Fifty Fish, Forty Days

There are over 50 species of fish permitted on the 1972 Weight Watchers Program.

You MUST eat a minimum of 5 weekly fish meals - using fresh, frozen or canned fish.

Fish may be boiled, poached, broiled, roasted, baked or browned. Never fried.

It's March. It's lent. It's time to get fishy.

photo courtesy of y108.radio.com

But here's the deal. I live in Pittsburgh - capital of the Church Lady Fish Fry. You seriously can't drive more than 5 miles in any direction during the next 40 days without seeing a poorly hand-painted sign that says - "Fish Fry This Friday $8".

So for the next few weeks, I will offer some Retro WW alternatives to that dreaded deep fried end-of-the-week weight loss foe.

We WILL get through this. Together. The next few weeks will involve fish soups, fish molds, and a saucy little number I like to call the Fiske Ballar.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

I Want Candy

Here's an old Retro Weight Watchers trick for when you need some freakin' chocolate so bad that you actually might violently hurt someone.

You know what I mean, ladies...

Since candy in any form is strictly off-limits for the Retro WW society, a little creativity is required for "those times" when a gal needs a little something sweet to take the edge off.

Pineapple Candy Snack

1/2 Cup Canned Crushed Pineapple, no sugar added
1 Package Chocolate Flavored Low-Calorie Milk Beverage


Mix together well. Form into bars or balls on wax paper. Place in freezer until frozen. Makes 1 serving.

I used a Weight Watchers Chocolate Smoothie Packet in my candy snacks. Yeah--I know, that's very un-retro of me. Whatever. You wanna make something of it? I wasn't about to drive all over the G-damn tri-state area hunting for Chocolate Alba Mix, now was I? Do I have to do EVERYTHING AROUND HERE??? Why are you looking at me like that?!?!

Ahem... I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me.

Anyway. You remember Alba, right? Oh yeah, they still make that stuff. And it ain't easy to find.

Anyway, my Pineapple Candy Snacks turned out just fine, and they really hit the spot. Sometimes a girl just needs some chocolate and then all is right with the world again.

**Heavy Sigh**
Eight Chocolate Pineapple Balls. All for me. Hooray.

Thanks to my pal Averyl for reminding me about this PMS-Busting recipe on my Facebook page! Do you have a favorite Retro WW Recipe you'd like me to try? Let me know! I'll be glad to give it a whirl!

The Knoxapocalypse is Here

You can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep.

I don't know what that says about me and my fellow Retro Food Bloggers - Ruth, Lexi, and Emily. Except that we all have a strange desire to regularly encase things in gelatine. And we are a very bad influence on each other.

So when we recently put our heads together to plan an "Epic Mid-Century Blog Crossover Jell-O Recipe Dare", I knew right away I was in very big trouble.

The challenge: Choose the most horrifyingly fabulous Jell-O recipe from your collection, and after a random re-assignment - the lucky recipient must make it, eat it and blog about it.

The rules:
1. No substitutions
2. No excuses
3. No tears - there's no crying in Jell-O molding, dear.

My assignment (Courtesy of Retro Ruth):

Believe it or not, I was actually relieved beyond belief when I received this assignment. First of all, it is very Retro WW friendly. In fact, the only non-legal ingredient is the Lime Jell-O! We Retro WW gals are only allowed to have Knox Unflavored gelatine, you know - but I figured I could break the rules just this once. I was also relieved because my recipe was surprisingly semi-appetizing. Trust me. It could have been MUCH worse. These girls I am mixed up with are like the Jell-O mafia. They don't mess around.

Here's a really pretty picture of my lime Jell-O before I completely desecrated it:


And here's a totally nauseating picture of the Jell-O after I chilled it, whipped it, and added the tuna/pineapple/sour cream fixins to it.


I tried to think happy thoughts as I folded all of the ingredients together so as to help the Jell-O maintain its fluffy-ness. Sadly this did not work very well, and the entire mixture deflated into a giant bowl of green gelatinous goo. I stuck it back in the fridge for a few more minutes and let the gelatine do its thing.

In the meantime--I got to work on my pineapple boat. I found a really nice lady on YouTube to show me how to do that. She made it look so easy. Yeah. This was not easy at all. I'm just glad I didn't lose any fingers. I'm also glad no one was watching, because I really f-bombed the Hell out of that pineapple and made a huge sticky mess in the process.

But I must admit, in the end I pulled it all together, and my Waikiki Whip turned out just peachy. Here I am putting on the finishing touches and taking a big ol' taste:



The flavor was overwhelmingly tart and fishy. Oh, and just in case you didn't notice - I even gagged a little bit during the video. Not because it tasted all that bad, but because I wasn't prepared for how intense it was. Seriously. I really wasn't ready for that jelly. But even with the on-camera "Regurgitation Close Call", The Waikiki Whip was still a wonderful trip.

And here is one final extreme close-up shot for your viewing pleasure:

Mission accomplished!

Now please be sure to check out these other Jell-O Superstars today as they complete their own crazy challenges:

Ruth at the Mid Century Menu
Emily at Dinner is Served 1972
Lexi at After Apple Picking

Get Your Freak On

I admit, most of the time when I come across a recipe, I make it simply for the shock value. I usually choose recipes for this blog because of their gag factor. There, I said it. I find it oddly thrilling to gross people out.

But once in a great while, there is that rare occasion when I find a Retro WW recipe that I make because it actually sounds good.

I know. Freaky.

I have been wanting to make these Green Bean Patties from my 1978 Hot Stuff Recipe Pamphlet for some time. Why? Because they have all of the qualities of my perfect recipe: fast, cheap and easy. Plus they sounded delish.

