I Followed a 1940s Wartime Meal Plan for 24 Hours...

[@susangoodman4716]

I am 81 years old; I was born in 1942. That’s the diet I ate, that my mother cooked. We often ate cream of wheat for breakfast. My parents drank instant coffee in the morning, and after supper. My mother did not waste any food. We were encouraged to clean our plates “because of the starving Armenians.“ My mother was an excellent cook. After the war she got top cooking magazines and made those dishes for us. We ate three meals a day, and we all sat down together at supper and had big discussions. My husband and I copied that pattern with our sons and they are copying it with their children. I think we have healthy children because of the attention they got at meals.

[@web2buzz]

What a wonderful picture you paint ❤ I'm a bit younger than you are, my two boys have just finished university, and I was brought up in a very similar way. When I had a family of my own, I made sure we sat down together to a home cooked meal (from scratch) every night and we would spend mealtimes catching up with each other's days. I believe that this is the reason they turned out to be well-adjusted young men who value family life.

[@analogueman123456787]

Good for you girl! There's always something positive to be learned from the past. 😀

[@PoliticalRegality]

Perfect! God Bless you and your family

[@morganvillas6436]

Yes we make sure dinner is spent together. No electronics are allowed and we talk.

[@apace903]

Im. 73 and have my Mom's war cook books.. Thank you😊

[@jewelgaither1504]

I have that same cookbook! It belonged to my mother-in-law and she passed it to me. She said she and her sister used to look at the little petit fours inside the front cover and dream of what they would taste like. For her 80th birthday, my daughter gave a tea party for her with four generations of "ladies" -- the youngest being just two years old-- there and we made petit fours as part of the menu. That was such a blessing to experience. She passed away just before her 81st birthday. We have lots of pictures and memories from that day.

[@TheFoxisintheHouse]

❤

[@msbowling5]

I have that cookbook, too, also from my mother-in- law. Yes, the petit fours and other illustrations are gorgeous. I am amazed that so many women still own this book.

[@MyNameHere101]

I can't imagine that feeling of fulfillment for her. Imagine looking across your DNA being passed down three generations while eating a cookie from your childhood.

[@jewelgaither1504]

@@MyNameHere101 It was a blessing for all of us. Our granddaughters still look at those pictures and remember their great-grandmother.

[@m95-k6q]

I found mine at an auction. Great book.

[@rwg5167]

The gelatine (collagen), liver, prunes, and molasses, all are rich in various vitamins and minerals. Using these ingredients helped stop gap the shortage of nutrients that comes from food shortages.

[@_letstartariot]

She keeps mentioning the lack of protein, but I think it’s logical that they didn’t get enough of it considering it was wartime. So they had to make up the calorie deficit with cheaper calories.

[@byakurenhoujuu]

Were beans/legumes in shortage during wartime? Like the peas she had can count as protein.@@_letstartariot

[@anetteholm496]

Yes, liver is very high nutrients and gelatin/ collagen is very good for your bones & skin!

[@CheriBattrick]

I wondered about that. . . My great grandmother, who was a starving child and young girl in England, would wait outside the back alley door of the local pub and gather the wine dregs which she took home and mixed with crushed eggshells, used coffee grounds and a little Geritol. It's what kept her (nutritionally) from starving. Better stock up on gelatin, prunes, and molasses. I don't think there's a way to "can" or preserve liver long-term in case of last days food shortages.

[@carriem7832]

Really….if you’re hungry anything tastes good. My Mom soaked the liver in milk to tenderize it…..drained and simmered with onions and butter ….just till not pink……served with mashed potatoes and gravy….good. Mind over matter…..grind the liver and add to hamburger meals for nutrition……

[@novaricos]

my Nova Scotian grandmothothers, both born in 1899 in Rossway, and lived till 1998 and 2000, told me from their experiences of running their homes as boading houses for the summer visitors who loved coming down there, that you always 'clean as you go' or you'll be disappearing beneath an avalache of pots and pans and dishes! lol. When you are bringing water into the house by the bucketfrul from the well out near the back door, you were VERY careful about being economical with it. Not easy to heat enough on the stove for a bit of a bath sit on a Saturday night so you could all be clean for Sunday mornings and church. (hint grandpa has his first, then do one for the children, washing the cleanest boy child first, dirtiest one last! then ladies when everyone else was out of the house! And yes , you were constantly turning around from one meal to start the next, but many things were made once a week on 'baking day' and available to be used and enjoyed all week. Each weekday also had its' sacred' allotted tasks, so that things were kept up with, and didn't become overwhelming or get left undone! Prune juice was drunk to assist your bowels in 'regularity', raisins were often added to cream of wheat cereal and cooked in to soften, mmmmm. and organ meats (liver often fried with bacon and onions- Mom loved, me- yuck!) were cheaper and a very necessary source of vital nutrients in the days before vitamins were ever heard of. Great-grandpa would be up first very early, just before dawn, light or uncover the kitchen stove fire and get it going, make coffee and have some toast or rolls with marmalade, and bring some up to great-grandmother along with the hot water in a pitcher for the washstand in their bedroom and the girl's, so all could wash face and hands comfortably, then he went out to the barn to take are of the animals. When he came back in a bit later, she had a great English hearty breakfast ready for themselves and the hired man, so everyone was well fortified to do a good morning's work, her and the girls inside, the men out in the fields, before coming in at noon for the main dinner, and a bit of a rest, and then back out for the afternoon's tasks. Supper was quite a light meal at the end of the day, (not good to load up on heavy food before bed)! They loved their life and often talked fondly of its rhythms and joys and accomplishments, and made sure I knew how to do all those things by hand too, including making kitchen grease soap, (beautiful stuff, a lot like Fels Naptha soap in appearance and clean smell!), dip candles, Canadian molasses bread and white bread and rolls and scones, braided rugs and quilts from old clothes (I still have and love, some of the things they made!). Ahhhh, what a wonderful breed, I am so privileged to have had , known, learned from and loved several generations of them all, for so many years. 🥰

[@CheriBattrick]

You should write a book complete with instructions on how to do what you know how to do that you mentioned -- and with full-color photos. It might be essential someday for the rest of us. (And no, I'm not joking...)

[@smpsailor]

I love this ❤

[@novaricos]

You are very kind, but thank heavens there are a wonderful amount of videos on youtube already with many of these things shown, (but might try my hand at one or two of my own also. should be good for a smile at least!)@@CheriBattrick

[@stephanielambert-vt7yo]

While growing up my family our mealtimes were breakfast, dinner and supper. I had never heard dinner called lunch until I went to school. Now everyone calls supper dinner also.

[@MindfulMusings1]

Wow, what a blessing to have family like that and learn so many useful skills! I 2nd the book idea. Most of what Ive learned has been self taught! I could use some tips. Lol

[@consciousobserver629]

My grandma was born in 1930. She always served jam on toast at pretty much every meal. They ate a lot of fiber is what I noticed overall whenever I would visit. I always loved mealtimes at grannies. She passed at age 102. At age 94, she had been shoveling snow still. :) She was an active woman and kept a garden that she often ate from. We could learn from previous generations for sure. :)

[@eatiegourmet1015]

wait... so she passed in ...2032? (sorry, I'm a bit of a math nerd, too)

[@deRose03]

1930+102=2032 Hmmm...😁

[@rhondabitler5474]

My Grammy always had jam or apple butter spread for bread.

[@holyexperience1976]

I'm not surprised about snow shoveling. People making everything about age is the issue. Should not do this, cannot do that even if they actually do have the ability, even if it means learning how to do it differently instead of believing that is what young people are for. I understand shoot happens even with the very best effort, but quite often it's bad habits or having a goal of more sedative life causes a health decline.

[@KitKatMEOWWW]

My nana just turned 94 and she was born in 1930. Her grandma had to be born earlier than 1930...

[@kathryncooper4001]

I was born in 1949 and was basically raised on war ration-type foods. Mother fried liver with onions in bacon fat, but I still hated it. Instead of a jellied tomato aspic, we had sliced tomatoes on lettuce with a little mayo smeared on it (no pots or pans to wash). We never had such large meals -- breakfast was Cream of Wheat, oatmeal, or grits with eggs most days, sometimes a little bacon. Lunch was a piece of fruit and a sandwich, usually made from leftovers (again, no cooking utensils to clean up). Supper was always a meat, a starch, a green vegetable, and a salad. My favorite dessert was gingerbread topped with applesauce. Housing was almost impossible to find during the war, so it's likely that most women had relatives or friends living with them to help with the cooking and cleaning. Dishes take forever to wash, but the task goes pretty quickly if two or three people are engaged in the cleanup. Since you wanted to be 1940s authentic ... I don't remember seeing plastic wrap until the 1960s -- we used only wax paper before that.

