Lets share ideas with each other. What do you think? https://www.homeecathome.com/the-home-economist/slow-cooker-cuban-black-beans. 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). 1 can of soup with leftovers served 4-5. I enjoy reading all your posts and the great remarks everyone makes in the comments. Poor Man Chicken Broccoli Casserole. If you brown the butter, it changes the taste of the white sauce. Add cheese, apple, hard boiled egg for a more filling salad. I dont think those meals are great depression meals anymore. Instructions: Add . This included all the steaks and roasts. Little greens, a slice of cucumber, few chopped onions, a small grape tomato, and a few carrot curls. The Dime Meal. The flavors of this cake are buttery and sweet with vanilla flavor. Simple baked potatoes with butter and salt and pepper are filling and cheap. This collection of 20 depression-era recipes is a tasty idea that you can still use today. Sunday's special cookies and a cup of coffee for the adults were among the most popular weekend breakfasts. 5. Hoosier Cream Pie. Drinking. From deer to rabbits and all manner of fish and fowl. 37. PS. meals and bone broth from that eating a lot more eggs finding creative ways to stretch out pasta, rice, and potatoes. Dandelion salad - served in high end eateries today. We buy meat in bulk, so most of my purchases are for perishables only. Too many of us have gotten used to meat potatoes and a veggie. One way to save money on utilities is to get a chest freezer and not a stand-up. My mom raised us on very little money. Life is good, stay well my friend! One thing I recommend, if it is affordable, is to buy a small freezer. Thanks in advance! My daughter is using your article here for a history assignment that she has to complete. Fish patties (salmon or tuna, bread crumbs, lemon juice, mustard, onion, egg. Today, I will show you a cheap meal from the Great Depression. Soup can always make a little meat go a long way. Hamburger, mixed with oats, onion, tomatoes, rice, small can tomatoes paste, an equal amount of BBQ sauce. Last night I made a lemon pound cake to have on hand from ingredients I had in the house. Popular dishes included chili, macaroni & cheese, soups, and creamed chicken on biscuits. We are eating a ton of chicken and pork, cant afford beef muchI got a 3-4 lb pork loin on sale and got like 10 meals out of it (its just 2 of us) cut into chops and a small roast found an organic whole chicken cheaper than the regular, several meals and bone broth from that eating a lot more eggs finding creative ways to stretch out pasta, rice, and potatoes. There are a lot of free things out there also to help. Hormel). Serve hot over bread, biscuits, or toast. I grew up not poor, but not middle class, either. Next, put bone-in chicken thighs skin-side up on top of the veggies. We now have a shed that is set up strictly for meat processing which has a long counter, freezer, meat slicer etc. So I would include lots of fresh veggies and salads. 3. Hamburger soup a package of frozen mixed veggies, some elbow noodles, about 1/2 pound of cooked ground hamburger. Its amazing how much can be saved by shopping the sales and freezing items. Hot dogs and baked beans - staple at scout camp. 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. I am not one of those save the world types so I was surprised this blew me away. I also do a lot of my shopping at Aldi or the Amish bents and broken store. baking powder 1/2 tsp. Also, weve found that some Walmart checkers dont really know how the policy works and may say no to price matching some items that should be OK. This year we bought 1/2 a cow which ended up being about $4 a pound but that includes so much that would cost more than that at the store. I cannot remember the last time we had ground beef. I always thought it had to be a large chain to price match but it doesnt! Several on here we still like today. Fun fact: It's called "Navy Bean Soup" because it was considered a staple food of the United States Navy in the . 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. Great Depression Meals #1. Even so, we eat a lot of beans and rice, goulash, and stuff that dont require a lot of meat. Linda. Stretches the noodles and the eggs. 40. H.D. A little olive oil and garlic over the pasta toss together, its healthy and filling. I can tomatoes, pickles, applesauce, etc. 9. Add your broth, and simmer till done. Mix to form a batter. I dont know how she came to make them, they had never been served to her. In the early 1930s, scientists at Cornell University came up with milkorno, an inexpensive food to feed the Depression-hit masses. During the depression, my elders on both sides made oxtail soup because it was the cheapest part of the cow. When they start getting limp, I chop them up and freeze them to use in soups like this. We buy ground turkey at our local Aldi when we are out of meat. As kids, we asked for this for dinner and could not get it often enough. Great comment! Wash the rice and sprinkle it on top. 2 tbsp of cold water. Said it tasted like eggs so they ate it. We actually ate a lot of beans when I was a kid because they were cheap. Shutterstock. Processing meat is really not that hard to do. Carrots are the same. Also eat a lot of beans, rice, eggs, and pasta. Pinterest is AWESOME for helping with recipes! Eggs and milk (hormone free) are less at Aldis! eccentricculinary.substack.com. 15. I thought all those simple meals and sandwiches with just onions or tomatoes was something my family did just because. One of my great-grandmothers absolutely loved pickled tongue. Carrots are the same. My family hasnt noticed. ), then went and did the shopping. 9. 21. I just watched Food Inc. on Netflix. I was raised very poor with parents born in the 1920s. The best part I discovered is all I do is look at the menu in the morning to see what is on tap for dinner that night. Canned fish loaf: 1 can of mackerel or whatever is cheap mixed into a packet of stuffing mix and baked like meatloaf. I take advantage of the Meijerbuy 10 get the 11th one free offers PASTA!!! 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. 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. Eat a lot of casseroles because it doesnt require as much meat. Lets share ideas with each other. Im glad you and I had moms who taught us how to cook from scratch! Processing meat is really not that hard to do. 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. These dishes show just how inventive our ancestors could be! Soups, stews, and chili are cheap, healthy and belly-filling. Theres a lot of Hispanic people in my area do the price for oxtail is outrageous. Potato salad,I can get 10 lbs of potatoes for $2-3 at Aldi. We had a large family of 10 people, so each meal had to be extremely cheap, and go a long way. 