This time of year is no different from that of 1979, when The Cypress House column featured many ideas for entertaining with teas, luncheons, bridal parties and more. So today we feature two popular recipes that are still tasty party foods.

From The Kitchen of The Cypress House, May 9, 1979:

Chess pie is an old favorite and almost everyone is familiar with the traditional recipe. But have you ever eaten Chess Cake? Yum!

Another recipe via MUW, Chess Cake is similar to homemade pound cake, but a little lighter and, I believe, better. We cut ours in small squares and they are perfect for snacking or serving for morning coffees. In a larger square, they are good for dessert bridge. You might serve them with a summer sherbet.

The recipe comes from a niece of Myra and Donnie Smartt, Jamie Roberts, who attends MUW. (Jamie’s number one talent, however, is singing and she was runner-up in the recent Miss “W” Pageant in Columbus.)

Chess Cake

2 cups plain flour, not sifted

2 cups sugar

2 sticks butter

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat the sugar and butter together. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Fold in the flour and vanilla

Bake in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes. Turn off the over, but leave the cake in the oven for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut when cool.

From The Kitchen  of The Cypress House, June 13, 1979:

 The many summer brides have me thinking bridal parties — coffees, teas, luncheons, cocktail parties, the like. And if you’d like a good dip for vegetables or crackers, you might like this spinach dip that’s sweeping the country. A friend, Charlene Craddock, served it last year at a small get-together at her home in Cleveland, Miss., and we think it’s one of the best spreads around.

Charlene’s Spinach Dip

 1 package frozen chopped spinach

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup finely minced parsley

1 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 or 3 tablespoons sour cream

Thaw the frozen spinach. Drain and squeeze out all the liquid. Mix the spinach with the rest of the ingredients. Chill for 24 hours before serving.