invest in a melon baller so that you can make picture perfect balls of fruit like those shown in today's charming 1940s watermelon salad recipe? Image source.}


Now, I'm the first to admit that watermelon and mustard are not a pairing I've often craved in the same forkful, but it's sometimes the curious flavour combinations that prove to be the most delicious, so the next time we pick up a watermelon, I think I'll give this forties side dish a spin.

If you're squarely against the idea of the two together - may I first suggest ditching the dry mustard and replacing both it and some of the oil with your favourite (store bought or homemade) honey mustard dressing?

Still not a fan, then scrap it entirely, perhaps subbing in a bit more citrus juice and peel. I love the taste of onions and watermelon together, so I'd also suggest trying some tender green onions, thinly sliced shallots, or red onions here as well. Should you happen to be a fan of radishes, I also find they - to borrow a phrase from my friends in the UK - go down a treat with watermelon.

This salad would be splendid made with honeydew, cantaloupe, or casaba melon (the later of which is usually very melon in flavour, thus making it great for recipes where you don't want the melon taste to dominate the dish). You could also try it with apples, peaches, nectarines, grapes, or even pineapple, just depending on your tastes and what's in season.

Hard as it may be to believe, we're now half way through August and just a little over a month away from the official end of summer, which is all the more reason to skittle down to the nearest grocery store or farmer's market (should you happen to be lucky enough to live somewhere with locally grown melon) and pick yourself up another watermelon or two while they're still at the peak of their season.

Serve it up in a fun salad, skewered on a fruit kebab, chopped up in a salsa, simply as is, or any other way your heart desires. The secret isn't so much in how you serve watermelon during the summer, but rather that you dish it up and savour its succulent flavour point blank - just remember to keep a stack of napkins handy to help wipe up all that fabulous juice when you do! :)

Introducing a new static page of vintage recipes

On a dark and stormy night recently, as rain pelted the windows with vicious ferocity and the room was illuminated by the blinding flash of wild bolts of lightning, the idea came to me that it was high time that I rounded up all of the recipes that have every appeared here and plunked them down in one handy-dandy spot so that readers everywhere could quickly and easily scroll through the tasty dishes that have been featured here over the years and find just the thing for their next family meal, dinner party, or even holiday feast alike.

How the two events - a turbulent storm and the idea of making a static page (in the navigation bar at the top of the site) full of vintage recipes - came to be connected is really anyone's guess. I think though that it may have to with the fact that, for as long as I can recall (and part of me has always liked to think that this is because I born on a stormy night) whenever a tempest approaches, and then begins its frenzied dance across the graphite hued sky, I find myself filled with a sort of electric energy that always gives me a lot of mental clarity and makes me feel immensely recharged for a short spell. As such, it doesn't surprise me at all that this idea arrived amongst the claps of thunder on a sizzling hot, soaking wet evening.

As long time readers and new followers alike are likely to know, sharing my love of both food history and cooking has always been a key element here at Chronically Vintage. Recipe posts started popping up early on in this blog's life and have continued on a regular basis ever since. Whether I was dishing about some of the recipes that have been near and dear to me and my family for years (and in some cases, generations) or posting the instructions for a highly varied array of old school eats, there's been no shortage of culinary fun here.

I'm really thrilled actually that the this idea popped into my head, as it's one of those things that as soon as you think of it, it seems so incredibly obvious and which you know you need to implement asap. And so, my dears, that's exactly what I did. Starting that very night, I began culling through back posts and gathering up as many recipes as I could find (each recipe is listed as a link which takes you to the post where it originally appeared).

I tired diligently to track down each and every recipe that has ever appeared on this site, but should you ever happen to find one that isn't listed on the newly created vintage recipe page, please let me know and I'll add it on the double.




{Like myself, I know that many of your adore both cooking and vintage recipes, so I hope that you'll discover (or rediscover) some awesome meal ideas on this newly created page. Charming 1940s illustration of a happy homemaker via Captian Geoffrey Spaulding on Flickr.}


After mulling over how best to arrange the recipes, I decided to list them alphabetically within various categories (such as main dishes, vegetable dishes, cookies, desserts, etc), as I figured that this approach would best mirror how many cookbooks are arranged and would facilitate the easy finding of any type of dish you might be trying to locate a vintage recipe for.

