1967 Menu?

Sorry. That is the year in which I was born, so I am of no help. I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with, though.

Hi Malia! Why does prepackaged dinners and some sort of aspic come to my mind? If I had to guess without reference I'd say red meat...lots of olives, and tomato in everything either as a main flavor or an garnish.

At any rate, I believe I have a Betty Crocker circa the late 60s at home that I can spin through for you. Come to think of it, it has a hilarious page with afternoon cocktail and "snack" recipes.

When is your party?

Fondue, Jello in any form, Chicken A La King......?

Oooh, missed one. Bundt cake!

Mary, I don't remember Bundt cakes until the 70s... I agree with the chicken a la king and fondu.

Also Hawaiian appetizers. Make spears of ham and pineapple cubes. If you can get your hands on the fondu pots. make an assoprtment, cheese into which you dip bread, beef cooked in oil with an assortment of little dishes of dips, fruit to dip in chocolate.

Yes, tomato aspic.

California dip and ridged potato chips were new. California dip is made with dry French onion soup and sour cream. Now we just call it onion dip, but back themn it was called CA dip.

Pigs in blankets (mini hot dogs wrapped in dough and baked).

I may be able to come up with recipes if you can't find them.

I hope your in-laws enjoy this. But think about it. I totally would not. Food in the 1960s was pretty bad.

Wow, what fabulous suggestions, you guys are the greatest. And while I agree that food was pretty bad in the 1960s, the prepackaged thing is helpful. The party is in SoCal and we fly in the day before. Other family members are in charge of music, tv shows, a 1967 VW beetle decorated "just married".... The party is the end of February. And frozen dinners, oh my, can you imagine a spread of frozen dinners for 70 people? Like a surrealist painting.

What about parker house rolls? And uh, what are parker house rolls?

Parker house rolls are named after the hotel of the same name. I always thought they looked like little purses. This sounds like so much fun! Enjoy

I almost can't remember back that far (I was only 10), but party buffets here in the Midwest haven't changed that much. The typical spread would usually consist of a variety of open faced sandwiches or sliced meat in a bun, a potato or macaroni salad, a fruit salad with whipped cream dressing, mixed nuts, homemade mints in 2 shapes & colors, a decorated cake, coffee, and punch.

If you a lucky enough to find a mewspaper clipping of the wedding announcement, it's likely to describe the decorating scheme and the menu for the reception. It was common back then to not only list the members of the wedding party, but also a brief, but detailed description of the reception hall and the people who served the meal.

I remember Rumaki: water chestnuts with a small piece of chicken liver (optional), wrapped in a piece of bacon, and held together with toothpicks. Sprinke with a little brown sugar and soy sauce and broil, turning once, till bubbling, brown, and bacon is crisp. I prefer them without the liver, but most people liked it.

How about creamed tuna on white bread toast?

Seven layer salad.

Jello mold.

Anything using a can of soup as an ingredient...like chicken and rice with a can of Campbell's Cream of Chicken (or Mushroom) soup. Canned vegetables. Jello salad. A whole pineapple "decorated" with ham and cheese cubes, olives, etc. stuck onto it with toothpicks. Onion dip and chips. Surprise Pie, made with crushed crackers, sugar, and egg whites, topped with Coolwhip.

Yikes! If you're flying in the day before, how did you get stuck with the food?

What sort of people were the inlaws in the 60s?

What kind of kitchen facilities are available? That might decide just what you can actually manage. How much are you willing to do by hand (vs. deli or catered?)

Just how authentic you want to get? While some of the trendy foods of the 60s are still quite good today, Some of the foods might not go over so well. I remember lots of canned mushrooms, and how many people will really eat the Sunshine Salad made with yellow jello, shredded carrots and marshmallows? Hmmm... you might need jello just for decoration.

You might try for some huge tuna noodle casseroles made in aluminum foil turkey pans. If you want to make it more upscale, you could make white sauce with chix stock and cream instead of canned soup, etc.

French food was quite trendy at the time, lots of people serving Coq au Vin and Boeuf Bourguignon to impress their guests.

In addition to the Hawaiian type appetizers, faux Indian food was popular. You know, a pool of (mild flavored) greenish yellow gravy with meat and vegetables, surrounded by rice with little dishes of raisins, shredded coconut, peanuts, etc. You could even serve it in hollowed out pineapples ;)

A couple books worth looking at are American Century Cookbook by Jean Anderson and Fashionable Food: Seven Decades of Food Fads by Sylvia Lovegren.

I agree with fondue, in 1967 all the guests would have been squirming in their seats feeling so jet-setty and continental if they were served fondue. I'm just not sure if Fonue for 70 is realistic!

A theme might help. Jet Set Cocktail Party (hot canapes, hors d'oeuvres, pigs in a blanket, chips and dips, celery and carot sticks). Tiki Luau - historians agree that the Luau Era extended into the late 60s (Curry in a Pinapple, Rumaki, the pineapple stuck with ham and cheese on toothpicks) European Ski Party- cheese fondue, Coq au Vin, baquettes.

OK...if you can't remember I am not interested. Iwant people who were there...I remember meatloaf, fondue and mac and cheese