And just like that her life ended, my darling Mum who deserved so many more years than she got. I thought she’d live forever until she didn’t. I cannot describe the pain and the grief, it seems worse now than when she died on April the 12th.

Dads desperate phone-call on March 31st changed our lives forever. I got to their house before the ambulance. Mum had collapsed on the bathroom floor and all we could do was sit with her until the medical professionals took over. Seeing my Mum lying there, and my Dad so worried broke my heart twice. This is NOT how things should end for such a selfless and loving human being.

After 12 days in hospital where my Dad and I did all we could to be positive around Mum, willing her to recover, she died. She went. She could no longer could hear us and see us and her warmth dissipated forever….

I can’t bear the pain in my heart for them. I’ve always been so stoic, so able to get through the worst of times (and we’ve had a few of those) but I feel myself teetering and choking on a precipice of a dark, bottomless, cavern of grief and disbelief that my gentle mother no longer lives. In my mind she was immortal…

BUT I learned many life lessons from my parents over the past 60 years, and one of them was “persevering” and “getting on with it”. I know I won’t fall into that bottomless cavern as those life lessons have provided a strong safety harness for coping (so please don’t worry) but I won’t deny after several weeks I’m not nearly as strong as I thought I was.

Mum, I think of you every day and feel your spirit around me. I see your smile.

Your loving daughter, Carolyn xxx

---

I read this at Mum’s funeral:

Thank you all for being here today, and for coming to remember and celebrate my mum, Martha Mary Hyland.

My mum was a truly special person—kind, strong, and endlessly thoughtful. She was the sort of person who always put others first, who never looked for fault, and who chose, again and again, to see the good in people and in life. There was a quiet strength in her, and a gentleness that made you feel safe just being near her.

She found joy in the simple things. She never wanted a fuss or anything extravagant—she was happiest in the everyday moments. Spending time with my dad, finding little treasures at car boot sales and charity shops, and uncovering the history behind a beautiful piece of jewellery or Royal Worcester china. She had such a love for those small discoveries, and such delight in a good bargain.

She also loved her time watching programmes like Bargain Hunt, especially when David Dickinson was on. Those moments, simple as they were, were part of her happiness.

Mum loved nature and animals deeply. She could never bear to see cruelty or suffering, and her compassion extended to every living thing. That kindness wasn’t something she tried to show—it was simply who she was.

To me, my mum meant everything. I loved her more than I can ever truly put into words. And if I could say one thing now, it would be that I wish I had told her that more often.

There’s a line by George Eliot that feels especially fitting:

“I think I can never lose the precious memory of my mother’s face… it seems to me like one of those calm, still faces that one sees in the moonlight, with a quiet light upon it that cannot change.”

Mum was also the most loving grandmother. From the moment her grandchildren were born, she adored them completely. Her love was gentle, constant, and unconditional, and it will stay with them always.

And of course, there was my dad—Hugh. The love of her life. They were truly inseparable, joined at the hip, and theirs was a love that lasted over 65 years. A love that many people spend a lifetime hoping to find. Never a truer love was there.

Mum, we know you always kept your eye on Dad… and we promise we’ll try to do the same.

Mum gave so much to everyone around her—her time, her care, her patience, her love. She never asked for recognition. She simply gave, quietly and selflessly, because that was her nature.

And that is how we will remember her.

In the kindness she showed so freely.
In the quiet strength she carried so gracefully.
In the small, simple joys she treasured—the things that so often mean the most.

We will find her in those moments…
In a hidden treasure discovered where we least expect it,
In the beauty of nature she loved so much,
In the warmth of family, and in the love she leaves behind

I’ll carry you with me…
in the little things, in the love you gave,
and in everything you taught me.

We’ll look after Dad, like you always did.
And we’ll keep you close, always.

Goodbye, Mum.
You will always be in our hearts.

Slán leat, a Mham.
Beidh tú i gcónaí inár gcroíthe.

