Say Cheese - A tasty cheese spread

Tasty cheese sandwiches.

The adult weekly ration of cheese was 2oz (57g), while for vegetarians, as this was a source of protein instead of meat, their ration was 5oz (approx 142g).
So you would do your best to "stretch" your cheese ration.

Today Salem and I had some very tasty cheese sandwiches for lunch using very little cheese.
I used margerine and a few other ingredients to come up with a very tasty filling.
An adult's weekly ration of margerine was 4oz (113g), which when there are three of us, is quite a bit.

I'm sorry I can't give you exact measurements of the ingredients as I don't really measure when cooking unless I really have to.

Tasty Cheese Spread

Grate some cheese ( I use a fine grater as it makes the cheese go further)
Equal amount or more of margerine to the grated cheese (don't squash cheese when comparing)
Finely chopped spring onions, onions, fresh parsley or whatever fresh herbs you have
Worchestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
A small amount of warm water

Place in a bowl the cheese and margerine.
With a fork, mix the cheese and margerine together adding a little hot water to help mix and thin it out a little.
Add a good swig of worchestershire sauce, salt and pepper and the onions/herbs.
Spring onions are my favourite.
Mix together.
Taste and see if it needs any more seasoning.
Spread on your bread as thickly as you like.

Tonight's dinner.

A tip for spring onions - as soon as you get your spring onions home, put them in a jar of water (as in the first photo) and you will have spring onions growing for months.  Just cut off the ends like you do for chives and they will keep growing back.  Just remember to water them.  I've got some that are now flowering so I will be able to have the seeds to plant out more.  Free food!!!!!

Tonight I had some leftover rice which I made fried rice with.
Fried rice is best made with leftover rice from the day before.  It doesn't go gluggy.

The following recipe is roughly how I made it tonight, adapt it to how many serves you want.
This serves two very hungry teenage boys and me, with leftovers.

Egg Fried Rice

Eggs
dripping or cooking fat or oil
1 or 2 onions
2 or 3 carrots
2 cups leftover rice
1 - 2 cups fresh or frozen veges (corn, peas, beans etc)
Salt
Soya sauce (optional)

Beat together some eggs with a little cold water and salt and pepper.
Use how many eggs you have left from your ration or some powdered egg, it works well for this.
Fry this in a wok or large frying pan with a small amount of dripping or cooking fat/oil.
When cooked put aside in a bowl, chopped into smallish pieces, for later.
Add about 1 tablespoon of dripping or cooking fat/oil to the wok/frying pan.
Then add in chopped onion and carrots, stir often and cook until tender.
Add the rest of the veges, keep stirring through.
Then in goes the rice and the egg.
Stir through and cook until rice is hot.
Add seasoning and soya sauce if you have it.
Serve hot.
Actually it is very nice cold too in a packed lunch.

These recipes are very easy and are great if you are on a budget too.

Back to Rationing, Making Poppies and WWI

In the local paper.

Yes, we are back!!!!!

Back to WWII wartime rationing, not that we fully left it but we have been having too much "black market" and convenience food due to a hectic shedule and not having the time for all the cooking etc, a lot of time spent away from home etc.......
But I am going to make the time.

Over here in Kiwiland, it has been a cold winter so I have been making lots of pots of warming vege soup which is a meal in itself.  Served with either toast or crunchy croutons.

Yummy vege soup.

Vege soup is so easy to make, just use what ever vegetables you have at hand and how many you want.

This is how I made it last night.

Vege Soup

3 medium potatoes

2 onions

2 large carrots

3/4 cup of soup mix (split peas, lentils, pearl barley)

1 or 2 cups frozen or fresh veges (corn, peas, spinach, beans)

1 or 2 stalks and leaves of celery

2 oxo cubes (vege, chicken or beef)

soya sauce and/or worchestershire sauce (whatever you have)

parsley fresh (if possible)

salt and pepper.

In a large pot add your potatoes, onions and carrots which have been sliced and diced, along with the soup mix and oxo cubes.  Full the pot half way with water, sorry I never measure the amount.

Bring to the boil then turn down the heat and simmer for an hour.

At this stage, I grab a fork and mash some of the potatoes and carrots against the side of the pot.  This makes the soup thicker.

