Foiled Again By Postum!

I wonder if Batman ever encountered this particular villain in Gotham City – Mr. Caffein Nerves. Like the other villains, he dresses in a ridiculous outfit and is thus easy to spot. He preys upon innocent bridge players and makes them argue. Looks like a fist fight’s a-brewing, too. Sparring partners indeed!

This charming villain, also known as Mr. Coffee Nerves (that’s some brilliant alias!) was also heard on the radio, see here for all the ghastly details!

This is what too much caffeine does to you, say the Postum folks. You just drink some of that nice “hearty, grain-rich” Postum and you will become a regular diplomat of the card table.

Wouldn’t work for me, though. This is what I feel like when I don’t have caffeine!

Advertisement from the Winnipeg Tribune, 1953.

London Cake From South Africa

A selection from a Girl Scouts’ cookbook, Be Prepared (1968), from South Africa. It is really more like a confection than a cake.

MARIE’S LONDON CAKE

1 packet or 8 oz. digestive biscuits
2 oz. butter or Maypole margarine
2 Tb golden syrup
4 1/2 oz. slab chocolate
1 Tb each of finely chopped nuts and glace cherries and angelica
Half an orange or lemon

1. Crumble biscuits finely.
2. Melt butter or margarine, syrup and chocolate together.
3. Mix biscuit crumbs, chopped fruit and nuts with melted mixture.
4. Line a cake tin, 7 inches diameter, with greased sandwich paper base.
5. Pack cake mixture into tin, and pat smooth with cut side of lemon or orange.
6. Refrigerate till firm.
7. Top with coffee flavored cream or coffee icing.

You can also do this in a square tin (they suggest a 6 1/2 inches square tin), and each square can be “topped with a suitable decoration.” A candied cherry would be suitable, wouldn’t it? Or a chocolate coffee bean, those are really good.

The ad is from the cookbook. I guess you’d be prepared all right – that is one enormous fridge.