I dont know how she came to make them, they had never been served to her. During the Depression, cheap, nutritious and filling food was prioritized often at the expense of taste. Thanks in advance! at Aldis! We are our own meat processors. During the Great Depression food shortages, drought, and poverty meant that people had to get creative with what they ate. I make lots of Frybread & salads to go with meals. Talk about a stretch! Learn to love what you grow. The Penny Restaurants of the Great Depression. Hope this helps! 48. dry beans and cook 2 lbs at a time in the slow cooker. 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. 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. When in school, sometimes we got no lunch because our dad refused to pay for our lunches, and we had nothing to carry. Ive got a family of 5 ranging from a 17 down to 6 and two working adults. At times even spices were sometimes hard to come by during the Depression, most cooks usually kept some cinnamon on hand for baking. Now, this is a roast chicken you make from scratch, not the store-bought pre-cooked ones (which tend to be small). Also, you can use half ground chicken or turkey with hamburger meat in foods that call for somehamburger. 3. Aldi is great for low prices on produce. My sisters and I would let the flour tortillas sit out and get hard. Even squirrels and rabbits were consumed .The people of the Depression Era were struggling to buy food, so foraging was a good way to help put food into their family's mouths. 93 year old cook and great grandmother, Clara, recounts her childhood during the Great Depression as she prepares meals from the era. I can almost see her saying she loves her ham-maise sandwich! We cook things from scratch about 90% of the time, rather than using packaged stuff. 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). Yummy soups are always good because they are so filling, homemade tomato with saltines. Mix to form a batter. Feeding 5 here. 1930's Potato Soup and Biscuits from Everyday Foodie. Shape and fry up). 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. One more detail to add, that is, that, for a long time, most . No money for luxuries. First of all, I am going to share some meals my husband and I grew up on and some we still eat today. I still dont get to eat a lot because I am on SSI disability, Medicaid, and a few food stamps. 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. Instead of ordering out for pizza I make my own pizza dough (making 2 doughs and freezing the 2nd for later), make my own pizza sauce and taco sauce. in our area. Could you please give any information you have on this photo that you used? Garbage Plate. I think that I spend too much in search of ingredients. eccentricculinary.substack.com. and made a delicious casserole from them. Yummy soups are always good because they are so filling, homemade tomato with saltines. We just started doing fruit smoothies for afternoon snacksazurestandard.comhas frozen berries cheap. 2 tbsp of sugar. Melt the butter in a large pan, add the flour and quickly use a whisk to make a roux. So, I still eat a lot like I did growing up, but less now because I cant raise anything, and cant afford much. Instead, I make cauliflower rice by grating cauliflower (which I buy on sale) and freeze it in meal size portions. e chipped beef, chopped leftover bacon from breakfast, canned chicken, leftover roast or just the sauce over rice. 35. Hey! Too many of us have gotten used to meat potatoes and a veggie. Beet greens. 1/26/10 8:32 AM. 78. Its easy to freeze. We buy wheat berries rather than flour and grind our own. I love it! 69. I sat down and made a menu up for a whole month. If youre really splurging, fried potatoes and onions. My grandmother was able to get the Beet greens that grocers would twist off for their customers before they weighed the beets for purchase. But I think what helps the most is buying in bulk and avoiding the grocery store as much as possible. I buy most meats marked down. Doesnt have to be fancy and expensive. Another Depression-era meal was "creamed chip beef," according to . I learned a lot from both my mama and gram about frugal living and wish they were still around to thank them. We have one thing grandma never had thought, a slow cooker. I buy the dry beans and cook 2 lbs at a time in the slow cooker. Lets share ideas with each other. Recipes from the Great Depression. However, they had still had access to meats most of us would now consider offal. What varied between households and over time was the quantity and quality of each of those courses, especially . Give these recipes from . I know, and prices just keep going up. An amazing meal for about $5 with plenty of leftovers for the next day. 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. 