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Desperate times call for. . . . . ?

65K views 161 replies 105 participants last post by  larabelle 
#1 ·
What did/do you do when things were really bad? What saved you from starvation or worse? How did/do you make it in the slim times?

What things do you feed your family? Where do you obtain your food?
 
#84 ·
This has been a wonderful thread and added to others resoursefulness ( can't spell) Hard times even when they go away they always come back I don't like going through them. But i am grateful for what I have learned. By the way I hate ramen and Peanut butter. Ours kids starved us several years ago. They ate $ 1000 worth of groceries in a month I sent them to grandmas house so my child would not starve.
 
#87 ·
Don't know how I missed this thread.......and it has been bumped a couple times........

Some great reading......

..not sure about that "cracker and mustard" thing........but I am going to try it.......always game to try new things. I mean, I am one that will sometimes dip popcorn in ketchup!!! It is just good.......don't do it often, but you can't just dip one kernel!!

How we survived years ago wouldn't apply today as the prices have changed so much.............mac. and cheese and TUNA when it was 20 cents a can!!! Also eggs. (can't stand the smell of baking tuna to this day.....but will eat tuna sandwiches)
 
#89 ·
This thread reminded me of some of the seriously cheap eats I've cooked for my family. I thought it might help someone whose finding themselves in desperate times.

Makes a fine soup

DUMPLINGS (Spaetzle)

1 cup milk
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
Add milk to flour slowly, stirring constantly to keep mixture smooth. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Salt and mix well. When cooking in boiling salted water or meat broth, pour the batter from a shallow bowl, tilting it over the boiling kettle. With a sharp knife slice off pieces of the batter into the boiling liquid. Dip knife in the liquid before each cut to prevent sticking.

EGG NOODLES

2 eggs
½ tsp. salt
sifted flour
Add salt to the eggs and work in enough flour to make a stiff dough. Knead thoroughly, divide into 2 portions and roll each out as thin as possible, on a floured board. Cover with cloth and let stand until partly dry. Roll up the dough and cut into ¼ inch strips. Spread out on paper to dry a little longer.

MEAT FILLING for NOODLES

1 cup ground beef (can use any ground meat)
2 tblsp. fat
1 small onion
½ cup dry bread crumbs
1 cup bread cubes
salt and pepper
2 tblsp. butter
Make a recipe of noodle dough (see above). Roll thin, let dry and cut into 3 inch squares. Brown meat in hot fat with the onion and seasoning. Soak bread cubes in water and press dry then add to the meat. Spoon mixture on the center of the noodle squares, fold in half and seal edges, like little pillows. Drop the filled squares into salted boiling water and cook 8 to 10 minutes. Lift carefully with draining spoon to a serving dish and top with the half cup of bread crumbs which have been browned in butter.


SPINACH FILLING for NOODLES

2 lbs. raw spinach, chopped
3 tblsp. butter
salt and pepper
1½ cups bread crumbs
2 eggs
Make a recipe of noodle dough (see above). Steam and brown the spinach in melted butter. Add the eggs, 1 cup of dry bread crumbs and the seasoning. Mix well, spoon mixture on noodle dough squares and proceed as above.

EGG BALLS FOR SOUP

Rub the yolks of three or four hard boiled eggs to a smooth paste and salt. To these add two raw ones lightly beaten. Add enough flour to hold the paste together. Make into balls with floured hands and set in cool place until just before your soup comes off. Put the balls carefully into the soup (or broth) and boil one minute.

CORN SOUP with RIVELS

3 cups fresh or canned corn
2 qts. water
1 cup rich milk
1⅓ cups flour
1 egg
3 tblsp. butter
1½ tsp. salt
parsley
Cook corn in water for 10 minutes. Make a batter by mixing egg, flour and milk together. Pour this batter through a colander, letting it drop into the boiling corn. Add butter and salt. Cook slowly in a covered pan for 3 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley. Soup should be eaten immediately after rivels are cooked.