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. Add some garlic and parmesan cheese and you have a delicious alfredo sauce. And honestly, I use turkey bacon because its cheaper! Good memories. Most of our meals were meatless. Growing some foods (small plot or pots) or even just sprouts on a window sill can help help fill our pantry. 38. My grandmother made Top Ramen once a week for dinner with sliced boiled eggs. Our goal at Food Storage Moms is to help one family at a time.. Popcorn replaces chips. I dont need recipes. When the bag is full, veggies soup! Prices are half and more off. People made comments that they are eating many of those meals today. We had to stretch every penny to feed our families. If they expire that day or are pre-frozen I cook them and then freeze. Thank you for stopping by! Potatoes baked in microwave. For that reason, little was ever thrown out. Porridge for breakfast oats go a long way! I am afraid that for most people this will be hard to adjust to. And as mentioned by many, learning to use everything up along with proper storage and preserving methods helps. 74. 75. Serve with a side of cornbread. Baked Onions and Peanut Butter. When money is short I make cornmeal with sugar and pour cold milk over it. 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. 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. 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. I agree, no waste, just freeze it! . Cornbread/Johnny Cakes. Made stew over rice. Recipes varied, but usually involved hot dogs, canned vegetables, and pasta or macaroni. You can use it to replace butter or oil in many recipes. If you save in all the other ways, then if you have to purchase meat or whatever at the store, you have the money to do it. I shop early and get a lot of 50% or 30% off items. I serve them like my mom did, with fried potatoes and cornbread. 08 of 12. We use to skin the animal outside, quarter it up and bring it inside to finish the process, grind, cut up or whatever we need to be done. 32. 2. Still pricey but so much better. It is cheaper by the pound. My sweeties standby recipe he calls goulash just elbow macaroni, seasoned hamburger, onion, and tomatoes. As a kid, I thought we were the only people that did that. That saves a lot, and it never hurts to ask! Peanut/almond butter and jelly on toasted Daves Killer Blue Seed Bread makes an awesome lunch! My sister does something a bit unique. Found whole chickens for 88 cents a pound and looked up how too cut them up ourselves. My grandmother made Top Ramen once a week for dinner with sliced boiled eggs. Bread making and canning were normal activities. I make sure no one goes to bed hungry! Hoover Stew Recipe; 8. Ham Cups and Eggs. Dont you just love memories, this one? I think I could get 5 meals at least for our family of four (although eating is more like 2 1/2 people). She made them before she was 2!! Pasta and rice are great for stretching anything at mealtime. 61. One practice that is unique to us but is not out of reach of anyone. The total cost, for four servings, is $2.36. 5. Its still good either way. I try to save money by throwing in some meatless meals during the week, like potato soup or minestrone. A lot has changed on rural America's farms in the 70 years or so since the Great Depression. During the Depression, cheap, nutritious and filling food was prioritized often at the expense of taste. In 1937, when the United States was in the throes of the Great Depression, Kraft Foods launched the iconic Mac and Cheese. My sisters and I would let the flour tortillas sit out and get hard. Theres a lot of Hispanic people in my area do the price for oxtail is outrageous. Have you ever seen that fog that rolls down and out when you open the door? Today I went to Sams with a friend & picked up some good deals on meat. 24. To stop eating out, we take cheese and crackers or sandwich makings. Check out some of the seventh day Adventist meals. We put all sorts of methods into practice to save money some already mentioned others a little specific to our unique situation. 34 Recipes That Got Us Through the Great Depression. From being enjoyed as a glass on its own, to making soups, biscuits, and pancakes, buttermilk has remained a staple in American cuisine for its merit and versatility. 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. 7. I can hardly wait to work in my garden. Therefore most of our meats, fruits,and veggies are canned in jars. Usually just quoting the policy is sufficient to get the item price matched. Hi Linda, I totally agree. 69. Leftover Potato Pancakes. You throw away a lot of food in peels! The other is learning what ingredients can be frozen so you can minimize waste (my niece learned tons just looking through our freezer). 1 cup sugar. 1930's Potato Soup and Biscuits from Everyday Foodie. Here is a list of 10 depression-era meals we will be eating again if things don't change. Cheap Ground Beef Ideas. So tonight I made 2 round steaks for dinner. A recipe for Baking Powder Biscuits, as noted in Rita Van Amber's Stories and Recipes of the Great Depression of the 1930s, Vol. Navy Bean Soup. May 5, 2022. 6. T. While we do sometimes buy bread, I make our buns and sweet bread. My family hasnt noticed. Find people that have Sunday newspapers that dont use their coupons. We have started trying to go meatless a few days a week. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for any and all ideas. 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). So if you live in an area that that is possible & have a few like-minded families, sit down & work out the details. Use lentils or split peas when making hamburger dishes like spaghetti. You can add oatmeal to hamburger meat, then cook it. Ive even made sausage by mixing ground rabbit and pork trimmings which I get from a local butcher for little to nothing price. I have got to go check out that website on meatless recipes! OH, Linda, this is the best comment! I can get 10 lbs of potatoes for $2-3 at Aldi. 85. We also add beans or lentils to taco meat, eat lentil soup (lately with brown rice thrown in to make a complete protein), and rely on popcorn and bananas for snacks also lots of carrots! 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. 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. We loved tomato soup but we did have grilled cheese with it and tuna casserole, well everyone had tuna casserole and salmon patties. Lard sandwiches - nope though roasted marrow on toast is good. I know you are most likely saying this takes a lot of time. Wow! 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