Then add a good swig of soya sauce and or worchestershire sauce, celery (chopped) and the other vegetables.  Stir in well.  At this time add parsley if you only have dried.

Leave simmering until needed.

Add fresh parsley and salt and pepper to taste.  

Your soup should be well seasoned.

Serve with a little grated cheese on top if you have any.

Also with hot toast or croutons.

I will post our yummy crouton ideas next time.

Enjoy!!!!

Eggs from our lovely ladies.

Our lovely ladies of the backyard, our chickens,  have been laying lots of lovely eggs for us.  I've got some serious baking to do over the next few days.

Also keeping us occupied on our many train rides and any spare time in the evening, is our poppy making.
We are helping our local libraries with making 2,721 poppies for a display next year commemorating the 2,721 New Zealanders from Kapiti (Paraparaumu, Waikanae and Otaki) who died in WWI.
So far Salem and I have made 900 and we are still going.
I came up with a nice easy crochet pattern which I will post soon, so keep an eye out for it.

Not bad for our first blog post for a while, nice to be back.

One Year of Rationing

Today was our one year anniversary of living on wartime rations.
We have all enjoyed the challenge and are going to continue with this way of eating.
It's been interesting finding all the old recipes and creating new ones out of rationed foods.

We started after watching "The Supersizes Go.....Wartime" on tv.
Both Salem and I were watching it and then decided  later that it would be fun to try living on wartime rations ourselves and I thought it would be a good project for Salem as I home school him.
So we decided that Boxing Day was a good day to start.
It has become a way of life for us and we will continue for as long as we are enjoying it.

You can watch one part of The Supersizers Go...Wartime on the video above then get the rest on You Tube.
Or watch the whole episode on the link below..
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xr5ntx_s1e1-the-supersizers-go-wartime_lifestyle

Just before Christmas we appeared in That's Life magazine.
We were approached to do an interview to appear in the magazine in the lead up to xmas.
It was in the shops on the 17th December.
We were a bit disappointed with them getting facts wrong and the way they had portrayed a few things...putting their take on things we have said or didn't say...artistic licence I suppose.
But it looked good :^)

We had a lovely xmas, Salem put up our artifical xmas tree, we have had it quite a few years now and we had bought it from an op-shop too.
Good value, I don't like cutting down a tree just to be decorated for a few weeks.
Some years we just cut a large branch from a pine tree to have as our xmas tree for a change, not causing any damage.
Just love the smell of pine needles.
Salem decorated it beautifully with some of our old decorations.
We have got quite a collection as we make a few every year along with ones we have picked up over the years.
Great memories with all the ones that the kids have made.

I made our xmas cake the other night, it was such a hot night and the kitchen was sweltering,
that's Christmas in summer for you.
I included the recipe for the xmas cake in the magazine article.

Xmas Cake 3 oz sugar 4 oz margarine 1 tablespoon golden syrup 8 oz flour 2 teaspoon baking powder pinch of salt 1 teaspoon mixed spice 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 eggs 1 lb mixed dried fruit 1/2 teaspoon lemon essence milk to mix Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees C.  (or a slow moderate oven) Cream the sugar and margarine then add the syrup. Mix in the dry (not fruit) ingredients alternately with the eggs. Beat well. Then add the rest of the ingredients with enough milk to make a soft dough. Put mixture into a 7 inch tin lined with greased paper and bake for two hours. Do check afterit has been in the oven for an hour as I found it was already cooked after this time. This cake should keep for about 2 months in an airtight container. We were going to top the cake with a chocolate topping but because it is so hot here at the moment we decided on a nice light lemon icing just made with lemon juice, icing sugar and water. It was just perfect. It is a lovely xmas cake recipe and not heavy which we all prefer. If you would like to try the chocolate topping the recipe is next. Chocolate Topping Mix 3 tablespoons of sugar with 2 tablespoons each of cocoa powder and milk. Stir in a saucepan over a low heat until the mixture is thick and bubbly. Pour over the cake while the mixture is hot.

Salem went to Grandma's and helped her make xmas mince pies and bought some home for us.
He made one with a grumpy face on for his brother, the Grumpy Teenager, and that was eaten straight away.
They were very yummy.

