The idea is how to fill everyone up and save money on the most expensive part meat which we all need more veggies and less meat anyway. My dad was born in 1918 and my mom in 1927, when I was a kid they ate tomato sandwiches, homemade bread, bread torn and put in a glass then added milk. Im so happy youve found us. Hot or cold baked beans on bread or toast. We buy and plan for leftovers and we pride ourselves on getting larger cuts cheaper and getting many meals from it. We ate most of 1 tonight, the leftovers & the some of the other Steak will be made into beef stroganoff tomorrow, the rest will be frozen (in broth) for later use. Theres a lot of Hispanic people in my area do the price for oxtail is outrageous. grinding our own grains, and making yogurt when I remember to, and then remembering to freeze or eat leftovers so we arent throwing food away. We now have a shed that is set up strictly for meat processing which has. (every Wednesday is fish, every Friday is pizza! Hi JMarsh, you had a rough life growing up as I did. Nice sized ones. 34. Today, I will show you a cheap meal from the Great Depression. Popcorn, Corn tortillas fried for corn chips. Freeze for later use fry up when needed. Linda. I am too. So tonight I made 2 round steaks for dinner. Its interesting because once we get older we are not making as much money so we do indeed need to know how to cook on a strict budget. 37. You can add oatmeal to hamburger meat, then cook it. 27. Pinch of salt. I cook some chicken. Lots of canned soup with crackers. It's a mixture of dried milk powder and cornmeal, and could be eaten as a gruel-like oatmeal or worked into recipes like those kept at the Cornell University library. Sorry, it took me so long to post but Ive been getting in at near midnight all week long. We also CAN our own garden that we grow! Ive got a family of 5 ranging from a 17 down to 6 and two working adults. People during the Great Depression ate mostly bread, potatoes, and vegetables. Because I needed to! Meatballs (ground meat, bread crumbs, egg, ground up veggies, leftover cheerios or other low sugar cereal I use 1 part meat, 1 part bread type stuff, 1 part vegetables. I work in Wyoming once in a while where there arent many and I can find them for $3 /lb. The good thing is we learned to take care of ourselves. Have you ever seen that fog that rolls down and out when you open the door? Stretches the noodles and the eggs. I didnt realize others did the same thing and they came from the depression. We stretch stretch stretch!! Fish patties (salmon or tuna, bread crumbs, lemon juice, mustard, onion, egg. Said it tasted like eggs so they ate it. So, I still eat a lot like I did growing up, but less now because I cant raise anything, and cant afford much. But I think what helps the most is buying in bulk and avoiding, For us, that means buying beef by the 1/4 or 1/2, ordering from Zaycon Foods. shape, BOIL. We had to stretch every penny to feed our families. 53. 3 hours ago. Here is another saver. She could get hot dogs and slice them up and add garlic, tomato sauce,and water and make the most awesome casserole ever. Spices and Salt. We bought a commercial quality food sealer and use it daily to seal up leftovers, both for freezing and just for in the fridge, to cut down on waste (and its REALLY worked well). Start with tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, radishes, carrots and green onions. Fast and easy meals are expensive and sometimes not as healthy. Save the fat. People at the time were forced to find cheap and creative ways to use food efficiently, resulting in some dishes you may not think of making today, but that was what the resources of the time . Add cheese, apple, hard boiled egg for a more filling salad. Hi Pam, its interesting because Mark and I eat so many of these meals today. You can always slow cook enough soup for a couple of days. Potato salad,I can get 10 lbs of potatoes for $2-3 at Aldi. I pay $25 in feed a month, which gives us on average 250 eggs a month. These were featured in cookbooks and magazines of the time and promoted the use of cheap foods, often consisting of filling items like soups, noodles, and beans. I would like to see someone (who has the time) to create recipes that are seasonal so that I am not constantly going to the store to find ingredients to make X, right now we should be eating squash, potatoes, dried beans, etc. During the Depression, cheap, nutritious and filling food was prioritized often at the expense of taste. Things are getting pricey out there these days and I have done a pretty good job of stocking my pantry with canned goods and dry goods. To make this 5-Ingredient No Peek Chicken dish, all you need to do is . 