By the time I got in from work last night and picked up groceries it was 7 pm. It made me think how challenging it must have been for many women on the home-front during WWII who literally became single parents overnight while their husbands went to war. Many went out to work to keep essential industry rolling, as because of the war, much of the work force had departed. Many still had children at home that needed attending and feeding too in addition.
Among the many things that living on a 1940’s ration diet has taught me is that the 1940’s working housewife really could have done with convenience food… Preparing most main meals, everyday from scratch is incredibly time consuming.
As I arrived home last night immediately my youngest hobbit requested something “QUICK” for dinner. “Mum- can I just have some noodles, they’ll only take a few minutes”… But I remained firm for once and she sat there watching me cook a ‘Wartime Cheese Pudding and Carrot & Potato Mash’… “How long will that take” she demanded…
She watched with interest as I made the cheese pudding and as the smells seeped from the stove she decided she would have-a-bit-of-everything even though she initially wasn’t keen.
Proudly (I am always proud of any new dish I try as long as it doesn’t end up looking like poo!) I served up our frugal 1940s dinner and as she started to gobble down her meal she splurted, “Mum- this is really good, you should make this again sometime!”..
This was one little victory, one little step towards my child realizing that the preparation of food with basic ingredients maybe time consuming and challenging but it is indeed possible to make something tasty and nourishing out of practically nothing….
Wartime Cheese Pudding
- 1/2 pint of milk (300 ml)
- 1 oz margarine (25 g)
- 3 slices of soft wholemeal bread
- 1 fresh egg (or reconstituted dry egg )
- 3 oz strong cheese grated (75 g)
- salt and pepper (herbs optional)
Method
- Pour milk into saucepan and add margarine until the margarine melts over medium heat. Switch off
- Add breadcrumbs, stir and allow to stand for 15 minutes
- Whisk your egg and add to mixture. Add the cheese and seasoning and stir well
- Pre-heat oven to 190 C (375 F)
- Place mixture into a greased pan or 1 pint pie dish with non- shallow sides about 6 to 7 inch diameter.
- Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and risen (it doesn’t rise much)
- Serve immediately with veggies!
Feeds 2 as main meal or 4 if served with meat and veg
PS: Are you interested in living frugally? Maybe you have a limited income and need to make ends meet? Fed up of rampant consumerism? Check out my other blog and save some pennies with me! CLICK HERE C xx
That looks yummy! I’ll have to try it.
I was just thinking of you. I found a recipe on the King Arthur flour site for mystery cake (tomato soup spice cake). It was made during the depression era and I’m sure people probably made it during wartime since it seems frugal. I’m not adding a link here because I don’t want to get snagged by the spam filter but if you go to the blog on their site, it is currently the top post.
Thanks Mimi- I’ll check that out during my break at work today (dial up is hopelessly slow here today at home this morning!!!)…. does the cake come out pink??? Interesting!!! C xx
Yum yum! One little victory turns into a bunch of big victories. Way to stick to your guns and skip the noodles! 🙂
I know but it is a constant battle- maybe I should just chuck out all the modern food and say- “you are all on 1940s rations starting from NOW- go eat your oatmeal and your hideously small square of cheese that has to last you all week….” LOL
Better not BUT I do so LOVE IT when they do eat my food and enjoy it…. each on of those is a V Day!
i love your blog, what a great concept! i love new recipes and frugal stuff is always interesting, as is weight loss, of course. i will be checking back often!
the cheese pudding looks good.
Thanks Liz!!! Must check your blog out too! What the heck would we do without blogs!! 🙂
C xx
I’ve just found this site.. and I am sooo struggling to try and keep the budget down Austerity sucks! I actually had the original cheese pudding recipe and have made it several times…. we usually cheat a bit and have it with chips and beans or carrots … I have been known to fling in some prefried bacon chunks.. or have spashed out on a gammon steak and chopped it fried it and added it to the mix before baking. It works really well in this house!
Suddenly thought of cheese pudding (why?) which my mother made when I was small (late 1940s) and googled it. You came top – what a joy! Would it be awful to make it with butter, do you think?
Hey…go for it. I did. Am not on a diet….retired and whee living it up with real butter. I also used a REAL egg…jumbo size was what I had. I know I know but there is a limit to austerity. I them made it in those 6 cupcake pans…so I could take to my hospital nurses. OH soooo good. really!! Six servings. And then the second time I made them I added a teaspoon of baking powder. They were really high and fluffy then. A great pudding with one veg on side. I added extra pepper and fresh basil to second batch.
This is a keeper….not for diet or austarity but because it TASTES GOOD.
https://polldaddy.com/js/rating/rating.jsThis reminds me of an egg casserole my family used to make, called “wedding casserole” (I have no idea why they called it that, but, to be sure, we had some the day after our wedding! Haha). The wedding casserole has bacon and sometimes sausage, though, so it’s not quite the same. I love this recipe though!! Super frugal.
My mom used to make this when I was little she was a widow with not much money I loved it and I am making it now