As new recipes spring up here, they too will be added to the list shortly thereafter, so that whether you're hunting for something you remember seeing back in 2010 or a tasty treat from just last month, you can quickly scroll through the list and track it down.

Cooking and all things pertaining the culinary arts have been very near and dear to my heart, and I've adored sharing so many easy, classic recipes with you over the years. I hope that you'll enjoy this new vintage recipe page and look forward to sharing many, many more virtual meals with you in the future.

Welcoming harvest season with Cornpatch Meat Balls

There's a radiant, immensely beautiful quality to the light that accompanies these last precious days of August. It glistens like freshly polished gold and envelopes one mind, body and soul, comforting like a warm bath and instilling serenity like the stillest of ponds. When the light takes on this hearty, elegant quality, I am often reminded of childhood days spent at my maternal grandparents' house when I was a little girl, as their backyard corn harvest neared picking time.

Amongst the tomatoes, cucumbers, and grape trees, to the right of my grandma's trusty wash line stood a patch of corn, swaying like starry-eyed teenagers at a school dance, in the breeze that seemed to travel across the towns from the Pacific ocean and land in their humble little Haney yard.

Every year, without fail, when the corn was ready to be picked and enjoyed, we head over to grandma and grandpa's for an afternoon of harvesting and an evening of roasting, a tall bonfire cracking away, and that sublime August heat accompanying every sweet, crunchy, butter drenched bite of corn on the cob.

My grandfather passed away when I was just six years old, effectively putting an end to this lovely annual tradition, which I'm grateful that I got to experience (and can clearly remember) a few times in my life. No doubt influenced by those formative years, whenever August draws to a close, I find myself craving corn more so than at any other time of the year.

Thankfully, even if it doesn't come from my grandparents' backyard any more, there is still a lot of terrific fresh corn to be had in British Columbia, and one rarely has to go further than the nearest produce stand or grocery store to find some top-notch cobs. If you're area isn't famed for its corn, or if you're looking for a corn recipe that can be whipped on a moment's notice any time of the year, then you're in luck!

With a name that can't help but call to mind the changing of the seasons, Cornpatch Meat Balls are quick, filling, and a cinch to make. These tasty little morsels can be made with any ground meat (or a mixture of different meats) that you like (pork and beef are always wonderful together, but turkey or chicken would also be delicious) and have the added fun of being stuffed with tiny cubes of cheese, before being cooked and nestled down into a bed (so hence the "patch" part of this recipe's name) of canned corn.


 
{Perfect for a small family dinner or large crowd alike, this vintage recipe for Cornpatch Meat Balls can be made any time of the year, so long as you've got some canned on hand. Image via Curly-Wurly on Flickr. Click here for a larger version.}



I think this recipe sounds great as it is, but of course you could play around with the seasonings (curry powder instead of the chili would be a yummy idea), vegetables, or other ingredients however you like. If American cheese isn't your favourite, why not slip in tiny pieces of sharp cheddar, smoked gouda, melty provolone, or tangy Roquefort?

This great 1940s dish is pretty much a meal unto itself, though if you're looking to pad out diner further, a salad of fresh greens and mixed herbs in a light, zingy vinaigrette, or alternatively, slices of ripe watermelon or cantaloupe would be a terrific accompaniment.

Corn is a classic, much loved food and one that is as tied to the end of summer as that sublimely lovely golden sunlight, which just happens to share a hue with this excellent vegetable and always reminds me of those last few days of the season before school starts and the ebb and flow of autumn life returns once more.  All the more reason, I do believe, to enjoy as much of it right now as possible.

Not your run-of-the-mill 1940s potato salad recipe

Today, the summer solstice and the very longest of the year, has always been one of my absolute favourites. I find there is a powerful energy and sense of excitement that flows through its every moment, and rarely is there a year that I don't stay up until at least midnight so as to experience every last moment of this fantastic day. 