DUTCH NOODLE CHEESE RING

1 cup egg noodles
3 tblsp. butter
3 tblsp. flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. paprika
1½ cups milk
2 eggs, well beaten
Swiss cheese (¼ to ½ lb.)
Boil noodles in salted water until tender. Drain and place in well-greased ring mold. Melt the butter, add flour and blend smooth. Stir in milk and cook, stirring constantly until it thickens. Add seasoning and cheese cut in small pieces. Cook until cheese melts. To ½ of the sauce add the well-beaten eggs and mix well. Pour this over the noodles. Set mold in pan of hot water and bake in moderate (350-f) oven 45 minutes. Unmold on large platter, pour over the remaining hot cheese sauce. Fill center with peas, and carrots or spinach.

POTATO FILLING

2 cups mashed potatoes
1 egg, beaten
1 qt. stale bread, cubed
2 tblsp. butter
1 onion, minced
½ cup celery, diced
1 tblsp. minced parsley
1 tsp. salt
pinch of pepper
Put the beaten egg into the mashed potatoes and mix well. Melt the butter in a large skillet and saute the onion and celery. Stir in the bread crumbs to toast for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Add all the other ingredients, combine with the potatoes and mix thoroughly.

SCRAPPLE

½ lb. chopped raw meat (beef or pork)
1¼ teaspoons salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 cup corn meal
1 medium onion chopped
1¼ qts. water
Brown onion slowly in a little fat. Add meat, seasoning and water. Cook at simmering point 20 minutes. Add to corn meal and boil for 1 hour. Turn into a mold, cool, cut in slices and fry in fat until brown. Can serve with gravy or tomato sauce.

*This is a very plain scrapple recipe. It can also be made with spices and served as a breakfast meat.

FRIED TOMATOES

4 tomatoes
3 tblsp. hot fat and butter (we use bacon grease)
2 tblsp. brown sugar (I omit)
Flour
½ cup milk
salt and pepper
Cut large, solid, ripe tomatoes in ½ inch slices. Dredge thickly with flour. Fry quickly in 2 tablespoons of hot drippings or butter, browning well on both sides. Remove to serving platter, sprinkle with salt, pepper and brown sugar. Keep warm. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan fryings and blend in a tablespoon of flour. Add the milk and cook, stirring constantly. It should be about the consistency of thick cream. Pour it over the tomatoes and serve.


CORN PUDDING

1 can golden crushed corn
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tbs. flour
2 tbs. sugar
1 cup milk
salt and pepper
lots of butter
Mix all ingredients together. Place in buttered casserole. Bake in slow oven 300 degrees for one hour.

HOME BAKED BEANS

2 cups navy beans
1½ tsp. salt
1 small onion, minced
4 tblsp. molasses
1 tsp. dry mustard
4 tblsp. catsup
¼ lb. salt pork
or 4 slices bacon
Soak beans over night in cold water. Drain, add 1½ qts. of fresh water, the Onion and cook slowly until skins burst. Drain save the liquid. Mix molasses, seasoning and catsup with 1 cup of the liquid. Put half the salt pork or bacon in bottom of bean pot or baking dish, add the beans and top with remainder of pork or bacon. Pour molasses mixture over beans, add more liquid to cover. Bake covered for 5 hours in slow oven (300-f). Uncover for the last 30 minutes. Add water if necessary, while cooking.

APPLE RING FRITTERS

1 cup sifted flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup milk
1 egg
4 large apples
Sift dry ingredients. Add milk and egg. Beat well. Peel and core apples and slice in rings about ¼ inch thick. Dip rings in batter and drop into skillet containing ½ inch of hot melted shortening. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towel. Mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over fritters. Makes 16 to 20.

CORN MEAL GRIDDLE CAKES

2 cups corn meal
½ cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 tblsp. butter
1½ tsp. salt
Sift flour, corn meal, baking powder, soda and salt. Sift again. Beat eggs well, add the buttermilk and combine with the dry ingredients. Beat until smooth and add melted butter. Bake on hot griddle. The “dutch” housewife rubbed the griddle with the flat part of a raw turnip cut in half, to prevent sticking. Some used a little cloth bag filled with salt. Serve with brown sugar or syrup.

CORN FRITTERS

2 eggs, separated
2 tblsp. flour
1 tblsp. sugar
2 cups grated fresh corn (I used canned or frozen)
Beat the egg yolks and add the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and a little pepper. Add the corn and fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Drop small spoonfuls on greased griddle or frying pan. Do not cook too fast.

