Vintage Valentine Ideas
Feb 7, 2014 | by Becky Oeltjenbruns
Vintage Valentine’s Card
Another Valentine’s Day will be upon us in a week! You may be asking yourself how you can prepare for a fun-filled day of retro charm and whimsy. Join us as we give you some vintage valentine ideas that will help make the day just as special as the person you get to celebrate it with!
Vintage Valentine Decorating Ideas
Our tips come from the 1971 “Betty Crocker’s Hostess Cookbook: Guest-Tested Recipes and Party Plans for Every Occasion.” The overarching theme is to keep decorating simple and bold – a play on colors and textures.
Consider how you dress your table. Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to bring out the delicate things in the cupboard: lace tablecloths echo the sentimental nature of the day, use a red or pink tablecloth along with lace place mats, or quick-stitch some felt hearts on a table runner to bring details into the Valentine’s spirit.
Image from Betty Crocker’s 1971 Hostess Cookbook
This time of year is a perfect time to add a centerpiece to your table. The easiest choice is to incorporate pink, red, and white flowers into a bouquet or run candles along the center of the table with bows or candies. Hearts are the theme of the day so cut your sandwiches or cookies into this festive shape. Use your imagination and think pink!
Vintage Valentine’s Day Dessert
You’ve got the table set, the flowers are happily accenting the table, and now you’ve got to consider dessert. Sweets are the rock stars of any Valentine’s event and the 1971 Betty Crocker’s Hostess Cookbook inspires us again. This meringue recipe is perfect for the day or for bridal parties.
Heart Meringues – Serves 8
Ingredients
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
3/4 cup sugar
1 quart ice cream, we recommend vanilla or strawberry
Sliced fresh strawberries
Directions
Start by heating your oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat the egg whites and Cream of Tartar until the mixture is frothy. At this point you’ll want to slowly add in the sugar and continue beating until the blend is stiff. It will look glossy as well
Image from Annie Mole
With a large spoon, make eight similar-sized mounds (each will be about 1/3 to 1/2 cup) and drop them onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Using the back of your spoon, mold each mound into a heart shape. The best part about this – if it doesn’t quite look right at the start, just try again! Re-shape until you’ve formed a heart.
Bake these for about an hour. This next step is pretty important: turn off the oven, but leave the meringue hearts in there until the oven cools down. When you are ready to serve, fill each meringue with some ice cream and place some strawberries alongside for a little bit of something special. Enjoy!
Cause A Frockus would like to thank their tremendous resources: Betty Crocker and the people who post their images without restriction.
For our readers: What’s your favorite retro Valentine’s Day traditions?