The holidays are full of nostalgia– family traditions, homemade ornaments, and nonstop Christmas music on the radio. While some holiday dinner menu items are a constant–can we get an ohhh, yeah to cranberry sauce!– families may follow certain food trends throughout the decades.

We thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane and review some classic holiday dishes while you prepare for your own holiday feast. Be warned– you may or may not want to borrow our recipes.

Gelatin Molds for the Holiday Season

At some holiday meal or another, you’ve probably had a nibble of a holiday-themed gelatin mold. A winter staple, these molds may be filled with cranberries, walnuts, and oranges suspended in a variety of jello flavors.

Hopefully, yours didn’t end up like Aunt Bethany’s in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Mmm, crunchy.

Ladies’ Home Journal “Snow Cap Spread”

Would it be a holiday throwback without a questionable recipe from a 1950s magazine? Ladies’ Home Journal shared this “Snow Cap Spread” recipe which features canned ham, cream cheese, and sour cream. The advertisement pairs the spread with potato chips.

Maybe not the holiday touch you were looking for.

Say Bon Appétit to a Shrimp Christmas Tree

If you want a dish that also adds a bit of merriment, you may want to craft this shrimp Christmas tree. You’ll weave parsley onto a tree-shaped styrofoam cone, then toothpick your shrimps, olives, and whatever food fixings your heart desires to the form to create an appetizer that also serves as table focal point.

Hot Dr. Pepper

The always refreshing, crisp Dr. Pepper had a different look in the 1960s. Hot Dr. Pepper was a special treat for holiday gatherings, served with a thin slice of lemon. The suggested preparation is very simple: heat the soda to 180 degrees in a stovetop saucepan, then pour over a lemon slice.

If these dishes don’t have you in the holiday mood, why not put the task of cooking this Christmas Eve in our hands?

Spend your Christmas Eve with Cork!

We’ll take the prep out of your holiday meal plans. Our Christmas Eve seating begins at 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. We will be offering our full-menu along with a few seasonal specials. Reservations are required so call today!