79. I can tomatoes, pickles, applesauce, etc. Baked Onions and Peanut Butter. Great comment! Get the Recipe! Learn how to make simple yet delicious dishes while listening to stories from the Great Depression. I learned how to cook from scratch with what I had. Still pricey but so much better. Keeping enough food on the table for a family of seven (including three teenagers!) a long counter, freezer, meat slicer etc. Great comment, Linda. Garbage Plate. These dishes show just how inventive our ancestors could be! We put all sorts of methods into practice to save money some already mentioned others a little specific to our unique situation. 2 tbsp of cold water. I also use the big oven app, it has a search function that allows you to put in an ingredient then it will pull recipes with that item. You can control the salt and other ingredients when you make your own. Dandelions were often used in meals as well. Also cook oatmeal, cream of wheat and if I get chicken I shred it to make it last. I add rice and refried beans to taco meat to stretch it further! Next week Ill bake cookies. . 63. Venison stew with garden frozen veggies. She finds amazing deals at some of these different stores. Which THEN gets turned into Chicken Pot Pie w/ homemade pie crust! One thing I recommend, if it is affordable, is to buy a small freezer. Processing meat is really not that hard to do. I serve them like my mom did, with fried potatoes and cornbread. With all the comparisons between the current Recession and the Great Depression of the 1930s, it makes sense that we research Great Depression recipes.. Jobs are shaky and income uncertain for many people right now, so making the most of our household grocery . You can make mac and cheese just by adding your favorite shredded cheese. I buy most meats marked down. Serving fresh bread and pickles with meals used to be very common. Very similar navy beans, a little bit of ham (or even better a leftover ham bone), some onions, celery, carrots. Talk about a stretch! If you brown the butter, it changes the taste of the white sauce. She made them before she was 2!! No cooking, just reheating! Lots of eggs either fried or scrambled and Dad made CORN pancakes which I HATED- he would make the pancake batter drain a can of corn and add it. I ALWAYS go first to the managers specials at the grocery store. 73. 1/2 cup of sugar. https://www.homeecathome.com/the-home-economist/slow-cooker-cuban-black-beans. I have got to go check out that website on meatless recipes! Still pricey but so much better. My mom made it a lot, so I know it's going to be delicious. Pasta and rice are great for stretching anything at mealtime. They continued to cook and eat many of the meals that they ate during that time throughout their lives. My family hasnt noticed. Linda, I laughed when I read your list of things you ate growing up. Excellent article. If they expire that day or are pre-frozen I cook them and then freeze. Hoover Stew Recipe; 8. We fill up on salads and 2-3 vegetable sides.Did you know you can make your own cheese using dry powdered milk? My sisters and I would let the flour tortillas sit out and get hard. Also, weve found that some Walmart checkers dont really know how the policy works and may say no to price matching some items that should be OK. My parents were born in 1920 and grew up very differently daddy was a rich boy with no problems but my mom grew up in the country with a garden and my grand doing handy work for people who needed his skills. Walmart sells a package of 5 for $4 and they are really good! I can hardly wait to work in my garden. Save the chicken bones and boil them up to make soup stock. I am working on a post to get 4 meals from a roasted chicken: dinner with potatoes, then make broth for soup, sandwiches or wraps for school lunches, and I usually have some leftover to do tacos, enchiladas, or chicken pasta. Acquiring these are still super frugal! salt 1 cup sugar 2 eggs beaten until thick and light 1 Tbsp. Check out NYT Cooking for the full recipe. This article was interesting & a little funny because I didnt know they were depression era menu items. This included all my paper goods, so it doesnt represent food only. I love your articles. My dad loved bologna and fried spam. in our area. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for any and all ideas. 28. Try this soup on a rainy day for some comfort food. 7. I think that I spend too much in search of ingredients. Thank you for stopping by! 7. We cook things from scratch about 90% of the time, rather than using packaged stuff. Hi Diana, isnt it wonderful how we remember what our parents did to save money? Also, I do one month worth of grocery shopping at a time. This meal was a popular menu item at soup kitchens in the US and was named after President Hoover, the 31st American President who sat in office during the early years of the Depression. It stretches the meat, plus oatmeal is good for you! We had 3 very large gardens last year so I canned & froze everything I could. We make from scratch as much as time allows. 16. 