Here’s another wartime recipe I created in April! These “Oatcakes” from the “Good Fare – A Book of Wartime Recipes” created by “The Daily Telegraph” newspaper were easy and quick to make and tasty too! Personally, next time I make then I will use 1/2 fine and 1/2 medium oatmeal as they were very crumbly!

Ingredients for Oatcakes

• 1/2 lb medium oatmeal
• 2oz fat (I used hard margarine)
• Pinch bicarbonate of soda
• Pinch of salt
• Hot water for mixing

Method

Mix dry ingredients together. Mix fat with a little hot water, add gradually to dry ingredients to make a pliable dough. Knead, and roll out thinly on a board well covered with oatmeal. Cut in rounds, bake in moderate oven (180) for about 30 minutes.

Much love, C xxxx

Talk about comfort food! Whether you choose meat from your ration or decide to use lentils or a plant-based mince to make a modern veggie version, this will give you mouthfuls of nostalgia galore as it takes you back in time to grandma’s cooking when no one cared about hard and/or saturated fats and lard. You used what you had, loved the taste and burned off the calories as you were always out playing in-between meals!

I personally made the dish above with a plant-based mince and made the suet pastry with vegan suet and the pastry was simply wonderful! I’ve also made this pie/pudding with lentils with some small pieces of potato mixed in and a thick, rich gravy and this was so delicious! I’ve also fed this to my Dad and he loved it too! Remember this is that same man who was born 1.5 years before the war began and who has said to me “I hope your book is a success but why would people want to eat wartime food again, it was horrible!”…. I of course laughed and he was quite right in many respects BUT nostalgia and curiosity run strong through the human psyche and then there are some of us who also want to keep a bit of history alive for future generations. Dad’s been eating a fair few wartime recipes over the past several weeks, he really enjoys them but he just doesn’t know that these are actual recipes from the 1940s…..shhhhh, don’t tell him!

Much love to you all, especially my Dad who has no idea I write a blog! Haha! – C xxxx

Ingredients for Baked Mince Pudding with Suet Pastry

• 1lb cooked minced beef (or plant-based mince or lentils for veggie alternative)
• 2 large tomatoes 
• 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce (or 2 teaspoons of Marmite for veggie alternative)
• 1 tablespoon of finely chopped onion or shallots (add lots more if you have or you can also use finely chopped leeks)
• Gravy, stock or water to moisten
• Suet pastry
• Salt and Pepper and Mixed Herbs

Method:

Slice the tomatoes, add these, seasonings, onions and the sauce (or Marmite) to the meat. Add in the water, or stock and simmer the mixture until tomatoes and onions are cooked, adjust seasoning and thicken the mixture with Bisto powder (mixed to a paste). Add to a pie dish, top with suet pastry and bake at 180-200c until the pastry is golden brown. Tip: use a wash over the raw pastry before baking to add a glossy and more golden brown pastry. Egg is best, it only uses a tiny bit and you can use the rest of the egg in another recipe. 

Tastes wonderful and serves 6

Suet Pastry Recipe

• 200g self-raising flour (or plain flour with 1 tsp baking powder)
• 100g shredded suet (beef or vegetarian/vegan)
• Pinch of salt
• 100ml – 120ml cold water

Method:

Sift flour and salt and add in shredded suet and mix together. Add in cold water and mix together using a cool metal spoon or knife to keep the pastry cool. Roll out to 1cm thick and add to top of pudding/pie dish above.

I made these back in April and quite frankly, I lived on them for a couple of days as I just couldn’t be doing with making meals as I was back and forth to the hospital every day with Dad to visit Mum. These scones were delicious and saw me through some worrying and emotional days. They were like a little comforting sunshine, you know the type, when there is a break in the storm clouds and momentarily, the sun breaks through with it’s warming rays and you stop for a moment and drink it all in….

Oh how I wished Mum could have tasted them… Dad enjoyed them though. I promised Mum we’d look after him. Dad is very independent though and I love that about him, they both had/have a determined spirit. The past couple of month’s have seen myself and my Dad find some common ground. Dad has excepted some help and I have accepted Dad’s independence.

