Thriftlady's wartime experiment

monnagran

mardatha: Oh yes. Time has healed the wounds but will never efface the scars.

We put on a Forties Night at church and I gave out wartime recipes with the instruction that everyone had to bring something to eat. We had the lot! Fatless, sugarless, eggless sponges, vinegar fruit cake, mock cream, mock crab, mock-just-about-everything, spam sandwiches, fish paste sandwiches, jam tarts made with mashed potato pastry.........It wasn't half bad. People were very keen to take the leftovers home so the food must have been quite tasty. It was fun doing it for one evening but I can't imagine how time consuming and tedious it was for housewives doing it day after day for 13 or 14 years.

Seakay

Justamum wrote: »

I mentioned earlier in the thread that I had intended to try living on rations for a while. When I measured out the fat allowance I was shocked at how much there was! I wouldn't have thought there was any need to stretch it out!

remember that that is fat for everything - spread on bread, in pastry/crumble/cake/biscuits etc, for frying,

mardatha

I just read a book that gave Lord Woolton a good write up, he seems sound. But I havent got the nerve to try that pie! That sounds like a great idea for a social night, really unusual . Love it

Flibsey

I'm only 28 but reading this thread with gusto!
I remember my Nanna (actually my great gran) used to tell me stories of her eperiences, trying to feed her family, working through the war and feeling independant, having her whole street blown up and needing to move house... to 4 doors down, and finally the story of the parachute. it came down in her street and everyonewent out to get some. they divided it equally between all of the ladies on the street. nanna made herself some knickers but never wore them because they were too small by her standards and therefore slutty!!!

I've tried mock apricot flan form we'll eat again... and was told by the family if i ever tried anything like that again I'd be disowned!!!

Hardup_Hester

I've made Woolton pie a few times & found it really nice & tasty

mardatha

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:Love the silk knickers ! lol

mardatha

O Hester, I dunno. It's got all those VEGETABLES innit ! _pale__pale__pale_

Justamum

Seakay wrote: »

remember that that is fat for everything - spread on bread, in pastry/crumble/cake/biscuits etc, for frying,

Yes I know and for a family of 5 we wouldn't be able go through what the ration was. I had to buy extra fat to measure the ration out.

mardatha

Well that generation are living longer than any ever before so they must have got it right

Justamum

mardatha wrote: »

Well that generation are living longer than any ever before so they must have got it right

They were far more active then because children played out all the time, people had to walk to places rather than use a car, there was far more physical work etc. My point was that I couldn't understand why butter had to be 'extended' to save it when there was plenty of fat in the ration. Sugar was the same, the weekly ration is far more than I would use these days!