Blog Party#6: Retro Party! The Round-Up

Welcome, welcome, to our Retro Party!

My, don't you look lovely! Please come in; Matt will take your wrap into the next room. Would you care for a drink? The bar's stocked, and we are set for our most well-attended Blog Party to date!

If you'll excuse me for just a moment? I need to put another record on...how about some Henry Mancini?

I have a rather large collection of his work, but Midnight, Moonlight & Magic: The Very Best of should get things going.



And we can't have a Blog Party without music from Ultra Lounge, can we?

Tonight, it's Mambo Fever!





While we're getting in the mood, be sure to stop by Reprodepot, a fun source for retro-themed fabrics, including this one, which we turned into curtains for our kitchen!



Their fabrics can be turned into cute hostess aprons, dish towels, and more.

For setting the table, you simply must visit Retro Redheads; a mother and daughter-run on-line company who always manage to dig up fun and retro tableware, barware, and more.

I found a beautiful set of red-and-white striped cups and saucers at their store, and I'm sure you'll see something you like, too!

And may I recommend the fabulous Collector's Press, for all your retro food (and pop culture) needs? With titles like Retro Baking, Retro Diner, Retro Luau and more, you just can't go wrong!

And who could forget the classic Fiesta Ware?? (Although, apparently, it is not sold through Amazon in the UK; sorry.)

But now, ladies...let's introduce the guests, and get to the food!

First to arrive, it's Cyndi! She really got into the spirit of this month's party, making Chuck's Bean Dip...using canned soup and Velveeta!...and Hot Buttered Rum Mix for a Crowd. Which is perfect, as this month's party has the most guests so far!
Cyndi; you did a terrific job, and we're so happy to have you here!



Next guest through the door? The lovely Ulrike, all the way from Northern Germany!
I couldn't be more excited; I now have someone to practice my rusty German on.
Ulrike's brought us an absolutely perfect and Retro dish; Toast Hawaii. Don't you love how post-war it looks? And to go with, a very classic, but anti-007, Wodka-Martini,. It's just great, Ulrike; thanks so much for coming!



It just wouldn't be a Blog Party without Nupur! And without having to borrow one of our three pots, Nupur's made some yummy-looking fondue, which she's serving with bread, potatoes, and fruit. Mmm...I do love fondue, do you? (I know, bad bad.)
She's also supplied us with my kind of drink; the Virgin Mary. Anything with tomato juice, and I'm there!
So glad you could be here, Nupur!



Let's all give a warm, Blog Party welcome to first-time guest, but much-beloved blogger, Sam! We're honored to have you at our little soiree. Sam's brought us these fantastic Homemade Mayonnaise and Deviled Eggs, and they appropriately-titled Classic Champagne Cocktails. Spot on, Sam; and thanks for coming!



Next guest through the door, it's Alicat! And she brings one of the nastier-sounded treats to the party, but don't let that stop you; these Meat Puff are actually quite tasty. How perfectly Retro!
Be sure to grab a cup of her Spiced Tomato Juice, too...looks great, Alicat; so glad you could make it!



Here comes Heather! And lucky for us, she's brought dessert; the fun-sounding Accordion Treats. Heather knows how well desserts go over here at Blog Party, so good call!
And she's offering up Cabana Boy Cherry Rum mixed with Diet Cream Soda, although she won't say anything if you'd prefer to eat these treats with milk, tea or coffee!
So good to have you here, Heather!



Oh, Lyn; you crack me up! Who else would have made Spamakopita?? How funny, and wonderfully Retro...Spam, pineapple, and cheddar? Pass that platter around! (And naturally, I have that Monty Python tune stuck in my head)
And your Mai Tai's look amazing...thanks so much for coming!





Next to arrive is Alanna, with one of the healthier dishes at the party (she's tricky that way!); Artichoke Nibblers. She has me hooked, and I'm not even a fan of artichokes! Thanks so much, Alanna, and enjoy the party!



Hey, look; it's Becky! Come on in, and allow me to speak for all of us when I say thanks so much for skipping the aspic!!
Instead, Becky's brought Egg Salad in Puff Pastry; oh, yum. Just my kind of food!
Great job, Becky; so happy you could make it.





B'gina sends her regrets; she's a bit tied up right now, but she did want us to enjoy her fabulous Retro treats, so let's all dig in . She's made all kinds of goodies, including Gyros Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce, Rumaki, and Caviar Art Deco Canapes. What about drinks, you ask? She's taken care of that, as well. Retsina, Sake, Saporro, and a classic Martini. Excellent job, B'gina; and we do hope to see you at next month's party!


I'm sure you're just as happy to see boo_licious as I am, but when you get a look at her Mini Chocolate Eclairs, I promise you'll do a happy dance! Sweet, chocolate-y, treats (she even used a hazelnut chocolate for the tops...to die for), perfect with a cup of tea. And as I have an endless supply of tea, in just about any flavor you could hope for, it's perfect.
Thank you so much, boo_licious; and don't expect to take any home!



One of the last through the door, but always welcome; it's Anni! And it's just possible she's already taste-tested a few of those Bellini's...slip showing, indeed! Powder room's that way, my dear...

But yum; Anni's made a trio of appetizers for tonight's party: Blue Cheese - Stuffed Apricots, French Brie - Onion Marmalade Canapés, and Pear Vichyssoise. How 'bout that?
To go with those Bellinis, she's also provided the alcohol and non versions of the Bloody Mary, and one of my favorite mocktails; the Shirley Temple.
Fantastic, Anni; and thanks for being here!



I decided to save Cookiecrumb for last, because she really got into the spirit for our Retro Party; submitting two entries!

First up is a fun and fun-ky The Flaming Pupu-Head with Molten Lava Dunk; dip served in a hollowed-out cabbage (we almost did this, honestly!), and stuck with little nibblers. And sticking with a classic, more fixin's for a nice, dry, Martini.
For her second entry, Cookiecrumb's starting us off with The Chichi Cocktail (Matt and I love the delivery, by the way), and some old-time-y Rumaki.

Talk about dedication! Thanks so much for all your effort, Cookiecrumb; we're all happy you're here!

We've prepared a few treats, too...so gather round, and dig in! Um...that's not terribly lady-like, is it?

Ok, ladies, do try a few of the appetizers we've set out; napkins are just over here!

Matt and I worked from the 1967 volume of Gourmet magazine; each year, the magazine would publish the entire year's worth of issues in a hard-bound book.

So, we began with a half-hearted attempt at something healthy; Crudites with Cashel Blue Dip.



Avocado with Hot Sauce

Oil, tarragon vinegar, Tobasco, mustard, Worcestire, and shredded hard boiled eggs, spooned over avocado halves.



Rock Lobster Tails with Pink and Green Sauces



Marie Joses

Chocolate cups holding Maraschino-soaked pound cake (I used a 1 lb. recipe!), topped with whipped cream and a cherry. Yum.



Lime Mock-dka's

In lieu of vodka and orange-flavored liqueur, we used sparkling water and orange syrup, mixed with lime juice. Mmm...



And there we go! Mingle, enjoy the food, be sure to have the number of a cab company handy...because the booze is flowing tonight!

I hope everyone's having a good time...we loved having you here for a Retro Party, and hope you'll join us again next month. Be watching 1 February for our next Blog Party theme!


Tagged with
Food and Drink, Retro, Blog Party, Cocktails. Appetizers. Events, Blogging