[@BarryMoreno-zx4dc]

Makes one think of the Jean Arthur film “The More The Merrier,” with Charles Coburn and Lee Bwman.

[@Desertcrone]

I was born in 1947. My Dad liked liver and onions, she cooked it for him, he liked it. She wouldn’t eat liver so she never expected me to eat it.

[@jessesgirl10]

My mom made the liver and onions too and it was one of my least favorite meals. However, I preferred it to the cow tongue she would serve with it being all tongue and taste-buds. So gross!

[@InnasCrochetland]

OMG those two things were my favorite things to eat made by my grandma. So good ​@@jessesgirl10

[@adajanetta1]

@@Desertcrone At our Seniors Community Centre there is a popular cafeteria that serves lunches. The chef advertises Liver and Onions Day a good week in advance. They have more people arrive on that day than any other- more even than during Bridge Tournaments. Well cooked- which means not overcooked and NOT PORK - liver is tasty. I prefer mine with bacon but also occasionally make it with rice and "spanish sauce" which is basically tomatoes and green peppers.

[@SWIdaho2]

Yep, my mom pretty much spent the day in the kitchen when I was growing up in the 1950's. I was the eldest of four, Mom cut our hair, sewed clothes for the 3 girls, & grew an enormous garden, which we kids helped weed & then helped with canning & freezing the produce. She fixed liver occasionally - yuck! - but that generation ate most anything - had to. One time she bought a beef tongue. I'll never forget seeing it sitting on the counter in it's entirety! Lots better tasting than liver, though. My dad hunted deer every fall, so we had venison in various forms. Mom made homemade cottage cheese once, but it was too sour for a child's taste buds. I do like commercial cottage cheese. Her homemade bread, rolls, pies, cakes, & & cookies were all delicious. My mom has a cookbook that looks similar to the wartime one you found, but I think it may have been published in the 50's. We had "The Robe" with a red cover. My mom is 96 1/2 & lives independently. We are blessed to still have her! Thanks for the fun video & opportunity to reminisce. 🤗

[@VictoriaEMeredith]

The best thing about tongue is that it’s very tasty, especially spiced like corned beef. The worst thing is that it’s clearly…an enormous blob of dead tongue. With big ol’ taste buds. I prefer my tongue cooked by somebody else. 🤣

[@gaylegraves7419]

My family served tongue prepared that way however they would slice it into cubes- more attractive. My family ate liver as well prepared with the flour and onions. As an adult I had a Greek friend that prepared it amazingly nothing like what my tastebuds were accustomed to. She oneness baked it but it was covered in olive oil and lots of fennel- the fronds and bulb. Simple and unbelievable flavor and tender.

[@evelinharmannfan7191]

I loved liver as a child. My family used to fry it in butter with onions and apple slices and some spices. And if I remember correctly, we soaked it in millk overnight, and it had to be REALLY fresh. Served with mashed potatoes, I loved it very much.

[@Plasmastorm73_n5evv]

By the time MY mom was a housewife, women were working and TV Dinners were the all the rage...

[@Plasmastorm73_n5evv]

@@gaylegraves7419 I grew up eating beef tongue, beef heart, and a few other assorted cuts that were non traditional. Still love them to this day.

[@boyang234]

My wife's grandma lived through the war and she's still alive! FYI with those books there's a lot that is not written or left out, it was just assumed that you knew because it was common knowledge at the time. So yes they buttered their toast, esp if they were rural families!. Also those menus were for you to pick and choose from and then to make your own. So you could season the bland foods to your liking with whatever you had in your pantry. The best way to do these kinds of videos is to ask an elder what they did back then and ask them to look through the book with you and go from there!

[@BeccaBearSc]

I would adore, truly adore talking to her. Hearing her stories.. maybe get her to hand write a few of her favorite recipes

[@boyang234]

@@BeccaBearSc unfortunately she can't see anymore, but we do have copies of her fave recipes and cookbooks with her notes in them. She's still with it even at her age!

[@KirbyComicsVids]

I mean you say they buttered their toast but I grew up with tales of using bacon grease in place of butter as butter was expensive and even got to try it out that why to get a taste of what it was like in the “olden days”

[@lisareed5669]

Agree.

[@jenmatt1923]

My grandfather is 94 and still going strong! And I agree, I think it would have made for a better video if she'd have done basic research by talking to a few people who grew up during that time. I'm guessing they used a percolator for the coffee? (My grandfather doesn't drink it.)

[@lindapendleton9176]

My mother used the wash as you go method to handle the dishes build up with food prep.Rinceing the liver with boiling water killed any parasites lurking in the meat.

[@Nancy-zk9dj]

A way to measure shortening-- for exanpme, for 1 cup of shortening, fill a 2 cup liquid measuring cup with 1 cup of water. Add shortening until the water level reaches 2 cups. Not so messy! My depression era Mom taught me this ❤

[@animatedaboutlife]

That's a great idea, thank you!!

[@genevabrantner365]

I learned that way of measuring in Home Ec in the 60s.

[@marydesrosiers9271]

I learned this from my mom in the seventies

[@agirlisnoone5953]

This is genius! I always try to squish it down and am never sure if there are air pockets

[@patrickdurham8393]

That is genius!

[@-LivingProof]

Those tiny voices in the background are so sweet! Complimenting mama's cooking, telling her how much they like it. Made me smile. 😊

[@Plasmastorm73_n5evv]

Right?

[@suebl4037]

I like that too.

[@LadyLocket]

I would love to see a comparison between an American housewives wartime recipes and expected food quantities versus a British one in the same year from an American KZbinrs opinion/research.

[@alexandrasmith7682]

Agreed! Europeans food shortages were much worse than the US.

[@billgrandone3552]

Yes and those of us living in the country or small towns had the luxury of back yard gardens and lax zoning laws and health regulations where you could raise chickens or one person with a baking oven could bake for the neighborhood. That way you could pool your stamps and everyone get a share of the bread or bisquits. People in the country also had fruit trees, berry and grape vines suspended on wire lengths. And if you knew your way around the woods there were nuts, mushrooms and greens to gather as well as hunting for squirrel , rabbits, and birds. Dandelions were a treat in the spring for salads, wine, and even coffee. Coffee could also be made from chickory. Everyone canned the autumn bounty of apples, peaches, pumpkins.and squashes of all types. Cucumbers and tomatos were made into pickles. And fruit that wasn't canned whole was made into jelly. Whole milk could be churned into butter if you had a farmer who would spare a couple of quarts. @@alexandrasmith7682

[@michellemacdonald7786]

I too. My one grandma was Canadian, the other from Britain. I have heard from her and my aunts about the austerity of British wartime rationing and making do. But no cookbooks.

[@PattymacMakes]

Wartime Kitchen and Garden is a wonderful BBC series about life in the countryside of England during the war. It’s very interesting.

[@CelticStar87]

@@alexandrasmith7682that’s because most of Europe were already in war for 2 years before the US officially got involved. Different areas in the US would see different types of shortages due to the Great Depression and its effects hitting differently in different parts of the country (especially urban vs. rural). Very interesting how global events affect countries differently.

[@anissaroberts1403]

I loved this. ❤ Some tips I learned from my grandmother [a 1930s thru 60s housewife] - reclaiming counter space is all in how you stack the dishes. She would fill her sink with hot [scalding hot] water at the start of the cooking day. And into that scalding water, the dishes would go. It saved her space and cleaning time. She also had what she called "a disinfecting bucket." A small bucket of water and vinegar, she'd soak some rags in for cleaning the counter between chopping, rolling, etc. That sat on the counter beside the scalding sink water. Now, mind you, she had 11 living children and a husband! 13 total people she was cooking 3 meals a day for. I still cook like this. Not 3 meals per day, but I clean as I go, stack to conserve space, have my disinfectant bucket at the ready [i add orange oil to my vinegar. Cuts the sharp smell of the vinegar. I keep a quart size mason jar in my fridge filled with orange peels and vinegar. Put it in a brown glass spray bottle, and it works great!]

