Thriftlady's wartime experiment

catewithers

Congratulations on the VW Day Thriftlady! I also think 2 weeks is plenty long enough - don't think I'd have managed it.

Enjoy your fruit salad - you've definitely earnt it!

Like others, I hope this thread will continue as I've found it absolutely fascinating and the recipes quite inspiring. I'm certainly planning to try some of them.

1_step_closer

This has been fascinating! And makes perfect sense for some of the meals my mum made when I was little. (i'm 38, mum and dad were born 1948 and 1944). I've had those grated potato things and hated them! When my parents got married my dad would ask my mum to make "meat pie" and despite what she did she couldn't do it. She eventually asked my dad's mum and it turned out to be corned beef pie!

I remember being made mint drops and I've had hot oxo cube and water and bread (dad's fave).

Mum is Cornish and 1 of 4, dad is from Durham and 1 of many so the recipes mentioned would be more familiar to him than my mum. I also remember being told to clear my plate - by dad - and I can see why now.

My cornish gran would make those types of cakes also mentioned and to me they are comfort food - they bring back memories of the smell of her kichen, sitting by the aga and watching her iron on the table. she still does that now. won't use an ironing board!

Unfortunately my paternal grand parents are dead and I don't really remember them and I very rarely see my maternal grandparents so your memories and letters have filled in many blanks for me.

Thriftlady how did you actually feel doing this? I mean in the physical sense? did you have more energy? feel fuller for longer?

This has been a wonderful experiment so thank you for letting us all in on it!

meanmarie

Well done Thriftlady,

You have certainly put a lot of work into this thread and given many of us much pleasure in the process! I am glad that I will be able to access many old recipes to use and hope like others, that the thread will continue.

I feel that if you are getting rather tired of the monotony of the food you are quite justified in giving up, you have done way more than your bit.

Marie

Penelope_Penguin

Thriftlady - congratulations on VW day!

You've done a great job, and I for one have been inspired to find out more about the period.

Really hope you win POTM.

Penny. x

recovering_spendaholic

Well done Thriftlady - thanks for a really interesting thread and congratulations on keeping up the ration diet for two weeks. I think you are very noble making your first postwar food treat a pineapple - I think I would have well chosen a big cream cake affair or a cheesecake.

twink

thriftlady i have thoroughly enjoyed reading through everything, i have no memories of the war as i was born after it but i do remember in the fifties my aunt using sugar and water to set her hair, evening in paris and 4711 perfume and shampoo seemed to come in sachets and wagon wheel biscuits were much bigger and sold seperately and you got lots of chips in a sixpenny bag and the vinegar always collected in the corner of it, yummy, happy days

Bobbykins

Well done thriftylady.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this thread and picked up quite a few tips/ideas, along with a HUGE amount of nostalgia.

I am so impressed at your achievement and your children have gained a terrific insight into the history of rationing in the war and postwar years.

Daisyroots' letters have made me laugh and cry and I can't wait to get the book.

Like twink, I was born after the war (1953) but so much that has been discussed on this thread has brought back incredibly strong childhood memories for me. My parents were newly married and just becoming parents at the end of the 40's early 50's so will have had to bring up us sprogs on rationing.:eek: (I can still remember the taste of the "welfare" orange juice to this day!)

Thanks again! Enjoy your pineapple!!!!:T :T :T :T

Smashing

Are there any new recipes of things you've tried that you want to keep doing now that the war is over?

sairy2005

How on earth did every one stick to this for 6 years. My mother always said she remembered just after the war before things started coming back into the shops as the greyest time she had ever known. Nearly all her clothes were worn out and the food was so monotonous and then they had the winter of 1947 to contend with. My Dad got frostbite biking to work (about 10 miles because he didnt have any gloves. He used to wrap bits of cloth round his hands. I dont think I could do it.

thriftlady_2

Thanks everyone :T

I'll definitely be making the syrup loaf again Smashing, that's good lunchbox fodder. Most of the recipes were for things I'd already made before, and there were loads of things I intended to try like the floddies someone mentioned. I'm sure I'll get round to it one day.

1 Step Closer, no I didn't feel any different physically -I don't have a particularly taxing lifestyle (unlike a real wartime housewife) so I didn't feel tired, nor did I have more energy. I must stress that our normal diet is pretty healthy anyway, the main difference being the restricted choice we had under rationing.

Week 2 -meals

Monday Cheese and vegetable pie, Strawberry and rhubarb cobbler

Tuesday Savoury mince, potatoes, Gooseberry fool

Wednesday Mackerel, salad, oven fried potatoes,Tapioca and jam

Thursday Spam and barley pot, strawberries

Friday Sausaga and tomato pasta, Sweets(!)

Saturday -liver and rice, veg, gooseberry and elderflower jelly

Sunday Rabbit pie, potatoes, veg, apple betty (apple and breadcrumbs, layered and baked)