Books on Blog: Back to Glamour Coffee

It’s time for our third and final (for now) installment from the 1960 book Brunches and Coffees. And it’s a doozie:

The end of summer has arrived; and females of the species, young and old, are tan, healthy but probably no trimmer than three months ago. Permanents have grown out, skin is dry. It’s time to repair the ravages of wind and sun. Your college or high school daughters and her friends would love to have a “Back to Glamour” Party given for them before they return to school.

The place for this coffee party will have to be the kitchen, recreation room, or bedroom with it’s handy mirrors and dressing table. Have your daughter hie herself down to five and ten for extra combs, bobby pins, wave set, nail polish and beauty preparations that might be forgotten by the would-be glamor girl guests. if she has or can borrow several hair dryers, so much the better. And be sure she includes a few of her father’s old shirts for cover-ups.

Start this party bright and early in the morning – some of the gals have a lot of re-glamorizing to do! And be sure that there are no brothers, friends, or male relatives arriving at any time!

Have non-caloric beverages – lots of them- and non-fattening foods. The guests will be grateful for the omission of those tempting sweet rolls and coffee cakes.

Menu: Fruit juices in tray of ice, plate of assorted fruit, bacon bran muffins, melba toast – slightly buttered, hot rye crisp, cinnamon sugar, marmalade, non-caloric beverages.

Oh lordy! If only I could convince my friends to do this sort of thing. Unfortunately, I think they’ll have none of it. I’ll be stuck doing my permanent and eating bacon muffins alone at home! Here’s the recipe for that “non-fattening” muffin:

4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, diced
1 cup ready to eat bran
3/4 cup milk
1 cup flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1.2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tbl. bacon fat

Combine bran and milk. Sift dry ingredients and add to bran. Add molasses, egg and bacon fat. Stir until just barely blended. Fold in crisp bacon. Bake in greased muffin pans at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

A recipe like this has either got to be truly delicious (like pancakes and sausage?) or just absolutely horrid. Who wants to give it a try?