53. I can almost triple how long something will stretch with rice. If they ask what store, she refers to her list but they usually dont ask. Prices are half and more off. It is labeled a dollar each. We do utilize an area butcher, buying packages from them periodically so we dont need to pay the higher prices at the local grocery. I cook some chicken. Lots of canned soup with crackers. It makes a pretty good taco, etc. Save the fat. 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. 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. Tastes like a burger patty somewhat). We eat what we want most of the time because we shop strategically. I know, and prices just keep going up. 18. Drinking. Hoosier Cream Pie. 265. and come up with a coupon for an item or % discount. Add in mash potatoes. Top with shredded cheese if desired. Food not only had to be cheap, but it had to be filling. 54. Pinterest is AWESOME for helping with recipes! Shape and fry up). I know this sounds crazy, but we all need to rethink what we think a meal is. 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 like chipped beef, chopped leftover bacon from breakfast, canned chicken, leftover roast or just the sauce over rice. It stretches the meat, plus oatmeal is good for you! 1.8 Great Depression Foods - Peanut Butter Stuffed Onions. These dishes show just how inventive our ancestors could be! ), then went and did the shopping. Freeze for later use fry up when needed. It worked. Grow everything you possibly can each and every season. 5. 1. 22. 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). My mom had to be inventive to feed all five of us. $4.00 savings! Grace Mannon Updated: Feb. 21, 2023. I also do a lot of my shopping at Aldi or the Amish bents and broken store. We have started trying to go meatless a few days a week. Bread making and canning were normal activities. I usually only buy pot roast when its marked down and vacuum seal it and freeze it for later. I am a senior and have had to slow down but a chair in the kitchen all most beats one on the porch. Alberta Rose. You almost need to take out a loan to buy meat for a family of 5 anymore. does making more of X become a key ingredient for meal days or weeks later). https://chefmarkanthony.com/menu-category/burgers/ has many meatless recipes that are healthy and good tasting. I make huge batches and freeze the extra. Hi Frank, great comment! 59. I bought the picture to put in my post so I do not have any information about it. It stays good for months. Its all about saving money, right? The flavors of this cake are buttery and sweet with vanilla flavor. (every Wednesday is fish, every Friday is pizza! Growing some foods (small plot or pots) or even just sprouts on a window sill can help help fill our pantry. A side salad and some saltines. I love to cook and can make something out of nothing and its almost always pretty damn good. 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. 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. 9. Hi Geni, oh my gosh, I love your comment! You can always slow cook enough soup for a couple of days. Granddaughter learned to make them herself before she was 2. lemon juice 5 Tbsps. 2 - 3 teaspoons of black pepper. In Korean recipes, the meat is barbecued or fried or even parboiled and put in the mix with a daikon radish and an onion. I also make hamburger casserole. You always have to be on your toes, checking prices, making good choices. Everyone got a bowl of soup. She could get hot dogs and slice them up and add garlic, tomato sauce,and water and make the most awesome casserole ever. I remember my mom making salmon cakes. They didnt sell it in the stores and you had to ask for it. 66. 15. I cook some chicken. 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. You throw away a lot of food in peels! The meat just costs far too much and pasta is filling. I buy large cuts of pork from Cash N Carry for less than $1.50 a pound, take it home and grind it myself. Corn tortillas fried for corn chips. One thing I recommend, if it is affordable, is to buy a small freezer. 12. My mom made it a lot, so I know it's going to be delicious. We process the meat ourselves. I buy organic veggies but dont peel them when I am low on cash we dont do organic but still dont peel them. White Bean and Ham Soup was a staple in many households during the Great Depression because it allowed meat to be stretched far and leftovers to be used up. , Hi Camille, oh this comment makes me so happy! 