On Christmas Eve we made biscuits and some cupcakes (made with the Fairy Loaf recipe) even though it was another very hot day and the kitchen was still very hot that night.
We had cupcakes for xmas breakfast.

We made each other xmas presents, Salem made me a lovely flower brooch and made some coupons for his brother for Salem to be quiet.  Salem talks a lot!!!!!!
I crocheted the boys a pair of fluffy slippers each (for winter of course).
Grumpy Teenager drew me a picture, I will have to frame it.  It is very funny.
I can't remember what GT got Salem.
I also got Salem a pack of WWII aeroplane identification cards.
He loves them.

Grandma and Jimbo also gave us a "care package" to keep to the WWII theme, it had pictures of WWII posters and ration books.....

And stamps from that time......
All wrapped in brown paper and tied up with string.....

Salem had so much fun opening it.
There were so many goodies in it.... chocolates, fruit, nuts, jams etc....
even treats for the cats!!!
A very big thank you to Grandma and Jimbo!!!!!!

The cats enjoyed their treats and of course the paper wrapping.....
It's just like having young children who love playing with the wrappers and boxes.....
rather than the actual toys.
This kept the cats entertained for quite a while!!!!!
Because of the heat, Wellington's hottest summer since 1934, we had salad and potato salad with a good old fashioned New Zealand salad dressing.... for our Christmas Dinner.

• 
  
• Highlander Salad Dressing
• 
  
• 1 can  Sweetened Condensed Milk  (aprox 400 ml)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup malt vinegar
• 1 tsp mustard powder or wholegrain mustard
• Mix all together with a fork or whisk.
• Then refridgerate.

Use as a salad dressing, with coleslaw or potato salad.
I made the dressing using half the amount of everything as it makes quite a lot and there are only three of us.

This is the salad dressing I grew up with and I think most New Zealander's of my era remembers this one.
I don't remember there being any alternative.
I love it and the kids do too!!!!

We are having a little break from the Ration Hint of the Day and WWII Aircraft of the Day but will be resuming them in a week or two.

We hope you had a lovely Christmas with your family and best wishes for 2013.

Getting Our Sweet Ration

There are so many to choose from.  I think
I will start with these.....

It is a real treat for Salem to get his sweet ration for the week.
We like to go to "Over the Tea Cups" tea shop at Paraparaumu Beach shops.
They have a great selection of old fashioned sweets.

I'll have some Black Balls.....

Salem loves being able to choose his sweet ration for himself.
We have a ration of 4 oz (113 g) each a week which was one of the maximum allowances during WWII.
It did go down to 2 oz (57 g).
We are not huge sweet eaters so this is ample for us, and often I don't have my ration at all.
I'm sure that Grumpy Teenager has a black market supply!!!!

.......and some Humbugs!!!!

During WWII, cough lollies and pastiles were not rationed so they were often eaten as sweets.
I really love my cough lollies, especially Throaties which I think were around at that time.
I think next week we will have to go and get our ration for over Christmas.

Ration Hint of the Day - Number Forty

Ration Hint No. 40

Oatmeal cookies are nice anytime, 
but for extra appeal, stir in some mixed candied peel and fruits into the mixture.

Spamtastic

A can of Spam

The boys have been very curious about Spam.
It is mentioned so many times in wartime books, websites and recipe books.
Grumpy Teenager was very interested in trying it so I went and bought some today.
We were very lucky, it came in a 75th Anniversary can.

Mmmmm.....Spam

Salem was really curious and even though he is a vegetarian, was wanting to have a try to really have the wartime experience.
So after it plopping out of the can, I sliced it up and then pan fried it in a little dripping so it had a nice crispy golden crust.
I served it up with a baked potato each and mushrooms and onions in gravy.
I just had the veges.
The boys really liked it but said it was very salty.
Grumpy Teenager said it tasted like bacon.
There is plenty left over for dinner tomorrow night, served diced up in a salad.

