You made me cry. You really did. You are beautiful. Thank you. Taking time from your day to offer support on my blog post this morning truly touched me. Your support always does but for some reason that really hit me this afternoon when I needed it. Your positive comments mean the world.

I’ve had a busy day. I visited my parents and then cleaned the house downstairs including yesterday’s washing up STILL in the sink! I also cleaned the gas hob, did the laundry, cleaned the bathroom, and then chatted with a visitor. I also gave JoJo (our remaining Guinea Pig) some love and attention before sitting down with my journal to write down this week,s menu.

Of course, during wartime Britain, after I had written my menu I would have set off early on Monday morning, with my ration book and basket, joining a queue at my local shop to pick up my rations and hope that I’d be able to get the dried or canned goods on points that I needed for my weeks planned menu. Time travel again forward to 2024, and, after writing my menu, I can simply pick up my mobile phone and place my ASDA shopping order and almost be guaranteed to get what I want and delivered, without queueing, the very next day. Quite honestly the modern way of shopping is a Godsend when you work full-time so as much as I like the thought of popping out for a stroll with my shopping basket and a gossip with Mrs. Bridges at number 24, Asda online saves me so much time.

What am I eating this week and what did I buy on points?

I have plenty of staples in my cupboard such as porridge oats and bread. I also still have lots of pulses but nevertheless used some of my points to order 1 lbs of yellow split peas (2 points), 1 lb of haricot beans (2 points) plus two cans of baked beans (4 points). We are currently on 16 points per month at the moment so I’m going to set aside my other 8 points to use at a later date. I tend to buy a lot of dried pulses as they are great for protein and fibre and are low in points.

Here is my menu for the week…

What is the current state of my food cupboard?

Would you believe it I am still on my 8 oz of sugar from week 1 of rationing! I have bought sugar each and every week though as I am stockpiling it to make preserves (see below). I am planning to make some jam and applesauce! Currently I have a good supply of dried foods such as beans and pulses and dried fruit which should last me months. It helped that I already had quite a bit in my larder before rationing began. The things I find a challenge are milk, tea and cheese. I don’t take my egg ration as I don’t eat them but if I did I am sure that would be a challenge too!

Free download coming this week

I have this wonderful pamphlet with lots of pages and information about preserving and canning published in the 1940s by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. This one is the Growmore Bulletin No. 3 and I really hope you enjoy it so please check back as I will post it later this week! For now I thought you might like to see the first few pages!

Much love and thank you once again, C xxxxx

What an absolute waste this past week has been. I simply don’t know why I do these things, all I know is it’s RUBBISH, could do better, D minus! Today I am planning the hell out of next week, giving myself a BIG kick up the bum and just getting back on with it tomorrow.

I’ll hold myself accountable and post next weeks menu on my blog tonight, complete with what I am buying with my “points” and post a very quick daily update every evening with a photo of EVERYTHING I have eaten.

All I know if that I am tired of being in pain from the Osteoarthritis all the time and the ONLY way I can lessen it for sure is by actually LOSING a LOT of weight. Quite honestly I feel sadness at times because I’m limited to about a 20 minute slow walk at the moment (which is better than a few painful steps back in February). My mind and self pity is my biggest adversary right now. I hate that so much.

Here’s the thing, there are people out there, that read my blog, who have no choice, who have chronic pain, that is nothing to do with weight and lifestyle. I can’t imagine how you persevere. You are STRONG! I have a choice as I know that dropping 50 lbs will likely have a large, positive impact on my pain and losing 100 lbs could quite honestly see it mostly disappear. That is the reality. I CAN CHANGE my future!

So my friends, readers of my blog, those who have been selfless and kind putting up with my struggles and woes for years and years, thank you for your support and words of encouragement. I won’t shy away from being truthful, I’ll share the good and the bad, the reality of being an imperfect human being who never quite succeeds but NEVER EVER gives up.