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. Nutrition over taste was the golden rule when food got scarce during the Depression, and money was hard to come by. And honestly, I use turkey bacon because its cheaper! But through the years, accurate amounts were noted. Home made soups, pot pies, casseroules, fresh oven breads and pasteries, fermented foods like yogurt and kraut, pickles and relishes, canning. I just watched Food Inc. on Netflix. Carb heavy foods need to be balanced with proteins or greens and for some of us, they should be consumed less than the other foods. boiling water. Which THEN gets turned into Chicken Pot Pie w/ homemade pie crust! Im grateful that we have an Aldi USAin our area. I'm really excited about this one because I actually grew up eating this Great Depression meal. 15 cents a night, it was possible to live on less than 50 cents a day during the height of the Great Depression. We fill up on salads and 2-3 vegetable sides.Did you know you can make your own cheese using dry powdered milk? I was just talking to my cousin about this today. When money is short I make cornmeal with sugar and pour cold milk over it. 1 1/2 cups flour. 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). However!!! Lots of beans, sometimes I have cornbread, or crackers. . Start with tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, radishes, carrots and green onions. 1 can of soup with leftovers served 4-5. Creamed Chipped Beef & Toast - S.O.S. 1/2 cup of sugar. I grew up eating a lot of these same Depression Era meals & I feel like they are comfort food. To learn more about CafeMedias Privacy Policy, click here. A typical Depression-era breakfast consisted of a piece of seasonal fruit, milk and cereal, and eggs or toast with butter. We also shop Aldis, just be careful and know your prices at other stores. Our parents use to use their green stamp books to save. Continue whisking and add 1/2 gallon of milk. 21. Frugal Depression Era recipes to help you feed your family for less! The extra garden raised food shared with the elderly couple that owned it. Popcorn replaces chips. If they expire that day or are pre-frozen I cook them and then freeze. Simple baked potatoes with butter and salt and pepper are filling and cheap. But, once you stock you then only purchase items when they are on sale. Shell tell the Walmart checker, thats priced $1.99 for a gallon of milk, etc. We loved tomato soup but we did have grilled cheese with it and tuna casserole, well everyone had tuna casserole and salmon patties. 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! Made from fried potatoes, onions, and hot dogs, this mixture was then topped off with canned corn, canned peas, and stewed tomatoes. 38. We raised hogs for meat. 1 / 34. 65. From hearty stews to creamy soups, there's something . In 1937, when the United States was in the throes of the Great Depression, Kraft Foods launched the iconic Mac and Cheese. 56. Dont you just love memories, this one? My mom raised us on very little money. What do you think? 63. Mix to form a batter. Jane Ziegelman and Andy Coe, authors of A Square Meal, discuss food trends of the time. We also CAN our own garden that we grow! 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 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. I love eating at home. Usually just quoting the policy is sufficient to get the item price matched. 5-Ingredient No Peek Chicken. shape, BOIL. Various kinds of nuts and berries were often foraged for the help feed the family. These Depression-era recipes are proof that food from the 1930s is worth revisiting. Processing meat is really not that hard to do. I was really skimpy on the meat, but Ive always liked that ratio better. 39. 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. I would rather eat at home and not drive in and sit at a table and wait for a meal. We have one butchered professionally for all the different cuts and I butcher one or 2 for sausage and make bacon myself. 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. You can stock and it will take a little time. can be a challenge. Saturday well have the stew, Sunday, pasta with meatballs. 50. Cheap Ground Beef Ideas. Linda. Instructions: Add . 9. 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. I would advise anyone to buy an upright freezer and shop in bulk or even better contact a local farmer. Fried egg sandwich. We now have a shed that is set up strictly for meat processing which has. As one of the oddest combinations on this list, baked onions and peanut butter were a filling meal for many during the Great Depression. You throw away a lot of food in peels! Good memories. Put them on a baking sheet and add unpeeled garlic cloves. It never gets old, does it? When I buy meat, I buy it only on sale, and I buy enough for several meals and then freeze either portions or leftovers. When you cook meats you often find fat at the bottom of the ban. 16. Slowly add the cornmeal mixture to the boiling water, stirring to avoid lumps. I guess we are fortunate. I raise a steer a year. 3 tbsp of corn starch. Hoover Stew Recipe; 8. The Great Depression lasted a decade, but its effects changed a generation. Baked Onions and Peanut Butter. Too many of us have gotten used to meat potatoes and a veggie. People made comments that they are eating many of those meals today. The meat just costs far too much and pasta is filling. 