I’ve taken a huge leap of faith. It could all go horribly wrong, but it could all go wonderfully right. All I know is that I have to take a chance on me….and believe.

I’ve handed in my notice at work, and from January 1st, 2026, I am without a job, without an income, but taking a chance on my dream to write and photograph a series of WW2 Recipe Books.

Honestly, I’m scared, but I know I have to take that chance or I will always live with regret.

This past year, I have become physically and mentally exhausted. With extra responsibilities at work and home, and my increasing age, I simply have had no energy and no time after my workday to pursue my passions. It has felt like writing a book and publishing it has become a pipedream…

And then this happened; In just 8 weeks, 500 of you have joined my waitlist for the book. That could be 1,000 by the time the book launches. While I realise that only a percentage will go on to purchase, that amazing support from you tipped the scale enough for me to believe that I could “actually do this.”

Click here for wait list >>> https://the1940sexperiment.com/ration-book-recipes-new-book/

I want to blog more, be more present in our groups, pages and communities, create more recipes, film more YouTube videos, get my passion back for the rationing lifestyle and living history.

This past year I have saved so very hard into a rainy day fund, enough to give me a few months support without a day job and enough to print 500 books. I know this sounds precarious, almost cliff edge, but I start my 60th year in January and I absolutely can’t let this pass without reaching for my dreams.

I’ve tried so hard to build those dreams outside of work but in a regular day, my only free time is one singular hour (and I don’t watch TV) and when that hour starts (8pm), I’m so, so sleepy and inevitably falling asleep by 9pm. I’ve even tried waking up at 4:30 am to move my book forward, but after a few days I’m done. It isn’t sustainable.

It’s been a really tough, emotional and tiring few weeks. First of all working for the past 5.5 years with such an amazing team at work and a promotion to “Marketing Manager” and participating in the “Rising Stars” program, for once in my life gave me some self-worth (I have huge imposter syndrome) and has been amazing. Having to give that all up as well as the first time in my life receiving a salary I was truly happy with, has been incredibly hard.

Am I going through a late mid-life crisis? I did ask myself that over and over but NO. Every cell in my body is screaming at me to be brave, to give my dreams a chance, to work hard for what I truly want.

So, January 1st I start the new year with 3 months safety net in the bank and a dream. A BIG dream. But NOT an impossible dream. I just have to give it my all to make it happen.

Thank you for being part of it.

C xxxx

PS: Video this weekend!

This Remembrance Sunday, we pause to honour all those who served, on the front lines and the home front alike. Their courage, endurance, and quiet strength remind us what true resilience looks like. We will remember them. Lest We Forget.

C xxx

Now we have Halloween over and done with we are already thinking about Christmas in our house! A few years ago I started making Mock Turkey (Murkey) every year and we love it! (it’s cheap and really tasty!) It will definitely be on our table once again! What 1940s WW2 ration book recipe do you think you will serve at Christmas?

Some of my old recipes recreated on the blog and on YouTube.

Gingerbread Men —> https://the1940sexperiment.com/2021/12/24/gingerbread-people-recipe-no-197/

I’m sitting here writing this having made a decision that could be life changing, I just have no way of knowing whether it will be in a good way or a bad way yet.

I’m not going to share this yet as I need to explain first to my nearest and dearest but once that is out in the open, I’ll explain fully on here. Regardless, I will need to rely on a rationing and a frugal make do and mend lifestyle, more than ever.

I wanted to apologise for being a little absent too but I’ve had such a lovely week. I took unpaid leave from work (I’d used up all my annual leave) to spend time with my son who I hadn’t seen in several months. All of my 3 grown up children finally together, the complete Hobbit clan, like the old days.

Those days when they were little, only seems like yesterday. There are old posts on here when they were still at school and now they are 36, 32 and 27. I’m finding it hard to understand how brief life is.

And now my son has left to travel on the train to go back up North, I’m crying because I love my children and those few days were precious and we were back to being our little clan, surviving against hardship (those latter years living in Canada and early years living back in the UK were so very difficult), putting the world to rights, just picking up where we left off.

Rationing again

And tomorrow I finally start planning my return to rationing again. As always, I never think of rationing as deprivation. I see it as living simply, frugally, healthily and wisely given what we have available to us. It teaches us how to make do on little and being satisfied with less so truly enjoying those days when we splurge a little and have those treats. How much more appreciated those treats become…

Moving forward with my book and many more plans

Exciting times and plans and as we move forward into 2026, my 60th year will be filled with achieving personal goals. My first proper book is one of them! Full colour, hardbacked, filled with recreated and rephotographed WW2 ration book recipes, readers recipes and much, much more. It is already evolving and can’t wait to share with you the progress as we move into 2026!

This is a self-published project and will be printed in batches. Nearly 500 of you have signed up to my waiting-list over the last 6 weeks and when the time comes to go to print, all signed up on the list will be given the option to purchase the book and receive the first printing run! I’ll also keep you personally updated through the waiting-list too! Thank you, this is going to be a dream come true for me.

Join the waiting list here —> https://the1940sexperiment.com/ration-book-recipes-new-book/

Look forward to speaking soon,

Much love, C xxxx