Today we have the next two pages that will remain at the top of the blog for future reference. These contain the Monthly and Bi-Monthly rationed foods I will be having.
The Monthly Rations
I am currently working through the coffee supplies that I have in my cupboard, but when these run out I will continue to buy whatever size jar is on offer and weigh my 4oz from there.
Every Two Months I will have:
Every two months I will be able to add to my ration supplies:
1 Tub of Cocoa Powder
1lb of Jam or Marmalade*
* I nearly always make my preserves in 1/2 pound size jars so this means I can usually have one of each.
As I don't drink hot chocolate and rarely bake with cocoa powder, I am going to be generous with myself and allow this to be swapped on occasion for something else ... possibly Peanut Butter.
Sue xx
Good idea about the exchanging - it's got to work for you.
ReplyDeletexx
It will also help me use up some of the things that I already have in without feeling too guilty at having so much food in the cupboards.
DeleteI was going to say the same as Joy; I reckon you are getting a good balance between the privation of historical reenactment and living comfortably.
ReplyDeleteYes, I do want this to be doable on a long-term basis. It's nice to learn all the facts and stick as closely to things as I can, but I also want to be sensible.
DeleteI am glad to see the sensible swaps you are making - this is not the 1940's and you are not here to punish yourself by not having things which are available.
ReplyDeleteProbably because I do not sweeten my drinks I thought that 8oz of sugar was a lot - will you be able to keep some of it back each week so you can make jam?
I have been having half a teaspoon in my porridge just recently so I will continue with that, the rest will be used for baking, and yes ... hopefully I can save some up for jam making.
DeleteIt's good that you can tailor it to your preferences and dietary needs. I'm sure that people swapped and exchanged things during the days of rationing, trading things as needed.
ReplyDeleteOh there was a lot of swapping with neighbours and trading items you didn't like for things you did.
DeleteI was telling husband about this last night and looking through my one and only wartime cookbook and he has agreed to do this with me !!! My weight loss has come to a halt and I am hoping this will help start it off again and the planning and researching part will give me something different to do and I do like cooking and experimenting with food , We start tomorrow ,we are doing it as veggie , he does eat meat but would rather have the extra cheese and he can have my eggs ,we have bought some cheese from a company that keeps the calves with their mum and will continue to buy that once a month and I will have my violife and I will try to buy organic veg as much as possible as I am thinking the veg back then was better quality than most of the supermarket veg today ,I will have coffee and he will have loose tea ( I usually have fruit teas but don't know how that would work ). I told Mum about it ,she was born in 1934 and remembers rationing and is looking forward to her visit for lunch next week but I refuse to give her bread and dripping with the beef jelly underneath the fat :) Thank you for the inspiration to do this at last x
ReplyDeleteI guess the vegetables and local fruits were better back then as they would not have been sprayed with quite as many chemicals and the soil would have been a lot healthier, it's vastly overused and abused these days.
DeleteI think fruit teas could be used alongside a coffee ration, I'm sure lots of country dwellers would have picked fruit leaves and made their own.
My Mum has lots of memories of the later war years, she was born in 1940. I think my Gran was very brave to have a four year old and a new baby during the war. They were bombed out of the house my Mum was born in and had to live in a huge old house afterwards, taking in lodgers so they could afford the rent. I remember the lodgers that lived there when I visited it during my childhood, they seemed very shadowy characters to a little girl dashing upstairs to the only bathroom.
I think you should offer your Mum a plate of bread and jam when she arrives ... but maybe have a nice meal waiting for her too.
Your exchanges are very reasonable, it's the part that confuses me most for myself though. I can't eat vegan cheese or many plant based meats as I have had gall stones for years and after an episode ending in a hospital overnight stay I was told not too eat any fat which includes coconut oil etc. I do eat some, as life would be difficult without it, but with care. I could exchange more beans and lentils for meat and just forego cheese I suppose. What would you suggest I swap my egg ration for? I need help! 🙄
ReplyDeleteObviously I cannot help with any sort of medical reason swaps, as I'm no expert. But what I would suggest is that if you don't eat eggs and want to swap them for something else, choose an item with similar protein levels and that you can use in some of the meals that you enjoy. Make you swaps so that they make sense to you, are mix and match type foods and obviously things that you want to eat regularly.
DeleteDoing an strict wartime ration challenge means sticking to everything rigidly and really works for some people, but being more relaxed and tailoring it to the foods that you can manage makes it much more enjoyable and achievable long term. I could have just taken 2 eggs per week as I am following the vegetarian plan this time but with 26 Linda McCartney sausages in my freezer I thought having two a week would be a good substitute.
Thank you. I think I need pen and paper and just get on with it! September 1st sounds a good target to start. I have tried a few recipes which I have enjoyed. I am sure the family are fed up with me telling them how delicious Duke's pudding is!
DeleteI think this is the point where my brain would start to melt :D....so thank you for showing us your substitutions. I'm seriously considering giving this a try...an experiment, you might say...obviously it would only be me doing it as I'm certain the family would go on strike. Even though we are very frugal with our groceries and I make most of our meals from scratch, this might be a bridge too far for them. Still, given the Times We Live In, it's worth honing these skills. *fetches pen and paper to take notes*
ReplyDeleteAh, and so now Google is allowing me to post with my account...sorry for the Anonymous!
DeleteIf your brain is melting now, wait until tomorrows post ... The Points System. :-/
DeleteGoogle and Blogger between them are driving me nuts!! Thanks for leaving your name. xx
DeleteI think you are right to do swaps as I’m sure that’s what happened in real time of rationing. Catriona
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there were lots of households that exchanged things with friends and family, anything to keep the family with fed with foods that they could cope with.
DeleteIt makes a lot of sense to swap things out, especially when using up what you have in. I'm sure lots of people did that during rationing.
ReplyDeleteI think there would have been a lot of swapsies during the war years. gather your rations in and then swap with family and friends to suit each family.
DeleteLove your idea about exchanging to suit:) Can't wait to read about the Points System and I'm hoping I can get my head around it:(
ReplyDeleteI hope you can get your head around it too ... it took me a while the first time I did rationing and I'm still learning!!
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