1 can of soup with leftovers served 4-5. My mom told me her mother-in-law showed her how to make this dish, which became popular during the Depression, on their "get acquainted" visit in 1927. Also, lots of peels or ends of veggies can be frozen until you have enough to make a veggie stock with them. Lets share ideas with each other. It does cost some, but the last one we still got almost 500 pounds of meat and soup bones for about a dollar less a pound than ground beef. I make chicken soup, tacos, and rice with it. One more detail to add, that is, that, for a long time, most . It stays good for months. EatingWell - Danielle DeAngelis 8h. Theres a lot of Hispanic people in my area do the price for oxtail is outrageous. Porridge for breakfast oats go a long way! Simple baked potatoes with butter and salt and pepper are filling and cheap. I spent just about $300 for the month of February, which comes to $10.71 per day. 1930s Einkorn Chocolate Cake. I felt my health was the very best when I ate only vegetables. I participate in a food co-op for fruits and veggies, buy canned items in case lot sales, pack lunches for my husband to take to work, eat lots of leftovers, and most importantly, never go grocery shopping while hungry. Tomato sandwiches (I never knew this was a depression meal), Biscuits and gravy (sometimes we had sausage in it), Pancakes rolled with butter and sugar inside, Norwegian lefse-my recipe is at the bottom. Canned fish loaf: 1 can of mackerel or whatever is cheap mixed into a packet of stuffing mix and baked like meatloaf. Hi Stan, oh how I loved your comment!! Linda, something my mom done as i was growing up was take leftover ham dice it add it to cooked beans(1 lb dry red, navy, pinto etc.) We also get together & clip coupons, make candles & teach each other different skills, like sewing & tanning hides. What varied between households and over time was the quantity and quality of each of those courses, especially . We ate our share of lettuce sandwiches with miracle whip. Then I dont go back to the store and get caught in oh this is a good deal. Shutterstock. Chicken for a chicken veggie soup, beef for a beef veggie. 10. Another great (old) book if you can find it is How to Make All The Meat You Eat Out of Wheat by Shandler (my favorite). A fun and cheap meal are diced potatoes topped with onions, garlic, bacon bits, and cheese! Served at Franklin Delano Roosevelt's White House, this dessert is not overly sweet. Another Depression-era meal was "creamed chip beef," according to . Pinterest is AWESOME for helping with recipes! 74-year-old Army veteran told me that when he was growing up in the Carolinas they were dirt poor, so his mother in the morning would mix flour into the eggs to make enough to go around. We just started doing fruit smoothies for afternoon snacksazurestandard.com. A typical hot cocoa beverage from the depression era looked like this: 2 tbsp of cocoa. We eat what we want most of the time because we shop strategically. Use lentils or split peas when making hamburger dishes like spaghetti. Also had rabbits to eat. Chicken leg quarters are a good way to have meat at a reasonable price. Buying cheap and using coupons. . You are so right about a chair in the kitchen beats one on the porch! Great Depression Meals-How To Eat For Less Money. 7. For instance, I have to eat a particular brand of bread for a health problem I have. flipped into Bottles of Happiness. Im grateful that we have an Aldi USAin our area. Buy meat first thing in the morning Thats when they put out the stuff that needs to be sold before it expires. Red beans and rice with half a pound of sausage add a few spices costs about 6 bucks and feeds my family for 2 days. My parents were born prior to the First World War and came as immigrants for a better life. You always have to be on your toes, checking prices, making good choices. , This is great if youre not buying from Zaycon Foods. I can also mash pinto beans for refried beans with Mexican food. What do you think? Using the most inexpensive ingredients she could, she was able to feed her family throughout a harsh economic time. 45. Check out some of the seventh day Adventist meals. It's a food that stretches for sure. We buy meat in bulk, so most of my purchases are for perishables only. boiling water. Mix to form a batter. Roll out and cut into similarly-sized shapes. We raised 2 huge gardens every year. I also make sure to add beans to taco meat to stretch it. I work in Wyoming once in a while where there arent many and I can find them for $3 /lb. 43. 1 16 oz jar sauerkraut ( do not drain), 2 large shredded potatoes,1 shredded onion then she made a brown gravy to use in it it is thick good the first day better the second as the flavors blend you may have to add beef or pork broth to keep it from scorching or sticking to your pan or crock-pot ( I use 2 packets of brown gravy mix as I cannot make a decent gravy to save my soul just mix it as per instructions and pour into the pot) I always add the extra broth to mine. Stay well, eat at home. 38. 