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“The only thing is I couldn’t find anything mysterious about them, except maybe the coconut,” she says with a laugh.Īnother possibility is the popular Jello salad that was trendy in the 1950s, made with crushed pretzels as the base, with frozen strawberries and canned crushed pineapple. She’s considering “Mystery Bars,” a dessert included in the cookbook that came with the Westinghouse range. She hadn’t yet decided which recipes the kids would make the class typically has time to prepare three treats. Examples include “Cooking with Rizzi by Rizzi DeFabo with Cassandra Vivian” (2010) from Rizzo’s Malabar Inn, Crabtree, and “Art in the Kitchen” (1995) from the Women’s Committee of Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Greensburg, to “Without Reservations: Select Recipes of the Junior League of Pittsburgh (1991)” to “Springdale Methodist Episcopal Church Cookbook: tested recipes contributed by members and friends” (1914). She has a treasure trove of cookbooks from which to choose.

The instructor found some familiar recipes among the History Center’s extensive collection of cookbooks originating from western Pennsylvania churches, auxiliaries, athletic teams, neighborhoods and civic organizations. Then it’s off to the kitchen classroom to prepare and taste some 1950s-style foods. “We can stand there in the kitchen with the kids and literally transport them back to that era,” says Leftwich, program instructor. The kitchen vignette is a blast from the past, with its vintage appliances that include a 1925 Westinghouse “automatic” electric range, a two-door Westinghouse refrigerator dating from 1930, the first year the company manufactured electric refrigerators, and other early appliances, including a coffee pot, waffle iron and electric fan.

Leftwich, director of education at Heinz History Center, says the class was a perfect fit to tie into the museum’s current “Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation” exhibition, which features a 1950s-style kitchen as part of its Westinghouse Collection. This is the first time the program is exploring the post-World War II era with “Cooking Up History: Mid-Century Treats.” 13 as part of the history center’s “Hop Into History Early Learners Program,” which provides hands-on sessions designed for 2-to 5-year-olds and their caregivers. Preschoolers have an opportunity to step back into a kitchen of the 1950s and the museum’s kitchen classroom to cook recipes from their grandparents’ generation Feb. They missed the heyday of mom’s tuna noodle casserole, the peak of popularity of Strawberry Jello Pretzel Salad - a classic treat and staple at community church picnics - and the debut in 1955 of Campbell’s Green Bean Casserole, which is still a traditional dish at many Thanksgiving family dinners.

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Mount Batten Tower will be open for self-guided tours on 6 and 29 May while Plympton will be running a whole week of activities dedicated to its history from 13 to 19 May.Kids in Mariruth Leftwich’s upcoming “Cooking Up History: Mid-Century Treats” class at Senator John Heinz History Center weren’t born yet when foods like Spam and Swanson’s frozen TV dinners first appeared on supermarket shelves.

Like many other activities, from eating medieval food to writing poems inspired by the city’s heritage, these can be enjoyed by adults and children alike.Īs well as familiar locations like the Athenaeum, Synagogue, Smeaton’s Tower and Devonport Guildhall, there’s a host of buildings, parks, cemeteries and landmarks to explore. Talks and panel discussions will highlight stories as diverse as Quaker pacifism, the voyage of the Mayflower and the legacy of figures such as Nancy Astor and William Snow Harris.Īs well as looking into other peoples’ lives, there are opportunities for those who want to discover more about their own place in Plymouth’s past, with a number of workshops based on family history at libraries around the city. This year the Festival explores a range of topics, some of which are based on the themes of ‘Empowerment’, ‘Journeys’ and ‘The Great Outdoors’. Throughout the month theatrical productions and re-enactors will bring the spirit of the past to life, while expertly guided tours and walks will take visitors down routes once populated by Plymouth’s most famous and infamous figures. The seventh Plymouth History Festival begins this Saturday, opening up the city’s buildings, parks and streets with talks, workshops, exhibitions and special events.

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