[@YT4Me57]

I was born in the 1950s, and that is how I was taught (and still) wash dishes. I fill a pan with the hottest water and dish soap. Every dish gets a good soak before washing, and I wash as I go, stacking them in a dish drainer. Dish washing was my chore as a teenager, and we were a family of four. I'm single now, but I still use that method because I don't have a dishwasher and limited counterspace.

[@lachouette_et_le_phoque]

Why not go for citric acid, if that's something you can buy in a grocery store? Here in the UK it's readily available as a powder with the cleaning supplies, it's a slightly stronger acid than vinegar and does not smell like much at all. I use this all the time for descaling my electric kettle (it also needs heating up to descale properly, but won't smell horrible).

[@Plasmastorm73_n5evv]

@@lachouette_et_le_phoque Citric acid is not usually sold in grocers here in the US. It's considered a food additive and also used in science labs. You usually have to special order it from restaurant suppliers or scientific chemical companies.

[@mardigrasqueenofthesouth8847]

just wash as you go, plenty of waiting for stuff to cook, rise or soak lol! I am cooking from 6am to 10pm every darn day, i know what you mean...

[@lachouette_et_le_phoque]

@@Plasmastorm73_n5evv ah, that's too bad!

[@Plasmastorm73_n5evv]

Fun fact about Cream of Wheat: It was first manufactured in the United States in 1893 by wheat millers in Grand Forks, North Dakota and debuted at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. Also Sarah Sundin says: Shortages of butter and oils began early in the war. Most cooking oils came from Pacific lands conquered by the Japanese, and the supply plummeted. Fats were also needed in higher quantities for industrial and military use. The Secretary of State of Oregon's website talks about rationing: Even though thousands of items became scarce during the war, only those most critical to the war effort were rationed. Key goods such as sugar, tires, gasoline, meat, coffee, butter, canned goods and shoes came under rationing regulations. Some important items escaped rationing, including fresh fruit and vegetables. This would explain why protein was lacking in most meals. Jellied salads were popular right up to the mid 1980s My mother made them all the time in the 1970s for parties and family gatherings. The Mocha ice box cake is just another name for Tiramisu. If you dip the lady fingers into the coffee first you'll get a much richer and bolder bitterness that you're looking for. ANOTHER FUN FACT: Mocha beans were known for their naturally chocolatey flavor. Hence how Mocha came to be known as chocolate and coffee.

[@sheab101]

This is fascinating! My great grandmother who was born in the mid 1910s used to make tomato aspic and I loooooooooooved it. I remember being hesitant to eat it at first but over time I craved it. She lived until she was 98.

[@Mediocre00Rebel]

Something my dad taught me is clean as you cook. Soon as you finished with a bowl, wash it. Knife, wash it. Wipe stuff up as you go too. Just take the time to wash 1-2 dishes at a time and you won't be left with a ton at the end. It's helped me tremendously.

[@holyexperience1976]

Makes perfect sense for sure!

[@jamcakes1650]

This reminds me of my grandmother. She was born in 1913 on a farm in North Dakota, and lived to be 95. My mother was her only child, born in 1939. Growing up, my grandmas house was my second home. I especially loved her kitchen in the early mornings, with the scents of percolating coffee, and toast. She was very frugal,and kept meals (and life in general) pretty simple. I miss her every day.

[@judith4158]

Your grandmother and my mother came of age during the Great Depression, they knew everything about making the most of what little they had, then were thrown into a World War when all able men were gone for years. We come from strong women going back to those who settled the land from the East coast west.

[@dr.eliciarosen-fox1354]

I still drink percolated coffee. The coffee of today is just not hot enough. I need to cook my coffee! The instant decaf coffee was sanka. Is that even real coffee?

[@SparkeysMum]

Oh my, I grew up with the prewar version of this cookbook. My mother received a brand new edition of it when she was a bride in 1939, before the outbreak of WWII. Her original one eventually fell apart! When she and my Dad moved to Virginia, he found a beautifully maintained copy of the wartime version, which features regional dishes and wartime cooking hints, and bought it for her. When Mom passed at 92 in 2002, the much loved cookbook came to me and sits on a shelf in my kitchen and I'm 74. Cherish this glimpse into history. Thank you for sharing your interest! Just a suggestion: the music you used is more 1920's-ish. Try something a little more along the lines of The Andrews Sisters, Glen Miller, etc. GREAT JOB! Enjoy and cherish this classic which passed at age 92

[@ButteredSideUp]

Thank you for sharing that story! Yeah, I realized that the music wasn't completely current with the 40s, but it's kinda tough to find good quality music that matches the era and the emotion of the video. The record I played had music that was recorded I believe in 1938, and I figured people would still be listening to their records that were a few years old. :)

[@SparkeysMum]

@@ButteredSideUp So sweet of you to read my comment! If you delve into the cookbooks of wartime America, you'll notice the frequent references to rationing and encouraging creative ways to use ingredients and parts of animals not ordinarily used for human consumption. Sugar, butter, meat were all rationed because these foods were sent to the people actually fighting in the forces. Bacon grease (when you could actually find bacon, that is) Along with tallow (beef fat) was collected and used in making munitions! "Victory Gardens" were started in back yards to supplement home grown vegetables and fruits. I didn't come along until 1948 so I wasn't affected by rationing in the US, although England was still rationing certain food into the mid-1950's. When the young Princess Elizabeth was engaged to the dashing Philip, young women sent their rationing books to her to help her with the cost of not only her wedding meal but also to help with her wedding dress! I understand that the future Queen was quite moved by their gesture. If you get a chance to watch the movies of that era, you might be impressed by the spirit of their themes. In many ways, the young adults of that time (like my Mom and Dad) really were "The Greatest Generation". And I'm sure you're right about your choice of music playing "on the Victrola"! It hadn't occurred to me that people would play their older favorites...as we do these days. Please forgive my presumption!

[@bbymks5]

I have the 39 edition as well! The spine is cracking, but it's a great one!

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

@@ButteredSideUp I laughed so hard when you said that you kind of doubt an electric flour mill was common in households in the 1940s… Girl, that shit is not common even today! Hardly anyone owns one of those things! 😂😂😂

[@Plasmastorm73_n5evv]

I really hope you are going to pass the cookbook on to one of your children or grand children and keep the memories and recipes alive!

[@eleanoreagly4844]

During WW11 butter was not available. Margarine was a substitute, it came white with a packet of coloring to make it look like butter. It did not taste like butter. Some people substituted a grain base drink for coffee. Postum was a brand name that I recall, and was caffeine free. Sugar was rationed as were many other foods. Victory Gardens and keeping chickens were also a WW1 thing. my family even raised a pig and mother preserved the meat by canning as were the garden vegetables.

[@SWIdaho2]

My mother's home canned mincemeat, with real meat, made a wonderful pie! Store bought mincemeat cannot compare.😏

[@dawnelder9046]

​@@SWIdaho2Real mincemeat has meat. That stuff they sell in the store is just over sweetened fruit.

[@judith4158]

Eleanor, I'm still impressed by the way our country, and England, pulled together for the common good. During our pandemic, plus and being a retired nurse, I was appalled at the lack of the ability of our country to do that. It seemed the in convenience of protecting others was just too much for many. I kept remembering how lining up for our polio injections was such a relief for everyone. No parent questioned the safety of doing it. It doesn't bode well for our future. Worrisome. Did the children in your family argue over whose turn it was to make the margarine yellow?

[@eleanoreagly4844]

@@judith4158 No arguments. I was too young and my brother, ten your older was out hunting rabbit and pheasant for meat, and he had a 4-H pig that our parents butchered and mother canned the meat. I'm a retired veterinarian and worked for years in policy development , evaluation and licensing of biologicals. Have had extensive training in disease control for epidemics and foreign animal diseases. Gov. of Michigan was one of the few that started correctly to protect people and all she got was ridicule from the the man who was president in 2020 who told the populace that it would be all over by Easter of the same year. Hospital X-ray tech had to do so many x-rays of intubated patients in ICU for physicians to determine how patients lungs looked. She of course welcomed vaccine but was dumbfounded that some nurses refused with no factual basis. Myself have had five shots, the latest being the newest strain.

[@katherinegaston5229]

I remember having the job of kneading those dye packets into the white “Oleo”, my grandmother would add a splash of buttermilk to make it taste better and allow it to be whipping into a creamy spread. Instant coffee for use was using the superfine grind found at the back of the grinder drawer and a pinch of salt to settle the grounds. As I read what you wrote it brought back memories.

