cheap meals from the great depression
I think the best way to save is to make more to spend less. I was just reading one for oatmeal patties. Next, put bone-in chicken thighs skin-side up on top of the veggies. Robyn: Red beans and rice. 1.4 Great Depression Foods - Mock Apple Pie. My sister does something a bit unique. One practice that is unique to us but is not out of reach of anyone. I know you are most likely saying this takes a lot of time. I sat down and made a menu up for a whole month. They are so darn cute at that age! 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. "Anything" Loaves. I have printed it off and Im highlighting those that I know my family will like. Nice sized ones. A package of noodles that would probably equal about 15 to 20 ramen packages is $1.99 at a nearby store. Its normally $3.57 per loaf. 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. Hope this helps! Very similar navy beans, a little bit of ham (or even better a leftover ham bone), some onions, celery, carrots. Back then they could get it free or for .10. We are making macaroni and . Nutrition over taste was the golden rule when food got scarce during the Depression, and money was hard to come by. My sweeties standby recipe he calls goulash just elbow macaroni, seasoned hamburger, onion, and tomatoes. I never liked them, but my family did. A side salad and some saltines. . Drizzle olive oil, salt, and pepper on everything. I love your articles. 2. The Dime Meal. I cannot remember the last time we had ground beef. Check out some of the seventh day Adventist meals. at Aldis! I buy the dry beans and cook 2 lbs at a time in the slow cooker. I work in Wyoming once in a while where there arent many and I can find them for $3 /lb. We actually ate a lot of beans when I was a kid because they were cheap. Food Storage Moms, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. These are pretty much the easiest items to grow. Hoover Stew Recipe; 8. (every Wednesday is fish, every Friday is pizza! Several on here we still like today. does making more of X become a key ingredient for meal days or weeks later). I cook some chicken. 6. 75. 46. We do utilize an area butcher, buying packages from them periodically so we dont need to pay the higher prices at the local grocery. 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 . Rinse the beef, chop it into pieces and add to the white sauce above. Potatoes are cheap and easy to store, so it's no surprise they showed up on menu home meal plans during the Depression. Worn fabric was woven into a rug or turned into cleaning rags, tires became garden . Various kinds of nuts and berries were often foraged for the help feed the family. Menu Plan: Great Depression Recipes. Etc. We eat what we want most of the time because we shop strategically. Ketchup, Mayonnaise or Onion Sandwiches It's definitely worthy of any party, even almost 100 years after its creation. Still do and hate food waste. 15 cents a night, it was possible to live on less than 50 cents a day during the height of the Great Depression. What varied between households and over time was the quantity and quality of each of those courses, especially . Soooo many great thoughts, ideas, recipes! 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. My Grandmothers died when I was 15 and the other at 16 so I never got to ask them about the depression. He was mostly paid for food, eggs, a turkey, whatever they had to give him. An amazing meal for about $5 with plenty of leftovers for the next day. 26. During the Great Depression, people got creative with crafting meals out of inexpensive and available ingredients. 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. Ah, soup: the ultimate comfort food. Get the Recipe! 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 Corned Beef Luncheon Salad. Potatoes baked in microwave. Top ramen omelet. Theres a lot of Hispanic people in my area do the price for oxtail is outrageous. You always have to be on your toes, checking prices, making good choices. 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. 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. For instance, I have to eat a particular brand of bread for a health problem I have. Frugal Depression Era recipes to help you feed your family for less! You will notice that you begin to have extra money. We used to beg my mom to make rice with milk, cinnamon & sugar. Favorite flavors were cherry, grape, lemonade, and tropical punch. 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! I try to make from scratch all our snack foods like crackers, granola bars, granola, fruit leather(when I find a great deal on fruit), bagels, bread, yogurt, etc. While we do sometimes buy bread, I make our buns and sweet bread. Canned fish is pretty cheap. 3. We hope to get laying chickens this spring, hubby is building a coop fit for queens lol! Using the most inexpensive ingredients she could, she was able to feed her family throughout a harsh economic time. Thank you sooo much for sharing! Ask. We actually ate a lot of beans when I was a kid because they were cheap. This collection of 20 depression-era recipes is a tasty idea that you can still use today. Or frozen tubes of ground turkey/beef. We keep 40 to 50 hens all the time and have eggs aplenty year around. Our menu plan this week features recipes from the most frugal era in history: The Great Depression. Have you ever seen that fog that rolls down and out when you open the door? When I shop, I look for bargains. 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. 