From now until late September, we're under summer's sway again. It's hot, piercingly bright, sometimes languid, sometimes manic days of vibrancy, excitement, vitality, and - quite often - meals that are so simple, perfect, and unfussy as to scarcely warrant a recipe.

Cold cuts, platters of freshly picked and sliced (undesirably delicious) fruit still subtly warm from the tree, generously sized green salads bursting with a rainbow's worth of hues, leftovers of all kinds eaten straight from the fridge, Italian ice, garden gathered produce, and of course all of the sublimely enticing fare that comes part and parcel with barbeques, cookouts, and picnics.

In the case of the later, one of my favourite dishes to make and bring along is potato salad. Aside from my mom's fantastic recipe that I grew up with, I rarely make exactly the same potato salad twice. As with my pasta salads of the season, I like to use whatever is to hand and that I think will marry well together. Sometimes I opt for German style potato salads, others I smoother my spuds in a creamy dressing. At times fresh mint, a few peas, and olive oil are all it takes, or maybe the opposite is true and I pull out all the bells and whistles.

There's really no right or wrong when it comes to potato salad, so long as your 'tatoes are well cooked (but still a bit firm), and you ensure any dish with eggs and/or other highly perishable ingredients is properly refrigerated at all times (other than while eating, of course!). Over the years I've tried everything from an idea I came up with for pizza potato salad (fabulous!) to several vintage recipes culled from the web and my collection of mid-century cookbooks.

Most have been quite nice, though I do sometimes find myself further jazzing up those from the 30s, 40s, and 50s (and/or scaling back the copious amount of mayo in their recipes). Today's recipe from 1945 for Chef's Potato Salad is already guised up quite nicely though - so much so, that some folks may wish to remove various ingredients (forgoing the canned lunch meat will make it vegetarian, for example).

 

{Toss everything but the kitchen sink into this yummy 1940s potato salad recipe, it's a great way to use up leftovers and cut down on the amount of time spent over the kitchen stove. Vintage recipe scan via Eudaemonius on Flickr.}

Whether you try it out as is (I'd use low sodium lunch meat, if possible, as the salt and cheese should already be salty enough) or play around a bit, this is an excellent summertime dish that can just as easily be the star of the show (aka, a meal unto itself) as a highly enjoyable side dish at a party, backyard feast, or picnic.

I'd be tempted to skip the canned meat, increase the cheese a little, trade the celery for sliced gherkins (a perpetual fave of mine), and toss in a small handful of fresh chives or parsley. You could also introduce tomatoes, leftover meats, tuna (or another seafood), nuts (almonds perhaps), or some fresh-off-the-cob corn.

Dishes like wonderful 1940s potato salad are not meant to be overly serious or formal affairs, they're fun, filling, versatile summertime meals that work every bit as well today on the first day of the season as they will right up until autumn starts on September 22nd.

Have a blast this summer, sweet friends, no matter what you cook, where you go, or how you spend your gorgeous sunshine filled months!

A fantastic 1940s recipe to use up extra bananas

Bananas are a fantastic fruit. Not only do they contain various important vitamins and nutrients (potassium, magnesium, B6, vitamin C, etc) and boast an universally appealing sweet taste, but they can be put to use in a myriad of different recipes.

Sometimes however - especially if, like at our house, you routinely find yourself with several bananas that are threatening to turn overly mushy at any moment - you may find yourself wanting to take a break from the standard banana bread, muffin, smoothie, and cream pie repertoire. When such a mood strikes, one of my favourite ways to use up an abundance of this delicious yellow fruit is to make banana cookies.

A hit with crowds of all ages, banana cookies are (generally) soft, flavourful, and a snap to toss together. They freeze (and defrost) well, in my experience, and can also be a great alternative to chocolate and nut based cookies, if you're cooking for someone with food allergies to such ingredients.

Today's vintage Banana Drop Cookie recipe hails 1941 and employees a handful of fridge and store cupboard staples that most of us have at the ready (much like bananas themselves) all the time. Not only is the recipe itself terrific, but the charmingly adorable illustrations make this page one to print out and smile over time and time again.

