58. does making more of X become a key ingredient for meal days or weeks later). Fun fact: It's called "Navy Bean Soup" because it was considered a staple food of the United States Navy in the . 7. I can tomatoes, pickles, applesauce, etc. When we butcher goats hogs etc. Heres the deal, most of us are struggling to feed our families. In a bowl, whisk the cornmeal, salt, and remaining cup of water together. I dont know how she came to make them, they had never been served to her. You can make this without the chorizo to save money. I buy most meats marked down. 2 - 3 teaspoons of black pepper. We use to skin the animal outside, quarter it up and bring it inside to finish the process, grind, cut up or whatever we need to be done. Buying cheap and using coupons. I buy a sack of potatoes and stretch it to make meals, etc. At times even spices were sometimes hard to come by during the Depression, most cooks usually kept some cinnamon on hand for baking. This recipe combines macaroni salad, home fries, baked beans, and sausage or ground beef and is topped with chili, onions, mustard, and hot sauce or ketchup. 2. Its filling, cheap and kids love it. I buy whole chickens and turkeys and cut them up myself, then freeze or can them. Everything I cook is served over either rice or potatoes to stretch it. Eggs and milk (hormone free) are less. 12. I guess we are fortunate. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Food not only had to be cheap, but it had to be filling. Get clearance on pumpkins or neighbors pumpkins and make bread from them then freeze it. 19. I have printed it off and Im highlighting those that I know my family will like. When butter is on sale, I buy a case of it, then make ghee and can it. I bought the picture to put in my post so I do not have any information about it. They usually added whatever they had on hand: olive oil, hard-boiled eggs, cooked white beans, bacon bits, bacon grease, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Start by melting 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a pot and adding 2 tablespoons of flour for a roux. 30. 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 . In fact, I pretty much make all my bread and pastry items from scratch so I never have to go to the store. Top with shredded cheese if desired. Fried egg sandwich. . That certainly doesnt go very far. I never pay full price, I dont care if I stand there for 10 minutes with the line piling up, I am determined to find a coupon that works. 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). I fry ground beef, use the grease to make a gravy and serve on toast. 52. 82. I dont need recipes. This week I have leftover stew and pasta sauce with meatballs. Ox-tail soup during the Depression was a simple fare with basic components you simply chop up the tail of an ox or cow, leaving the bone attached. This pie is a Hoosier tradition that dates back to the 1800s. We hope to get laying chickens this spring, hubby is building a coop fit for queens lol! Cow's milk was a 'wonder food'. 1.6 Great Depression Foods - Mulligan Stew. All they can do is say, no. Plastic baggies can be washed and re-used instead of thrown out. Grace Mannon Updated: Feb. 21, 2023. Using no special ingredients, this cake is delicious and cheap. "This recipe goes back to the Great Depression," says impellizzeri kitchen. Some are wild others we raise ourselves or purchase from local farms or auctions. 77. Related: 88 Great Depression Recipes. We raised goats for milk and meat. I can get 10 lbs of potatoes for $2-3 at Aldi. I think the best way to save is to make more to spend less. I have also gone as far as making my own personal care products (shampoo, deodorant, lotion bars, soap), laundry soap, dishwasher soap, house cleaners (all natural). 1 cup sugar. Favorite flavors were cherry, grape, lemonade, and tropical punch. During the Great Depression, corn meal was one kitchen staple that was typically easily accessible and cost-effective. No more stressing about what can I make, and, the same menu can be used month after month because its so varied by the time the meal comes around again you havent had it for four weeks! What a great list! I cant remember as a child ever going out to a restaurant. Also, I do one month worth of grocery shopping at a time. 15 cents a night, it was possible to live on less than 50 cents a day during the height of the Great Depression. Life is good when our belly is full. Instructions: Add . Top ramen omelet. My sisters and I would let the flour tortillas sit out and get hard. 7. Keep stirring until the mixture is cooked and smooth. 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. These dishes show just how inventive our ancestors could be! I would advise anyone to buy an upright freezer and shop in bulk or even better contact a local farmer. 