OLD-FASHIONED FLANNEL CAKES

2 cups flour
1 tblsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
2 eggs, separated
2 tblsp. melted butter
Sift together in a bowl the flour, salt and baking powder. Beat the egg yolks and add the milk. Pour milk mixture slowly into the dry ingredients and beat to a smooth batter. Add the melted butter then fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Bake on hot griddle. Makes about 12 cakes.

FRIED CORN MEAL MUSH

1 cup corn meal
2 qts. boiling water
1 tsp. salt
Moisten corn meal with a little cold water and stir into the salted boiling water. Cook over slow fire, stirring often, for 45 minutes. (Most of the corn meal sold today has been processed to cook much faster, so follow the directions.) Pour the hot corn meal into a greased loaf pan or glass baking dish. Let stand, uncovered, until cold and firm. Cut into slices, dip in flour and fry in hot fat until browned. Serve with syrup. Wonderful with sausage.

PEACH FRITTERS

½ cup sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
⅓ cup butter
2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup milk
½ tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. vanilla
1½ cups chopped peaches, fresh or canned
whipped cream
Cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs and beat thoroughly. Sift dry ingredients together and add the milk slowly. Fold in peaches, lemon juice and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls into hot fat. Fry golden brown. Serve with whipped cream or sprinkle with powdered sugar.


GERMAN EGG PANCAKES

5 eggs, separated
½ cup milk
1 cup flour, sifted
Put the yolks of 5 eggs in a bowl and beat until very light. Add the milk and flour gradually and mix into a smooth batter which is not too thick. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Drop large spoonfuls on a hot greased griddle. Serve hot sprinkled with sugar or spread with currant or other tart jelly or jam.

Doughnuts

POTATO DOUGHNUTS

¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed potatoes
½ cup sweet milk
2½ cups flour
1½ tblsp. shortening
½ tsp. salt
⅛ tsp. nutmeg
1 tblsp. baking powder
Beat mashed potatoes, add melted shortening, beaten eggs and milk. Sift dry ingredients together and add to the liquid. Dough should be soft yet firm enough to roll. Separate dough into 2 parts and roll each out to thickness of ¾ inch. Cut with doughnut cutter and cook in deep fat (365-f) fry to golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Dust with powdered sugar or sugar and cinnamon mixture.


JOHNNY CAKE

1½ cups yellow corn meal
¾ cup flour, sifted
1½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tblsp. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1¼ cups sour milk or buttermilk
¼ cup shortening, melted
Sift flour, corn meal, baking powder, soda, salt and sugar together. Combine eggs and sour milk (or buttermilk) and add to the flour mixture. Mix well and stir in the shortening. Bake in greased 8 × 8 × 2-inch pan, in moderately hot oven (375-f) 40 minutes.

FUNNEL CAKES (Drechter Kuche)

3 eggs
2 cups milk
¼ cup sugar
3 to 4 cups flour
½ tsp. salt
2 tsps. baking powder
Beat eggs and add sugar and milk. Sift half the flour, salt and baking powder together and add to milk and egg mixture. Beat the batter smooth and add only as much more flour as needed. Batter should be thin enough to run thru a funnel. Drop from funnel into deep, hot fat (375-f). Spirals and endless intricate shapes can be made by swirling and criss-crossing while controlling the funnel spout with a finger. Serve hot with molasses, tart jelly, jam or sprinkle with powdered sugar.

*We've had funnel cakes for supper more times than I can count. :)

RIVEL (CRUMB) PIE

1 cup flour
½ cup sugar
½ cup butter and shortening mixed
Mix or “crumb” the above ingredients together with the hands to form small lumps or rivels. Strew the rivels into a prepared pastry shell and bake in a hot oven (400-f) for 30 minutes. Some spread 2 tblsps. of molasses over it before baking.

POTATO SALAD DRESSING

1 beaten egg
½ cup sugar
1 tbsp. flour
½ cup water
½ cup vinegar
2 tbsp. butter
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
Combine in the order given, stirring after each addition. Boil until thick. Cool before adding to the salad.

