I never liked them, but my family did. When the bag is full, veggies soup! When I shop, I look for bargains. This is the classic whatever-is-in-the-fridge-and-pantry stew. Or frozen tubes of ground turkey/beef. Linda. Most of our meals were meatless. 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. It saves a lot of money when Im not buying prepackaged food. 9. Onions and peanut butter were both cheap and easy to find, so mothers would hull the middle of an onion before stuffing it with peanut butter and baking it until soft. It saves a lot of money when Im not buying prepackaged food. Excellent article. Serve the finished product over toast. Shape and fry up). Recipes from the Great Depression. Then serve a small salad about a cups worth. When butter is on sale, I buy a case of it, then make ghee and can it. Also, lots of peels or ends of veggies can be frozen until you have enough to make a veggie stock with them. 1 lbs of dry pinto beans. 93 year old cook and great grandmother, Clara, recounts her childhood during the Great Depression as she prepares meals from the era. Its amazing how much can be saved by shopping the sales and freezing items. The best ones went for dehydrating and the rest for apple sauce. The water you boiled it in is now a quick broth use for soup). Roll out and cut into similarly-sized shapes. Add a final layer of carrots. Chicken for a chicken veggie soup, beef for a beef veggie. I can also mash pinto beans for refried beans with Mexican food. The total cost, for four servings, is $2.36. One week it was a dollar off. My mother told us about depression meals she remembered and enjoyed growing up. If I have it in the freezer, a small section of andouille sausage chopped up. However!!! I try to save money by throwing in some meatless meals during the week, like potato soup or minestrone. Add only 1/2 cup of boiling water, cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. 9. One of my great-grandmothers absolutely loved pickled tongue. I buy most meats marked down. 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. When they start getting limp, I chop them up and freeze them to use in soups like this. In a time with less access to cert. 15. 12. 47. During that time, Clara's mother had to come up with creative and extremely cheap recipes for her family to eat. 1/26/10 8:32 AM. 1 cup water. I love eating at home. We process the meat ourselves. She saves a fortune this way! I know, and prices just keep going up. When we butcher goats hogs etc. Another Depression-era meal was "creamed chip beef," according to . Im also learning something, thanks. Drinking. 1. frozen or canned fish with leafy greens. Thanks in advance! That saves a lot, and it never hurts to ask! Beans were used in many Depression-era recipes, and this one also includes ham, carrots, onion, and garlicso you'll get protein, fiber, and veggies from this meal. 75. We also get together & clip coupons, make candles & teach each other different skills, like sewing & tanning hides. e chipped beef, chopped leftover bacon from breakfast, canned chicken, leftover roast or just the sauce over rice. "My large Italian family gathered in the kitchen and tried many ways to prepare Sunday dinner on a tight budget. 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. Saving for us has more to do with how we shop than how we cook. You can make this without the chorizo to save money. This can be made sweet with honey, sugar, maple syrup, or molasses, or savory with salt and pepper or beef broth. 2. Trust us, this easy chicken casserole recipe is so easy to make - just cook, layer, bake, and you're done! For us, that means buying beef by the 1/4 or 1/2, ordering from Zaycon Foods, using Bountiful Baskets-Co-op,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. Also, I drink lactose-free milk. I freeze each one separately so I can use just one at a time. Im glad you and I had moms who taught us how to cook from scratch! Then we eat all we can and can or freeze the rest. 12. Frugal Depression Era recipes to help you feed your family for less! I dont have to purchase that product again until it goes on sale. My family hasnt noticed. We buy food at a scratch and dent store. Talk about thrifty. Carrots are the same. 1 / 34. Still pricey but so much better. I buy the dry beans and cook 2 lbs at a time in the slow cooker. 56. Cooked all together. We dont eat a lot of meat we eat 3 eggs a day, we have our own chickens. Some are wild others we raise ourselves or purchase from local farms or auctions. And honestly, I use turkey bacon because its cheaper! 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. Great ideas! I know this sounds crazy, but we all need to rethink what we think a meal is. They are todays meals. It made sandwiches for my husbands lunch all week, then I made broth and turned that into noodle soup. In the stores, the cosmetic counters normally have samples of things. 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. (Some of my family & friends Swear by one or the other). 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. 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. Then I have a nice hedge on inflation, plus I dont have to purchase that product again until it goes on sale. Ok. THEN, leftover chicken gets turned into a chicken and rice soup! We had a large family of 10 people, so each meal had to be extremely cheap, and go a long way. Learn to preserve what you grow. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for any and all ideas. A typical hot cocoa beverage from the depression era looked like this: 2 tbsp of cocoa. Add in mash pota. https://www.homeecathome.com/the-home-economist/slow-cooker-cuban-black-beans. Its filling, cheap and kids love it. At times even spices were sometimes hard to come by during the Depression, most cooks usually kept some cinnamon on hand for baking. I was just talking to my cousin about this today. Kool-Aid was cheap, simple to make, and easy to store. Eggs and milk (hormone free) are less at Aldis! 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. Mom was awesome is all I can say. 11. 2. Creamed Chipped Beef & Toast - S.O.S. This week I have leftover stew and pasta sauce with meatballs. I was just reading one for oatmeal patties. Im grateful that we have an Aldi USAin our area. Add cheese, apple, hard boiled egg for a more filling salad. 73. 1 1/2 cups flour. 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. Bring water to a boil. My Grandmothers died when I was 15 and the other at 16 so I never got to ask them about the depression. 29. 12. 40. As a kid, I thought we were the only people that did that. 