Day 19

Breakfast

Porridge or Jam on Toast

Lunch

Cheese Sandwiches or Bread & Dripping*

Supper

Cheese, Leek and Potato (Homity) Pie

As we mention to people along the way about being on rations we get a few 'Oh have you tried?' or ' I remember...' *Bread and Dripping was the suggestion of the lady that runs the local vintage clothing store :) Todays supper was a rather successful homity pie! Hot and filling it was well welcomed!!
Homity Pies were invented by the Land Girls in the Second World War using the ingredients they could grow in the fields. I've been making these for years without knowing the history of them!

Day 18

Sorry Blogger isn't letting me upload photos today! :(

Todays Menu is a direct result of a real 1940s style shortage at the butcher!! I went in to our local butcher earlier in the week and asked for OxTail. He didn't have any but would order some in from his supplier. I went back today and found out his supplier had none either - bother!! As I walked out the door I uttered those words I had been dreading since the start of this experiment...."You haven't got any rabbit instead have you?" Of course being a country village - he did!

It shouldn't have but my heart sank. A few people have told me how rabbit got them through the war, either wild or from the garden, rabbit pie was a weekly dish in the country. So I hid my sqeamishness, asked the butcher to chop it into 'unidentifyable portions' and took ine home to make rabbit and ham pie for supper.





Breakfast

Toast & Marmalade

Lunch

Soup & Bread

Supper

Rabbit & Ham Pie, Kale and Mash

I told the kids it was chicken thighs and ham! The children had thirds and asked to take it cold for lunch the next day!!!

A Lovely Surprise - the kindness of strangers...

This morning, when I  returned from the school run I had a cryptic message from hubby. I need you to come  quickly and pick something (me?) up. My mind raced was he hurt? I've occasionaly had to collect him from work when hes hurt himself and can't drive. Had the cat gone to work with him? We lost sweetie for a week before xmas because she'd hid in the van and got out at a customers in the next village, without hubby knowing!! Or was he giving another unwanted pet a home? Don't laugh I never know who he will bring home next!!
Anyway, it was none of the above, it was a gift from one of his elderly customers. He'd told he what we were doing and our interest in the 1940s and ww2. She had several used ration books in her home and gave him one to bring home! Hubby didn't want to damage it and was very excited , thats why he had asked me to come and collect it from him!!

She'd even written a list inside for me of what was rationed and what was not available. We have a couple of repro books, but no real ones, used ones!! I'm over the moon with this gift!

I'm hoping to bake the lady some cakes to say thank you! How very kind of her.

{Wartime Recipe} Potato Floddies

Someone asked what these were, sorry cant find the comment now to say who  :( but here you are.....

A kind of potato Cake Floodies are to have originated from canal workers who cooked them on a shovel over the fire!

Grate a raw potato into a bowl , you can also add grated carrot. Sprinkle with flour and add household milk (milk made from powder) or milk from rationsuntil a batter is made. Spoon into a hot frying pan and cook until golden turning halfway through.

These can then be served warm with sugar for a sweet snack or as they are for a belly-warming elevenses!!

Day 17

Today, as funny noises came from my NEW breadmaker, I caved in a bought a new food processor. I made a bread dough in it and baked a small loaf. Neither doughs seemed to rise well - maybe too cold? So I now have 2 small loaves for us tomorrow. If the processor one is good as or better than the troubled breadmaker loaf, I will return the bm and not replace it!

Breakfast 

Bread and Jam or Flakes

Lunch 

Soup or sandwiches -cheese and chutney

Supper 

Jacket potatoes and sausages


Today was pretty difficult, dizzle all day, miserable moods, we kinda fell in a slump and resorted to full strength tea (we've been having 1/2 amouynts to make it go further) and dipping into our sweet rations a bit heavier!!

Day 16 - Pancake Day

Today was Pancake Day, traditionally a day to go wild with stacks of Pancakes - piled high and smothered in syrup!
Not today! Not willing to go pancake free today I looked at how we could make them a bit more ration friendly....

Batter - Well milk, flour,  eggs , if you have them from your rations use them, if not do as we did and use powdered egg instead of fresh and household (dried) milk made up.

Size - I swapped to our smallest pan and noone complained, possibly the didn't notice!!

Fillings - I'm a sugar & lemon girl so i just used a scant amount from our ration. Other fillings could be jam spread sparingly, or fruit compote.

Wanting to have a whole pancake meal for supper, I looked up for savoury pancake ideas and found one for a sausage and potato pancake (no batter in this recipe its just the pancake shape that gives it its name) I added carrot too and it made a great supper dish. This isn't the best photo but it was delicious and filling!

Breakfast

Toast & Jam

Lunch

Lentil Soup & Bread

Supper

Sausage and Potato Pancake

Pancakes with lemon & sugar

Is the World Trying to tell me something?

1940s Kitchen

Do you ever get the feeling the World is trying to tell you something? Now when I started this it was never going to be an actual recreation of an actual wartime existance, I live in a modern house with modern things! It was just to see if a modern family can live on the restrictions of a 1940s ration diet. But within the last week I have a distinct feeling the world is trying to tell me something.... first my breadmaker broke and yesterday my trusty food processor died! Ok these are nothing compared to bombs raining down overhead, but its blooming annoying. I'd love to just not replace them but due to problems with my wrist I really do rely on them!
Whats a girl to do?