40. Then we would pour Karo syrup over them in order to have something sweet. Then I freeze several containers for later meals. Those who dont have the cash up front to fund the operation, or have the land to do so, can put in work hours to cover your share of the $. 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. baking powder 1/2 tsp. The great thing about doing it this way is the weekends. What a great list! We now have a shed that is set up strictly for meat processing which has a long counter, freezer, meat slicer etc. 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. Here is a list of 10 depression-era meals we will be eating again if things don't change. 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. Invite the family over. Great Depression Casserole Recipe; 7. Great comment! I cant remember as a child ever going out to a restaurant. Chicken for a chicken veggie s, I just retired, so there is only two of us, but minus my pay is a big deal. (Half beans to the amount of meat, can always add more beans). https://www.homeecathome.com/the-home-economist/slow-cooker-cuban-black-beans. We also shop Aldis, just be careful and know your prices at other stores. Required fields are marked *. I can get 10 lbs of potatoes for $2-3 at Aldi. It worked. and made a delicious casserole from them. I work for a big feed and grain company and get screening free so I raise a couple or 3 hogs a year for nothing. 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. Mix to form a batter. a long counter, freezer, meat slicer etc. Shoppers may want to study the price matching policy or even print it out before shopping. I also found a different bread recipe that used fewer ingredients so we could have bread. H.D. You can control the salt and other ingredients when you make your own. Old, injured or male birds are dinner. Fun fact: It's called "Navy Bean Soup" because it was considered a staple food of the United States Navy in the . 31. When I shop, I look for bargains. Still pricey but so much better. Pasta and rice are great for stretching anything at mealtime. Great comment! Sunday's special cookies and a cup of coffee for the adults were among the most popular weekend breakfasts. Times were tough in the 1930s and people had to be creative with the few ingredients they could find and afford. Canned fish is pretty cheap. Ham Hocks & Beans - Not just a great Southern recipe but one that you can make on the cheap. A side salad and some saltines. The only thing you need are apples, sugar, cinnamon, and some butter. This is a tip I got from someone else-at Halloween. I pay $25 in feed a month, which gives us on average 250 eggs a month. "This is because they're rich in omega-3s . I did more casseroles and found a cream of chicken substitute I had all the ingredients for. And you dont have to have a paper flyer or ad to prove the sale price! Thanks for being prepared for the unexpected. This included all my paper goods, so it doesnt represent food only. 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. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. 2 cups of boiling milk. shape, BOIL. The Great Depression lasted a decade, but its effects changed a generation. A recipe for Baking Powder Biscuits, as noted in Rita Van Amber's Stories and Recipes of the Great Depression of the 1930s, Vol. I should also mention that the soup does not have to be piled with veggies etc. Anytime were making something wit. Depression-Era Hot Milk Cake. I love it! Learn to love what you grow. boiling water. We buy a hog and a 1/4 beef with our income tax return and stretch it along with the turkey and only buy chicken at .99 a pound. Echoing events of 2020, the Depression caused widespread unemployment and food shortages of meat, milk, and other pantry staples.Cooks during the unprecedented economic downturn learned eating simple meals without waste could stretch their dollar. Our grandmothers knew how to stretch their food budget while feeding the family well. Make EVERY meal count. I try to save money by throwing in some meatless meals during the week, like potato soup or minestrone. Once its smooth and thoroughly mixed, add the milk and keep on whisking, until smooth. Mashups were a common way to use up whatever you had on hand during the Depression, and the Garbage Plate is another example. I sat down and made a menu up for a whole month (every Wednesday is fish, every Friday is pizza! 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. Thank you for your kind remarks. Lets share ideas with each other. Learning to do your own butchering/processing will save you a lot of money. You throw away a lot of food in peels! They are todays meals. We have started trying to go meatless a few days a week. Old-World Puff Pancake. I add rice and refried beans to taco meat to stretch it further! Shape and fry up). Popcorn replaces chips. Great Depression Meals-How To Eat For Less Money. I would advise anyone to buy an upright freezer and shop in bulk or even better contact a local farmer. Bag of beans, rice, onions, tomatoes, sausage. 33. Then we would pour Karo syrup over them in order to h. ave something sweet. I remember my mom making salmon cakes. Buying cheap and using coupons. The place I go to is American Discount Foods. Hoover Stew from Time Traveler's Kitchen. Eggs and milk (hormone free) are less. 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. If I go to my grocery store before noon they put all the products in a cart that is ready to expire. Yes, thats money escaping. 13. Life is so good! T. Oh my goodness, the prices just keep escalating at the grocery stores. I love it! The turkey was on sale and they are cheap, to begin with, this time of year. Cook your own. Too many are used to fast and easy. 14. Also had rabbits to eat. "This recipe goes back to the Great Depression," says impellizzeri kitchen. 