Reigniting the 80s Potluck
by Julie Johnson, Tastemaker in Residence
Memorial Day is approaching and while the purpose of this holiday is to honor men and women who died while serving in the military, it is also a holiday that traditionally brings people together for backyard BBQs or potlucks.
Given the current worldwide pandemic, it is yet to be seen how gatherings will unfold for this year. My hunch is that physical gatherings in the form of BBQs or potlucks will be limited or not happen at all. However, in thinking about it all, I caught myself reminiscing about the 80s potluck. This idea was sparked awhile back during a phone conversation with a friend and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since then.
I think it would be a blast to reignite the 80s potluck when we are allowed to gather in groups again! Heck, if you can’t wait for social isolation to end, host an 80s virtual happy hour. Pump your 80s playlist in the background while drinking some brandy slush and chatting or singing with friends via zoom.
If you prefer to skip a virtual event and want to plan the real deal, then here are some tips for planning your epic party. Challenge your friends to dress the part by breaking out some neon apparel, pinning your jeans, or for the gals…bust out the aqua net and blow dryer to make some big hair! You could even create a contest for the highest bangs. Once you know that everyone is ready to dress the part then carry on with planning the food.
Foods that are vivid in my mind from this potluck era include sloppy joes made with Manwich, 7-layer salad, the infamous pickle rolls with cream cheese and ham, snickers salad, angel food cake, ambrosia, and my absolute favorite…applesauce Jell-o made with red hot candy!!! My aunt, Karen, was the queen of making this treat, and rest assured I always headed back for seconds, maybe even thirds.
Although I didn’t have any of these food recipes at my fingertips, I was able to hunt them down to share for easy accessibility. For those craving some brandy slush while conversing in your zoom happy hour, I’ve got you covered (click here for recipe). Those possessing a more adventurous spirit will want to try my favorite, the applesauce Jell-o made with red hot candy (click for my aunt’s recipe).
These recipes don’t necessarily fall into the ‘healthy’ category but my hope is that they bring you some fun and good laughs while rockin’ to the 80s with your friends and/or family!