 

{Tasty, speedy, and economical, this vintage banana cookie recipe is fun classic that will never go out of style. Image via curly-wurly on Flickr.}

These drop cookies are terrific as is, however you can also jazz them up further by including ingredients such as coconut (which with the banana backdrop instantly gives them a terrific tropical vibe), dried cranberries, blueberries, cherries, mango, or raisins; chocolate chips, banana chips (double banana cookies!), crushed pretzels, or butterscotch chips. You could also drizzle a little vanilla frosting, melted chocolate, or caramel over them once they've cooked and cooled.

So the next time you're wondering what to do with those soon-to-expire bananas and want a change of pace, take a page from the 1940s and whip up a batch of these thoroughly yummy drop cookies.

A lovely, citrusy 1940s muffin recipe for any time of the day

When making people look back, waxing nostalgically about the foods of their youth, many remember of cookies as being the primary sweet treat of their youth. Indeed, for lots of folks such was the case, yet around my house - while cookies did certainly appear sometimes, especially around the holidays - perhaps the number one sweet snack that I remember is muffins.

Yes indeedy, whether they were zucchini and pineapple, classic blueberry, bran, apple cinnamon, chocolate chip, banana, pumpkin spice, or any other of a myriad of favourites, there was scarcely a week when one type of muffin or another failed to make an appearance at our table. Variety and great recipes helped ensure that we never got bored with these darling quick breads, but rather that we were always eager to see a piping hot tray of them being pulled from the oven.

Eaten generally for dessert, we'd sometimes get a muffin with breakfast or tucked into our school lunchboxes, too, and as I grew older and began cooking in the family kitchen myself, muffins were amongst the first foods I can remember cutting my culinary teeth on as I learned to cook and bake.

Jump ahead a couple of decades and I still adore muffins every bit as much as I did as youngster. Though these days I need to ensure I use gluten-free recipes, I still have a hefty stack of muffin recipes that I love pulling from, and that I bake on a regular basis.

A number of mine and my mom's muffin recipes include raisins (golden have always been my faves) or currents, and as I'm always on the look out for others, when I spotted this subtly zingy, appealingly tasty looking 1940s Orange Raisin Muffin recipe, I just knew I had to add it to my collection and share it with all of you as well.

{If you're a fan of raisins and citrus flavours, you're bound to want to give this super easy to make 1940s muffin recipe a spin. Vintage image via tonto--kidd on Flickr.}

Great as this recipe sounds as it is, I'd be very tempted to add a little vanilla and perhaps a sweet spice such as cinnamon or nutmeg. Ginger, likewise, could be really, really nice with the cheery orange hit in this muffins.

If you wanted to elevate them almost to cupcake status, you could also whip up a thin orange glaze to drizzle over top once they're out of the oven and have cooled for a tad. For a trendy modern (and yet, especially around the Mediterranean, timeless) spin, you could use blood orange juice and zest, though do keep in mind, that doing so will tint your muffins a soft shade of pinky-red.

As I sit here writing this now, it strikes me that perhaps, in addition to cookie jars, we should have specially designated (airtight) muffin jars or containers to give pride-of-place to our our kitchen counters, too - especially if your family adores muffins as much as mine does.

Wherever you store, eat and enjoy them, I hope that you have oodles of fun whipping up a batch of these great vintage Raisin and Orange Muffins.

Fill your family up with this quick 1940s spaghetti stuffed pepper recipe

At first glance the image in today's vintage recipe might elicit a slight sense of hesitation. The pimento stuffed olive slices are a rather kitschy touch that may not appeal to everyone, but swap those for a few shavings of your favourite hard Italian cheese (parmesan, pecorino, etc), fresh basil leaves, or even a little pan-fried pancetta for extra protein, and you'll quickly see the appealing side of this marvelously easy meal.

I thoroughly adore bell peppers - there isn't a shade I don't go gaga for (orange and purple tie as my favourite colours, but no matter the shade I'll always jump at the chance to cook with this vitamin C packed veggie) - and try to always have at least a couple in the crisper at all times.