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. Stay well, eat at home. broth, to add extra flavor to pasta, rice, or veggies. Sorry, it took me so long to post but Ive been getting in at near midnight all week long. 20. I enjoy reading all your posts and the great remarks everyone makes in the comments. I buy 1/2 cow and a 1/2 pig from a local farmer the freezer was worth the investment yes its expensive up front but does the math its cheaper the long run and its local fresh and so much cheaper than the store in the long run. Our local fruit and vegetable store has bagged produce for $1. I dont think those meals are great depression meals anymore. My parents were born prior to the First World War and came as immigrants for a better life. I make lots of Frybread & salads to go with meals. When I find a good one I buy a case or two of that item. Honestly, I like it best without chorizo. Yummy soups are always good because they are so filling, homemade tomato with saltines. My family hasnt noticed. Then, slowly whisk in 1 cups of milk until the mixture begins to thicken and boil. You are so right about a chair in the kitchen beats one on the porch! Also eat a lot of beans, rice, eggs, and pasta. Add your broth, and simmer till done. 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. It became hugely popular during the Great Depression, largely due to the fact that it was one of the few recipes of the era that featured hot dogs. Ramen noodles. I know this sounds crazy, but we all need to rethink what we think a meal is. (every Wednesday is fish, every Friday is pizza! 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. Mashups were a common way to use up whatever you had on hand during the Depression, and the Garbage Plate is another example. A typical Depression-era breakfast consisted of a piece of seasonal fruit, milk and cereal, and eggs or toast with butter. Lets face it those big servings of meat were never good for us anyway. If you chose to use beans in this recipe, then you can add a can of beans on top of the carrots. Great ideas. Image and recipe from Taste of Home. So if you live in an area that that is possible & have a few like-minded families, sit down & work out the details. Her mother hated mayonnaise & it grossed her out! Cook your own. This included all the steaks and roasts. OH, Linda, this is the best comment! However!!! 1 Corned Beef Luncheon Salad. Again, I make my WalMart run and freeze the milk. Back in the day, there were no food stamps or EBT cards. I am too. 1. We used to beg my mom to make rice with milk, cinnamon & sugar. 7. Serve with a side of cornbread. I also do a lot of my shopping at Aldi or the Amish bents and broken store. All they can do is say, no. Plastic baggies can be washed and re-used instead of thrown out. She called it Slavic dinner I am not sure if that is its proper name she got the recipe from a family friend (this also freezes for later meals if needed), Hi Pauline, I love your comment about the Slavic dinner! I am a senior and have had to slow down but a chair in the kitchen all most beats one on the porch. These Depression-era recipes are proof that food from the 1930s is worth revisiting. Its easy to freeze. Growing some foods (small plot or pots) or even just sprouts on a window sill can help help fill our pantry. Season with a beef bouillon cube, garlic powder, tomato paste, salt & pepper. 1.6 Great Depression Foods - Mulligan Stew. Add in mash potatoes. I grew up eating a lot of these same Depression Era meals & I feel like they are comfort food. I know, and prices just keep going up. My Facebook question: Please share any ideas about what you are eating or serving your family to save money. Feeding 5 here. Said it tasted like eggs so they ate it. Add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. can be a challenge. I make my own spaghetti sauce with canned tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes and seasonings. (Privacy Policy) *. I buy organic veggies but dont peel them when I am low on cash we dont do organic but still dont peel them. Chicken for a chicken veggie s, I just retired, so there is only two of us, but minus my pay is a big deal. I sat down and made a menu up for a whole month. Getting creative in that area too. 64. When money is short I make cornmeal with sugar and pour cold milk over it. Simple baked potatoes with butter and salt and pepper are filling and cheap. Food not only had to be cheap, but it had to be filling. Home made soups, pot pies, casseroules, fresh oven breads and pasteries, fermented foods like yogurt and kraut, pickles and relishes, canning. Another favorite is a piece of toast, fried egg on top and hot milk poured on top. So how do we serve a good meal and save? Just the other day, I got $10.00 off a new suit for my 7-year-old because I diligently stood at the register until I found a coupon code she would accept. We are hunters. They are todays meals. Loved reading how others save money on food. Wacky Cake is something that came from this time era as well. I think that I spend too much in search of ingredients. Favorite flavors were cherry, grape, lemonade, and tropical punch. Also, I do one month worth of grocery shopping at a time. 7. We buy meat in bulk, so most of my purchases are for perishables only. Named after the president that took office right before the crash, Hoover Stew was the name for the cheap slop eaten by residents of shanty towns. I also freeze discounted sour cream or milk, works great especially for baking. I think the best way to save is to make more to spend less. During the Great Depression, people used everything they had to make a cheap and filling meal, such as the Hoover Stew. 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). Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Cold air sinks, so every time you open that door, your freezer has to work that much harder to reestablish the temperature. Fish patties (salmon or tuna, bread crumbs, lemon juice, mustard, onion, egg. Its still good either way. 74. Aldi is great for low prices on produce. cup cornmeal. First of all, I am going to share some meals my husband and I grew up on and some we still eat today. Porridge for breakfast oats go a long way! ), then went and did the shopping. I work in Wyoming once in a while where there arent many and I can find them for $3 /lb. Linda, cold,snowy day ,minus 1. As kids, we asked for this for dinner and could not get it often enough. Companies give away free things like deodorant. Dandelions were often used in meals as well. Another favorite is a piece of toast, fried egg on top and hot milk poured on top. We buy ground turkey at our local Aldi when we are out of meat. You can stock and it will take a little time. Its easy to freeze. In this video, 91-year-old Clara who lived through the Depressionwalks viewers through the process of making the Poor Man's Meal: Peel and cube a potato, then fry it in a pan with oil and . Check out some of the seventh day Adventist meals. My wife and I continue to enjoy this dish today . 43. 2 - 3 teaspoons of black pepper. 2 tbsp of cold water. I pay $25 in feed a month, which gives us on average 250 eggs a month. 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