I still cry everyday for my Mum (and my Dad) and I accept this grief for what it is….love.

I picked Dad up this morning and drove us over to the big ASDA at the Orbital in Swindon. Dad had his shopping list written on the back of a cornflakes packet (he also tears off the printed side so he can use both sides) and as his trolley filled I could see his appetite was returning and I can tell you now that was such a relief.

When we returned to Dad’s house we put the shopping away and I spent a moment placing my hand on Mum’s urn and shared a few words “it’s OK Mum, Dad is doing OK but we both miss you. We love you….”

Life goes on for us both, we are not afraid to cry a little in front of each other.

Much love, C xxxx

Recipe from Meadowhead School via Marguerite Patten. https://www.meadowhead.sheffield.sch.uk/news/?pid=934&nid=22&storyid=311

Ingredients for Wartime Carrot and Sultana Scones

• 12 tbsp self-raising flour (130g) and 1 teaspoon baking powder – sifted together
• 2 tbsp softened butter or margarine (40g)
• 4 tbsp sugar (60g)
• 8 tbsp grated carrot (1 large carrot or 2 smaller ones)
• 3 tablespoons sultanas, or other dried fruit, would also work (50g)
• A few drops of vanilla flavouring (essence)

Method

• Pre-heat oven to gas mark 5 / 190°C. Grease a baking tray.
• Beat the sugar and butter with a wooden spoon until they are light & creamed.
• Add in the grated carrot, a bit at a time. It will not look like the prettiest thing in the world – but stick with it.
• Add the dried fruit and mix.
• Add in the vanilla.
• Slowly add the sifted flour. The more you beat, the more moisture the carrots will release to bind the mixture together. Your dough should now be stuck together and feel slightly sticky. This isn’t the type of scone dough we are used to where we roll it out and shape using cutters; they will be rustic-looking. If it is too runny add extra flour.
• Take small amounts of the dough and roll the desired amount between your hands to make a ball. It will make around 6 decent-sized scones.
• Place on a baking tray, flatten slightly and sprinkle with a little sugar (optional).
• Cook in the centre of the oven for about 15-18 mins, until firm on top & at the sides.
• Enjoy warm or cold.

Still on catch-up, lots of recent recipes to upload and I will admit I am struggling to move myself back into the productive mindset that I so desperately need to achieve to survive giving my job up on January 1st this year to achieve my dream of writing a book and trying to support myself instead of returning to the corporate world of marketing.

I’m grateful, so so grateful for the support from people via my Facebook & YouTube memberships (and tips from Kofi) which add a couple of hundred pounds to my monthly coffers (can you believe that! I think it is amazing that one can earn money by doing what one loves!!!) and between monetization on Facebook and YouTube from content we add another £100 per month. Of course this all depends on actually creating content hence me trying to move forward into the productive mindset again. I REALLY REALLY needed to take time for myself when Mum was ill and after she passed so in many ways I am grateful that I no longer had a job working for someone else as this helped me tremendously during this time.

This morning I’ve booked myself into a local co-working space to help me a) focus on working b) get me out of the house so I see other humans and am in a different environment. The space has an adjustable office desk, two monitors and as much coffee and tea as I want so for £15 for 4 hours I can’t complain. It certainly helps at the moment, once every week or two, to kickstart consistency and productivity.

But lets get back to cooking and baking 1940s style! I’m still mostly snacking with the occasional stew or vegetably dinner my daughter makes me but am working my way back to my 3-4 meals per day. My appetite still isn’t great but that doesn’t mean I’m losing weight as one has to remember that I have always eaten whether I am hungry or not so sandwich snacks or homemade oatcakes definitely keep the calories up and give me some comfort. Saying that, I would like to return to proper meals and weight loss soon, working on it!

Carrot pancakes are easy to make, quite dense, and as with most foods I re-create, perfectly acceptable and certainly not something to turn your nose up at when you are living on rations or trying to make ends meet!