I’ll share my 1940s menu sheet tonight and what gentle movement I’m going to do every day to ensure I feel psychologically positive.

Much love, C xxxx

I promised I’d preserve all the WW2 recipe books, clippings and pamphlets I was donated by Newquay Zoo and I’m going to try my best to do so, even if I only have time for a clipping once a week, I’ll do it!

I’ve preserved this fun spiral bound booklet produced by the Daily Mirror in the 1940s. Patsy: Learn to Cook by Pictures is a comic book for younger people helping them to learn to cook.

You can download this here. Please can you share the link to my page, I’d appreciate that so much.

C xxxxx

Wow! What a difficult 10 days or so. I’ve been struggling with the rationing, I’ll have a couple of good days cooking authentically and then just throw everything up in the air, swear loudly in my head, go and eat a packet of crackers or half a banana cake (that my eldest daughter made) and then have a little cry.

Honestly, I’ve been way sadder then I ever thought I’d be over the death of Truffle (my little Guinea pig). I keep seeing his little pink hind foot in my head and I get so upset. Things were made worse because I buried poor Truffle in his box, deeply into the ground, covered with a heavy slab and rocks around the side but I was devastated a few days later to find that a fox had dug down into Truffles grave and I found lumps of Truffles beautiful fur around the garden. I don’t blame the fox, it is nature, I blame myself and I can’t stop thinking of it in my head. RIP Truffle. I’m sorry xxxx

Updates:

• I had to cancel my monthly weigh in at the doctors as that was on the day I had to have Truffle put down. I need to rebook this in for a soon as possible so I can keep moving forward (which I’m not doing at the moment).
• I booked 2 nights away in a WW2 Corrugated Tin Cottage used by Land Army Girls during the war. This is near Glastonbury and I can’t wait to stay there in late summer.
• I’ve bought lots of various apples and bought a BARGAIN jam making pan (as it has an imperfect handle position) and bought a few new canning tools and jars. Next weekend we’ll be making lots of apple sauce, chutney and jam!
• I was blown away by an exceptionally generous donation through the blog (I’m not going to mention names as it’s not my place to) to thank me for all the content and it was for me to use on my short break in the WW2 Corrugated Tin Cottage. Any donations that come through are always used for paying for hosting, domains, software, even the odd item of kitchen ware to assist with the recipes so it’s a first to use a donation in this way. My first reaction was to send it back, I couldn’t possibly take it, but I know that we have to learn to accept people’s kindness and generosity. Thank you!!!

Today I’ll be planning my menu for the week. I have lots of potatoes that need using up that I keep in a paper bag in my “war store”. I also have lots of apples stored there too but those are for next weekend when I make preserves. I also have lots of carrots, wilting spring greens (I’ll fry those up tonight for dinner!), some salad leaves (enough for a few days), and onions. I also need to plan my points! I’ll share in full hopefully tomorrow evening.

Much love C xxxx

Carrot Flan is a STRANGE recipe and a highly economical one! It is on the precipice of a savoury and sweet dish, it could be either with the addition of other ingredients. For instance if I had added extra sweetener and some cocoa powder, I’m confident this would have made an excellent chocolate pie. I may try that one day.

This recipe was from Ambrose Heath’s, “Vegetables for Victory”. I made the flan case from a standard shortcrust pastry recipe (with a little less fat) and lightly blind baked this in the oven before filling this with the pureed carrot. I didn’t have enough sliced carrot to overlap the rings on the top but hey ho, you get the drift.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• Several large carrots
• Salt and pepper (if you want it as a savoury dish)
• 6-8 oz shortcrust pastry ( 6 oz plain flour, 2-3 oz of margarine, salt, cold water to bind)

Method

• Line a flan dish with the pastry and blind bake at 180 C
• Once baked add the pureed carrot and fill the case placing cooked sliced carrots on the top and glaze with the liquor from boiling the carrots or with some melted margarine.
• Place back into the oven for another 10-15 minutes

C xxxx

I can hardly believe it! Just like that, on a whim after watching this YouTube video that was shared in our Facebook Group, I booked it and now I’m going to live in this AMAZING little 1940s WW2 tin cottage for two whole days! To say I’m excited is an understatement…

I’m not visiting until late August but that gives me time to plan how to make the most of my visit which will not only involve a day in Glastonbury (which is just a few miles away) but a full day of cooking some 1940s recipes and filming them (for the blog) and enjoying some beer in the Anderson shelter. Simply enjoying some private downtime to myself.