[@shannaspencer8105]

For sticky cookie doughs chill the cookie dough before rolling, and roll in batches. Only take out half out of the fridge at a time.

[@tracebooks]

This was great! I can remember my grandmas (one born in 1902 and one born in 1912, but both had small children in 1942) and my husband’s grandma (born 1922) all cooking like that. The prune juice. The instant coffee-often Instant Postum, because they couldn’t get actual coffee. And my great-grandma, born 1893. All made these types of dishes! One thing: yes, it was a lot of work, but that cookbook assumes three kids. And unless the housewife had had triplets recently, those kids would have helped in the meal prep and cleanup. The girls definitely would have helped with the cooking, even little ones; in some families boys would have as well. And in most families, the kids would be doing the dishes together. Also: very likely they would have used a meat grinder/food mill for the liver. Many, if not most, families had these. My mom remembers that her mom would save little bits of leftover meat all week and then put them all through the grinder to make their own lunch meat. She says it was usually pretty good. This is how families would make their own sausages. Up until 1920 or so, 80% of Americans lived rurally, so most people would have owned one. Even city dwellers did before the invention of the electric food processor. They’re easier to clean, but do take some muscle.

[@cogit8able]

I still have one. I grind up Leftover ham for deviled ham spread.

[@grandmajane2593]

Aha, someone who remember's postum. I remember a jar of postum sitting on the kitchen table. My father must have drank that. Coffee, butter, meat, many things were denied to us on the pretext of sending them to the fighting men overseas. I remember saving the little pieces of foil that may cover a candy bar because that material was used for the war effort. It really was a unique time, I wish I had written more of it down when I remembered it better. I remember we all had to obtain black-out shades because after dark no light was supposed to be seen from our houses. They painted the upper part of car headlights black to reduce the light into the sky. There were German U boats sited off the coast of Maine where I lived, so it must have been frightening for the adults. Most children were secluded from the facts about the war. The prune juice - my mother used to serve my grandfather a little dish of stewed prunes every morning. They came in cans. I think it helped him with his bowels. I refused to eat prunes then. But now I like the taste of them.

[@denverdubois5835]

I have an (English) friend who STILL loves Postum! He's in his 60s and his Granny used to make it. He's never really switched to coffee, lol.

[@alandoman-ig4oe]

I loved your video. As a child growing up in the wartime UK I would have found this menu very luxurious indeed especially as you used half a week's ration of butter on your bread.The section on liver was funny though I'm biased as I love liver, the most nutritious meat, as I grew up eating it. One recipe that might interest you is a favourite of mine and that is bacon and onion suet pudding. This enabled three rashers of bacon to feed a family of four. A pudding in the UK is sweet or savoury, usually made with suet (the hard fat from around the kidneys) and boiled or steamed in a basin or cloth. Look forward to more input from you.

[@nancybrewer8494]

She could have had butter for breakfast, lunch and dinner with that amount on one piece of bread at supper.

[@tina6277]

She used bacon so she could have used the fat from that to butter her bread.

[@kathimorrical9912]

I've NEVER had an automatic dishwasher. Never had one growing up, or in any of my other places I had lived. I love liver as well, tho I'm in the minority with my friends and others. I dated one guy who loved it as much as I did, made it for dinner, a friend stopped by, and left almost immediately! Couldn't stand the smell. We nearly died laughing.. choking on liver.

[@BeccaBearSc]

Would you ever be willing to write a few of your childhood recipies or memories for me to read. I LOVE history and love hearing it from people who lived it.

[@tina6277]

I grew up in small town 🇺🇸 USA. We were on general relief also known as welfare. Mom was an unemployed single parent of a preschooler and a high school kid (me). At first they gave you a monthly check to cover bills, rent, and food. We rarely had a phone so she would go to a pay phone or local business to use their phone. Laundry was taken to the mat or done by hand. Once food stamp became a thing you left town to shop as you didn't want your neighbors to know that you had to be on them. A lot of times you had to be a creative cook. First you never made plain burgers the amount of burger for two people could make a pot of spaghetti, chili, or a pan of sloppy Joe and could feed you more than one meal. No plain hotdog you got one hotdog per person and cut it up and added it to something else. Usually box Mac n cheese. Milk was for cooking if you ate cereal the milk in the bowl had to last you a week. Drinks were kool-aid or water. Occasionally we got gifts of food from family members. Mom would make deals with store owners for fruit and vegetables that might not be able to be sold to regular customers. Like it it had a bad spot on it but was still mostly good. Meat that was still good but passed the time it could be sold. Meats that were not popular like pork hocks, trotters, chicken wings and backs. Tuna lots and lots of canned tuna. Lots of macaroni, lots of potatoes, and tons of cream of mushroom soup, ketchup, and tomato based products. Chili wasn't plain chili it was chili Mac. Spaghetti was made with macaroni so more like goulash. But at the end of the week all the leftover veggies, Spaghetti, or chili,got thrown in a pot with water a few potatoes carrots, onion, and maybe a can or two other vegetables that would get a big old squirt of ketchup to become soup. Each day for 3 days it got more water and ketchup. We ate that for every meal except breakfast. We were encouraged to eat until we had our fill. Anything left after supper on Sunday got tossed. Cold spaghetti sandwiches or reheated spaghetti. No microwaves yet. Another meal but no left over from this one . A big boiled with the jacket on potato and hamburger gravy. Served with a side of vegetables. The gravy was 1/4lb burger crumble fried with a can of cream of mushroom soup, water to thin it out a bit. My favorite soup my mom made back then we called cabbage soup. Mom made a broth out of pork hocks . Simmered them until they fell apart. Scoop out the meat and bones set aside. To the pot Add potatoes, carrots, onions, black pepper, take the biggest cabbage you can sneak out of a cabbage field or can buy cheap. Cut up a quarter of the field cabbage or half a grocery store cabbage. Take the meat skin and connecting tissues off the bones of the hocks discard bones chop the rest very well add back to the pot. Then you take mostly vegetables and a small amount of broth and only on or two pieces of meat . Yes this is your meal every night until the cabbage is gone . It is served with a slice of buttered bread. It might get more potatoes and carrots and a cup or two of water every night. Although still good the last night or two it tastes more like cabbage than anything else. My mom's cabbage soup recipe can be found in cook books under the name New England boiled dinner. The last thing she made a lot was fried potatoes with hotdogs and onions when the vegetables are done and potatoes tan. Add a good squirt of ketchup and a cup of water. Simmer until thickened.

[@juliemoore6957]

The tomato salad was supposed to have finely chopped celery and green pepper in it. They called it tomato aspic salad.

[@gaylegraves7419]

I still make it- season with Tabasco and small shrimp in the summer- it’s great on a green leaf salad topped with a teaspoon of mayo- just like grandma made it!

[@Melissasch1]

I still love tomato aspic, I grew up eating it. My grandmother made it most every Sunday dinner. Yum!

[@catherined.398]

Yeah, no way they would have tossed the meat of the salad out.

[@ladyflimflam]

@@gaylegraves7419oh! I’ve not tried it with shrimp. I think some salad shrimp tossed in and it would be like a solid shrimp cocktail.

[@Lilly-leaf]

My Mother used to make this all the time! Absolutely love it 😊

[@OMGitsaClaire]

This style of cooking, with all it’s food groups, very much reminds me of my grandma’s style of cooking. She had worked as a maid/kitchen girl in the 1930’s at a boarding house while a teen and raised three boys through the late 1940’s and 1950’s. She was a big proponent of “proper nutrition” and therefore every lunch and dinner she ever served had a fruit and a vegetable on the table. Even if the fruit was canned pears or peaches, which it often was in the winter. She was the one who taught me to eat and like rutabaga as a kid.

[@mariegarside8830]

I liked Rutabaga as a child

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

How do you cook/fix your rutabaga?

[@bubbysbub]

I have a teeeeeeny tiny run down old 70s kitchen, no dishwasher, and a big family to cook for. One little bit of bench just big enough to prep, no room to serve, so keeping things tidy as I go is sooo important. Running a sink full of scalding hot soapy water is KEY to maintaining a tidy kitchen, which makes EVERYTHING go faster. Wash as you go and put ingredients away again as soon as you've used them. Keeps the process flowing, and usually by the time we've eaten, all that's left to wash is the plates we ate off and a few serving bits. And cooking full meals three times a day actually goes a lot faster once you're used to it. Especially as it's more familiar recipes that are staples, so it's easy to throw the oven on once everyone has been fed brekky, and get your date loaves and banana cake on, right? Then make a lunch, add a baked good, fruit, some extra veg, and you're golden till dinner, repeat. I think it's a mind set, that once you're used to it, your brain just automatically compiles a little to-do list, and I still have plenty of time to wash clothes, clean house, exercise, read, hang out with my fam, do craft, watch youtube or a movie, whatever I want, really. Easier today with better access to a full range of ingredients, and hand mixers certainly help, lols.

