I enjoy learning about history, especially food history. The 1940’s was quite a challenging time from coming out of the Great Depression and into World War 2, people dealt with food insecurities and going from little to no food, to foods then being rationed. It was a trying time. I read and researched wartime rations…
Month: March 2025
Week Four of our 1940s Days
“A recipe is a story that ends with a goodmeal.” — Pat Conroy Day 25 My hair is so crazy curly and puffy again, so I pinned part of it up and wore a hairnet. I wore a white long sleeve shirt with my beige vest and black skirt with beige polkadots. I wore earrings…
Poor Man’s Pie (Milk Pie)
This poor man’s pie, also called milk pie, flapper pie (a Canadian classic often topped with a meringue) or make-do pie dates back to the 1920s. It contains ingredients that were affordable of the time — only milk, sugar, flour and vanilla. The custard is sweet and took us nearly a month of saving our…
Bread Omelet from the 1940s
In the 1940s nothing went to waste. To use up stale bread, the bread was mixed with reconstituted dried egg to create this bread omelet. Just a couple ingredients makes a filling meal. Add some bacon ration to it for a little added flavor. Let’s get started! Mix dried egg with water. I add a…
Cabbage and Mince Scramble
This recipe comes from a wartime leaflet that was to help home cooks better cook with their rations. This meal is a very familiar meal and one my family felt like we’ve enjoyed before — it’s a simple, hearty meal that’s easy to prepare and absolutely delicious! Since we are making this during 1940s Days,…
Mock Apple Pie
Mock Apple Pie dates back to the 1800s and was made with stale bread or soda crackers when apples were unavailable through the winter. This recipe made a comeback in the 1930s when apples were far too expensive so butter crackers were used instead. The recipe became so popular that Ritz crackers shared the recipe…
Week Three of our 1940s Days
Week Two of 1940s Days went quite well. We had a lot of rations left since we used them much more sparingly than the previous week. Being as we have extras left, it’ll be easier to make a wider range of recipes requiring such items as lard, cheese, sugar or butter. I can understand why…
Minestrone Soup
Hearty soups are a simple way to feed a hungry family and an easy way to stretch some vegetables. Not only did this pot of minestrone soup serve my family, but we shared with a couple friends and we still had leftover! It’s a filling, nourishing soup paired with fresh bread makes a wonderful meal,…
