Wartime recipes, substitutions and other related austerity hints

Shropshirelass

I always wear a pinny for cooking/baking/washing up. If I forget DD will often put it on for me, as I used to do for her when she was a little girl.

My memory of grandma watching tv goes back to the days when commercial tv started, we were all watching Coronation Street when the adverts came on. Poor grandma couldn't cope 'I don't understand, why is he cleaning his teeth now?' ... As the ring of confidence shone round the actor's blindingly brilliant gnashers.

I think we still stood for the National Anthem at cinema then.

Primrose

When was the last time anybody remembered standing for the National Anthem at the end or beginning of a theatre or concert performance? Another reason perhaps which explains the ever reducing sense of patriotism about our country.

I once suggested to the bandmaster of our local concert band that they tried introducing the custom at the end of each concert. He looked at me with a sense of bewilderment as if I'd lost my senses but perhaps on reflection he was too young ever to have been around when it was the normal custom.

Mojisola

Primrose wrote: »

When was the last time anybody remembered standing for the National Anthem at the end or beginning of a theatre or concert performance?

Perhaps if we didn't have such an awful anthem, people would be more enthusiastic about it.

It's not about the country at all - it's really a sovereign's anthem rather than a national anthem.

Owain_Moneysaver

Primrose wrote: »

When was the last time anybody remembered standing for the National Anthem at the end or beginning of a theatre or concert performance?

Or even in the pub when TV closed down.

RicardaRacoon

Shropshirelass wrote: »

I always wear a pinny for cooking/baking/washing up. If I forget DD will often put it on for me, as I used to do for her when she was a little girl.

My memory of grandma watching tv goes back to the days when commercial tv started, we were all watching Coronation Street when the adverts came on. Poor grandma couldn't cope 'I don't understand, why is he cleaning his teeth now?' ... As the ring of confidence shone round the actor's blindingly brilliant gnashers.

I think we still stood for the National Anthem at cinema then.

My granny once complained for a whole movie about the lack of accuracy because the religion of the actor and his character didn't matched... Don't ask me why granny even knew that the actor - who played a character working for the Pope - wasn't a catholic....

She would not listen to us explaining to her that the actors own views didn't mattered in this....

Primrose

Hands up those who know both official verses of the National Anthem! Not too many I would guess.

RicardaRacoon

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

I'm pretty sure that sweet things were flavoured with essences, certainly lemon essence was used in making lemonade syrup/squash, not made from fresh fruit either but a synthetic flavouring. I don't know how successful it would be in savoury dishes but I guess in times of rationing and general shortages anything would have been given a try. I have a recipe from WW2 for cheese moulds actually set with unsweetened custard powder so perhaps people experimented to see what would and wouldn't work with the things they had in the cupboard.

Plus the longer the war went on the less you remembered the actual taste anyway....

I once read in a biography that they tried to make marzipan with almond flavour, mashed potatos and some sugar. I bet it tasted horrible but apparently they all thought it tasted like the real marzipan.

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

More stories please 🤞

PipneyJane

I’m still struggling with the gingerbread recipe from @VintageLady.  In my most recent attempt, I substituted oil for a quarter of the milk.  It made it very crumbly, instead of chewy.  (I remembered the time I forgot to add oil to the mixture in my bread maker, which made the bread very tough.)  Next time, I’ll try adding an egg instead.

- Pip

PipneyJane

Primrose said:

Hands up those who know both official verses of the National Anthem! Not too many I would guess.

Me! But I’m cheating, since I was a chorister and had to sing it to welcome the State Governor to some event. (I’m also a colonial commoner. ) - Pip