[@chrisroper2731]

Nothing can replace eating dinner at the table as a family! You discuss everything.

[@elenasabakuno6805]

For people who do not like instant coffee because it sometimes can taste slightly burned, stir it into a little bit of room temperature water until it is devolved and than add the hot water. ❤

[@mirandaandrews2872]

Thanks

[@clockworkhearts4085]

make sure to add a tiny pinch of salt too, it brings out the flavour

[@JesusistheOnlyWay222]

Or the cold milk if taking w milk:) I heard this is why granulated coffee was developed

[@dr.eliciarosen-fox1354]

instant decaf coffee was Sanka brand in my grandmothers house. That was the only thing I was allowed to drink. They still sell it. The smell reminds me of being 5 years old and waking up on Saturday morning for coffee and bagels. In NY even in the 1940's they had bagels with a schmear... cream cheese and jelly.

[@JesusistheOnlyWay222]

@@dr.eliciarosen-fox1354 wow coffee at 5!?

[@shelzp7272]

I learned how to cook from that book more than 50 years ago, it’s the one my mom used… 🤷🏻‍♀️ I still have her copy with her handwritten notes.

[@sdamom621]

That is very cool. 👍

[@StormTrackerWV]

I think that is so amazing! 😊😊😊

[@cackleberrywilson5956]

Me, too, at 74, I still love it❣️

[@Chronicmom68]

Wow! Don't know how this channel showed up in my feed, but I'm so glad it did! I love all things 1940s! This was very interesting to watch! Made me very thankful for my dishwasher!! Some of this reminded me of my great-grandmother's cooking. Love this video!

[@phylliscraine]

Your copy may have a recipe for Butter-Nut Drop cookies,I know it was in the 1949 edition. My mother made these every Christmas and I make them as well, I have a batch chilling in the fridge for tomorrows baking. This cookie is a light-as-air , buttery orange/lemon drop dipped in egg white and rolled in walnuts (or Brazil nuts as in the original recipe) then baked with a piece of candied cherry on top. Delicious and so nostalgic.

[@shopgirl_ny152]

I laughed when you said you didn't know what to do with the prune juice. It's juice. Drink it, of course.🤣

[@alisonsmith8653]

I ate cream of wheat very often growing up during the winter blizzardy years of the 1970's. Sprinkled with milk and white sugar. It was delicious!

[@brigittavesei4796]

My mother made it with sugar and cinnamon, and we ate it as-is, without milk.

[@holyexperience1976]

Myself, it was more '80s when I ate it, and first half of '90s, as I came along in '76.

[@michellemacdonald7786]

I have that cookbook. It was my Grandma's and I cherish it. It is very dog eared and has some of her recipes on pieces of paper stuffed between the sheets. It is valuable because it gives info that isn't used anymore. We will need it.

[@hearsthewater]

The tomato dish from lunch reminded me of a dish my father used to make all the time. He called it "Aspic" and made it with V-8 juice and gelatin. He also used celery and bell pepper, but they were diced up small and put in the gelatin to add a crunchy element. It was actually very good.

[@eatiegourmet1015]

So called because it IS Aspic, a gelatin derived from meat collagen. Meat aspics were popular long before fruit "jello" was invented. Aspic is a Great source of protein and amino acids. Your Dad's version is absolute Classic aspic, and quite good for you!

[@SilasBeau123]

Aspic is one of my favorite things. My mom always made it for holidays. It looked a lot better than hers! There use to be canned tomato aspic too. (My children die over the things we ate 😄)

[@karrinwilley8079]

Of course it was.....my mother & grandmother made the same thing. It made a refreshing salad in the summer..🍅 aspic!

[@vanessagenens1608]

My grandmother made tomato aspic and I couldn't get past the texture.

[@dwhitman3092]

Been thinking of making it when the weather finally warms.

[@lordmusea]

Most food content creators are looking to show the sexiest version of cooking available: no spills, all cheese pulls. I really like that you present a cooking challenge as exactly what it is…a challenge. Unfamiliar ingredients/combinations, unpalatable foods (I share your dislike of liver and tomato jelly…grandma had served both before), juggling a child with your cooking endeavors, etc. I particular appreciated the time lapse of dishwashing, the worst curse of all! 😂 Now that I’ve found your channel, I look forward to seeing more content. You seem genuine and I appreciate that!

[@happycook6737]

For cream of wheat fans- go to an Indian market and ask for "roasted rawa sooji". It cooks up same as cream of wheat for a much lower cost.

[@katherineskaggs4490]

People probable ate what they could get. I know my mother sometimes didn’t have anything to eat. But kudos to you. You tried everything!

[@cathylemay2215]

Back during the war organ meat was what many households relied on as the better cuts were reserved for the forces. The prunes themselves would have been healthier stewed and eaten (fiber don't you know)

[@margaretbedwell3211]

You were very brave to make that liver loaf. I hate liver and won't eat it at all in any form. One thing I might add, since I was raised in the late 30's early 40''s, my mom fixed boiled cabbage often and she always put butter, salt, pepper, and a drizzle of cider vinegar. I still eat it this way. Also, dishes were washed up as you go, fill sink with sudsy water, put dishes in as used and when the prep is done, wash up those dishes. This was a fun experiment and although you didn't care for the tomato dish, see if they have a tomato aspic recipe in that book. That has more seasoning and is delicious. It was most often served in the classier hotel dining rooms. I remember making it in my home economics class in the 9th grade. Thanks for sharing this with us, I hope you will try some more recipes from the book. Have a Blessed day. Meat loaf was big in those days (still a favorite) also mac& cheese was for a meatless dinner meal. We couldn't always have meat because of rationing.

[@alexandrasmith7682]

I was raised by my Grandmother. First job in the morning for me was drawing the hot water and making a sink full of soap suds. Followed by doing the first lot of washing up, drying, and putting away. Then I would eat my breakfast on the run between waiting on her lodgers as they had breakfast. Would complete by clearing their table, and doing the next round of washing up, drying, putting away and off to school. It repeated at night time, although I had additional tasks then. Total .... Five lots of washing dishes in a day . 😂

[@margaretbedwell3211]

@@alexandrasmith7682 My grandma always had borders. They were two elderly ladies (so they seemed at the time but probably not )LOL. They cooked their own meal in their rooms though. She did not provide food. One of the ladies worked and I think she had her main meal at lunch time so she didn't cook a lot at her evening meal. You really had your hands full doing all those dishes and still going to school as well. You were a very good grand daughter for sure.

[@roku5071]

My dad and his sister loved tomato aspic....they were the only 2 that did so they had it all to themselves 😄 Dad was born Dec. 1919 and died Oct. 2013.

[@serenitymoon825]

The only time I've ever genuinely enjoyed liver was when I had foie gras. It doesn't have the same metallic taste that chicken liver does. I won't eat it again because the ducks are force fed to make their livers fatty like that

[@autumnramble]

"boiled cabbage often and she always put butter, salt, pepper, and a drizzle of cider vinegar" Oh, young boiled cabbage, but with lard and bacon roux instead of butter is one of my favourites. But I live fried liver and liver stew too, so I think is just depends on what we are familiar from our childhood.

[@ellendunn559]

I love reading through old cookbooks -- they are sociological and historical time capsules. Kudos to you for eating some of the liver loaf -- I doubt I would've been that brave! When I was a young child in the early 1960s, my mother (a registered nurse) gave me a glass of prune juice every day, apparently to help with constipation. It tasted okay, but the texture was a little icky and the neighborhood kids teased me when they found out about it. On another note, one thing I think we do better today is we don't boil vegetables to death. My husband and I were both raised by mothers who grew up during the Depression, and they both tended to overcook vegetables to a uniform army green. (Yech!) Imagine our surprise when we tried roasted brussels sprouts for the first time and discovered they were DELICIOUS!

