# Depression recipes



## firegirl969 (Nov 3, 2008)

With the talk of a depression here or on the way, I thought I would start a thread with recipes that use up leftovers. Today I ate lounch with my mom and she used this recipe to use up leftover homemade mashed potatoes. My great-grandma made these during the depression and she said that sometimes that was all they had for breakfast or dinner.

Mashed potato pancakes

leftover mashed potatoes (about 2-3 cups)
a handful of flour
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste

mix together. put some grease in frying pan and fry on both sides till golden brown

My mom also made this casserole to use up extra ground beef and rice

leftover ground beef
leftover rice 
can or jar of tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all up in a casserole dish and bake till warmed throughout.


----------



## Joe123 (Feb 24, 2008)

Poor Man's Bread 
1 cup flour 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
Water 

Stir in enough water to make a batter and pour into greased skillet.{ use a cast iron skillet. Fry until brown on each side like a pancake. Taste great with homemade butter and jam. 


==========================================================
Watermelon Preservers 

Pare and cut in stripes the rind of ripe watermelon. Soak in salt water over night. Cook in fresh water the next morning until tender. Drain. Add equal weight of sugar and let stand again over night. Add one-half as much of water as sugar and cook until clear. For flavoring, add while cooking one sliced lemon and a few pieces of ginger root, or a stick cinnamon and white cloves. If a sweet pickle is desired, add one cup vinegar to a melon.


----------



## firegirl969 (Nov 3, 2008)

Great recipes, Joe. My great-grandmother made watermelon rind pickles that were semi-sweet, and I did not know how to make them. Thanks, firegirl


----------



## Penny-Ontario (Oct 20, 2007)

More great recipes.


----------



## amwitched (Feb 14, 2004)

A friend of mine said that her Mom used to slice up salt pork and fry it up for supper.


----------



## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

amwitched said:


> A friend of mine said that her Mom used to slice up salt pork and fry it up for supper.


Made with cream gravy served over homemade buttermilk bisquits (sp?).

Mom would make this when the cubbard was nearly bare. We didn't get it often, so to us kids it was a special treat.


----------



## Joe123 (Feb 24, 2008)

PENNYWISE SWISS STEAK 

2 LB round or rump steak 
2 TBS A.P. flour 
2 tsp salt 
2 tsp bacon drippings 
2 cups whole canned tomatoes, crushed 
3 small onions, sliced thin 
3 carrots sliced 
1/2 tsp Tobasco sauce 
1/4 cup raisins 

Trim fat from meat. Combine flour and salt. Pound this mixture into the meat.
Brown the meat in a heavy deep skillet for 15-20 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except raisins. Simmer on low heat for 2-2 1/2 hours until tender. Add raisins in the last half hour of cooking. 

==========================================================
JACK POT CASSEROLE 

1 lb. ground beef 
1 onion, chopped fine 
2 Tbs. bacon grease 
salt and pepper to taste 
1 cup frozen corn, whole kernel 
1 can tomato soup 
1 1/2 cup water 
1/2 pkg of 8 oz egg noodles 

Brown ground beef and then add the onion. Cook til the onion is soft but not brown. Drain and let cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, mix remainder of ingredients and add the beef mixture. Pour into a casserole dish and cook in a pre-heated oven for one hour. 

ENJOY...


----------



## Bonnie L (May 11, 2002)

Daddy called these Depression Cookies, Grandma - Minda Nelson Teeter - called them Pillow Cookies. When Daddy made them, he didn't like to bother with chilling & rolling out the dough & cutting out the shapes. He made them as drop cookies, which we called Rocks. Not because they were hard, but because of the shape. 

Pillow Cookies

1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
6 cups flour
Â½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs, milk, and vanilla. Set aside. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat into the first mixture. Cover dough and chill in refrigerator for about an hour. Roll to Â¼ inch thickness on floured board and cut with cookie cutter. Bake at 400 degrees for 9-10 minutes. 
Cool & frost.


----------



## Joe123 (Feb 24, 2008)

Mock Rabbit (glorified meatloaf) 

3lbs Ground beef 
1lb slab bacon cubed 3/4" 
1 1/2lb sharp cheddar cheese cut into 1/2/x1/2x3" fingers 
3 large onions 
2-3 cans whole tomatoes 
3lbs ziti or large noodles 
flour 


Mix meat bacon onions and tomatoes in large oven-proof bowl. 
Press cheddar fingers into mix spreading equally throughout the loaf.
Put in 350 degree oven...after one hour remove excess grease with baster and continue baking another 30 minutes (approx).
Meanwhile prepare noodles according to package. 
Also heat excess grease in a saucepan and thicken with flour, adding water to make sufficient gravy. 
Serve mock rabbit with plenty of noodles and gravy. 

Back in them years they would cook with anytype of meat they could find. It didn't matter if a goat or rabbit. 

==========================================================
SAWMILL GRAVY
Bacon drippins (this is the grease leftover after you fry bacon) 
flour 
white milk 
salt and pepper 

In a skillet over medium heat, combine 5 or 6 tablespoons of bacon drippins with 5 or 6 tablespoons flour. 
Blend to make a smooth paste and cook until the paste is a light golden brown. Add 3 or 4 cups of white milk and stir until paste is dissolved in the milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil (stirring occasionally so the gravy won't stick to the pan) and cook until the gravy thickens, 10 to 15 minutes. 
Serve over biscuits, mashed potatoes or fried chicken.


Or you can make redeye gravy

RED EYE GRAVY

Strong black coffee 
Country ham drippins 
In a skillet after frying and removing country ham, drain enough of the grease leaving just enough to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. 
Turn the heat up to medium high and let the grease heat up but not smoke. Pour 1/2 to 1 cup of strong black coffee into the pan and scrape the bottom to loosen any bits of ham. Bring to a boil then remove from heat and serve.


----------



## Joe123 (Feb 24, 2008)

I thought lots of you would enjoy this link
http://theoldentimes.com/recipes.html


----------



## no hurry (Mar 16, 2008)

Joe123 said:


> RED EYE GRAVY
> 
> Strong black coffee
> Country ham drippins
> ...



Growing up, my Great uncle always had a bowl of this on the counter. He told me when I was little it was made with blood so I never tried any my whole life. He was a real prankster. LOL. Thanks for the real recipe!!


----------



## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

check out this...there are a series of these
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuMkW35BwK8[/ame]


----------



## FeralFemale (Apr 10, 2006)

My mom used to cook turkey a lot. Turkey, when you figure in all the leftovers, was a really cheap meal. She'd get a turkey on sale, roast it, and we had turkey all week in all manners of leftovers for much, much less money per pound than most other meats. Then she'd use the carcass for soup.

To be honest, it did take away the 'specialness' of having turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but in hindsight it was really smart of my mom.

And don't forget about fishing and hunting. We'd fill up a chest freezer with all that and have protein for the cost of ammo or bait.


----------



## firegirl969 (Nov 3, 2008)

Joe123,

Thanks for the great link!

firegirl


----------



## KariM (Feb 18, 2009)

Project Gutenberg has great ebooks available.

Here is one from the '20s:

http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/17438


----------

