Thriftlady's wartime experiment

emilyka

I've recorded Ration book Britain and can't wait to watch it tonight, and it's a series not just one program which excites me even more:j. The 2nd world war, especially the home front has always been a great interest to me. Got myself an allotment now so living on the same principles of growing what I can and limiting my food budget, love programmes like this and River Cottage for inspiration

mardatha

What channel is that on ? I found catchup and joined, and the Wartime Kitchen is on at noon today whoohoo :T

NualaBuala

I love this idea, I'm fascinated by wartime rationing and the "make do and mend" mindset.

The thread resonated with me as I'm trying to work out what my ethical quota of food is. We're being told we over-consume and I know there are consequences to what I buy and eat in terms of air miles, land use, water consumption etc etc. So I'd love to know what my fair share is and just make it last.

Thriftlady, I really enjoyed looking at your blog. I tried to leave a comment but I don't think it worked. I especially liked your baking setup in the kitchen and your good (and bad!) corners.

mardatha

Absolutely loved the Wartime Kitchen & Garden today - the clips of wartime adverts with the shopkeeper and the office clerk talking to the hen were so lovely ! It makes me want to go and make jam and keep chickens and even cook!

pagangirl

Nice to find like minded people - I'm into wartime rationing & have been watching the wartime kitchen & garden too. Have just found this thread - off to read from the begining.

Has anyone read Nella Last's War - it's brilliant.

Nuala - not sure what you meant by your ethical quota (ok - me peabrain ). If it's portion sizes they are on www.lovefoodhatewaste.com

mardatha

I read Nella Last years and years ago and always remembered it. Then I found on here that it was being reprinted and I bought it

ceridwen

pagangirl wrote: »

Nice to find like minded people - I'm into wartime rationing & have been watching the wartime kitchen & garden too. Have just found this thread - off to read from the begining.

Has anyone read Nella Last's War - it's brilliant.

Nuala - not sure what you meant by your ethical quota (ok - me peabrain ). If it's portion sizes they are on www.lovefoodhatewaste.com

I know what you mean Nuala by your "ethical quota" - ie your "fair share" of the food available in the World. I think you might find it on either the Friends of the Earth website or the Greenpeace website somewhere. I've just got a vague recollection of having read somewhere about what it consisted of and thinking "Yikes - only about a litre/1.5 litres (I think??) of milk per person per week" and making another resolution I really must put a bit more effort into campaigning against overpopulation (as these amounts are only so low because there are too many people in the World/this country). Time to put "virtual armour" on again - thoughts of being "battered round the head" again by people who want to believe that its their "right" to have however many children they want regardless of anyone else:(. Chainmail...check. Helmet...check. Bodyguard...check..
Better start by re-reading "Limits to Growth" - now that I've received the book through from Amazon of the "30 year update" version..

ciderwithrosie_2

This thread is really interesting, I too am fascinated by WW2 and how everyone coped.

A family favourite of ours for Sunday dinner when my mum couldn't afford a roast was corned beef pasties, served with carrots, peas, beefy gravy and a blob of mustard, they were fab. The filling is a tin of corned beef, about 4 big potatoes (boiled and mashed into the corned beef) grated onion and whatever herbs/seasonings you have to hand (worcester sauce, oxo, pepper) I guess you could bulk them out more with any other left over veg.
Cut out rounds of shortcrust pastry with a side plate, dollop the filling in the centre (not too much or you'll never seal it) wet the edge with a finger dipped in water and bring the sides up and crimp together with a pinching action so you make a wavy edged ridge. Bake in a moderate oven for about 30-40 mins until light golden brown, we never bothered with an egg or milk brushed over the pastry. This filling is also pretty good in sandwiches with some sliced tomato.

regards CWR

thriftlady_2

ceridwen wrote: »

). Time to put "virtual armour" on again - thoughts of being "battered round the head" again by people who want to believe that its their "right" to have however many children they want regardless of anyone else:(. Chainmail...check. Helmet...check. Bodyguard...check..
QUOTE]

Ceridwen, you must understand that the birth of a child is not always planned. Multiple births just happen. Do you want parents with one child to destroy one embryo when they conceive twins so that they don't go over their 'quota' of two children per family?

No form of contraception is 100% reliable except female sterilisation and that requires major surgery and is irreversible.
Or may be you expect couples to abstain from sex once their two children are born?

ceridwen

Obviously - multiple births have happened throughout history - twins and occasionally triplets. One cant "legislate" for something like that occurring naturally..

Other things - well since the 1970s and legalised abortion............I'll get me coat before I need to jam my helmet on more firmly...

I do find it difficult to see things "the other way round" - ie of "letting Life happen to me" - being a great believer myself in "I happen to Life and wouldnt dream of letting Mother Nature doing its thing disrupt my life"..now I really will get my coat on....