[@denverdubois5835]

YES, ugggh the boiled veggies and also canned! I still remember how much i hated the taste and weird, squeaky texture of canned green beans. Yuck. I remember that uniform army green shade so well! And yes, my Mom drank prune juice for regularity and forced me too sometimes as well. Oh how I hated the taste. My husband is much older than I am (and old fashioned to boot) and he eats prunes regularly. He likes them, the weirdo lol.

[@Rebecca-n7n]

The teacbing was to cook meat and vegetables until done, so as to kill any germs. Instructions on soup were to bring to a boil for at least one minute before serving..chicken was boiled before frying or baking.

[@janesmith1398]

1993's "The Wartime Kitchen and Garden" with Harry Dodson and Ruth Mott is a wonderful 8 part series produced in the UK about rationing and the war. There is also an accompanying book written by Jennifer Davies. There are several other series starring Harry, including The Victorian Kitchen Garden, The Victorian Kitchen and the Victorian Flower Garden.

[@melinaz3385]

Unmolding tomato aspic or jelly salad, for a brief moment dip the gelled ramekin in warm water to soften the inside just a touch to allow it to unmold.

[@williamjackson5942]

Also don't cook the onion and peppers add raw for the crisp addition it gives the salad!

[@TheLeslieMichelle]

OMG! My Mom literally had that same cookbook! My Dad bought it for my Mom when they first got married. I literally learned to cook from this book also when I was in Middle School training for Home Economics class. I learned basic things that no one makes anymore by hand without using cheeze whiz or Ritz crackers, like Hor d'oeuvres for instance. I loved this cookbook! It was old-fashioned, but some of the recipes are delicious if given a chance without cheating.

[@randyromines7364]

In 1958 my gramma moved in with us. My mother humorously told other ladies she had a "built-in dishwasher" her mother! Then in 1960 we built our first house and she really had a built in dishwasher, we still had gramma too, who retired to resident cat cuddler.

[@marcellalaurentius1742]

My family had a victory garden as was advised for anyone that could at the time. My great grandparents also raised dairy cows, providing a lot of fat and protein for family and neighbors.

[@MM_Sheehan]

The reason you would add water to the cookies is that you are substituting shortening for butter. Butter is just under 20% water

[@mommas2470]

My grandmother would chop up the prunes or other fruits and added them to the muffins for added sweetness and vitamins. No wasted food!😊

[@ChristinaPelley]

My great-grandmother served the stewed prunes as a light dessert - just topped with thick canned cream. Yum!

[@katiestover8954]

Those people had gone through the depression and had been forced to learn to use everything.

[@mommas2470]

@@katiestover8954 exactly.❤️

[@dr.eliciarosen-fox1354]

or chop up the prunes and put it in the cereal.

[@lilypudd]

In the 40s there were many households that didn't have water heaters so to wash the dishes, you would have had to heat that up in a kettle or pan.

[@nancydeis7121]

You are a champ for even attempting that meal. I love your kitchen. You mentioned all the dishes and counter space, well from the homes I have come across that are older and they had little to no counter space. I know that my mom would hide dirty pots etc when we had company so she could do them after everyone left. I love farmhouse sinks. All I could think was how much water was wasted lol. At our cottage we have a fair size kitchen sink and we put a big basen on stove to heat water then washed dishes in the basen.

[@darlenebradley6756]

I'm sure that a meat grinder was likely used for finely chopping the liver. Most households had one of these, and they came with several blades for various gradients of mince...and I love liver! Especially liver and onions!

[@dr.eliciarosen-fox1354]

Yes I remember the meat grinder as well but my grandmother didn't use that for liver, she used it to make chopped meat and then make meatballs or stuffed cabbage. Meat/chicken/turkey was not sold in package in the chopped form, you had to do it yourself. It had a vice grip with a bottom that was rubber and you had to attach it to the counter or the table. I think the liver would have turned so sticky it would not go through the little holes. My great grand mother and grandmother used a big wooden bowl and a curved double blade.

[@simplelivingwithconniekeen9485]

I love your little one complimenting the food 😅😊 Growing up in a Hispanic household, we ate a lot of Cafe con Leche (even as kids) with buttered toast for breakfast. Still like that today ❤

[@billgrandone3552]

My mom had this cookbook.I may still have it somewhere. I remember the pictures! As for prune juice dear, you drink it, But it is a laxative so don't have plans until after 10 a.m.I know i do have a book put out by a company called Lighthouse that has a lot of Depression recipes. No break after lunch! There is a mountain of dirty clothes in the basement waiting for you and you have to have them washed and hung on the line before 4:00 when you start supper so it;s ready by 5;30 when hubby comes home from the aircraft factory. Be glad he has a wartime job and is not in the Pacific or somewhere in Africa. The key to liver is drowning the stuff in catsup or stashing the dog under the table and slipping it to him when no one is looking. Why do you think our dog was named "Pal"?😬

[@SparkeysMum]

"Thanks for the liver, Mom...signed 🐾Pal, your under table pup!"

[@billgrandone3552]

Exactly. Ony if Pal wanted more liver he couldn't thank MOM WITHOUT "OUTING" ME.@@SparkeysMum

[@marcietownsend3635]

OMG! My mother had that book! I used to love looking at the pictures - in particular the petit fours in bright colors.

[@BDTrooper76]

I was born in 1958, so some of the meals during my childhood were somewhat holdover recipes from the war years. My father was a 1943 graduate of Berkeley High School, so he knew he was going to serve. He went to the south pacific and served as a medic with the U.S. 6th army. He served again in Korea as a medic with the U.S. Air Force. My mother was a year younger. One recipe my mother made during my early years was a tuna casserole, which I still make today. Call it a childhood comfort food. You might want to try this one. Ingredients are one 6 oz can of tuna packed in water, one 10.5 oz can of Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, one 16 oz container of frozen peas and carrots, one cup jasmine rice, quarter pound of shredded mild cheddar cheese. Preheat oven to 350 f. Put the 10.5 oz of cream of mushroom soup plus the obligatory can of hot water into a casserole dish, add the undrained contents of the tuna can and the frozen peas and carrots. Stir until the warm soup mix has broken the peas and carrots apart. Add the rice and stir until evenly coated. Cover. Bake for 45-60 minutes until the rice is suitably softened. Remove the casserole dish and remove lid. Distribute the grated cheese evenly across the top and return to oven uncovered. Cook for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is evenly bubbling. Let stand 5-10 minutes to allow the rice to absorb more of the water. Serve with tossed green salad and either dinner rolls or garlic bread. I hope you enjoy this recipe from many decades ago. Added note: My wife is from Poland. Her parents lived through a very nasty WWII. Her grandparents lived through both WWI and WWII. Those who lived through the wars in north America had it comparatively easy.

[@christinedehn3257]

My Mom made liver for us, but never as a loaf. It was an economical cut of meat. I've never minded the taste, but Mom always said if you cook it too long it ruins it. It gets a metallic taste. She would sauté the onions in margarine or fat, have everyone come to the table and we began dishing out the salad and sides while the meat was in the pan for a few minutes on each side. The liver was sliced pretty thin so it was cooked through quickly. Onto a platter, pan dripping gravy on the side. It was good. Another economy cut was kidneys. She couldn't make that palatable and we only were put through that a couple of times. Mom was married in 1945 so the US was trying to feed a starving Europe and frugal cooking was still important here even though the war was over. Your lunch, by the way, was not low on protein as peas and grain (pasta) make a complete protein. Great presentation and clear explanations of your process.

[@carolgladney9890]

First time viewer, I will definitely be back! I share your aversion to liver and the tomato aspic. I hope that I'm fortunate enough to find such a wonderful cookbook. At 77, I ate a great many of those meals because that's how my mom learned to cook. Hearing your babies laughing and playing add such sweet touch to your video.❤

[@EmilyGOODEN0UGH]

Liver and cabbage both just need a lot of cooked onions and salt. And I am pretty sure the butter dish was just EXPECTED to be on the table with the salt, pepper, and probably ketchup (which might have helped the liver and cabbage too).

[@janicew6222]

My mother would take wheat to the local grain mill to be milled, so you aren't too far off milling at home. The hot water closes the pores on the liver so it doesn't soak up a lot of the 'fat' it is cooked in and it is more tender. I actually love liver both beef and chicken. I was raised on it because it was cheap. Thankfully, my children love it too.

[@SWIdaho2]

Thanks for explaining about the hot water. 😊

[@ZimVader-0017]

My grandmother would use milk to boil the liver. She said it also got rid of the strong taste.