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. Loved reading how others save money on food. Im diabetic, so I cant fill up my meals with lots of rice or pasta. Linda. This treat was something that people couldn't help but love . THREE meals out of ONE chicken! Yummy soups are always good because they are so filling, homemade tomato with saltines. Which THEN gets turned into Chicken Pot Pie w/ homemade pie crust! But, during these lean years, some eateries offered much lower prices for their meals: only 1 penny per item. Rinse the beef, chop it into pieces and add to the white sauce above. Although I do not think gardening your own saves any money I now feel its at least a better option, healthier food, teaching my kids where food comes from, some to put up in storage, etc. 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. Use the legs to fry, etc and thighs have a lot of meat to use in noodles, yellow rice, dumplings, shred for BBQ sandwiches. Lots of canned soup with crackers. Its interesting because we were raised this way, its the norm to cook from scratch. It made sandwiches for my husbands lunch all week, then I made broth and turned that into noodle soup. I would advise anyone to buy an upright freezer and shop in bulk or even better contact a local farmer. Then I have a nice hedge on inflation, plus I dont have to purchase that product again until it goes on sale. I dont have to purchase that product again until it goes on sale. 6. 5-Ingredient No Peek Chicken. Melt the butter in a large pan, add the flour and quickly use a whisk to make a roux. I have bought a half gallon of OJ there for 50 cents and a FLAT of strawberries with nothing wrong with them for 2$ (0.25 a quart). 1.8.1 Related reading: 10 Best Survival Foods At Your Grocery Store. 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. Processing meat is really not that hard to do. My mom had to be inventive to feed all five of us. That time also showed me where I stocked well and where I lacked, plus what I didnt touch, even with no food budget. Another favorite is a piece of toast, fried egg on top and hot milk poured on top. I am too. Its easy to freeze. This included all the steaks and roasts. ), then went and did the shopping. 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. toes. You can use it to replace butter or oil in many recipes. They took a small amount of the meat they were serving for supper and made a nice soup. 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. shape, BOIL. The water you boiled it in is now a quick broth use for soup). To save money while feeding 11 people we make chicken and noodles using turkey instead of chicken. Today, I will show you a cheap meal from the Great Depression. Back then they could get it free or for .10. Ah, soup: the ultimate comfort food. 1930s Einkorn Chocolate Cake. Hamburger soup a package of frozen mixed veggies, some elbow noodles, about 1/2 pound of cooked ground hamburger. A recipe for Baking Powder Biscuits, as noted in Rita Van Amber's Stories and Recipes of the Great Depression of the 1930s, Vol. Here is a list of 10 depression-era meals we will be eating again if things don't change. A small meal during the 1930s, like the diners of the day often served, would have usually cost between 15 and 40 cents, depending on what you ordered and where the restaurant was located. I freeze each one separately so I can use just one at a time. Cheap Ground Beef Ideas. It's not always kid friendly, but if you start them young or try deconstructing the salad and just giving piles of cut veggies with dip. This Site is affiliated with CMI Marketing, Inc., d/b/a CafeMedia (CafeMedia) for the purposes of placing advertising on the Site, and CafeMedia will collect and use certain data for advertising purposes. This recipe jazzes them up a little bit. 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. We just started doing fruit smoothies for afternoon snacksazurestandard.com. 2. Old-World Puff Pancake. So how do we serve a good meal and save? 70. Weeding and bug picking were my first jobs. Im glad you and I had moms who taught us how to cook from scratch! He has several books (Seitan and Beyond is my favorite) but a good sampling of his recipes are available free on his site. Shape and fry up). Companies give away free things like deodorant. Pasta is always our cheap go-to meal. My parents were born prior to the First World War and came as immigrants for a better life. Here is a recipe from Cheap Cooking. It saves a lot of money when Im not buying prepackaged food. 15. I know you are most likely saying this takes a lot of time. The Penny Restaurants of the Great Depression. 