Portion Control

Aside from my obsession with Retro Weight Watchers, I also have a mild addiction to a little thing called Vintage Pyrex.

By far--my favorite Pyrex piece is the mini fridgie which is a teeny-tiny covered casserole dish. It comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Here's a sampling from my collection...


Why do I love the mini fridgie so much?

Two words: Portion Control.

I challenge you to find a modern-day bowl or casserole with the portion power and versatility of the mini-fridgie. It can go from fridge to oven to freezer, and is small enough to make even the most minuscule WW dishes look appealing.

Did someone say Mock Chopped Liver?


When everything you eat is 6 ounces or less, you really need a serving dish that can make you feel better about your sad state of gastronomic affairs. Am I right?

For more Pyrex fun, please hop on over to my other favorite blogging spot - The Pyrex Collective and check it out! Caution - Vintage Pyrex can be highly addicitve!

Roll the Video!

If you have ever visited this blog and wondered, "Who the heck is this Jean Nidetch lady you keep talking about, and why do you want to meet her so badly?" -- this post is for you.

Please enjoy this perfectly "legal" Martini recipe along with a fabulous video I found this morning on YouTube courtesy of the Sun Sentinel.

The "Legal" Martini contains:

1 cup hot water
1 packet instant chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp bitters

Combine, chill and garnish with a button mushroom. Yes, I said a button mushroom. Olives are not legal, silly!

The video contains:
An amazing interview with my idol Ms. Jean Nidetch -- the founder of Weight Watchers. Jean might be a little long in the tooth and a little rough around the edges, but I simply love her to pieces.

So sit back and enjoy your Retro WW Cocktail while Jean tells us how Weight Watchers was born. Be careful, though. You might just fall in love with her, too!

Something New

I loved the 80's. The music! The fashion! The hair!

But do you wanna know what was totally awesome about the 80's? The crazy new free-stylin', free-wheelin' Weight Watchers food plan!

In tune with the awesome new 80's life-style, WW began to offer more freedom, flexibility and FUN! The introduction of the "Full Choice" Food Plan opened up a whole world of new possibilities to the Retro WW Gal, and she was loving every minute of it.

That's right! Check out the cover shot below from the 1981 Weight Watchers 365-Day Menu Cookbook. Do you see anything shocking in this photo?


You are not hallucinating. You really are seeing peanut butter, popcorn, nuts, olives, salad dressing, graham crackers, wine and BEER!

So--Apparently, in keeping with the needs of a changing society, WW finally started offering some more flexible options in 1981. They even inaugurated a vegetarian plan for those who chose a meatless lifestyle and "Personal Action Plan" to help manage behavior changes.

Such a smart company. So cutting edge. Always evolving with the changing needs of the consumer and following the latest nutritional science.

But wait....what's that on page 250? Something familiar...Oh no...Could it be???


It's good to see some things never change. A delicious Fish & Tomato Aspic and a Macaroni Cheese Mold always hits the spot no matter which decade you prefer. As Jean Nidetch says in her introductory note, "Isn't it delicious to know that with this book, the choice is yours?"

Me? I choose to stick with the simpler times of 1972. My next recipe? I haven't decided yet. But I can assure you it will be groovy, baby.

Retro Movie Time

I don't say this often, but you may want to pull out your blender and grab a jar of pimentos, because this next recipe is a keeper. For real.

If you are a 1972 Retro WW gal, one thing you know for sure is that popcorn is illegal. The horror! So what do you nibble while you kick back for a chick flick with your gal pals? You make yourself a "W.W. Popcorn Bowl" filled with all of your favorite unlimited vegetables and gobble to your heart's content.

Chop up some celery, green peppers, mushrooms, cucumbers, radishes and cauliflower into bite-size pieces. And if you really want to get wacky? Pair your "Popcorn Bowl" with this easy Retro WW Dip for Veggies:

1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Dash Hot Sauce (I used many dashes)
6 oz. cottage cheese (I used fat free)
1 4-oz. can pimentos, drained
dash salt
dash garlic salt

Puree in blender until smooth!

I suspect even the modern day PointsPlus gals will flip for this dip!

FYI: The top Oscar winners in 1972 were The Godfather and Cabaret. Marlon Brando, Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey took home the statues. Now, I ask you, what could be better than that?

So kick back with your favorite classic flick and enjoy this wonderful Retro WW snack! I promise - you won't even miss the popcorn!

Un-Holy Mackerel

Today, I opened a can of mackerel and proceeded to make pudding with it. I'm not really sure what else to say about that. Frankly, I'm a little freaked out.

You'll have to excuse me, because this experience has left me a little speechless, so I'll be relying heavily on pictures to tell the tale of my Fluffy Mackerel Pudding adventure.

FYI - here is what canned mackerel looks like when you take it out of the can.


I was not prepared for this. But I pressed on.

The recipe card told me to start by putting 2 stalks of celery and a green pepper through a food grinder. I used my food processor. That worked fine. Then I combined my chopped veggies with some spices, onion flakes, mustard, and of course - the mackerel.


I then mixed in 2 raw eggs, as instructed, and divided the mixture evenly into 4 heatproof cups. As I popped them in the oven for 35 minutes -- I crossed my fingers.


My biggest fear? What if they don't get fluffy? What if they don't get FLUFFY?!? WHAT IF THEY DON'T GET FLUFFY?!?!? I was very concerned about this.

But alas! My fears were unfounded when I finally pulled my lunch out of the oven and was overjoyed by the fluffy little cups of fishy goodness. I happily applied the finishing touch: a slice of hard cooked egg for garnish.


Here I am taking a big bite of some Fluffy Mackerel Pudding for your viewing enjoyment. How did it taste? See below to find out...