[@laurastrele]

​@ZimVader-kh2zg my partner thought me to just soak liver in milk. Helps not to over cook and draws out some blood.

[@Gingerblaze]

The boiling water also helps make it sturdy enough to chop up.

[@melmelbry5754]

Where the heck do we get wheat from "in the wild". If the apocalypse came and we cant buy flour, where do we get wheat to make bread? And how do we mill it?

[@nruegner]

My mom liked liver. My dad used to say, "Your mom cooks liver about once a year, but if she forgets one year, I am okay to wait until the next year." You are such a champ to eat that liver loaf. GAG!!! I just found your channel and I really liked it. Thanks for sharing that horrible dinner

[@grandmajane2593]

My husband used to like liver and I tried to cook it for him, but I found out that there were blood vessels that had to be removed with a pair of tweezers before cooking. Doing this makes a more pleasant piece of meat to eat. But I couldn't do it, it made me nauseous, so we comprimised on chicken livers. They were easier to cook. I could just dump the container of them in the pan without having to look at them. Never could clean a fish either. He used to go fishing but it was his job to gut them and clean them.

[@feliciagaffney1998]

​@@grandmajane2593 calf liver has less membrane and is more tender. I love liver, and just pull the membrane out as I eat it.

[@grandmajane2593]

@@feliciagaffney1998 - You'r right about that. I might be able to eat a little piece if someone else cooked it.

[@nicolerotenberry7379]

You are adorable- I love how brave you are with experimenting with stuff you don’t even like and your honesty. Love love love - I now want to do this with my kids ❤

[@robertmray]

Great job! This food continued well into my childhood in the 50s.

[@monicajohnston8364]

Liver was a staple in wartime meals because its an excellent source of iron and, as you saw from the rest of your menu, meat was in short supply. Also, butter and other fats were heavily rationed during WW2 and "oleo margarine" and shortening would have been more common because they used fewer ration tickets to acquire.

[@allyjoy130]

I love all the organic and low tox stuff in your kitchen ❤

[@luminousmoon86]

I actually like liver, but that liver loaf looked rank. My mom dredges liver in seasoned flour and then fries it in a pan with butter and onions and it makes like a gravy, and it's really good. But even I'd take a pass on the loaf, lol. At least you had bread and butter!

[@vmhgreenwood]

I have that cook book! It was my mother’s. Looks like you would be cooking all day to follow the meal plans. We are certainly fortunate!

[@vmhgreenwood]

Mother still makes the tomato aspic. Family favorite!

[@annking8633]

Love the immersive experience. Staying true to the period with fantastic detail. Blown away.

[@Ann.M79]

I think you did a very nice job in you 24 hour presentation of a 1940’s meal plan. It would be nice to see you do the same teaching how to make substitutions to a meal plan with other dishes that interest you palate more. Thank you for sharing. I really enjoyed it.

[@kathleendigregorio1701]

I bought a 1950's how to book written for the upper middle class to society debutantes and young brides; definitely for the "town and country" set ~ it was a wonderful find. Menus for each occasion, photos of elaborate place settings, correspondence samples, setting up a household after marriage, hiring servants, engagement protocols 😍

[@dragons8822]

What's the name of this cookbook that you're talking about ? Would be interesting to see.

[@lat1419]

I have one somewhere that came down through the family. It had a section on how to serve breakfast "without a naid". This was a family joke as grandma had been a kitchen maid (in service at a large hoise), and hated it.

[@mandyheart8754]

It would be interesting to see her make a similar video with a menu that featured recipes from an “upper/upper-middle class” aimed cookbook, like the one you discussed. To be candid, I quickly got a very “affluent” vibe from her (groceries such as the cream of wheat, gelatin powder, instant coffee, packaged liver, etc. were from “fancy” brands - ala Whole Foods stock - opposed to the groceries being from common, affordably-priced “value” brands that are widely available at more discount-aimed markets.) Seems like a “classier” menu might suite her taste a little better?

[@wg8859]

⁠@@mandyheart8754 I don’t think the grocery store or particular brands matter at all. The focus of this is making period - appropriate food not the labels or store name.

[@Moocow2003]

Lol, my family's copy of the Mrs Beeton's cookbook has a section on how to properly address different members of the royal family should you encounter them

[@LaundryFaerie]

Prunes were a big thing because a) dried fruit was easy to store and transport, and b) folks from ages past were apparently OBSESSED with avoiding constipation. Also, they would pour boiling water over the liver to par-cook it and make it stiff enough to chop.

[@pipermoonshine]

my grandmothers, my mom, aunts uncles and inlaws were alive during this time and one of the most important things they recommended was to clean as you go and that way you would not have a huge kitchen to clean when done eating.. My grandmothers and fathers were born in the 1800's and my mom, father, father in law and mother in law were raised in the early 1900's so I learned about rations from them and I drink instant coffee which my parents drank when I was growing up. best coffee ever in my opinion. many of these foods I ate as well. I have my mother's cookbook published in 1953 and I learned how to make biscuits from that book. I lost my mom's book in a fire and I was sad but low and behold I found an exact copy and I bought it.. so now I have "her" cookbook and I can cook those biscuits again.

[@Bluefish-LM]

What an awesome book you found. Ty for sharing. Enjoyed this video ❤

[@redtankgirl5]

I grew up trying recipes out of this cookbook as a kid. My mom had it and had received it from her father when she got married. He was the primary cook when they were growing up both during the depression and wartime. I now have the cookbook. It’s dog eared and well used but I still go to it for a recipe often enough.

[@rachaelmccann1866]

i was so delighted to see the molasses cookies, i grew up with my great grandmother’s recipe and they’re my all-time fav! never seen them rolled and cut before, way easier to just scoop and bake. if you make them again, try coffee in place of water!

[@JessW19]

That cookbook is amazing! My mom has had a copy since I was a child. The French Chocolate Cake is divine! 😊

[@DS-zj2on]

I'm around 80 as well. Learning to cook was vital and taught in schools as one grew. Also, canning food was prominent. Everyone I knew canned food. As someone else said, there was never waste with food. Food was respected. We had lots of soup to stretch money. Everything was made from scratch in our family. As an 8th grader my job was to make bread every Saturday, or rotate that with doing all the family ironing. Everyone also had a garden. It was all hard work, but so grateful for it now.

[@eatiegourmet1015]

re: waste My mother liked to remind us, "someone had to Work for you to have those grains of rice.'

[@gentillydanny]

A tip on the liver. Before cutting it, put in the freezer for about 20 minutes, not frozen, but firm. It's much easier to cut and won't be slimy. You can then do the hot water, which not only softens it but removes much of the tang in the flavor.

[@theresaanndiaz3179]

I think the recipes were very nutritious, molasses is high in iron and other vitamins. I like liver, I usually do it as liver and onions with bacon and tomato sauce. Soaking it in milk first helps with the strong taste. I bet the 1940s household had a meat grinder that you clamp on the table, so the food processor wasn't really cheating. Aspic (geletin) salads were a big thing in the 1950s and even 60s. I have even seen recipes for meatloaf in aspic.

[@SWIdaho2]

My mom had a clamp on meat grinder. I actually like tomato aspic.

[@VictoriaEMeredith]

We had a lovely cast iron (?) meat grinder when I was a kid, and we used to clamp it to the edge of the table and go to town. Every once in a while, I really miss that thing.

[@judith4158]

I use mine for making cranberry relish every holiday season. It's cast aluminum I believe. Love it for many things, makes washing it worth it. Look in antique stores I've seen them there occasionally. @@VictoriaEMeredith

[@shadowfox009x]

We still have my greatgrandmother's meat grinder and use it to make a special kind of christmas cookies (German Spritzgebäck). I don't think my mom has ever used it for grinding meat.

[@yeeaahhzz]

MILK SOAK FOR LIVER FTW

[@Yobydobie]

I love that you talked about how the recipes made you *feel* not just how they taste. You gained a sub from me!

[@calypsoc3630]

I applaud you for trying all of these recipes! I learned some new recipes - like the liver thing and molasses cookies - and got a new appreciation for my grandmothers 😃

[@suzeq7172]

The banana bread recipe in the book is awesome. My go to recipe for 50 years.

[@gretchen378]

I love my grandmother's molasses cookies. Her recipe included water and was very sticky. She taught me to roll the cookies sandwiched between two layers of wax paper. Takes care of some of that sticky consistency. The key, as someone else mentioned, is the nutrient content of these menu items. So many of these items provided what was needed then.

