cheap meals from the great depression

When I buy meat, I buy it only on sale, and I buy enough for several meals and then freeze either portions or leftovers. I love your articles. Getting creative in that area too. I buy large cuts of pork from Cash N Carry for less than $1.50 a pound, take it home and grind it myself. Peanut/almond butter and jelly on toasted Daves Killer Blue Seed Bread makes an awesome lunch! We call it Eraser Gravy. So if you live in an area that that is possible & have a few like-minded families, sit down & work out the details. Linda, I laughed when I read your list of things you ate growing up. Hi Pam, its interesting because Mark and I eat so many of these meals today. Yummy soups are always good because they are so filling, homemade tomato with saltines. Also had rabbits to eat. 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. If not ask for a manager. 1. frozen or canned fish with leafy greens. Another favorite is a piece of toast, fried egg on top and hot milk poured on top. Our parents use to use their green stamp books to save. Bring water to a boil. Sunday's special cookies and a cup of coffee for the adults were among the most popular weekend breakfasts. We raised goats for milk and meat. Grow everything you possibly can each and every season. But I think what helps the most is buying in bulk and avoiding the grocery store as much as possible. Hoover Stew Recipe; 8. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Twitter. Okay, lets see I do peel some veggies, but I use those peels to make my broth taste better (ie broth is made of carcass and onion skins and potato skins and carrot skins, etc, giving it a HUGE nutritional punch). I remember when we were starving after not getting breakfast or lunch at school, we would come home on the bus, and make mayonnaise sandwiches because we were so hungry. A recipe for Baking Powder Biscuits, as noted in Rita Van Amber's Stories and Recipes of the Great Depression of the 1930s, Vol. We rarely ever had kids come spend the night with us because they all knew that we were very poor. Said it tasted like eggs so they ate it. When my 22-yr-old granddaughter was little she loved mayonnaise sandwiches (she called them ham-maise sandwiches). Also, lots of peels or ends of veggies can be frozen until you have enough to make a veggie stock with them. These days, I do not make a purchase where I do not stand at the register with my smartphone and come up with a coupon for an item or % discount. Linda, a follow-up about Walmarts price matching: Their price matching policy is online and they are very specific about some things. Stretches the noodles and the eggs. Its all about saving money. Still do and hate food waste. Share this post. I make soup stock out of the icky bits of meat, pan juices, and vegetable cooking water and add some Chinese noodles that only take 2 minutes to cook. Required fields are marked *. Great comment! Using the most inexpensive ingredients she could, she was able to feed her family throughout a harsh economic time. Your email address will not be published. Start by melting 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a pot and adding 2 tablespoons of flour for a roux. These Depression-era recipes are proof that food from the 1930s is worth revisiting. My mom raised us on very little money. , Hi Camille, oh this comment makes me so happy! A typical Depression-era breakfast consisted of a piece of seasonal fruit, milk and cereal, and eggs or toast with butter. 47. I make chicken soup, tacos, and rice with it. Back then they could get it free or for .10. 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. Thanks in advance! My grandmother was able to get the Beet greens that grocers would twist off for their customers before they weighed the beets for purchase. So many ways to make ends meet without being deprived of a good filling meal. The turkey was on sale and they are cheap, to begin with, this time of year. So before she goes grocery shopping, she spends about 20 minutes online and writes down advertised sale prices on items she needs. Full of vitamin C, and easily filling, these were commonly used in the depression era, and could be easily stored in root cellars. 41. Freeze for later use fry up when needed. 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. You can use it to replace butter or oil in many recipes. We raised chickens for eggs and meat. 62. Add a final layer of carrots. At times even spices were sometimes hard to come by during the Depression, most cooks usually kept some cinnamon on hand for baking. Also, you can use half ground chicken or turkey with hamburger meat in foods that call for somehamburger. I try to save money by throwing in some meatless meals during the week, like potato soup or minestrone. BEST COMMENT EVER!! I sat down and made a menu up for a whole month (every Wednesday is fish, every Friday is pizza! Trust us, this easy chicken casserole recipe is so easy to make - just cook, layer, bake, and you're done! Bread making and canning were normal activities. I love it! Etc. Working to teach DH that leftovers are eaten not thrown out. Get clearance on pumpkins or neighbors pumpkins and make bread from them then freeze it. 