41. Back in the Great Depression, you would often find this pie made with a crushed cracker crust. The Great Depression caused many hardships, but the cuisine that came from it proves how resilient people can truly be. The flavors of this cake are buttery and sweet with vanilla flavor. Sunday's special cookies and a cup of coffee for the adults were among the most popular weekend breakfasts. Lots of beans, sometimes I have cornbread, or crackers. You can add meat, or not. You can use it to replace butter or oil in many recipes. So how do we serve a good meal and save? Canned meat wasn't available for many people living in rural areas. Potato soup - water base, not milk - yes - dehydrated potato flakes and vegetables of any sort. We have a 50 by 50-foot garden and plant what we can and then can it, the beginning costs may be high but you reuse most of it for years. This year, I canned (in mason jars) 61-pint size jars of deer meat, about 40 jars of pork (wild hogs) and a few jars of chicken broth. When butter is on sale, I buy a case of it, then make ghee and can it. Its still good either way. Oh yum, I must make this sandwich now. Check out some of the seventh day Adventist meals. I buy a sack of potatoes and stretch it to make meals, etc. 4. Soups, stews, and chili are cheap, healthy and belly-filling. They do meatless recipes. We are trying to use our leftovers before they have to be thrown out. Times were tough in the 1930s and people had to be creative with the few ingredients they could find and afford. Here in the south, we have to deal with hurricanes which will result in a loss of electricity which means loss of all refrigerated and freezer foods. broth, to add extra flavor to pasta, rice, or veggies. Besides, working in the garden or feeding & watering etc. Those same trimmings go into my deer and goat burger to make a great hamburger for Chili, meatloaf, and spaghetti. Corn tortillas fried for corn chips. 40. Head cheese was another nutritious food made with . Goulash: Jen L. suggested a pound of pasta, 1 pound of ground beef ( or ground meat of any kind), and a can of tomatoes or sauce. Taco meat over rice. We each work together on the large plot of land raising veggies to can & sale (Christmas money), We all raise various animals & share the meat/milk. These are pretty much the easiest items to grow. "This is because they're rich in omega-3s . Prices are half and more off. Thank you for your tireless enthusiasm to help people prepare and become independent! I know this sounds crazy, but we all need to rethink what we think a meal is. Now the key to getting the most for your money is to look for deals at auction or someone selling of whole flocks or cull from herds of smaller livestock. However!!! As kids, we asked for this for dinner and could not get it often enough. The one thing I will tell people who want to start growing their own garden is to start small and grow what your family likes to eat. One practice that is unique to us but is not out of reach of anyone. I make noodles as a side dish often. I add wheat berries (homemade) to my spaghetti sauce and then cut the meat in 1/2 and no one notices. Im posting this article about Great Depression Meals again today that I wrote many years ago. Dinner was meat and veggies, followed by dessert. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. This is good for making mac and cheese, Cream Chipped Beef and even gravy. I know, and prices just keep going up. When I shop, I look for bargains. You can make a white sauce with water (to save on milk), once you have a white sauce you can add any seasonings to add flavor and then add something lik. From being enjoyed as a glass on its own, to making soups, biscuits, and pancakes, buttermilk has remained a staple in American cuisine for its merit and versatility. 1 1/2 cups flour. We eat baked potatoes at least twice a week and have several go-to cheap filling meals. I grew up not poor, but not middle class, either. It is labeled a dollar each. My mom had to be inventive to feed all five of us. Great Depression Casserole Recipe; 7. 1. families on a shoestring. Bean soups were a staple of Depression Era recipes, as beans are a cheaper protein than meat, and you can toss whatever leftovers you have on hand into the pot. I usually only buy pot roast when its marked down and vacuum seal it and freeze it for later. I still make a lot of beans because they are high in fiber and protein and depending on how you make them, low in fat. I cant remember as a child ever going out to a restaurant. If I buy the name brand its a dollar more than the store brand and even less at WalMart. My friend made it yesterday, Im making it for dinner tonight! Its easy to freeze. Boil 3 cups of water in a kettle. h ground meat in it, I substitute half the meat with TVP (online ). ), then went and did the shopping. Sunday's special cookies and a cup of coffee for the adults were among the most popular weekend breakfasts. 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