If you want to make them for yourself, here is the recipe:

GREEN BEAN PATTIES

1 cup French Style Green Beans, drained and chopped
1 slice toast, crumbed
1 medium egg, well beaten
salt & pepper to taste
Dehydrated onion flakes, to taste
1 slice cheese


Combine beans, egg and toast. Add salt, pepper and onion flakes to taste. Shape into patties. Place in non-stick skillet and cover. Heat until brown on one side. Cut cheese into pieces the size of patty. Remover cover from pan and turn the patties and place cheese on top of each. Re-cover and heat until cheese melts. Makes one serving for the mid-day meal.

These freaky little green things were straight up delicious, and I am not even kidding. What's more freaky? I ate them for breakfast. Yeah. With a cottage cheese chaser. I am crazy like that.


So - I can't help but wonder, what's the craziest "diet dish" you have ever concocted (Past or Present) that actually turned out surprisingly tasty? Can you top my freaky green pancakes? Hit me up in the comments section or post it on my Facebook wall so we can really get the conversation going.

Come on get freaky!

Terrible Twos

The month of February marks the Two-Year Anniversary of the 1972 Retro Weight Watchers Experiment, and for the past few days - I have been pondering how to best celebrate this momentous occasion.

To be honest - I never expected this thing to last two years. In fact, I didn't really know what to expect when I started blogging on that cold snowy day in 2010.

All I know is that over the past two years I have met so many fantastic people through my blog, Twitter and Facebook. I have learned so many things about myself and what I can accomplish. I have pushed the boundaries of culinary art. I have enjoyed every moment, and now I can't imagine my life without my blog.

It almost brings a tear to my eye.

Shut up. It's my blogday, and I'll cry if I want to.

So how do I celebrate this? How do I pay tribute to my blog, and all of its wonderful readers?

I guess the most appropriate way to show my excitement is with a GREAT BIG PINK GELATINE MOLD! I mean, really. What could be better than a heart-shaped gelatinous symbol of my devotion?

Nevermind what's in it. Just enjoy the freakin' moment.

So thanks to everyone who has been a part of this adventure - both longtime friends and brand new followers. There is so much more to come, and it's only going to get crazier up in here! Stick around, my friends. You know what they say about the "terrible twos"...

Almost

I enjoy a good slice of pie.

I have even been known to take a road trip in search of good pie.

So when I spotted a recipe in my 1978 WW Hot Stuff Recipe Pamphlet entitled, "Almost a Pie", I have to admit my curiosity was piqued. I also figured if it was anything like the great "Almost a Snicker" caper of June 2010, it was worth trying.

When approaching a recipe like this, it is very important to keep your expectations low. There is no reason to get excited yet. Temper yourself. And remember - no matter what happens, you still get to eat something when it is all said and done. For most Retro WW gals, this is enough of a thrill in itself.

"Almost a Pie"
4 medium eggs
2 cups skim milk
4 tablespoons diet margarine
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1/4 cup flour
2 slices bread, torn into small pieces
dash of salt
Artificial sweetener equal to 1/2 cup sugar
Dash of nutmeg

In a blender container, place ingredients in order given except nutmeg. Start blender, count slowly to 10. Turn off blender. Pour mixture into 9" pie dish which has been sprayed with release agent. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

[Before]

[After]

It looked almost like a quiche. It smelled almost like a souffle. It tasted almost like french toast.

But Almost a Pie? Um. I beg to differ. Let us take a moment for a quick demonstration, shall we?

Here is what an "Actual Pie" looks like:


Here is what "Almost a Pie" looks like:


You be the judge.

Something's Coming...

There are so many exciting things happening at the 1972 Retro WW Experiment, I can barely contain myself.

Did you notice we recently got a makeover with a new brand new header and wallpaper? That was exhilarating. You like?

We also just joined FACEBOOK! If you haven't already done so, please go ahead and "like" us. Please. Just "like" us, OK? Don't make me beg. The Facebook page is still in its infancy, but my hope is to create a groovy community where we Retro WW friends can share our thoughts, pictures, recipes and any other random Retro WW love that might arise there. You know, Kumbaya and all that crap.

And stay tuned, because something BIG is on the horizon. A few of my bloggy friends and I have something wild & crazy up our sleeves. We are going to Knox your socks off! To quote one of my favorite showtunes: Something's coming. I don't know what it is. But it is gonna be great! Who knows...

West Side Jell-O Story

Before I sign off, there is one final order of business to which we must tend. That is of course the mystery of the Pink Soup. The five ingredients that graced my blender to concoct that pink substance were:

Cottage Cheese
Tomato Juice
Chicken Bouillon
Condensed Milk
Canned Mushrooms

No one guessed all five. But the reader who came closest would have to be Jana from Time Travel Kitchen! Cue the confetti! It seems Miss Jana knows a thing or two about scary retro food.

On that note, I must sign off for now. But remember folks: Something's coming. Don't know when. But it's soon. Catch the moon. One handed catch! Who knows...

Pink Soup!

I am feeling a bit playful today. So I thought I'd have a little fun with today's Retro WW experiment, and make a game out of it!

What we have here is Card #6 from the 1974 Weight Watchers Recipe File: Chicken Bisque.


I made it. I ate it. It was....interesting.

It was also PINK.


Now comes the fun part: Can anyone guess the 5 main ingredients that make up the base for this figure-friendly soup? And don't even say chicken. That's in the title, and you don't get credit for that one.

Remember, folks. This is a Retro WW Recipe. Anything goes.

Ready. Set. GO!

NOTE: I will reveal the answer in my next post and the lucky commenter who comes the closest will get a very special Bloggy shout-out! Good Luck!