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. Have you ever seen that fog that rolls down and out when you open the door? I consent to Food Storage Moms collecting and storing the data I submit in this form. Toast with mayo, sliced onion, pepper, and fried egg over medium. 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. So it should come as no surprise that someone figured out how to take a few basic ingredients (cream of chicken soup, onion, butter, etc.) I buy most meats marked down. So, I still eat a lot like I did growing up, but less now because I cant raise anything, and cant afford much. Mom was awesome is all I can say. I bought the picture to put in my post so I do not have any information about it. We also had a milk cow for milk, buttermilk, and fresh butter that we churned for hours, but was the best tasting butter I have ever eaten. 10. One week it was a dollar off. From these, I substitute for chicken in many recipes. Also cook oatmeal, cream of wheat and if I get chicken I shred it to make it last. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. This pie is a Hoosier tradition that dates back to the 1800s. This collection of 20 depression-era recipes is a tasty idea that you can still use today. Shape and fry up). When money is short I make cornmeal with sugar and pour cold milk over it. Check out some of the seventh day Adventist meals. We cook things from scratch about 90% of the time, rather than using packaged stuff. We dont eat a lot of meat we eat 3 eggs a day, we have our own chickens. THREE meals out of ONE chicken! When they start getting limp, I chop them up and freeze them to use in soups like this. Some of the things people ate during the Great Depression are things we shun now. Hi Frank, great comment! apple cider vinegar. 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. lemon juice 5 Tbsps. 80. Ask if you can have them. I decided that as I get my Social Security check once a month, Id shop only once a month (excluding fresh veggies and fruit). I have a big cast iron pot I keep on the fire full of boiling water nearby all the guts and oral gets boiled and fed to my chickens as an added protein which helps egg production, Same with fish guts and heads. The great thing about doing it this way is the weekends. I make noodles as a side dish often. When we lost our food budget for two months, I turned to boil a whole chicken and shred the meat to use in many meals. This is the question I posted on Facebook to my readers:I need some help here if you are willing to share some ideas. Tastes ever so good as leftovers too. We are making macaroni and . When the bag is full, veggies soup! Yummy soups are always good because they are so filling, homemade tomato with saltines. Blessings to all of you! Im grateful that we have an Aldi USAin our area. Freeze for later use fry up when needed. We liked it too. Old, injured or male birds are dinner. 1 cup sugar. Here is a list of 10 depression-era meals we will be eating again if things don't change. 34. Hormel). Boil 3 cups of water in a kettle. Linda, Hi Tiffany, thank you! View Recipe. Our great grandparents had the solution. Baked Onions and Peanut Butter. Walmart sells a package of 5 for $4 and they are really good! Salads. Learning to do your own butchering/processing will save you a lot of money. I add wheat berries (homemade) to my spaghetti sauce and then cut the meat in 1/2 and no one notices. You almost need to take out a loan to buy meat for, Here is another saver. PS. Sign me up to the Food Storage Moms newsletter! I work in Wyoming once in a while where there arent many and I can find them for $3 /lb. My sisters and I would let the flour tortillas sit out and get hard. 1 lbs of dry pinto beans. Very similar navy beans, a little bit of ham (or even better a leftover ham bone), some onions, celery, carrots. 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. During the depression, my elders on both sides made oxtail soup because it was the cheapest part of the cow. EatingWell - Danielle DeAngelis 8h. 1.8 Great Depression Foods - Peanut Butter Stuffed Onions. This makes a roux. Hamburger, mixed with oats, onion, tomatoes, rice, small can tomatoes paste, an equal amount of BBQ sauce. Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour 1 1/4 tsps. Our goal at Food Storage Moms is to help one family at a time.. From deer to rabbits and all manner of fish and fowl. I also found a different bread recipe that used fewer ingredients so we could have bread. We use turkey burger from Aldis instead of hamburger not much of a taste difference in our minds. Use the legs to fry, etc and thighs have a lot of meat to use in noodles, yellow rice, dumplings, shred for BBQ sandwiches. 1 large yellow onion, chopped. 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. Favorite flavors were cherry, grape, lemonade, and tropical punch. Milk, cream, or half and half. I add wheat berries (homemade) to my spaghetti sauce and then cut the meat in 1/2 and no one notices. So how do we serve a good meal and save? I just watched Food Inc. on Netflix. https://chefmarkanthony.com/menu-category/burgers/ has many meatless recipes that are healthy and good tasting. Oxtail: Its the bone of the tail and very tender meat. It only takes a couple to go a long way. A little olive oil and garlic over the pasta toss together, its healthy and filling. Cheap Ground Beef Ideas. We actually ate a lot of beans when I was a kid because they were cheap. I should also mention that the soup does not have to be piled with veggies etc. We make it once a month in a huge s. tock pot. Potato soup - water base, not milk - yes - dehydrated potato flakes and vegetables of any sort. Heres the deal, most of us are struggling to feed our families. Save the fat. Roll out and cut into similarly-sized shapes. Im the owner and editor of Food Storage Moms. And today was spent gathering groceries and supplies for my waterline expansion. What a great list! There are a lot of free things out there also to help. 77. What they had to endure for the next 30 years or more I can only imagine. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. We like to add frozen peas (cooked) when ready to serve. 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. A nice piece of cornbread on the side. 82. Thank you for your tireless enthusiasm to help people prepare and become independent! Creamed Chipped Beef & Toast - S.O.S. Lasts a long time and feeds many. Free meals. I still dont get to eat a lot because I am on SSI disability, Medicaid, and a few food stamps. I was really skimpy on the meat, but Ive always liked that ratio better. 65. My family hasnt noticed. I buy a sack of potatoes and stretch it to make meals, etc. I buy most meats marked down. We hope to get laying chickens this spring, hubby is building a coop fit for queens lol! We also CAN our own garden that we grow! and Walmart accepts it. 1/2 cup of sugar. 9. I was really skimpy o. n the meat, but Ive always liked that ratio better. To stop eating out, we take cheese and crackers or sandwich makings. 3 tbsp of corn starch. Cook your own. Our menu plan this week features recipes from the most frugal era in history: The Great Depression. That saves your own money. 72. 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. 2 cups of boiling milk. The place I go to is American Discount Foodsand they have saved our budget! I started growing my own vegetables, spices, and fruits (strawberries, raspberries and I will be adding elderberries this year) two years ago and this will be my 3rd year. People made comments that they are eating many of those meals today. Im so happy youve found us. The meat just costs far too much and pasta is filling. Lots of beans, sometimes I have cornbread, or crackers. This has to be one of the best articles ever written. That and shredded chicken meant lots of casseroles. This cake is simple and delicious. But, during these lean years, some eateries offered much lower prices for their meals: only 1 penny per item. You throw away a lot of food in peels! Which THEN gets turned into Chicken Pot Pie w/ homemade pie crust! Then I have a nice hedge on inflation, plus. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I have read and agree to Food Storage Mom's privacy policy, Im Linda Loosli. 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. I also make sure to add beans to taco meat to stretch it. 2 tbsp of sugar. Life is so good! I did more casseroles and found a cream of chicken substitute I had all the ingredients for. Its really good, especially with a little shredded cheese thrown in! I love the term soup of the day!! Potato salad,I can get 10 lbs of potatoes for $2-3 at Aldi. Eggs and milk (hormone free) are less. We keep 40 to 50 hens all the time and have eggs aplenty year around. Tastes ever so good as leftovers too. I have bought a half gallon of OJ there for 50 cents and a FLAT of strawberries with nothing wrong with them for 2$ (0.25 a quart). Processing meat is really not that hard to do. 39. Haha This was a great article, as usual. Linda, Wendy, I love cheese so this will be added next time to my goulash for sure!! My mom loved sliced tomatoes with salt and pepper as a meal. They are so darn cute at that age! We stretch stretch stretch!! 