I love trying out recipes from wartime recipe books regardless of what the outcome is!

Thank you again for all your support and to Dawn, Kate and Holly at our Facebook group (who haven’t seen me around for ages – thank you xxx)…. please pop along and say hello to them and to the other 17K members!

Carrot Pancakes Ingredients

4 tablespoons of flour
3 tablespons finely grated carrot
tsp of sugar and pinch of salt
milk to bind
fat to fry

Method

Mix the flour with the salt and sugar and add the milk to make a nice thick batter. Add in the grated carrot and mix. Heat the fat until smoking hot in the pan then lower the heat a little. Pour in 1/2 of the mixture to make a medium-sized pancake. Cook until browned and then turn over and repeat. Serve with sugar, jam, golden syrup or lemon juice (if available!)

Makes a couple of pancakes!

Dear all, the past 6 weeks I’ve mostly been snacking (on mostly 1940s foods) as quite honestly it’s been difficult to have an appetite for a proper meal. Worry and grief does that to you and these past 6 weeks have been the worst of my life since Mum had a massive brain bleed, ending up in hospital for weeks before sadly passing over. I can’t even begin to describe how I feel (and my poor Dad who loved her with all his heart). Some of you, I am sure, know this feeling already. I didn’t….but now I do. When I’m ready I will talk about it more.

Nevertheless, I have made some simple, supper dishes and baked goods over the past few months and am going to start adding them into my blog to add to my list of 230+ recreated wartime recipes.

This recipe was quite nice and pretty easy to make. Some people on my Facebook page commented that “there was no butter during the war” or “you never would have used butter on a scone”. All I can say is that I weigh and measure all my rations diligently and use them how I see fit and I usually save butter from my ration, 5g at a time, to place on something that is delicious, to make me smile and feel happy. Margarine is mostly for cooking and to top toast. Everyone to their own. What do you use your ration of butter for?

This recipe came from “Feeding the Nation” by Marguerite Patten.

Much love to all, C xxxx

Savoury Scones – Ingredients

• 2 oz National Flour (85% wholemeal)
• 2 oz medium oatmeal
• 1 oz shredded cheese
• ½ oz fat
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• Milk

Method: Mix dry ingredients and cheese, rub in fat and work enough milk to make a really soft dough. Flatten out on a floured board and cut into triangles, place on a greased sheet and bake in a hot oven until browned. (roughly 200C for 15-20 mins)

I’m 60 years old and I have NEVER made a blancmange in a mould. Infact, I have never, ever, owned a proper glass jelly mould until FINALLY I recently bought one off eBay!

Being such a momentous occasion in my simple little life, I wanted my first blancmange to follow an authentic wartime recipe and it HAD to be perfect! Somehow, miraculously it was! It set well, it came out from the mould in one piece and it tasted absolutely delicious!

I was so impressed with this recipe that I’m going to remake it, photograph it properly, and include it in my “Ration Book Recipes” book!

Hope you enjoy the recipe below and the short video I created so you can see it wobble!

C xxxx

Wartime Chocolate Blancmange Recipe

• 500 mls of whole milk 40g of cornflour/starch (I used Birds Custard Powder)
• 3 tbsp of caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder (adjust depending how chocolatey you like it)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
• Small pinch of salt
• (If you use Birds Custard Powder you do not need the vanilla essence or salt)

Method

In a small bowl mix 100 mls of the milk with the cornflour and cocoa powder stirring until all lumps are dissolved and the paste is nice and smooth

Place milk and sugar and vanilla essence and salt in a saucepan and heat until warm. Slowly stir in the cornflour/cocoa mixture and mix continuously incorporating into the warm milk, bringing to a light simmer. Keep stirring/whisking continuously until it thickens and there are no lumps for 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat, slowly stir for a minute off the heat and then pour into a jelly mould.

Let cool for an hour or so then put somewhere cool like a fridge until chilled and ready to serve.