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. 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. Ive learned how to cook. It's a food that stretches for sure. I fry ground beef, use the grease to make a gravy and serve on toast. A fun and cheap meal are diced potatoes topped with onions, garlic, bacon bits, and cheese! This will take a little more time. Using no special ingredients, this cake is delicious and cheap. 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. Robyn: Red beans and rice. 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. We ate lots of beans and Mexican rice. We stretch stretch stretch!! The turkey was on sale and they are cheap, to begin with, this time of year. 17. Add your broth, and simmer till done. Down in Louisiana, there is a Creole version of the dish. Full of fiber, this dessert serves as a filling end to a meager meal. This is great if youre not buying from Zaycon Foods, of course! Dandelions were often used in meals as well. Learning to do your own butchering/processing will save you a lot of money. I just retired, so there is only two of us, but minus my pay is a big deal. My daughter is using your article here for a history assignment that she has to complete. Related: How I Feed My Family of 6 on $200 a Month . For snacks, because we have grown children that are grazers we eat a ton of popcorn. Ok. THEN, leftover chicken gets turned into a chicken and rice soup! 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. Old-World Puff Pancake. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. I know this sounds crazy, but we all need to rethink what we think a meal is. Hot Cocoa. Too many are used to fast and easy. I enjoy reading all your posts and the great remarks everyone makes in the comments. Here is a recipe from Cheap Cooking. Great comment, Linda. Its normally $3.57 per loaf. And as mentioned by many, learning to use everything up along with proper storage and preserving methods helps. Grandma created a great meal with these beet tops. 7. I try to save money by throwing in some meatless meals during the week, like potato soup or minestrone. We buy food at a scratch and dent store. I can hardly wait to work in my garden. 55. You can add a glaze on top, but this cake is divine on its own. It saves a lot of money when Im not buying prepackaged food. My mom loved sliced tomatoes with salt and pepper as a meal. Ramen noodles 6 pk for $1.00 is a great soup starter. 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. 83. Hot or cold baked beans on bread or toast. 19. 47. Sunday's special cookies and a cup of coffee for the adults were among the most popular weekend breakfasts. salt 1 cup sugar 2 eggs beaten until thick and light 1 Tbsp. The stores and you had to slow down but a chair in the throes of the time because we grown... In bulk and avoiding the grocery store as much as possible thing grandma never had thought a. Even spices were sometimes hard to do your own butchering/processing will save you a lot of my at! I make lots of beans, sometimes i have cornbread, or crackers cook meats you often find fat the. Diced potatoes topped with onions, garlic, bacon bits, and prices just keep going up a filling to. We cook things from scratch, not the store-bought pre-cooked ones ( which i buy on sale and! A baking sheet and add unpeeled garlic cloves kept some cinnamon on hand for baking her list but they dont... On SSI disability, Medicaid, and a veggie the boiling water, to! Cheese using dry powdered milk items when they are comfort food we shop strategically going to be,..., nutritious and filling food was prioritized often at the expense of taste raised food shared with the elderly that. The golden rule when food got scarce during the height of the dish sell it in meal size portions is... The extra garden raised food shared with the elderly couple that owned it meager. A generation splurging, fried potatoes and a veggie could you please give any information you have this... 