The Wartime Kitchen And Garden Program

Pennylane

There's a great book called "We'll Eat Again" by Marguerite Patten on Ebay. Full of wartime recipes and nice illustrations and photos.

rosieben

I was going to recommend Thriftlady's thread but she beat me to it, its a really interesting thread, one of my all-time favourites :T , and great for anyone interested in wartime food.

[Deleted User]

I too grew up with wartime rationing and although the food was sometimes a bit stodgy as my Mum had to streeetch the rations a bit. It was usually meat and veggies with the emphasis on more veggies than meat in our house. It was a pecking order My Dad came first for dinners then my two brothers and then me then my Mum bless her always sat down last .She rarely carried a lot of weight as she worked so hard shopping and queueing and cleaning almost all the time. She never owned a washing machine or a fridge or freezer and we had only coal/wood fires in our house and lino almost everywhere apart from the 'front' room which was used on high days and holidays
The kitchen range was on almost constantly ,but was black-leaded to a shine everyday. Her doorsteps were 'donkey-stoned every morning after we had gone to school and her nets gleamed .She was very proud of her house and it was kept as spotless as she could with two boys and myself running around it .We kept chickens for the eggs and she grew a lot of vegatables in the garden as we were lucky enough to have a big garden .We ate what ever was grown and put on our plates and didn't argue or it was 'off to bed with a fresh-air sandwich to fill you up' You didn;'t ever say you wouldn't eat what was given you as my Mum used to rant that 'brave sailors had died to put food in this country'
She never complained about her 'lot' and was bombed out twic ,being dug out the second time clutching her three kids and her beloved 'wireless' that she polished daily until her death in 1962. It was a huge brown varnished thing with a great big dial on the front and god help us if we touched it .it was her prized possession that the bombers couldn't get
She was a very tough lady whom I had the utmost respect for .Stern, yet would always be there to give you a cuddle or a story when you were ill.she insisted that we all went to church on Sundays and her premise was 'Don't do anything behind my back that you wouldn't do in front of me as I will always find you out' and she usually did .She married in 1935 and never went out to work again as she was a stay at home Mum like most of her contempories. her family and feeding and clothing them were her life .How she managed on the rations I will never know ,but she hated the 'black marketteers with a vengence and would shop them as soon as look at them. In those days you got to know who was the best butcher,baker,coal man ect and who gave the best value for money .Every penny was spent very carefully and nothing was ever wasted . Old clothes were remade and jumpers unravelled and re-knit .Recycling was not a fancy way of living, it was a way of life for millions of folk in those days .Everything was re-used if at all possible . I wonder what she would have made of todays living .She would be shocked to the core I think at the waste involved and how so few folk cook 'properly'
Well we mostly survived and lived to tell the tale and I'm glad that I don't have the privitations that my old Mum had ,but she did indstill into me a great respect for cash, and how if you haven't got much it's possible to still live and eat well.
I am still on the frugal side at times and hate to see anything wasted .

Ice_2

yes I know what you mean I have to save every penny I get £712.20 amonth half of that goes on bills I have my few luxuries like broadband and the tv which I have used and better used over the past few years while being immobile...I put £40 away for each weekly shop and what is left usually about £250 amonth I save for something special...that way I can afford a new whatever I need washer/cooker/fridge/freezer which apart from the dodgy fridge/freezer (1 year old) and on the blink...I re-newed everything else last year..but I will need a new sofa in the next few years as this on (pale green leather 3 seater) has had it's day but I will use it til it is dropping to bit's before I will buy anew...and my mum used to make all our clothe's...designer wear one of a kind lol :rotfl:...if only the younger generation knew...but I will credit my mum with one thing she taught us all to cook from scratch...and yes I think I might give it a try and go on ration's just to see if I can lose abit of weight...:j if people budgetted more they wouldn't have to turn there heating off so they could eat instead...I don't believe for one minute that some people are that hard up...if they are it's because they don't budget...they use the dearest fuel companies...it sadden's me in this day and age that people are in fuel poverty...what is wrong with this world...anyway have to go for the moment am going to try to walk around the street for a abit of exersize and try out my new foot...:D

positivelymummy

anyone seen these programmes? currently being shown on one of the UK channels (i think its UKTV gardening) they are so fascinating, basically showing what they had to grow and eat during wartime and alternatives that they used too..such as mashing a parsnip and adding a couple of drops of banana essence to pass off as bananas for banana butties!..its worth a look so i thought i'd mention it.

mary43

Which channel is that one ? If it's Sky I've got no chance of seeing it.....

newlywed

I saw one - with the chocolate beetroot cake. But to be honest I found the whole program a bit ... erm ... slow and didn't have the patience to watch any more of them

positivelymummy

for me its channel 258.

the_cat

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=481412&highlight=wartime

For those of you who might have missed this first time round!

meanmarie

I have found these programmes fascinating...also the Victorian Kitchen Garden...would watch them again and again and would love to know if there is a book or DVD which goes with either

Slow, yes because it is middle of last century and life was slower then...part of its appeal for me

marie