My breakfast menu this morning marks Day 30 in my cookbook's special feature, "How to Feed a Family of Five on $20.00 per Week." Let's see... according to a historical inflation calculator, $20 in 1945 would be the equivalent of about $230 today. That's a pretty decent weekly budget for groceries. Even for a family that size.
Sliced Bananas on
Shredded Cereal
Easy, yummy, and filling. It was so filling, in fact, that it made a small lunch feel just right. I like that. It's been a nice perk from eating breakfast again. I've found this is definitely not the case on the mornings my menu is built around Waffles, Griddlecakes, or French Toast.
Nearly half of the meals (43%) were built around some sort of cooked cereal. 27% of the menus were built around an egg dish. Baked goods were the main attraction for 20% of the menus, and cold cereal for the remaining 10%. I adapted most of the menus to leave out the third serving of carbs. This may have worked for a woman preparing breakfast for several people. She'd be able to enjoy a little serving of several different dishes. I'm cooking for one, so I've been adapting the menus a bit to make sure I don't end up with a fridge full of leftovers and some extra inches on the waistline. I'm also a vegetarian, so I've taken any meat dishes out of the menus. This didn't take much time. These were the war years, and only 20% of the menus even include meat.
So, here's the question: I'm trying to decide what to do next. There are 11 more breakfast menus in a chapter on "Menu Making" at the front of the cookbook. Presumably, these were menus designed for a housewife who didn't have to be as budget-conscious as the one with the $20 grocery bill. They'll probably be a little more elaborate. Fresher ingredients, maybe? I'm not sure. Should I pick up some of these ritzier menus? Or go back to Day 1 of the menus I've been using --- maybe drop some of the empty calorie days? (Despite her coupon clipper menus, even the author of the cookbook says "Doughnuts... jam, jelly, marmalade, and pancakes with sirup should be considered desserts... to be eaten only after more wholesome foods have been eaten.") Should I start working on some of the dinner menus. Maybe make a 1940s dinner once a week? What do you think???
Sliced Bananas on
Shredded Cereal
Easy, yummy, and filling. It was so filling, in fact, that it made a small lunch feel just right. I like that. It's been a nice perk from eating breakfast again. I've found this is definitely not the case on the mornings my menu is built around Waffles, Griddlecakes, or French Toast.
Nearly half of the meals (43%) were built around some sort of cooked cereal. 27% of the menus were built around an egg dish. Baked goods were the main attraction for 20% of the menus, and cold cereal for the remaining 10%. I adapted most of the menus to leave out the third serving of carbs. This may have worked for a woman preparing breakfast for several people. She'd be able to enjoy a little serving of several different dishes. I'm cooking for one, so I've been adapting the menus a bit to make sure I don't end up with a fridge full of leftovers and some extra inches on the waistline. I'm also a vegetarian, so I've taken any meat dishes out of the menus. This didn't take much time. These were the war years, and only 20% of the menus even include meat.
So, here's the question: I'm trying to decide what to do next. There are 11 more breakfast menus in a chapter on "Menu Making" at the front of the cookbook. Presumably, these were menus designed for a housewife who didn't have to be as budget-conscious as the one with the $20 grocery bill. They'll probably be a little more elaborate. Fresher ingredients, maybe? I'm not sure. Should I pick up some of these ritzier menus? Or go back to Day 1 of the menus I've been using --- maybe drop some of the empty calorie days? (Despite her coupon clipper menus, even the author of the cookbook says "Doughnuts... jam, jelly, marmalade, and pancakes with sirup should be considered desserts... to be eaten only after more wholesome foods have been eaten.") Should I start working on some of the dinner menus. Maybe make a 1940s dinner once a week? What do you think???
4 comments:
I think a 1940's dinner once a week would be very nice, something new to try.
I am not sure if you would stick to a "budget menu" like in the breakfasts you have been preparing, because from a 1950's perspective, the "fancier" cookbooks with more gourmet-type food is much yummier to eat than some of the "budget foods" or what I would classify as such (i.e. welsh rarebit, prune whip with fritos, etc.)
I truly enjoy reading your blog and am excited to see what you decide to do :)
Maybe introduce a few of the new breakfast menus to replace the empty calorie ones and then do a dinner once a week?
I love your blog@
Yes, I would try some of the new breakfast menus and then maybe do one dinner a week, to introduce it. I think I might look back thru some of your older posts and make some of your breakfasts. Because, again here in 1955 I would have been a new wife in the late 40's so these type of breakfasts would be a part of my routine. There is a very 40's dessert I want to try just to see what it tastes like, but I am not sure our modern tastebuds will enjoy it. It is a lady baltimore cake and the filling is all dates and figs and sweatmeats. If I do it, I will post a pic. Keep up the good bloggin. Do you think you will ever segway into the 50's?
I'm definitely curious about the non-budget conscious breakfasts. Will they be tastier? More work? I think I'll have to at least satisfy my curiosity.
Thanks for all the lovely comments!
And 50sgal, I think I'll stick around here in the '40s for awhile. I've got so much to learn when it comes to housekeeping and soooooooooo many chores still to add to my weekly/daily routines. I've only scratched the surface yet!
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