Food for Thought

Here it is September.  With the advent of fall also comes the cough, cold and flu season. 

When I was a little girl, there was no such thing as going to the store and buying vitamins.  And if there was, we didn't have the money to afford it.

At school, they would line us up and give each child a teaspoon full of cod liver oil.  I had to take jam with it or I couldn't swallow it. 

They (I'm not sure who they are) were also concerned that the coal miners couldn't afford to buy fruit for their children.  They were afraid that we would come down with rickets, so the school would give us tomatoes.  I soon grew to dislike the taste of tomatoes....but I ate them.

I guess it all must of worked.  We all grew up...and we were labled the world's greatest generation.

Tough Times? Chew on This!

I hope everyone had a great Labor Day.  I spent a quiet day with my grandson and his wife.  It was relaxing.

While I looking through some of my Depression-era recipes, I was in the grocery store the other day and made an observtion.  At the check out line, there it was - rows and rows of gum - breath freshners, fruit-flavored, anything and every thing.

In my day, there was no such thing as purchasing gum.  We waited in anticpation for for the road crews or construction crews to lay down a fresh coat of tar.  When it was slightly cool, we use to break off chunks of the bubbly stuff and chew it for hours.

It's not the asphalt you lay on roads today, but honest to goodness tar.  We had a free stash, as long as we didn't get caught.  Ask your parents/grandparents.  They'll tell you.  Then e-mail me, I'd love to hear their stories.

I guess old man Wrigley must have been paying attention.  He made his fortune on transitioning the tar chewing generation into the gum chewing generation.

That was back in the day when poor was poor.

Happy Labor Day - Bread Pudding

Happy Labor Day to all my fans!  As you already know, my dad was a coal miner.  On those summer days that were meant for sipping lemonade under the cool shade of a maple tree, he was in the mines helping make America strong. 

A lot of people celebrate the holidays by creating complicated desserts.  When I grew up during the depression, we had Jello...only on Sundays...only when it was cold.  Mom would put bananas, nuts, or marshmallows in the mixture.  It was our holiday dessert.

Another dessert I remember was home-made bread pudding.  I thought I would share this recipe on this Labor Day

Home-Made Bread Pudding

Take day-old bread
Cut it up and place in bowl.
In a seperate bowl, make egg custard (plenty of milk, four eggs and some sugar); blend well and pour it over the bread.
Bake at 350 degrees until top is golden brown.

Let me know how you like it!

Recipes for the new depression....

I know a lot of you are out of work.  And yes, times are tough.  But I'm here to say that you're going to make it through this.  I was a child of the depression.  I was the third of four children.  Dad worked as a coal miner at the Kimberly mines in Nelsonville, OH, during the depression.  Mom raised the four of us kids while taking in other people's laundry and ironing...and serving as a midwife.

At the age of seven, I was helping out in the kitchen.  I know a lot about putting food on the table...without spending a lot of money.  I've created this blog to share recipes...memories...ideas.  I just want to let you know that somebody is listening, somebody cares...you are not alone.  My generation made it through and so will you!  Please feel free to comment on these posts, or drop me a line via my email:  breadlinebetty@gmail.com.  I'm listening.

Now let's share some recipes:
Back in the day, beans were a staple.  Along with bread, they were an entire meal that helped fill hungry bellies.  (I would have starved to dealth if it wasn't for soup beans!)  Here are recipes for Bean Soup and Homemade Bread.

Bean Soup
1 lb of uncooked Navy Beans (cheaper than pre-cooked canned Navy Beans)
Baking Soda
Ham Hocks (or you can use Bacon)
Many cooks soak their beans over night.  However, here is a faster way:  In a large pot, place 1 pound of Navy Beans.  Cover them with water.  Add a tablespoon of baking soda.  Bring to a boil for a few minutes.  Rinse them off good.

Once the beans are rinsed, put them in a clean pot.  Fill the pot with water so that the beans are covered.  Add ham hocks or bacon.  Once the mixture starts to boild, lower the heat between a simmer and a boil.  Cook until beans and ham hocks are tender.

Home Made Bread
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
1 pkg yeast
5 cups of presifted flour

Pour water of yeast.  Add sugar, salt and oil.  Slowly stir in flour.  Mix well.  Place mixture in bowl and cover with dish cloth until mixture raises (double in size).  Knead down.  Cut mixture and place in to loaf pans.  Allow to raise.  Place in 350-degree oven.  Bruch top with oil for rich, brown crust. 

Ideal for "dipping" into soup beans!

Enjoy