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Popsicles, a favorite frosty summer treat of children for nearly one hundred years, are fun to make, and the variety of fruit combinations is endless. Thin pudding mixtures may be frozen as well, increasing the flavor selections.

Frank Epperson registered the trademark Popsicle in 1923, the name being derived from lollypop and icicle. Popsicles have had a variety of shapes over the years, but all feature a stick handle of some sort to hold onto while eating. My mom and other moms in the neighborhood all purchased the popsicle makers put out by Tupperware in the 1960’s and produced numerous combinations of fruit juice flavors. The Tupperware dealers were promoting them as a cost saving item by showing how to make popsicles from the juice saved from canned fruit and making them “drip-less” by the addition of gelatin. Following is how popsicles were made in my neighborhood.

Seattle Hill Neighborhood Popsicles

12 popsicle makers

2 quarts liquid ( a combination of drained fruit juice, water and/reconstituted fruit juice.

1 packet dry, unsweetened Kool-Aid mix.

1 packet unflavored gelatin

Heat 1 cup of the liquid to boiling and dissolve gelatin in it. Stir into remaining liquid along with the Kool-Aid mix. Stir well to dissolve Kool-Aid.

Pour mixture carefully into popsicle makers and insert stick covers. Place in freezer, and freeze overnight. Refrigerate any remaining mixture and use to refill popsicle makers as popsicles are eaten.

Note: some juice combinations may need a bit of sugar to sweeten and some may need a bit of lemon juice to cut the sweetness. My favorite combination used lemon Kool-Aid and lots of pineapple juice.

Frozen salads were all the rage during the late 1960’s. Molded in loaf pans and sliced to serve on a bed of lettuce, or formed in a ring mold or individual gelatin molds, they were the mainstay of many luncheon menus. Grandmas Frozen Salad was a popular one featured in magazines and recipe columns of the time. Grandma is not identified.

Grandma's Frozen Salad

1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 tsp prepared mustard

1 cup whipping cream, whipped until stiff peaks form

6 drops red food coloring

2 cups sliced banana

1/4 cup chopped candied ginger

1/2 cup quartered maraschino cherries

Place pineapple, juice and all in a large mixing bowl and stir in marshmallows. Let stand 3-4 hours until most of the juice is absorbed.

In a separate large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with mayonnaise and mustard. Fold in stiffly beaten whipping cream. Blend in food coloring.

Fold in the pineapple mixture, sliced bananas, chopped ginger and maraschino cherries. Turn mixture into a two quart ring mold and freeze until firm (over night is best). Un-mold and cut into slices to serve. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Note: In the 1960’s the most impressive presentation was to save 60 ounce juice cans and pack the mixture in them to freeze. When solid, cut the other end from the can and push the round loaf out and slice to serve. Also, this recipe is from a time when most canned pineapple was sweetened, so you may want to add a tablespoon of granulated sugar to the mix.

Perfect for picnics, barbeques and summer luncheons, Ribbon Salad, another popular recipe from the 1970’s, comes from Farm Journal’s Famous Country Cookbook, Traditional American Dishes, 1971 edition. The cookbook is part of a series that were free with the purchase of 1 King Size Downy, 4 bath size Zest or 1 Giant size Spic and Span cleaning powder.

Ribbon Salad

2 packages (3 ounces each) lime flavor gelatin

5 cups boiling water

4 cups cold water

1 package (3 ounces) lemon flavor gelatin

1/2 cup miniature marshmallows, cut into pieces

1 cup pineapple juice, drained from crushed pineapple

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese

1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained, reserving juice

1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

1 cup mayonnaise

1 packages (3 ounces each) cherry flavor gelatin

Dissolve lime gelatin in 2 cups boiling water. Add 2 cups cold water. Pour into a 14 x 10 x 2 inch pan. Chill until partially set.

Dissolve lemon gelatin in 1 cup boiling water in the top of a double boiler. Add marshmallows pieces and stir until melted.

Remove from heat. Add the pineapple juice and cream cheese. Beat until well blended and stir in drained pineapple. Cool Slightly. Fold in whipped cream and mayonnaise. Chill until thickened.

Pour in a layer over lime gelatin. Chill until almost set.

Dissolve cherry gelatin in 2 cups boiling water. Add 2 cups cold water. Chill until syrupy. Pour over pineapple layer. Chill until firm. Over night is best. Yield: 24 squares.

There, you have a “Throw Back Thursday” in a recipe column. Those of you who use Facebook, know that Thursday is the day to post pictures from the past. This is the recipe version.

What is your favorite recipe from the past? What was the first recipe you prepared and at what age. We have had a request for recipes easy for kids (8-10 years old) to prepare, especially microwavable dishes they can make without adult supervision.

Share these and any other favorite recipes by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office.

Water tomatoes, peppers and potatoes in the evening. Over night is when they can best take in the water. Their natural defense against heat is to close off systems when the temperature is too hot.