Many stuffed bell pepper recipes call for meat and/or rice, but instead this version from 1948 is crams a portion of tomato sauce drenched spaghetti into each delightful green pepper.

Being married to one of Italy's native sons, I pretty much always keep homemade tomato sauce on hand and highly recommend using you own sauce here, but by all means if you don't have any, reach for your favourite jar of store bought sauce to help make this filling dish even speedier to get on the table.

This recipe calls for canned spaghetti in sauce, but I've always made it with precooked pasta (for those like me who aren't able to eat gluten, both rice and corn based pastas hold up wonderfully, in my experience, in this yummy recipe) - do try it with canned spaghetti though, if you'd like (doing so will make this dish even quicker to whip up).

{Hailing from the late 1940s, this charming Italian inspired stuffed bell pepper dish is the kind of fun, quick-to-prepare food that appeals to dinner guests of all ages and is especially well suited to busy weeknight meals. Image via curly-wurly on Flickr.}

I like to add in a clove or two of garlic (or - and this is an extra lovely treat - some oven roasted garlic, if I have any to hand), generous lashing of freshly cracked black pepper and fresh basil and/or some dried marjoram.

You could add ground meat or tiny meatballs to the sauce, as well as grated or crumbled cheese, fresh or sundried tomatoes, olives (black or green), or any other vegetables you desire. Play around with various ingredients until you find a version or two that your family chomps at the bit for.

Not only is this delicious spaghetti stuffed bell pepper recipe ready in a jiffy, it's pretty darn economical . too- especially if you can get peppers on sale or are able to grow some of your own in your garden. I generally make this dish with green or yellow peppers, but any shade will work so long as the pepper is relatively firm to begin with (as it will soften a fair bit during cooking).

Redolent of a Mediterranean mama's kitchen, and perfect for those days when the fridge and pantry are getting low, this vintage recipe is fabulous any time of the year, but works especially well during the bitingly chilly days of January, when one's belly really needs to properly warmed come dinnertime.

This lovely 1940s cake is really peachy keen

Awwww, you gals...you always know how to make me feel so warm and fuzzy inside. Thank you deeply for the many wonderful, cheery comments you left on my last post about the fact that I'll soon be jumping coastlines, saying farewell to Ontario and nestling back into my home province of British Columbia.

I absolutely loved getting to share that wonderful piece of news with all of you all, and look forward to keeping you in the loop as things progress on that exciting front.

In celebration of how sweet you all are, and the fact that I'll soon be calling B.C.'s Okanagan Valley home again, I thought it would be oodles of fun to feature one of the area's finest fruits in this week's vintage recipe.

Though the Okanagan produces more fruit than you can shake a stick at (apples, pears, nectarines, apricots, grapes, and cherries to name but a few, the later of which I recalled some of my memories of last spring in this post), few are quite a delicious or memorable as its fantastically good summertime peaches.

Given however, that we're in the thick of winter, fresh peaches are not in abundance or at the their finest right now (at least not in the western hemisphere), so instead in this delightful Peaches 'n' Cream Cake one can easily use canned sliced peaches, as the recipe itself suggests.

 

{There are few tastes that personify the spirit of summer better than peaches, the star ingredient of this lovely 1940s cake recipe, which comes by way of Look Homeward, Harlot on Flickr. Click here for a larger version of this simple, but oh-so-tasty peach stuffed dessert recipe.}

This cake is just plain pretty. No matter how stingingly cold the temperature, or sombrely grey the sky during January, this dessert will help bring a much needed jolt of summertime flavour and beauty to any table.

Come the steamy, exhilarating warm days of July and August, when peaches are at their finest peak, you can (and should!) whip out this recipe again and make it the star of your vintage recipe filled picnic, barbeque or cozy al fresco meal for two.

I certainly will be next summer, bushels of soft, golden hued peaches always ready and within arm's reach for terrific dessert recipes like this scrumptious whipped cream topped cake. I can hardly wait!