Bena Mae’s Kitchen: Remember when life was in black and white

…..And we had to warm up the TV for five minutes before we could get a picture?  And when the picture came on, it was full of snow and someone had to hold the rabbit ears in a certain way until the screen was clear? Until an airplane flew over and messed everything up?
When I call my son’s house each night for my nightly check-in, I usually find that they are watching an old black and white movie on television. Like many of the Baby Boomers, he and his wife are classic movie addicts. They have an appreciation for the movies we once took for granted, movies I saw in another era at the old Hippodrome Theater in Corbin. And I am delighted that the films have been resurrected and given new life via television.
Back then, absence of color did not diminish the excitement or drama we saw unfolding on the large screen. It’s the same  when we watch these old films on TV today. Their transference to the small screen has taken nothing away from their original showings. We could tell who the villains were by their black hats. Heroes always wore white. And each movie always ended with a good moral–the men in white hats won every time.  And we cheered them on.  
Researching the programs we saw in the early days of TV was a trip down memory lane, an age of innocence and high morality. As far as censorship was concerned, there was no need for it. Married couples slept in twin beds,  the father was the head of the family, and June Cleaver wore high heels and pearls as she ran the vacuum. Romantic scenes were left mostly to our imagination and kisses were short and sweet. I remember hoping that Roy would kiss Dale at the end of a Western, but he never did. We knew that Marshall Dillon and Miss Kitty had something going, but they never revealed any indication of a romance. So much for me and my romantic notions.
Cliches from the old movies have become a part of our culture today and refuse to die… “Just the facts, ma’am” (Dragnet), “This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship–Let’s round up the usual suspects–Play it Sam, play it again” (Casablanca), “Elementary, my dear Watson,” (Sherlock Holmes), “Dr. Livingston I presume,” (Stanley and Livingston),  “Rosebud,” (Citizen Kane), “Oh, gee, Wally,” (Leave it to Beaver), “I wouldn’t join a club that would have me as a member,” (Groucho Marx.) You probably have your own list of favorites.
We were satisfied with only three main channels available to us in the early days when we watched in black and white on 9-inch screens. Nowadays, with 54-inch screens and living color and a choice of hundreds of channels, we spend most of our time surfing for programs that hold our interest. And usually we fail.
Is this proof that more has become less?

This recipe from Southern Living, the cook’s Bible, is rich and decadent.

Mocha Pecan Ice Cream Pie

1/2 cup chopped pecans
Vegetable cooking spray
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pint light coffee ice cream, softened
1 pint light chocolate ice cream, softened
1 cup coarsely chopped chocolate sandwich cookies, divided (about 10 cookies)
1 (6-ounce) ready-made chocolate crumb piecrust
2 tablespoons light chocolate syrup

Place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with sugar.
Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cool.
Stir together ice cream, 3/4 cup cookie chunks, and 1/3 cup pecans; spoon into piecrust. Freeze 10 minutes. Press remaining cookie chunks and pecans evenly on top. Cover with plastic wrap, and freeze 8 hours. Drizzle individual slices evenly with chocolate syrup.  Serves 9.