I grew up in the 50's and 60's, a time when packaged foods were taking control of the grocery store shelves. The food choices we make today can be a pathway to the past.
Some Delmonte Fruit Cocktail is the inspiration for this post, but first here are some foods I haven't touched since I left home… the glory food from the 50's and 60's, foods I craved, foods that brought delight to my day...
Picture these delights: Chocolate covered marshmallow pinwheels, Coco Puffs, Fish Sticks, canned fruit, Oreos and Hawaiian Punch. Sadly, I might even have consumed them all in one day! As more convenience foods came on the market, as the food industry allowed us to feel special consuming them, as I gobbled down those 'tasty' delights, my pallet became more and more accustomed to fake food.
Three things happened yesterday… first was the discussion at lunch with work friends about maple syrup. I grew up in REAL maple syrup country, they had not. I quite honestly cannot put fake syrup
past my lips. I would rather not eat the meal in which that is an ingredient, or at least not choose that particular condiment.
My first thought when I opened it was 'oh, I wish Kate was still living here, I would re-gift it to her!' You see, Kate is a midwestern girl and fruit cocktail is very often the 'salad' at a meal. She told me that right along with dinner you have a small bowl of 'fruit', maybe
How do these relate? Number Three: Fruit Cocktail Pudding!
I was looking for a recipe and have ended up with quite a few very old family recipes…this lushish one among them. Maple Syrup AND Fruit Cocktail all in one. I am not brave enough to give this a try but here you go Kate…let me know how it turns out!
Fruit Cocktail Pudding
Sift together:
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Mix together and then add to flour mixture:
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sugar
1/8 cup maple syrup
(or leave out syrup and make that 1 3/4 cup sugar)
Add:
1 large (1 lb.) can well drained Fruit Cocktail
Pour into a greased and floured 13" X 9" pan
Top with:
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup brown sugar
Bake:
325 for 50 minutes
Best served with:
ice cream, whipped cream or pudding sauce
Hmmmmmmm, do you think there is enough sugar in this?
Addendum:
I don't regard myself as a food snob. I just choose to eat real food with as few chemicals as I can. I do eat packaged food, but try not to eat it on a daily basis. Note blog entry dated 2/15/15