[@mgarringerkcify]

My grandma wore Coty red lipstick every day. She was married to my grandfather in 1933 and by wartime was a housewife with a toddler. My grandfather worked for the Union Pacific rail road and remained in Omaha working for the trains. I recall the coffee too, the prunes and oatmeal or cream of wheat for breakfast. And grapefruit or cantaloupe but of course this was in the 1970s far past wartime rations. Thank you for posting.

[@SWIdaho2]

Ah, yes - fresh grapefruit was a treat of sorts, back before I had to take blood pressure meds! They don't mix.😏

[@truepeacenik]

Question, the prunes would have been served, not just used for extraction, right?

[@eatiegourmet1015]

@@truepeacenik That was the way it was done in my Dad's family. Stewed prunes were a 'regular' feature at breakfast.

[@leobevard822]

A lot of this food was there because of food shortages and prices during the war. Things like liver didn't transport as well so it was easier to get a hold of stateside.

[@johsheli]

We used to have mushroom sauce and noodles back in the 50s and 60s. The sauce came in a small can and they still sell it today. We also had liver and onions which I absolutely hated. I couldn't understand how something could smell so good yet taste so bad! We never had aspics or vegetable jellies and I'm glad they sound horrible!

[@LaLagunz187]

I hate liver as well, the only reason I’ve tried more than once is because it smells so good when it’s cooking. Gets me every time 🤢🤭

[@debbyparker5431]

I use that Dawn Fresh brand mushroom sauce too ❤

[@billstarr9396]

Hi Erica! I thoroughly enjoyed this video. My mom grew up during the Depression and World War II and I learned about how life was like then from her plus my aunts and uncles. Mom grew up in a very small village, 2,000 people. Folks in big towns and cities had it much harder than country folk. My grandfather kept an enormous veggie garden. Most of the meat on the table was from my uncles hunting in the woods or fishing in the nearby creek. Grammy canned veggies and meat such as venison. Foraging in the woods provided mushrooms, nuts and berries for the table. All of which city folk did not have that available to them. Sadly the cookbooks from that era do not mention how country folk could fish, forage and hunt to supplement their diet. A point on wartime vocabulary....back then the word lunch was rarely used. During that time the midday meal was called dinner and the late day meal was supper.

[@sallybeaudoin9687]

My father joined the Army in 1940-1970 to be able to have something to eat.. not knowing he would be in three wars for those meals.. He was a great cook can turn very little into a gourmet meal.. SOS cream of wheat creamed peas wilted lettuce corn beef hash and anything with spam are still my favorite meals.. Very grateful for his knowledge of frugal cooking was passed down to his children.. and I have passed it down to my children and grandchildren.. In today’s economy they know how to eat well..

[@fasx56]

Love your re creation of the Housewife cooking dinner for her family in the 1940s War Time conditions. No dishwashers or other time saving appliances at that time, long hours in the kitchen plus the house work that was always there.

[@3653cdw]

And the laundry! They worked hard all day!

[@lindamcdermott9980]

I was born in the ‘40s, so meals from that era are familiar. My mother made liver and onions, but she never made me eat it! Her words were, “there is always peanut butter and jelly”. After watching you prepare and try to eat that liver, I am now so grateful! In the ‘40’s, they would have made something else out of the leftovers. Gladly it is 2023, you can throw it out! The other things from the ‘50’s that I dreaded on the meal rotation was salmon loaf, because your taste buds we’re expecting meatloaf, and oyster stew. My bowl just had the buttery milk broth and crackers, she didn’t make me eat the oysters…… This was a very good video, costume, lipstick, vintage utensils and all. I really enjoyed it. I’m going to subscribe, just to see what you do next. Btw, in those years, there were big families and help to do the dishes, or a hired neighbor girl as a mother’s helper.

[@suepierce7216]

I think they used to call the tomato jellied salad tomato aspic. My mother used to make that alot in the 70's when I was growing up

[@merrysunshine67]

That pasta dish sounds absolutely lovely! Could you post the recipe in your description box here on this page? Thanks!

[@sandraboyd7468]

I’m so glad we found your channel. You make the foods our depression era patents cooked. It’s tasty and wonderful to hear your kid say “I like this momma”! Can’t wait for more content from you.

[@charylliss3741]

I loved this video you did an excellent job staying with the spirit of tge challenge. "Tomato aspic"is delicious and was considered an elegant dish. Often served with tiny shrimp.

[@lauriesue2244]

Hilarious dinner reactions! Thx for the honesty. BTW cabbage is better with onion and seasoning like dill or oregano. And your salad was basically tomato aspic-mid century was big on both savory and sweet gelatins.

[@lauraw9657]

I boil my cabbage with beef bouillon and then drain and put it in a skillet and add spices. It's a cheap vegetable and tastes pretty darn good.

[@LolitaCraft]

I just snagged a copy of that cookbook at a local antique store a few months ago! I love collecting old/vintage cookbooks and as soon as I saw the publish date on it I knew that I had to drop the money on it (it was the most expensive cookbook I bought that day lol)

[@maryjoyspohrer256]

The windmill cookie cutter was perfect!

[@JaeBurke]

I really enjoyed the video. Such a fun and interesting look into the past. I liked that you used music from that era, in the background, but I’d like to suggest you turn it down, quite a bit. It’s very loud and overpowering. Keep up the great videos!

[@annemarieschuetz9269]

You are absolutely right about cooking all day. Now and then I follow Alice Bradley's menu cookbook (WWII-era) for a while, and yes--you cook all day and clean up all day. (I don't have a dishwasher.) That's a great book because Bradley gives you grocery lists too. There's a fair bit of liver but I figured it was the cheap protein of the era so felt free to sub hamburger or something else inexpensive. Still spent a lot more on groceries than I normally do though. And all that cooking!

[@jerrihadding2534]

I have so much enjoyed your video! Regarding liver. As a teenager in California I was anemic and so my mother prepared liver for us fairly regularly. She fried it covered in flour and with onions. I actually LOVED it! Now I have lived in Sweden with my Swedish husband for 25 years and in all of those 25 years I have prepared liver exactly ONCE because I found liver in the grocery store exactly ONCE! This would likely make you very happy! 😂 On the other hand, I have literally found raw chicken FEET, various cuts of horse meat, and oh, let me not forget, raw pigs feet in Swedish grocery stores. And NO! I did not buy them! But not to insult Swedish meat options, please know that every cut of pork is relatively cheap here. A whole 2 pound chicken (the standard size) has risen in price from approximately $4.00 to $7.00 this year. If I choose to buy, for instance, only chicken thighs, that costs me, at a minimum, $12.00. And, as a major splurge for our 25th wedding anniversary, I bought two sale priced pieces of steak for a “mere” $16.00. If I am fortunate enough to find turkey in the fall, I pay up to $17.00 for a five pound turkey! What is cheaper and easily available is fish and shell fish. Generally we gorge on fresh crab and lobster around Christmas time. An entire fresh caught Norwegian crab costs around $6.00! An ENTIRE lobster, perhaps $5.00. It is also essential to note that, exactly as it is in the USA, prices depend not only on market driven intentions to “earn” as much as possible, but also on availability. If you have read this entire comment, I salute you! 🥰

[@SparkeysMum]

Excellent information! Can you find Crayfish in Sweden? And do you use them for things?

[@jerrihadding2534]

Crawfish are EXTREMELY popular in Sweden! The season for them begins in August. My husband will eat masses of them. Personally, I loath them!! In the first years of our marriage I made him eat them in our garden so they wouldn’t “stink” up our house 😂. However I don’t suffer. While he eats his crawfish, I eat an entire lobster. Life is good!

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

You’re eating animals that had LIVES, and didn’t want to die, but you’re complaining about the price of it???

[@grandmajane2593]

@@anti-ethniccleansing465 The fish and shellfish are going to get eaten one way or another. A bigger fish will get them or human beings can catch them, so what's the problem.

[@tiredoftrolls2629]

I loved liver and onions as a child in the 70s-80s. My boys loved it as "boneless beef strips" to dip in catsup (floured and fried). They never knew it was liver

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

I haven’t seen ketchup spelled like that in quite a long time! :)

[@kstewart3901]

Oh, I can certainly sympathize with your reaction to the liver and tomato jello! Thank goodness for modern appliances, right?

[@pattiprater]

This was such a well done video, from the concept, to the visuals and music you used. And I LOL at your reaction to the liver loaf! Well done! I subscribed!