I’m lucky that the cottage is only about 1.5 hrs drive from my house and my plans are to spend a full day in Glastonbury (I’ve never visited) before checking in at the cottage and enjoying a relaxing evening.

The next day I hope to spend most of it relaxing, cooking and filming a couple of WW2 recipes, hopefully a walk to Glastonbury Tor and maybe a visit to the village pub! I’m so excited! The last time I managed to go away on a mini-break was a stay at a pub near the Uffington White Horse a few years ago. Some time away is long overdue.

From the owners website: (you can check out availability here)

“The corrugated cottage was built in the spring of 1940, around the beginning of the Second World War when Britain felt under imminent threat of invasion. The cottage was built for the Women’s Land Army, or ‘land girls’, who were young women working in agriculture to help the war effort. More than a third of land girls came from major cities, so many rural accommodations had to be built. The cottage is built out of corrugated iron with tongue and groove wooden panelling inside with insulation between. It stands alone beside the owner’s house in some small woods with lots of badgers, foxes and tawny owls!

The cottage is just a few miles from Glastonbury on the edge of a small village called Baltonsborough, including a shop, post office, church and pub within short walking distance across the fields.

The cottage has been recreated in the style of the 1940s, with authentic details such as a forties enamelled range with back boiler, forties utility furniture, a functioning radiogram from the fifties and Bakelite switches and plugs. The kitchen includes an original fifties sink, larder and fridge with a modern electric hob and microwave.

In the bathroom is a claw-foot roll top bath and toilet with elevated cistern.

There is a small enclosed garden with a wonderful view over the levels. The garden includes table and chairs

The cottage sleeps four people, with two bedrooms and four single beds and an additional sofa bed. The bedroom upstairs is reached by a steep staircase and very low doorway with a very low ceiling, so is unsuitable for disabled or elderly people (but brilliant for children!). The house has wireless internet and no television. The house is well-insulated and includes both a coal fire range with back boiler and electric heater.

The house includes an Anderson shelter in the garden. “

Another triumphant wartime recipe! I didn’t quite follow the recipe to the tee as I was being mindful of the flour and fat I had to last me (so I made the tart an open one) and of course I didn’t have eggs (or dried egg) to hold it together. Instead I used a little potatoes and carrot mashed together. It did a great job and I loved the taste of this!

Leek Tart Ingredients

• 3 leeks chopped
• margarine for cooking
• 6-8 oz of plain flour to make the pastry
• 3 oz of margarine/cooking fat to make the pastry
• salt and pepper
• water for the dough
• 1 egg or some dried egg (I used a little mashed potato and carrot to hold the leek mixture together)
• flan dish or as per recommendation below

Method

This tart was really nice, pretty easy to make and held together well when cold for the next day. It would travel well in a sandwich box or to take out on a picnic!

I’ll make this again for sure!

Much love, C xxxx

I’m back! And trying to do my best back on rationing after a couple of rocky days. My emotions have been up and down after Truffle passed away but I’m back on track today. We’ve been spending any free time giving JoJo (my remaining Guinea Pig) lots of attention as he was a little sad for a few days but he finally seems to be picking up. He is about the same age as me in Guinea Pig years! Here he is tonight having a run around the kitchen!

Breakfast:

Back on the porridge this morning and delicious it was too! I took some fruit to work and had that with my mid-morning tea break.