10. I got 10 apples in one bag the other day and only had to cut off a tiny bit of bruising. I also do a lot of my shopping at Aldi or the Amish bents and broken store. 80. 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. In Korean recipes, the meat is barbecued or fried or even parboiled and put in the mix with a daikon radish and an onion. Then we eat all we can and can or freeze the rest. Instructions: Add . Then serve a small salad about a cups worth. The water you boiled it in is now a quick broth use for soup). Well see how this all works out. Our great grandparents had the solution. You can add a glaze on top, but this cake is divine on its own. We put all sorts of methods into practice to save money some already mentioned others a little specific to our unique situation. Those same trimmings go into my deer and goat burger to make a great hamburger for Chili, meatloaf, and spaghetti. I grew up not poor, but not middle class, either. A typical Depression-era breakfast consisted of a piece of seasonal fruit, milk and cereal, and eggs or toast with butter. Back in the Great Depression, you would often find this pie made with a crushed cracker crust. in our area. 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. 65. The Penny Restaurants of the Great Depression. Grandma created a great meal with these beet tops. Make EVERY meal count. Season with a beef bouillon cube, garlic powder, tomato paste, salt & pepper. . Place on an ungreased baking sheet. 08 of 12. Some of the things people ate during the Great Depression are things we shun now. I buy a sack of potatoes and stretch it to make meals, etc. I grew up not poor, but not middle class, either. 16. One . 1.8 Great Depression Foods - Peanut Butter Stuffed Onions. 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. You almost need to take out a loan to buy meat for, Here is another saver. Add a ton of salt . It doesnt have to be that youre eating the exact same meal (e.g. Heres the deal, most of us are struggling to feed our families. Soups, stews, and chili are cheap, healthy and belly-filling. 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). Share this post. Most of our meals were meatless. A hand full of mixed veggies from the freezer and some seasoning along with some onion and a small part of the meat is good, or you can add noodles or barley. 57. During the depression, my elders on both sides made oxtail soup because it was the cheapest part of the cow. 34. We dont eat a lot of meat we eat 3 eggs a day, we have our own chickens. I agree, no waste, just freeze it! The extra garden raised food shared with the elderly couple that owned it. Bring water to a boil. To save money while feeding 11 people we make chicken and noodles using turkey instead of chicken. families on a shoestring. I think the best way to save is to make more to spend less. 81. The the great depression food facts is a question that I am able to answer. As kids, we asked for this for dinner and could not get it often enough. 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. We all except one sister, all ended up being diabetic. Carrots are the same. Which THEN gets turned into Chicken Pot Pie w/ homemade pie crust! When my 22-yr-old granddaughter was little she loved mayonnaise sandwiches (she called them ham-maise sandwiches). Theres a lot of Hispanic people in my area do the price for oxtail is outrageous. Use lentils or split peas when making hamburger dishes like spaghetti. My sisters and I would let the flour tortillas sit out and get hard. I keep a well-stocked pantry of dry and canned goods. Rice and potatoes were cheap ways to fill up hungry . One thing I recommend, if it is affordable, is to buy a small freezer. 49. She could get hot dogs and slice them up and add garlic, tomato sauce,and water and make the most awesome casserole ever. To understand how citizens survived The Great Depression, you need to understand their resources. 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. I buy whole chickens and turkeys and cut them up myself, then freeze or can them. Fish patties (salmon or tuna, bread crumbs, lemon juice, mustard, onion, egg. We kids usually only got 2 meals per day, lunch and supper. 8. Im really hoping to teach the world to stop going to drive-throughs and fast food places and cook from scratch. Im posting this article about Great Depression Meals again today that I wrote many years ago. Mom was awesome is all I can say. Its all about saving money. 50% off yogurt makes nice frozen treats that we would not have otherwise. I try to save money by throwing in some meatless meals during the week, like potato soup or minestrone. Everyone got a bowl of soup. 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. 83. They continued to cook and eat many of the meals that they ate during that time throughout their lives. Aldi is great for low prices on produce. Meat mixed in gravy makes it go farther than chunks of roast for everyone. Mini pies (masa/corn flour mixed with water or broth, pushed into muffin tins, filled with whatever leftovers and some cheese work well). If they expire that day or are pre-frozen I cook them and then freeze. 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. Photo courtesy of A Modern Homestead. My Facebook question: Please share any ideas about what you are eating or serving your family to save money. Grow everything you possibly can each and every season. Victor Moruzzi. Prices are half and more off. Chicken for a chicken veggie soup, beef for a beef veggie. As a kid, I thought we were the only people that did that. Linda. 