Ration Hint of the Day - Number Thirty-nine

Ration Hint No. 39

A very small amount of meat.......
bits of cold beef or mutton or veal etc,
will make a delicious forcemeat with brown breadcrumbs and seasoning.....
onions, tomato, parsley, thyme, sage, pepper, salt, etc...
according to fancy....which can be used to fill large tomatoes, young marrows, potatoes or onions, for a delectable baked meal.

Cheese can be used in place of the meat......
or flaked fish, left over from baked or steamed fish, or you can use both cheese and fish together to build up the protein value.

In need of Party Food? Try Fairy Loaf!!!

Fairy Loaf cupcakes

On Friday night we had Salem's dance school's Christmas Party so we needed to make something to take with us.
Hmmmm ...... what would be good to take and is a wartime recipe?
First thing that came into mind was the Fairy Loaf that I make for the boys which is very similar to a sponge cake.
The boys love it!!!
I really don't know why it is called fairy loaf????????

Spreading on the icing

It is very easy to make and I use a whisk to mix it.
The recipe doesn't state any oven temperature to cook it but I cook it at 180 degrees C.
I also doubled the recipe and used two small bantam eggs from our lovely girls.
Our two eggs would equal one large-ish egg which I find really works well for the doubled recipe.
Also I use half milk/ half water too.

Mmmmm .....pink icing!!!

Fairy Loaf

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C.
Break one egg into basin.
Beat in 3 tablespoons sugar, whisk well.
Add 1/2 cup milk, pinch salt, 1 cup sifted flour and 1 teaspoon of Baking Powder.
Put in a greased tin and bake for half hour.
Do check before the half hour is up.

Our yummy cupcakes plus an extra

Instead of using a loaf tin, I put the mixture in small cupcake paper pans in a mini muffin tray.
The double mixture made 24 mini cupcakes and a small star-shaped cake with the leftovers.
We had eaten a few before we took the above photo.

Tasting time

We iced them with a simple icing of 1 cup of icing sugar, some raspberry essence, a tiny bit of butter (about 1/8 tsp) and a drop of boiling water.
And to make them look extra festive, we decorated the icing with some jelly crystals we had in the pantry.
It was a good excuse to then make up the jellies afterwards.
The cupcakes were extremely yummy....so was the jelly.

Ration Hint of the Day - Number Thirty-seven

Ration Hint No. 37

Bedtime Story

Once upon a time there were five housewives.
Their names were Lady Peel-potatoes, the Hon. Mrs Waste-fuel, Miss Pour-the-water-down-the-sink, Mrs Don't-like-uncooked-vegetables, Mrs Won't-eat-carrots.
Don't let one of them put a nose in your kitchen.

Ration Hint of the Day - Number Thirty-six

Ration Hint No. 36

Why do some homes never have a sharp knife!
It can be done......
and sharp tools save time, effort and temper!

Ration Hint of the Day - Thirty-five

Ration Hint No. 35

Scrambled eggs can vary!

With that spoonful of cooked green peas.....

or sweet corn off the cob......

or tomato, or chopped cooked carrots.....

or grated cheese or ham......

all make a meal when served on crisp sauted or toasted bread and perhaps topped with a rasher or thin, very thin and curly bacon!

Chemically Speaking Part III

The following is from an article which appeared in The Red+Cross War-time Rationing Cookery Book  which was printed around 1944.

This is part three and I will be posting the last part tomorrow.  
It gives a good outline of chemicals which the body needs for health and how to get them.
As meat was heavily rationed, it gives mainly vegetable sources as a way to get these nutrients especially for iron.



16 Elements for Health and Beauty Part III

Chlorine

Chlorine helps the system to get rid of poisons.
It is found again in spinach, lettuce, egg yolk, cucumber, and a piece of the latter should be taken at the beginning of breakfast, for it's valuable cleansing, eliminative properties.

Calcium

This is the element which helps the teeth and bones, and promotes good circulation.
It is found in milk, lemons, oranges, tomatoes, raw egg yolk, turnips and turnip tops.

Potassium

Prevents constipation and is found in vegetables, such as spinach, carrots, lettuce, parsley and also blackberries.

Sodium

Sodium is alkaline; it works with potassium, and helps the digestion.

It is found in celery, cabbage, spinach and lentils.