It’s likely in our future, due to the Iran War, we will see prices on our shelves rise. For those of us on a limited income, stretching our pennies further and being resilient during challenging times has to be our way of life.

I’d like to share with you my basic weekly food expenses based on an adults “Weekly Standard Ration” during 1942. Living on rations helps me keep my weekly food bill to way under £20 per week and I honestly don’t feel deprived. I still manage nutritious meals and a nice dessert at the weekends too. For some people eating this way would be a nightmare (and boring) as it is honestly very basic but it’s getting me through some economically challenging times right now while I write my book!

Download the PDF to print it off here >>> https://the1940sexperiment.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ration-Book-Club.pdf

Hope you find it interesting and hopefully for some people, helpful.

Please share if you can, living better on less is something I am passionate about!

Much love, C xx

PS: My prices are based on shopping in the UK at mostly Aldi and using their own shop brand where I can.

Wartime Plum Crumbletop from the Good Eating Cook Book printed in the 1940s is absolutely delicious. Quite frankly you could get away with using less sugar but it was a super sweet hit to the palate and as I am having just one dessert per week (on a Sunday) then I wasn’t complaining!

The word “crumble” just wasn’t really widely used or recognised in 1940s cook books so I was DELIGHTED to find this readers recipe for Plum Crumbletop that validated my own personal thoughts that surely people made “crumbles” during WW2 as they were quicker and more economical as you could add oats and breadcrumbs to the mix.

Plus like me I am sure you love the word “crumbletop” – it sounds positively medieval!

Much love, C xxx

Plum Crumbletop Recipe

• 1lb ripe plums
• 1 teacup of self raising flour
• margarine the size of an egg,
• 3/4 teacupful of sugar (I used half these ingredients to make a smaller dessert)

Method

Place raw plums sliced up in a pie dish with a little water. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over, put flour in basin, rub in margarine, add rest of sugar. The dry mixture, which should look crumbly, is sprinkled evenly and thickly on top of sliced plums. Bake in moderate oven for 30 minutes. Top with custard.

Serves 4-8

I made this soup yesterday. It was delicious and filling with a hunk of bread!

I find that I’m being super frugal as I’m really getting into the “1940s Experiment” this time around. I’m 7 weeks in now and ALL my cravings have gone! I mentioned a few months ago that back in 2024 I was really struggling with my mental health in regards to my obsessive thoughts and cravings around food – the thoughts got so bad there were a few days where I honestly thought I just simply couldn’t go on (they were fleeting thoughts but they scared me). Out of desperation to make the “food noise” stop I started taking a GLP-1 medication (August 2024) and took myself off for a long weekend to the “Corrugated Cottage” near Glastonbury for a reset.

It worked. I felt it rescued me. The thoughts stopped, I lost some weight, relaxed, and it gave me room for other thoughts. After 9 months of taking the medication, I knew that no matter how grateful I was for the respite, I just couldn’t afford to take it anymore and was keen to return to normality. I slowly reduced my weekly injection to a minimal amount and came off the injections in August 2025. I had been slowly regaining weight again and that immediately leaped up a bit after coming off the medication but miraculously, the “food noise” only increased a little.

And now I’m back living on WW2 rations, I’m realising just how similar living without junk food and filling up on simple wholefoods, mimics the GLP-1 medications. It takes away the intense cravings and the preoccupation with getting one’s next FIX of junk food.

I feel like I am now back to thinking of food in a healthy way. I’m so relieved.

Carrot Cream Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 1lb carrots
• 1 onion
• 1/2 pint of vegetable stock
• pint of milk
• tablespoon of minced parsley

Method

Scrub carrots and steam until tender. Chop the onion and stew separately in a little milk. Add to the carrots and push through a sieve (or modern blender to make life easier). Add the rest of the milk and vegetable stock and stir. Heat through until hot. Just before serving, add the parsley. Use less milk and more stock if milk rations are short. Serves 3 with bread!

Cost to make soup for 3 = 95p (Aldi’s prices)