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. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for any and all ideas. Serve with a side of cornbread. Made stew over rice. I shop early and get a lot of 50% or 30% off items. eccentricculinary.substack.com. Three Ingredient Depression Bread. 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. (Some of my family & friends Swear by one or the other). 64. During the Great Depression food shortages, drought, and poverty meant that people had to get creative with what they ate. They went through the Great Depression, and World War 2. When we make tacos we add a few eggs to the ground meat and you honestly cant tell the difference, then just cook them into the already cooked ground meat and season to taste, it changes the texture a tiny bit but after you add rice and beans to your tacos/burritos, you cant tell anymore at all, this really stretches a meal!. No money for luxuries. We put all sorts of methods into practice to save money some already mentioned others a little specific to our unique situation. During the Great Depression, people got creative with crafting meals out of inexpensive and available ingredients. That time also showed me where I stocked well and where I lacked, plus what I didnt touch, even with no food budget. In the video below we get to see how they're made from a woman who survived the '30s and loved her mother's baked apples. We eat what we want most of the time because we shop strategically. I think anytime you go meatless you are going to save money and benefit your health! Potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, onion, and cumin to flavorthem. They didnt sell it in the stores and you had to ask for it. 7. If they ask what store, she refers to her list but they usually dont ask. Sorry, it took me so long to post but Ive been getting in at near midnight all week long. I keep a well-stocked pantry of dry and canned goods. Pinch of salt. I freeze each one separately so I can use just one at a time. Taco meat over rice. No cooking, just reheating! They say healthier eating equates to less money spent on medical needs, so I am hoping there is truth to that. Also, buy meat on sale, we bought 4 turkey s at Thanksgiving. I remember my mom making salmon cakes. During this time, staples like meat, eggs, and milk were hard to acquire, and people often had to make a little go a long way. We always had our own large garden plus another garden down the block. Linda. Ah, soup: the ultimate comfort food. 29. Top ramen omelet. I pay $25 in feed a month, which gives us on average 250 eggs a month. In Korean recipes, the meat is barbecued or fried or even parboiled and put in the mix with a daikon radish and an onion. 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. Its easy to freeze. 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. Menu Plan: Great Depression Recipes. Cornbread/Johnny Cakes. We really enjoyed this when my mom fixed this dish too, not really sure of the recipe but it was prepared in the frying pan and had garlic. We all except one sister, all ended up being diabetic. It made sandwiches for my husbands lunch all week, then I made broth and turned that into noodle soup. Saving for us has more to do with how we shop than how we cook. I can tomatoes, pickles, applesauce, etc. When I buy meat, I buy it only on sale, and I buy enough for several meals and then freeze either portions or leftovers. Rice and potatoes were cheap ways to fill up hungry . But, I know that I was taught a lot of frugal things and how to work HARD, and be an ANT, not a GRASSHOPPER! 3. Also, I drink lactose-free milk. 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. Still pricey but so much better. Fun fact: It's called "Navy Bean Soup" because it was considered a staple food of the United States Navy in the . People during the Great Depression ate mostly bread, potatoes, and vegetables. Frankly, I never was able to eat those- the spam and bologna and homemade bread sure but the rest have never appealed to me. I buy organic veggies but dont peel them when I am low on cash we dont do organic but still dont peel them. When butter is on sale, I buy a case of it, then make ghee and can it. Now lets save some money! 6. We have started trying to go meatless a few days a week. I used to have one of their old recipe books had a lot of recipes for a fake meat product, I think they use a lot of TVP now, it made for aninteresting read. Linda, Your email address will not be published. 40. We are hunters. 