Magnesium

This element brings refreshing sleep.
Anyone who is tired cannot look and feel the picture of health.
People who are tense and "live on their nerves" need magnesium, and they can take it in whole wheat (there are many tonics and medicines containing the wheat germ; ask your doctor).
Lemons, grapefruit, spinach, potatoes and other vegetables also contain natural magnesium.

Iron

Iron is important.
It guards one against anaemia, and acts as a tonic.
The iron foods are all green leaves, especially spinach, watercress, lettuce, also carrots, raisins and egg yolk, herring roe and liver, and grapes.

Part IV, the last one, will be posted tomorrow.

Chemically Speaking Part II

The following is from an article which appeared in The Red+Cross War-time Rationing Cookery Book  which was printed around 1944.


This is part two and I will be posting the other parts over the next few days.  
It gives a good outline of chemicals which the body needs for health and how to get them.
As meat was heavily rationed, it gives mainly vegetable sources as a way to get these nutrients especially for iron.



16 Elements for Health and Beauty Part II

Hydrogen

This element is an equalizer, and cools one down.
It stimulates perspiration and elimination, and the foods which contain it are lemons, peaches, figs, melons, oranges, grapefruit, spinach and turnip greens.
They help to maintain a pure blood stream, free from heating rashes and spots.

Some people may be a bit bemused by the use of hydrogen in this article.
There is not much "modern information" on hydrogen as such, but check out: http://www.best-home-remedies.com/minerals/hydrogen.htm .

Nitrogen

This is said to be concerned with poise and stamina, and people who lack it are inclined to be pessimistic, because they never feel well and, therefore, look on the dark side of life.
Nitrogen foods are almonds, yolk of egg, beef, lamb and fish, in fact, all proteins, such as dried peas, beans and lentils.

Phosphorus

This improves the nerves, and is, therefore, rich in vitamin B, and found in whole grain cereals, spinach, lettuce, cauliflower and lemons.

Sulphur

This element is a beautifier, and improves the skin, helps to keep the hair glossy, and enables the liver to work on the sixteen elements, so that the body can make the right use of them.
It helps to overcome rheumatism and skin and blood troubles.
Some of the foods which contain sulphur are spinach, turnips, onions, tomatoes, raw celery, lettuce and cauliflower.

Chemically Speaking - Part I

The following is from an article which appeared in The Red+Cross War-time Rationing Cookery Book
which was printed around 1944.

I will be posting it in parts over the next few days.  There is a lot to type out.
It gives a good outline of chemicals which the body needs for health and how to get them.
As meat was heavily rationed, it gives mainly vegetable sources as a way to get these nutrients especially for iron.



16 Elements for Health and Beauty Part I

Today more than ever it is incumbent on each one of us to endeavour to maintain as high a standard of health as possible.  One feels that it is almost criminal to ask a hard worked doctor to attend any call less urgent than a broken limb or a birth!

The maintenance of health entails a brood general knowledge of what we are - and what we need!

Eccentricities .... extremes in diet .... over exposure to sun and air .... fadism of any kind is best avoided.  Rationing restrictions must be taken into account.

Know what you are chemically.  Know what you need, in food and it's vitamin content, in air, sun and exercise to maintain the necessary chemical constituents in the body.  Be sensible ... and you should be healthy!

Here is a brief outline of the 16 chemicals necessary in every healthy human body :-

Oxygen
This, of course, comes from the fresh air we breathe, and depends very largely on outdoor exercise, walking or games or gardening, according to your bent, and one or other should have it's place in your daily programme.

Take some really conscious deep breaths several times a day, and start and end your day with them, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, and so really fill and oxygenate your lungs.
This not only makes for good health, but it is a real natural vitaliser, bringing that coveted sense of well-being (just think of yoga today).

Oxygen may also be taken with food, by including a reasonable amount of fruits and vegetables - grape juice, apples and water.

Carbon
Carbon foods should be eaten sparingly, as an excess of these destroys mental alertness, and will increase weight.

Try to have the best carbon foods in wheat bread, whole rice, baked potato, brown sugar, honey, rye bread and figs.

Pale, flabby faces and bodies denote an excess of carbon, so these people should cut down over-refined foods and increase the intake of vitamins in fruit and vegetables.

Part II will be posted tomorrow.