Wartime Wednesday: When There's No Turkey to Be Had

Wartime Wednesday: 

When There’s No Turkey to be Had

With rationing, housewives had to get creative in preparing Thanksgiving meals for their family. Unless they raised the chicken or turkey themselves, having a full bird for the holiday was not going to happen. Some cooks turned to “variety meats (e.g. liver, brains, etc.) while other went vegetarian. Another alternative is to go with a recipe that stretched their meat amounts a LOOOONG way as this recipe from Better Meals in Wartime claims to do. Easy, delicious, and affordable.

Beef Bean Hot Pot for Six

1 pound stewing beef cut into small cubes
1 cup diced celery
1 pounded dried lima beans
3 onions, sliced
1 green pepper, minced
3 tablespoons fat
2 cups canned tomatoes
1 ½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons flour

Cover lima beans with water and soak overnight. Add more water and 1 teaspoon salt. Boil for one (10 hour or until beans are beginning to soften. Save water. Fry meat and vegetables in fat for about 10 minutes. Add flour, seasonings, and tomatoes.

Place in a large, greased casserole with beans. Cover with water from beans and add as much more as necessary. Bake in a slow oven (300 degrees) for two hours.

Fried Cornmeal

1 Cup Cornmeal
½ teaspoon salt
¾ - 1 cup water
2 tablespoons oils

Mix cornmeal and salt in a bowl until combined. Add ¾ cup water and whisk to combine. Add water by the tablespoon until batter pours from a spoon but is not watery. Heat oil in skillet (cast iron works great!). Drop tablespoons of batter and cook 3-4 minutes on each side until crispy and brown.

Baked Apples

4 firm, sweet-tart apples
¼ cup brown sugar OR ¼ cup honey
1 ½ tablespoons margarine
Raisins (optional)

Wash, core, but don’t peel apples. Slice crosswise in ½ inch slices. Grease a flat backing dish. Lay the slices in the dish and sprinkle brown sugar or honey over them. Dot with bits of margarine.

Pour enough water into the dish to cover the bottom. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes until apples are tender but not mushy. Sprinkle rains over the apples and serve warm.

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The American World War II Home Front in 29 Objects

Unlike Europe the American mainland escaped physical devastation during World War II as it was not subjected to full-scale invasions. However, that didn’t mean the United States wasn’t impacted by the war. The ramifications of large economic, cultural, and societal changes forced Americans to reconsider entrenched beliefs and traditions.

Artifacts collected from across the nation tell the stories of the American people whose lives were shaped by this second “war to end all wars,” World War II.

Purchase link: https://books2read.com/u/47pLxR