CEREAL & SOAP BOX DISHWARE

“I remember Mom got these dishes out of soap boxes when we were growing up,” a family member mentioned at a recent reunion. I had taken some dishes I no longer used to the family memorabilia exchange. Then others chimed in about their memories of dishes used at the family farmhouse dinner table.

I also recalled our excitement when my Mother collected dishes from Mother’s Oats oatmeal boxes. These consisted of cereal bowls, small plates, cups and saucers. I think the design was green on white. None of this dishware remained when I had to pack up Mother’s home and move her to mine when Alzheimer’s developed.

As I searched for this dishware on the Internet, I discovered, not the one I recall, but others that supposedly distributed in Mother’s Oats. One of these is the Fire King Bonnie Blue design. It consists of a blue flower on cup and saucer set. Carnival glassware apparently also was found in these cereal boxes.

Dishes in Soap Boxes

Another type of dinnerware of memory consists of the “Golden Wheat” design my mother-in-law collected from laundry soap. With eight boys in the household, often two grandmas, Dad and her, Mum used a lot of laundry powder. She gave me some of these for our everyday dinnerware when Jim and I married. I still had a few pieces after more than 60 years.

Research has revealed that these Golden Wheat dishes were promotional items made by Homer Laughlin Dish Company and distributed in Duz soap powder. They had a 22 k gold trim around the rim and a wheat design on white in the center. Some had the company mark, while others didn’t. One source indicates that those in the soap powder didn’t have the company mark, while the dishware sold independently was marked.

Do you have special memories of prizes found in cereal and other boxes? I’ve discovered it fun to research the background of them.

Recipes to Serve on Your Dishes

HAM & NOODLES – Mix together one 8-oz. pkg cooked egg noodles, 1 can cream of chicken or cream or mushroom soup, 1/2 lb. chopped cooked ham in a casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until warmed through and bubbly. Top with 1/2 to 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (or other kind if you prefer) and bake 5 minutes more until cheese melts.

For variation, you can add 1 cup (or more) frozen peas or mixed vegetables to ham/noodle mixture before cooking.

CHOCOLATE COVERED PRETZELS – Melt 1 pkg. white, dark or milk melting chocolate in top of double boiler or in microwave. Remove from heat when melted and dip pretzels into chocolate to cover. Set pretzels on waxed paper to cool. Use whatever amount of pretzels you have chocolate for. You may want to use unsalted pretzels. You can chocolate coat a few nuts and raisins to go with the mix, if you’d like.

(c) Mary Emma Allen

(Mary Emma Allen researches and writes about family history from her New Hampshire home.)