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. I cook some chicken. Most of our meals were meatless. shape, BOIL. Too many of us have gotten used to meat potatoes and a veggie. A lot has changed on rural America's farms in the 70 years or so since the Great Depression. Top ramen omelet. Hope this helps! You can have a cup of soup, or soup for a group quickly. Add cocoa and sugar to small pot. Save all your vegetable scraps to make a good stock base for any soup or stew. 1 Corned Beef Luncheon Salad. Next, put bone-in chicken thighs skin-side up on top of the veggies. Salad can be made night Your family will think they are living large and you will cut your grocery money down. 9. I freeze everything I can, including bread, milk, pizza dough. 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). 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. Shape and fry up). Old-World Puff Pancake. and come up with a coupon for an item or % discount. We lived off of home grown fruits and vegs with some meats from farming family. 25. Hamburger gravy on toast or potatoes: Kami suggested . This week I have leftover stew and pasta sauce with meatballs. Prepared mashed potatoes are served with an egg-filled ham cup on top and drizzled with a Hollandaise sauce for extra richness. Stay well, eat at home. It is a complete meal and easy cleanup. When we have leftover veggies of any kind, if it is not enough for another meal, I freeze them, then add to a bag of other frozen veggies. I picked up 4 loaves and froze them. 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. I keep a well-stocked pantry of dry and canned goods. 21. One thing I recommend, if it is affordable, is to buy a small freezer. I just retired, so there is only two of us, but minus my pay is a big deal. Bring back to a boil, stirring constantly. The the great depression food facts is a question that I am able to answer. "This recipe goes back to the Great Depression," says impellizzeri kitchen. 08 of 12. Grandma created a great meal with these beet tops. I buy the dry beans and cook 2 lbs at a time in the slow cooker. Salivating. When you cook meats you often find fat at the bottom of the ban. Lets share ideas with each other. Dinner was meat and veggies, followed by dessert. She saves a fortune this way! 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). Dont you just love memories, this one? Life is good, stay well my friend! You always have to be on your toes, checking prices, making good choices. Ive learned how to cook. 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. Cooked all together. I buy organic veggies but dont peel them when I am low on cash we dont do organic but still dont peel them. To that, add about 8 ounces of dried beef (i.e. We dont eat a lot of meat we eat 3 eggs a day, we have our own chickens. Home made soups, pot pies, casseroules, fresh oven breads and pasteries, fermented foods like yogurt and kraut, pickles and relishes, canning. The savings are HUGE! A couple of weeks ago, I took one of those large cuts and made pozole and Chile Verde and canned them- ended up with 24 pints of pozole and 18 pints of Chile Verde. This means that I have gluten-free flours and supplies on hand to make bread, pancakes and other cheap basics to eat. Split pea soup and lentil soups are all super cheap. If you have a garden going salad is basically free- lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes. Beef and rice: From Laurie C. - Ground hamburger, mix in beef Rice a Roni, and add a can of corn. I didnt read the other post, but planning for leftovers is a huge $ saver. Add cheese, apple, hard boiled egg for a more filling salad. families on a shoestring. 6. 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. Cow's milk was a 'wonder food'. We eat baked potatoes at least twice a week and have several go-to cheap filling meals. Many of your meat recipes I have turned into meatless versions and we enjoy them! She could get hot dogs and slice them up and add garlic, tomato sauce,and water and make the most awesome casserole ever. Just freezing fresh foods, chopped, sliced or whatever means never letting it go bad. During the Depression, cheap, nutritious and filling food was prioritized often at the expense of taste. Shutterstock. 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.) 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. Also eat a lot of beans, rice, eggs, and pasta. Mix to form a batter. 55. Jane Ziegelman and Andy Coe, authors of A Square Meal, discuss food trends of the time. 45. I also do a lot of my shopping at Aldi or the Amish bents and broken store. I hope these ideas help you save money even if you are eating Great Depression Meals just like me. Food Storage Matters-We Must Be Self-Reliant. 2 tbsp of cold water. 10 Easy Budget Meals Anyone Will Love Every Day. I roasted a turkey breast.

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