24. 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. Now, this is a roast chicken you make from scratch, not the store-bought pre-cooked ones (which tend to be small). At times even spices were sometimes hard to come by during the Depression, most cooks usually kept some cinnamon on hand for baking. We process the meat ourselves. I did a little the other day. Ham Cups and Eggs. I know a chest freezer is harder to organize and dig through, but if youre really trying to save money, the stand-up freezer is a major money waster. Linda. Ive learned how to cook. May 5, 2022. Dr. Battaglino says one of the best foods for mental health is fatty fish, like salmon, sardines, and tuna. 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. Some are wild others we raise ourselves or purchase from local farms or auctions. My family hasnt noticed. But, during these lean years, some eateries offered much lower prices for their meals: only 1 penny per item. Its all about saving money, right? My Mom and Dad grew up during The Great Depression. Just freezing fresh foods, chopped, sliced or whatever means never letting it go bad. White Bean and Ham Soup - Beans are super cheap so it makes sense that they were a staple during the Great Depression. Another favorite is a piece of toast, fried egg on top and hot milk poured on top. shape, BOIL. 68. You can add meat, or not. My family hasnt noticed. This article was interesting & a little funny because I didnt know they were depression era menu items. 19. This is good for making mac and cheese, Cream Chipped Beef and even gravy. Canned meat wasn't available for many people living in rural areas. Boil 3 cups of water in a kettle. It stays good for months. What do you think? View Recipe. Then, slowly whisk in 1 cups of milk until the mixture begins to thicken and boil. Ok. THEN, leftover chicken gets turned into a chicken and rice soup! Today, I will show you a cheap meal from the Great Depression. Served at Franklin Delano Roosevelt's White House, this dessert is not overly sweet. Baked bean sandwich. 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!. Another favorite is a piece of toast, fried egg on top and hot milk poured on top. Linda, Your email address will not be published. As each item rings up shell tell the checker the adjusted price, the checker keys it in, no big deal, takes hardly any extra time in line. Another Depression-era meal was "creamed chip beef," according to . Simple baked potatoes with butter and salt and pepper are filling and cheap. I didnt read the other post, but planning for leftovers is a huge $ saver. flipped into Bottles of Happiness. I make my own spaghetti sauce with canned tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes and seasonings. You can make this without the chorizo to save money. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. 15. And honestly, I use turkey bacon because its cheaper! Hamburger soup a package of frozen mixed veggies, some elbow noodles, about 1/2 pound of cooked ground hamburger. Twice a year we go to an Amish bulk supply store and buy the basics. Bread making and canning were normal activities. Oxtail:Its the bone of the tail and very tender meat. Head cheese was another nutritious food made with . 5. Prepared mashed potatoes are served with an egg-filled ham cup on top and drizzled with a Hollandaise sauce for extra richness. I buy rabbits in summer at auction sometimes low as $2 a piece full grown. When butter is on sale, I buy a case of it, then make ghee and can it. They are todays meals. This pie is a Hoosier tradition that dates back to the 1800s. Salivating. 9. Shape and fry up). Here are some recipes that were actually used during the Great Depression. Cornbread/Johnny Cakes. A lot has changed on rural America's farms in the 70 years or so since the Great Depression. Dont go overboard crazy and plant a lot of items they wont eat. I bought the picture to put in my post so I do not have any information about it. Talk about a stretch! Hoosier Cream Pie. Peanut/almond butter and jelly on toasted Daves Killer Blue Seed Bread makes an awesome lunch! Aldi is great for low prices on produce. Haha This was a great article, as usual. I keep a well-stocked pantry of dry and canned goods. It made sandwiches for my husbands lunch all week, then I made broth and turned that into noodle soup. They say healthier eating equates to less money spent on medical needs, so I am hoping there is truth to that. We had 3 very large gardens last year so I canned & froze everything I could. I just retired, so there is only two of us, but minus my pay is a big deal. This cake recipe from A Modern Homestead doesn't require milk or eggs and still has that delectable chocolate flavor. 1.5 Great Depression Foods - Prune Pudding. Linda. We buy food at a scratch and dent store. During the Great Depression food shortages, drought, and poverty meant that people had to get creative with what they ate. Serve with a side of cornbread. 82. Fry up a cheap meal of peppers and eggs to keep you full in stomach and pockets. During the Depression, cheap, nutritious and filling food was prioritized often at the expense of taste. We eat what we want most of the time because we shop strategically. People made comments that they are eating many of those meals today. I buy organic veggies but dont peel them when I am low on cash we dont do organic but still dont peel them. 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. 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. Now, cover everything with a layer of sliced potatoes.