Every year my eldest son Andrew celebrates his birthday at the beach, amidst four generations of family campers and neighbours, old seventies caravans and colourful retro umbrellas. Whatever the chosen theme, every year his party seems to turn retro. One year it was Hawaiian – nothing more retro than an authentic Hawaiian shirt. The next year it was brown- a distinctly retro colour, especially brown Terylene trousers and Safari suits. This year we just cut to the chase and turned to the queen of Retro, Rachael, for assistance with decor and clothing, and to Maxine for culinary inspiration via her mother’s old retro cookbook.
I’m not sure why this retro obsession began but it was instigated around 19 years ago, when my daughter fell in love with old anodised soda syphons. Since then, she has expanded her collection to include all forms of anodised ware, lustre ware, ramekins, green depression glass, melamine serving platters, and more, lots more! Some of her collection lives in her beach caravan so that she doesn’t feel deprived while camping.
During the week leading up to the event, FB private messaging and texts were all a flurry with photos of the most ridiculous food. The best example was a warm salad dish of whole bananas, draped in ham, and blanketed with a Hollandaise sauce. The thought is so ghastly, this photo needs to be shared.
We decided on a sensible plan. A list of edible retro food was chosen. On the morning of the party, we acquired some more retro serving ware, since the local beach suburban op shops are awash with the stuff. Colourful retro shaped glasses were purchased at Kmart for around AU$5, a very fine investment. Clothing was distributed and the tables set. The retro cocktail of choice was the Brandy Alexander. This one drink alone changed the tone of the party fairly rapidly. They were extremely popular.
Drinkware: Cocktail glass
- vol au vents, filled with salmon or tuna bechamel
- sliced Kabana sausage
- coloured baby picked onions, gherkins and cheddar cheese pieces on toothpicks, stuck into an orange or a pineapple
- cocktail sausages ( little boys) on toothpicks and tomato sauce
- French onion dip, ( made with cream cheese and a dehydrated packet of French onion soup), served in a carved out white cottage loaf. Very popular!!
- corn relish dip, made with a packet of cream cheese mixed with a jar of corn relish
- pretzels, nuts and small dry biscuits
- cucumber sandwiches (white bread, no crusts)
- smoked oysters on white bread
- cheezels
Claudia threads up the cheese, kabana, and onion sticks.
We also prepared something a little larger for the stayers, (everyone!) served in ramekins of course. Someone forgot to bring out the Kai Si Ming, so they had to eat this retro classic stuffed into a Jaffle for days afterwards.
- Tuna Mornay.
- Kai Si Ming
- Savoury birthday cake ( recipe below)
Birthday boy, Andrew, cuts the cake with Maxine on the left and the Retro Ab Fab Lady on right.
Savoury Birthday Cake recipe, from Eve’s Retro Book.
ALMOST ITALIAN 
Thant looks like so much fun!!!I love the retro tumblers!
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It was indeed. Outrageously so.
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What fun! I never thought of it but what was retro food in Australia was completely different from retro here (as I currently am) in the USA! Those bananas do look ghastly no matter from which culture they are viewed, however. Hope you all had a great time.
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I hate the stuff, but for the next generation, its fun. A serious case of Mylanta for me food wise. Hahaha
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It would be for me as well!
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I hope you are having a wonderful time Ardys. x
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This is so cool! Love the styling, costumes and food bundle. Those tablecloths are gold!
This post would make a great addition to Our Growing Edge, a monthly blog link up just for new food adventures. It’s a fun way to share your new food experiences with other foodies. More info here: http://bunnyeatsdesign.com/our-growing-edge/
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I might just consider an entry for April. Thanks.
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Love retro! So creative! Sounds like a wonderful party. The bananas are hilarious, but so retro!
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It was fun. Those bananas are so disgusting, almost worth making.
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what a fun birthday and how wonderful to have a collection of retro dinner ware. I wish I’d held on to my grandmother’s dishware
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It is so colourful. It still turns up in thrift shops or op shops.
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This served as a time machine back to those halcyon days! (I’m glad they’re gone … )
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Me too!!!!
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For us retro and nostalgia somehow meet up. Glad you had such a good time!
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Yes, It’s odd when the kids have these parties- we were there, and while there’s some nostalgia, there is also some ambivalence and unease.
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Well done! Such a tremendous job considering you were all camping. I remember all those things – although the bananas passed me by – it’s a wonder we all survived:)
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It was touch and go!
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So glad you opted not to go for the bananas. 🙂
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What a hoot. I bet the planning was as much fun as the party itself! Kye-see-ming is definitely a blast from the past. Thank goodness food fashions have moved on
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Everyone had ky si ming at there 21st birthday party in the bad old days. Lots of smokes too, and madmen decor. I’m pleased its over too.
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Oh those bananas!! And the savory cake! Although I quite like the idea I have to admit as I don’t like sweet things generally. It all looks like great fun.
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The cake was eaten, strangely enough. It was served as something to eat rather than a cake token, which no one eats if they have been drinking. Yes, the banana dish takes the prize.
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How fantastic is this and all whilst camping! That banana dish is hilarious. Great happy life post.
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It was a fun night Lisa. I’m never having another cocktail again.
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😱
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Love it ☺ Quite a few of these retro lovelies are still current in our household… tuna mornay, corn relish dip, little boys and smoked oysters… the latter wavering as they all seem to be product of China… but no Bananas Hollandaise. Our day-to-day decor also covers stages of retro… op shopping treasures.
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And thanks for the reminder about the corn relish dip. Hope the tour is bringing lots of retro treasure.
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If this is madness, then I am a friend of folly:)
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The party moved into strange retro territory after those brandy alexanders came out. The problem with that drink is that it tastes so harmless.
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Wow,Francesca! This sounds like a whole lotta fun. How great, too, that everyone gets into the spirit and joins in. Belated birthday greetings to your Son.
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Thanks John, shall pass that on to him. It was a hoot.
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Hello from Hong Kong signora. Am sitting in my hotel room and having a chuckle. I am not sure ghastly is a strong enough word for those bananas!
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No, those bananas look so disgusting- they had to be shared. Hope you are feasting well in Honkers signorina.
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So much fun! Bananas, draped in ham, and blanketed with a Hollandaise sauce…seriously? Cheezels and smoked oysters take me straight back to my childhood. Yum, great food memories x
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Crazy night – Cheezels are so 70s.
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That looks like terrific fun! There are so many gems in retro food. I hate food snobbery with a passion but the bananas dish looks very suspect!! 😛
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Totally sus, Lorraine.
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God, what a hoot! These things just gather momentum and get more and more ridiculous as people come up with more ideas. Those almost floor orange glass bowls were very popular, have you got the coffee mugs? I woke up in Lilydale one night instead of Belgrave when I had been sampling Brandy Alexanders and got on the wrong train, never touched them since. The good old best 21st gift of coloured aluminium cups in the leather zip up holder. Should bring them back to save disposables! Shame there are no canned asparagus wrapped in white bread canapés, eeeew! I’ll have a Pimms to you!
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oh no, I knew I forgot something- the asparagus rolls- would have gone down well with the oldies. Haha, well Lilydale isn’t too far from Belgrave- it could have been Frankston or Broadmeadows. Rachael has a few sets of those zip up anodized numbers- she does use them. My daughter is weird.
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Oh what fun! Happy birthday Andrew .. What about those bananas? Hilarious .. Great list Francesca .. Wonderful photo of your Mum 😄
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What fun! Happy birthday to your son.
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