The Retro WW Top Ten!

Let us pause for a moment and reflect.

It has been almost 6 months since I began The 1972 Retro Weight Watchers Experiment. In that time, I have gone through 5 boxes of Knox Gelatine, 4 batches of home-made "catsup" and countless cans of tuna. My house is often filled with the aroma of boiled celery and bean sprouts. My friends and family are afraid to visit. And I think my dear husband may have been emotionally scarred for life during a botched aspic incident. So far, it has been quite an adventure.

On that note--Please allow me to share my top ten favorite and most gag-tastic Retro WW Recipes that I have prepared and consumed thus far. Won't you please join me for a walk down memory lane?

#10 The Pink Lady Salad
#9 The "Not So Danish" Pastry
#8 A Mystery Salad
#7 Iced "Cream"

#6 Chicken Buttermilk Loaf

#5 Chilled Celery Log

#4 Crown Roast of Frankfurter
#3 Friendly Aspic
#2 Mousse of Salmon (Guest Post at Kitschen Feast)
#1 Catsup!

Looking back on the food I've consumed over the past 6 months, I can't believe I'm still alive. That is one nasty collection of funky recipes, right? It's hard to believe there are still many, many more I haven't even tried yet. Do you have a favorite of your own or a special request? Let me know!

There's no turning back now.

PS: I recently received a few blogging awards from some really cool fellow bloggers, and I would like to extend a very big thank you to all of them. What a kick! I was awarded the prestigious Versatile Blogger Award from Barb at Everyday Life's Issues and also from Pam at Go Retro! - And I was also very thrilled to receive the Divas & Champions Award from Ellen at Weighting Around - How groovy is that? Now go check out these fabulous ladies and their super cool blogs!

Thanks, But No Thanks Thursday - Tuna Time!

I am so sick of tuna right now, that just about anything containing tuna would qualify for TBNT status at this point.

And trust me--I came across many wonderfully offensive Retro WW Tuna recipes this week: Tuna Puff, Tuna Fish Cavalier, Tuna Steak Zebulon, Tuna Hot Pot, and the dreaded Tuna-Eggplant Poseidon.

But one stood out from the rest, and has earned the distinguished title of the "Tuna Week" TBNT Thursday Feature.

Sweet and Sour Tuna

On the surface, this dish doesn't look horrible at all. In fact it appears to be a simple tuna casserole. But after eating tuna everyday for a week, I couldn't even begin to imagine mixing these ingredients together and tossing them down my gullet. Let me give you the run-down:

• Onions
• Vinegar
• Mint
• Artificial Sweetener
• Canned Tuna

And it's warm. Ewwwwww.

OK--so maybe this week's TBNT feature seems like a let-down because it's not as scary as some of my previous dietetic disasters.

Well TOUGH TUNA!

Oh, and Thanks, but No Thanks!

Hump Day

Well, I've made it over the hump of Tuna Week, and I only have one thing to say.

Tuna sucks. But I'll eat it anyway.

This is what I am having for lunch today:

Lunch on a Raft

It's a slice of bread drizzled with lemon juice and then toasted. Then it is topped with an ounce of diced cheese mixed with 2 ounces of canned tuna and a dash of dry mustard. Pop it in the oven until "bubbly" and consume. The recipe said to top it with some watercress, but I didn't have any on hand. So I plopped some broccoli slaw on top and gobbled it down.

So what if it's only 9:00am and I already ate my lunch? Don't judge me. All I have eaten this week is celery, bread, tuna and shredded wheat.

That bag of broccoli slaw is looking pretty tasty right now.

See you tomorrow for a very special TBNT Tuna Thursday!

Tuna Treat?

With tomatoes literally popping off the vine from my vegetable garden, I simply had to find a tuna recipe that would also incorporate my bumper crop.

This was no easy task.

When it comes to 1972 WW recipes, there is no such thing as "googling". One must sit down with a stack of cookbooks and magazines then proceed to go through them, page by page until the desired recipe is found.

Everything took longer in 1972. Sigh.

But after 23 minutes of searching, I found the perfect dish!

TUNA TREAT

With a curved knife,scoop out the center of a medium tomato. Sprinkle the inside of the tomato with onion salt. Finely chop the tomato guts. Spoon into a bowl and add 4 oz. canned tuna, 1 tablespoon capers, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise and 1/2 tablespoon wine vinegar. Spoon mixture into tomato.

What a treat! Delicious and nutritious.

Oh--and for those of you who are wondering: Yes, mayonnaise is legal. No, I'm not pulling your leg. Didn't I tell you? 1 tablespoon per day of fat is not only legal on the 1972 Retro WW program. It is required. At mealtime. And it is only to be spread with a knife or spatula---NEVER with a brush. So enjoy your daily tablespoon of mayo, vegetable oil or margarine. But under no circumstances can you substitute real butter or olive oil. That would be illegal.

Now I'm off to find more tuna recipes. This could take a while.

IT'S TUNA WEEK!

Last week was Shark Week on the Discovery Channel.

This week is Tuna Week at the 1972 Retro WW Experiment.

Boo-yah.

If you are new around here, please allow me to school you. On the 1972 Retro WW Plan, it is a program requirement to eat at least 5 servings of fish per week. There are many types of fish to choose from, but tuna is THE #1 favorite among the Retro Weight Watchers gang.

Just ask my mom who will be glad to regale you with stories about her Retro WW days of eating tuna straight from the can while holding her nose and trying not to gag. Good times.

So this week, we honor tuna. The chicken of the sea. The king of the pantry. The staple of the Retro WW diet.

Ladies -- Start your can openers.

Thanks, But No Thanks Thursday - It's Back!

Hooray! It's TBNT Thursday again!

This week's disaster on the platter is a simple dish called:

Fish Balls

Weight Watchers 1974 Recipe Cards
"Fish Spectaculars" Category

Let me tell you something. These balls are anything but spectacular.

Here's the skinny: take a flounder and a halibut and toss them into the grinder with a bunch of celery. Add seasoning and mix well. Form balls.

How does one get the Fish Balls to maintain their spectacular ball formation without falling apart? Add some Knox Unflavored Gelatine, of course! Keep adding Knox and water until each of those little balls is completely covered in its own little shiny aspic coating!

Four balls per serving. Spectacular.

Thanks, but no thanks!

Wordless Wednesday - Blueberry Turnover