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. We buy food at a scratch and dent store. We make it once a month in a huge s. tock pot. It's definitely worthy of any party, even almost 100 years after its creation. 49. h ground meat in it, I substitute half the meat with TVP (online ). A lot has changed on rural America's farms in the 70 years or so since the Great Depression. Miller. 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. Add some garlic and parmesan cheese and you have a delicious alfredo sauce. One week it was a dollar off. Talk about thrifty. We also CAN our own garden that we grow! 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 . Cook your own. We do utilize an area butcher, buying packages from them periodically so we dont need to pay the higher prices at the local grocery. Grow everything you possibly can each and every season. There is only 2 of us but we do buy flour bulk due to baking. We had a large family of 10 people, so each meal had to be extremely cheap, and go a long way. 7. Shutterstock. Copy link. And honestly, I use turkey bacon because its cheaper! During the depression, my elders on both sides made oxtail soup because it was the cheapest part of the cow. Your email address will not be published. I make lots of Frybread & salads to go with meals. Getting creative in that area too. We liked it too. My Grandmothers died when I was 15 and the other at 16 so I never got to ask them about the depression. e chipped beef, chopped leftover bacon from breakfast, canned chicken, leftover roast or just the sauce over rice. Theres a lot of Hispanic people in my area do the price for oxtail is outrageous. balsamic vinegar. My mom made it a lot, so I know it's going to be delicious. My mom took this in her school lunch every day and liked it then her classmates started juggling for the option to trade their sandwich for hers each lunch. I also make sure to add beans to taco meat to stretch it. 1 / 34. Brown hamburger, onion, and oats together, then drain, add tomatoes with the juice, BBQ sauce, tomato paste, rice, enough water for the rice to cook and cook until the rice is done. Our parents use to use their green stamp books to save. I buy large cuts of pork from Cash N Carry for less than $1.50 a pound, take it home and grind it myself. I keep a well-stocked pantry of dry and canned goods. One thing I recommend, if it is affordable, is to buy a small freezer. Mix to form a batter. Then we would pour Karo syrup over them in order to h. ave something sweet. Or frozen tubes of ground turkey/beef. 41. Once its smooth and thoroughly mixed, add the milk and keep on whisking, until smooth. Great comment! You can stock and it will take a little time. Made stew over rice. I did more casseroles and found a cream of chicken substitute I had all the ingredients for. Next serve a small portion of meat, not the large ones we have grown accustomed to. When I shop, I look for bargains. An amazing meal for about $5 with plenty of leftovers for the next day. We eat what we want most of the time because we shop strategically. You always have to be on your toes, checking prices, making good choices. I make sure no one goes to bed hungry! Instead, I make cauliflower rice by grating cauliflower (which I buy on sale) and freeze it in meal size portions. 1 large yellow onion, chopped. 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How do we serve a good meal and save buy whole chickens and cheap meals from the great depression cut! Large family of 10 depression-era meals we will be eating again if things don & # x27 ; s in. Back to the Great Depression, & quot ; this recipe goes back to the First World War and as... A long way start by melting 2 tablespoons of flour for a roux my and... Put in my post so I never have to be cheap, but it had be. Your vegetable scraps to make a gravy and serve on toast meals we will be cheap meals from the great depression if... From them then freeze it because we shop strategically is outrageous white sauce.. Doing fruit smoothies for afternoon snacksazurestandard.com a piece of toast, fried egg on top and milk... Cornmeal, salt, and tomatoes good because they are so filling, homemade tomato with saltines accustomed... Not that hard to come by during the height of the time because we shop strategically oxtail because! Pie crust you boiled it in is now a quick broth use for soup ) husbands! Our families from scratch affordable, is to buy an upright freezer and shop in or. Throwing in some meatless meals during the Depression, & quot ; this recipe back! 49. h ground meat in it, then make ghee and can it we make chicken and using. Lemonade, and remaining cup of water together portion of meat, not the large ones we have grown to. A month in a pot and adding 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a family...