Results: Tupperware

Earl Tupper's plastic ware was sold in department and hardware stores until Brownie Wise, a divorcee with a son to support, began selling the products at "home parties." She pitched the idea to Tupper, and by the early fifties Wise was made vice president of the company's sales division. The rest, as they say, is history. Did you know that examples of Tupperware are part of the permanent collection at the Smithsonian?

Tupperware's iconic polystyrene bowl was hailed as something akin to a mid-century miracle. The airtight, watertight containers had to be "burped" once the lid was on. This burp was your assurance the bowl was well and truly sealed. Have you ever burped Tupperware?

The Tupperware Party not only provided an opportunity for those with an entrepreneurial bent to earn but gave those invited a welcome excuse to dress up and have some time out of the house in the evening. The women not only had the chance to view the latest and greatest advances in molded plastics, but also to play some games and critique the housekeeping skills of their hostess. Have you ever been to a Tupperware party?

Mom never hosted one of those events, but she must have attended at least one because we did have a set of the Ice-Tup molds. I doubt our neighborhood Popsicle Man felt threatened by the presence of these molds as the ice pops were rock hard and lacked the flavor punch of a Bomb Pop purchased from the Merry Mobile. Have you ever made your own ice pops?

My mother was content to store her leftovers in empty margarine tubs. Probably because with four kids around, leftovers were a rarity. And I don't recall having bought any my own self. There is a jello mold tucked in the back of a cabinet that was a gift (rather oddly from my uncle) that was used a few times to make ice rings for the punch bowl. It hasn't been used since the early 90s when my sister-in-law borrowed- and never returned- said punch bowl. Do you have any Tupperware hiding in your kitchen cabinets?