Lunch:

I made Carrot Flan 5 days ago and there was one piece left. It was JUST ABOUT edible, no blue bits on it so I heated it up and ate it with a salad and beetroot! Yum!

Dinner:

I made Colcannon and ate it with steamed peas plus bread and butter.

Supper:

I’ve had some of last weeks sweet ration!

I’ll be posting the recipes for Leek Tart and Carrot Flan this week too!

Much love, C xxxx

To be honest, I can’t remember eating anything on Friday, at least not until early evening when I realised that eating some food might be a good idea.

I’d already been up very early and had been offering some mental health support to one of my grown up children who lives with me. I then got ready for work and popped downstairs and noticed that Truffle, my Guinea Pig, was unwell. I won’t go into detail as it’s still hurting thinking about it.

Needless to say, I rang the emergency vets and headed over shortly after 8:30 am. They were very sympathetic and we did all we could but it was Truffles time to go and we assisted him to pass quickly and without further pain. I returned with little Truffles body later on that morning and buried him in the garden in the afternoon.

I’m heartbroken, I’m still tearing up as I write this. I know, I know, a Guinea Pig is just a little rodent but this little cavy was my cute little friend and I loved him so very much.

RIP Truffle.

As a woman who has had to weather some hardship and challenging moments over the years (like most of us have I hasten to add) I find the only way to cope with these times is allow the tears, give myself a few hours, or a day or two and then simply get back up and keep busy.

Truffle loved carrots, he had a bit of a sweet tooth so in his honour I decided that I’d keep my mind occupied by making a “carrot flan”. Once again from the “Vegetables for Victory” cook book.

The pie was impressive looking but also very sweet. It was like a cross between a savoury and sweet dish, a bit like sweet potato. I honestly think I could have added cocoa powder to it and some golden syrup and made it into a delicious chocolate mud pie!

I didn’t really have much of an appetite but did enjoy a large slice with a little salad. My eldest daughter ate a slice too and I have two slices for the weekend. I’ll share this recipe on the blog sometime this week as I took step-by-step photos.

Much love C xxxx (I’m keeping calm and carrying on)

Made it through another day! Am I craving junk food and wanting to eat between meals? YES, of course! That’s is only natural as an obese person who not only loves the taste of food but is addicted to the emotional HUG that food gives me. I’d love a long lingering, comforting hug of the LOVE type and really do miss that but I know I also 100% prefer my life as a single woman so that is the trade off.

I’m still eating large portions but that doesn’t bother me right now. Getting off the junk that lights up my hunger receptors is the most important thing. I need to flood my body with lots of wholefoods or homemade dishes and try and keep the UPF’s (fake meats or convenience foods) to under 20% of my daily diet and the wartime diet ensures this!

Here’s what I ate today.

Breakfast:

My menu called for “Poor Knights Fritters” which essentially is a jam sandwich fried! Well I had jam on toast so close enough.

Lunch:

Leftover leek tart followed by a large bowl of salad while I worked from home. I spent all day working from home as I needed to be in for a landlords inspection. I also had a nice, juicy apple afterwards!

Dinner:

Dinner was SPECTACULAR! A pretty perfect cottage pie made with what was left of my ration of mince meat for the week (vegan soy mince). EVERYONE in my house loves this dish so it was enough to feed all three of us and have for leftovers tomorrow. I served it with broccoli which I love. It does give me the wind so I don’t eat as much of it as I used too!

Supper:

I’m sorry, I had a bunch of bananas on the turn so chopped some up and froze them and the other two I gobbled down and enjoyed them WITHOUT GUILT! As I said at the beginning of the week, there will be times when I eat non-ration book fruits and vegetables! While Saturdays will be my off ration days and I will try and enjoy these things then, i’m not going to feel guilty about the odd banana and avocado here and there. If it keeps me off the junk food and helps me sustain this long term. I’m happy with it!

Cost of my food portions today = £2.20 ish

Calories today = 1600 ish

C xxxx