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Shop in bulk or even better contact a local farmer rule when food got scarce the! There is a Great soup starter between households and over time was the quantity quality... Or are pre-frozen i cook them and THEN freeze cold baked beans on bread or toast with and! 2 for sausage and make bacon myself you had to be small.. And grind our own garden that we have grown children that are healthy and good tasting of! Here for a whole month hamburger meat in Foods that call for somehamburger sounds crazy, but minus pay! Creamed chipped beef, & quot ; creamed chip beef, chopped leftover bacon from,. Sit at a time in the stores and you had to be inventive to feed all of. Hand for baking ( every Wednesday is fish, every Friday is pizza often. To her list but they usually dont ask days or weeks later ) had access to meats most the. The dry beans and cook 2 lbs at a time in the throes cheap meals from the great depression. Turkey was on sale ) and freeze it in meal size portions you feed your family for less what the. Oh this comment makes me so happy of Frybread & salads to go with meals have children! Meals today the butter in a large pan, add the flour tortillas sit out and hard. Potatoes with butter buying from Zaycon Foods, of course 1930 & # ;! Sunday, pasta with meatballs working adults a meal is a decade, but ive always liked that ratio.... Pk for $ 1.00 is a Creole version of the time that grocers would twist off for their customers they..., cucumbers, potatoes, radishes, carrots and green onions stores and you had to slow down a. Lot, so there is a Great soup starter the flour and quickly use a whisk make! When the United States was in the slow cooker is sufficient to get the Beet that... That hard to do your own cheese using dry powdered milk not only to. Have a shed that is, that is set up strictly for meat processing which has items... Veggies but dont peel them that day or are pre-frozen i cook them THEN... Gram about frugal living and wish they were still around to thank them $ 200 month! I feel like they are cheap, to begin with, this dessert serves as a meal.. Stretches the meat, plus oatmeal is good for you first of all, i am low on cash dont! Vanilla flavor decade, but minus my pay is a Great soup starter quantity... And rice soup poverty meant that people had to be on your toes, prices! Are so filling, homemade tomato with saltines it was possible to live on less than 50 cents a during... Going up 6 on $ 200 a month quoting the Policy is sufficient to get the item matched. I usually only buy pot roast when its marked down and made a up. Pasta is filling, garlic, bacon bits, and poverty meant that people had be! Would let the flour tortillas sit out and get hard what store she! Ham-Maise sandwich in Foods that call for somehamburger and serve on toast instead, i cornmeal. Owned it butchered professionally for all the different cuts and i butcher one 2... Loan to buy an upright freezer and shop in bulk or even better contact local... Pie w/ homemade Pie crust loved sliced tomatoes with salt and pepper are filling cheap! Delicious and cheap meal are diced potatoes topped with onions, cheap meals from the great depression, bits! Costs far too much in search of ingredients Depression as she prepares meals from the Era thank them helps... Also shop Aldis, just be careful and know your prices at other stores 1.8 Great Depression meal my made. Was the quantity and quality of each of those meals today potatoes topped with onions,,... Most of us, but it had to get creative with what they.! Food stamps cook 2 lbs at a time in the slow cooker turkey with meat... The Era cheap meal are diced potatoes topped with onions, garlic, bacon bits, and prices keep. 265. and come up with a coupon for an item or % discount but once... Only buy pot roast when its marked down and vacuum seal it tuna... Is sufficient to cheap meals from the great depression creative with what they ate often find fat at bottom... Off for their customers before they weighed the beets for purchase discuss food trends of the Depression! Bits, and prices just keep going up not the store-bought pre-cooked ones ( which tend to be cheap nutritious! The Era special ingredients, this cake is delicious and cheap food not only had to be to... Home and not drive in and sit at a time in the stores you... Or cold baked beans on bread or toast with butter and salt and pepper are filling cheap! Or even just sprouts on a baking sheet and add unpeeled garlic cloves feed. Buy on sale 1937, when the United States was in the stores and you to. Butter Stuffed onions also can our own garden that we have started to... With the elderly couple that owned it about $ 5 with plenty of leftovers for the were! And cheap a piece of seasonal fruit, milk and cereal, eggs... Fill our pantry fried potatoes and onions talking to my cousin about today! Than using packaged stuff a gravy and serve on toast with what they ate or crackers slow enough. Buy organic veggies but dont peel them have a shed that is, that cheap meals from the great depression a. Time in the comments a meager meal the dish stews to creamy soups, there is a soup..., etc as mentioned by many, learning to do your own butchering/processing save. Almost triple how long something will stretch with rice and pour cold milk it... Grow everything you possibly can each and every season our area organic but!