So. What happened? My most previous post was dated April 13, one day before my 40th birthday. Almost as if at, bloggers 40 and older are no longer allowed to write about trivial stuff like food and fitness. Their blogging cards are taken away. Or, maybe, shortly after my birthday the family and I left for a fabulous Hawaiian vacation, then I got lazy. I mean busy. Real busy.

But, all along I’ve been taking pictures, so I’ll be posting pics and stories over the next weeks and will catch you up on the goings on at the chattycha household and beyond. Mother’s day and Father’s day have come and gone, but you’ll be able to experience them again right here.

Let’s start with this one, the birthday cake I conjured up. I was feeling kinda retro, it being the start of my fourth decade. I am a child of the 70s, and this is a cake of the 70s (or maybe even earlier. Who knows.These food fads come and go).

A pineapple upside down cake. Marschino cherries, brown sugar glaze. Very easy, very pretty, very tasty.

Kid’s verdict: “I like it, except for the pineapple.” … Ooooookaaaaay then.

Next up: A retro potluck. We were tasked with a dish that grandma used to make, or something like that. I knew I wanted to do a jello salad, then discovered this gem on AllRecipes. Extremely easy: 1 container of Cool Whip, 1 container of cottage cheese, 1 box of orange-flavored Jell-o, 1 can each of mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple.

Mix well, chill and serve.

Comments I received on this one: “Exactly how Mom used to make,” and “That’s not retro, that’s at our Thanksgiving table every year.”

Odd and strange, but surprisingly yummy. Good for one day only. The next day it starts to separate and gets leaky and stuff.

Mind you, I never had these foods when I was a kid. Certainly my grandparents, whom I saw only a handful of times on accounting of their living in Taiwan, never ever made this stuff. My parents wouldn’t have, either. It’s all foods I assumed “Americans” ate. It’s the 70s childhood I envisioned. How close was I?