What's for Dinner?! In 1947....

Oh friends,

My mother just called me laughing so hard she was crying...and then when she finally was able to breathe clearly enough to tell me why, I joined her and it started all over again.

My dad is kind of a pack rat.  His dad was even worse!  So for the past year or so, my dad, uncle, and aunt have been sorting through books and magazines that their father had still when he passed away years ago.  Somehow it took this long for them to get to all these books...but that's a boring long story that I'll spare you.

My parents are at the lake where most of these old gems are kept, and Mom found a real doozie today.

Some of the reading material from way back when is really hilarious.  Lots of it is offensive, and this one...well i don't even know what category to put it in since it's actually both!

So for your delight, and perhaps your dinner in a case of desperation or famine...I bring you from Better Homes and Gardens 1947....

Ham Banana Bake



Ham-Banana Bake
"Firm, whole bananas wrapped in ham, baked in cheese sauce" -

6 bananas
6 thin slices boiled ham
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
2 tablespoons butter or fat
2 tablespoons enriched flour
1 cup milk
1 cup grated American cheese

Peel bananas. Spread ham slices with mustard. Wrap a slice around each banana. Arrange in greased shallow baking dish. Melt butter; add flour; blend. Gradually add milk. Cook over low heat until thick and smooth, stirring constantly. Add cheese. Stir until melted. Pour over ham-banana rolls. Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) 30 minutes. Serves 6.  - Mrs. James P. Kelly, Detroit, Michigan. (who actually won an honorable mention for this recipe)

Bringing you love, recipes, and a side of vomit today,
Logan

PS. So, the bigger question is...what would you serve with this tasty entree?!  Best idea as decided by myself and my mom, wins this pair of really awesome wood and porcelain earrings that I made today (they're about 2 1/2" long)....bring on your ideas! I'll give you all til 5pm on Tuesday Feb 1 to comment!

*** The winner is Kelli! I have to tell you all...as much as the calf hoof aspic makes me want to wretch, and as much as real sides could potentially salvage a meal like this, the winner of this (my very first contest) goes to Kelli and the hot dog soup. It, like the ham banana bake, reeks of gross Americana and more mortifying to me is that it was shared with Kelli as a real suggestion of a meal. So Kelli, shoot me an email with your address and I'll mail you your earrings! And just in case you all needed a visual of what appears to be hot dog soup, my sister unearthed one from a book called "Regrettable Foods."

I do want to add though since Ashlee posted that something similar was made to the Ham-Banana bake on Iron Chef America, I will indeed be testing the recipe.  More to come...