* Can use over macaroni noodles too
 
#90 ·
There was a point way back (80's), I lived on mustard sandwiches, so there was enough food for my 2 little ones.. I also did food banks.
 
#94 ·
Went to Aldi's yesterday, and everything had really gone up!!! The clerk said they were going to get higher, too. Yikes!
Went to Aldi's couple days ago. Milk WAS $2.89...now it's $3.09. Still cheaper than Publix or Walmart.
 
#95 ·
When I was first on my own I would make a large amount of spaghetti with meat sauce. This is what I ate for dinner for the rest of the week. Fortunately for me I like spaghetti although by the last day I was a little tired of it.

Fortunately, now I have discovered using beans and all the types of things I can make with it.
 
#96 ·
I was born and raised in the former Soviet Union in the 70s when food was scarce and we often had to stand in line for meat and dairy. I remember there was a rule that if you had a small child with you you got twice the amount of food. So my mum would often 'lend' me to her girlfriends in line so they could buy more food. At about the third go the sales person would get suspicious :shrug2:.

Overall I had a very happy childhood :). We didn't know what we were missing out on so we never felt deprived. We played outdoors all day, occasionally popping in home to get a chunk of bread with butter. We foraged for apples and berries in old abandoned homesteads. Meatless sorrel soup with a slice of bread was a staple in our house. We would buy a whole chicken and use up every single part of it, including the innards which would be finally cut up and used in soups. Now that I live in the land of plenty (Australia) I am often aghast at just how much food is being wasted. Imagine some people don't even eat the stalks of the broccoli!:scratch:
 
G
#97 ·
We sold our house in an expensive area and paid cash for one in a not so expensive area. I like the 20.00 grocery list too. I'll use that. We don't have cable. We do have internet and that is where our "TV" comes from as well as the work I do from home. I'm fortunate to work from home and not have a commute and have to buy a lot of gas. For TV there is also the free digital stuff that is still over the air. Not much we watch anyway. We don't watch movies at the theater. Our cars are paid off and I'll keep them running until they rot. In the meantime, we treat them gently. We dry laundry on a clothes horse. If I take a soak, I use the water to put into the laundry wash cycle. I lug a 5 gallon bucket back and forth until I'm finished. I've put out a rain barrel but it may never rain again :). I buy bulk pasta and spaghetti sauce. I suppose I could do with tomato paste. HEB sells small packets of mexican soup varieties and they go well with a can of mixed vegetables.
 
#99 ·
Welcome Floyd! : ). I really enjoyed your post and hearing about your life when you were young - I think many people think they're deprived because they don't have everything they want but they've never been truly deprived or through rough times.

Also I agree that there is WAY too much food wasted today. Sad, but true.

Scarlett
 
#100 ·
Hi - first time poster here (nervous).

Flloyd - thank you for sharing your childhood experiences. The lady that alters my work clothing (I get hand me downs from women how make a lot more $$ than I do!) grew up in the Soviet Union around the same time as you. She too is always amazed at how much we waste here in the States. It is a good reminder to me that I do have it better than a lot of people and I should continue to be grateful, after all, the glass is half full.

As for desperate times, in college (my husband was a Sr. when I was a freshman, so he was working during most of my time in school) I survived off of Ramen Noodles (.07 at the time) mixed with ketchup. My husband (then boyfriend) ate peanut butter and jelly. At Christmas we asked for things like coffee, dog treats, jarred pasta sauce, anything that went into the pantry. My parents would often stop at Costco on the way down to visit us and pick us up ground beef, chicken, coffee and bulk rice. When my DH's parents would visit his mom would cook and freeze all sorts of wonderful Italian dishes for us (his parents are from Italy). I grew the tomatoes she would use in those dishes.

My husband is an IT guy and I can not tell you how many times he traded fixing a professor's computer in exchange for a home cooked meal for us from their wife. There are lots wealthy people who have second homes in our area and would set up their internet for side money. His side work money was usually our grocery money.

Since we bought our house (right after my DH graduated college) we were able to take in some other college students as room mates. That covered our mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities and gave us a little emergency fund. A lot of the time, our roommates parents also would bring food when they visited.

I am thankful that I being so poor in college taught us to be frugal, but after skimming this site, I realize I have A LOT to learn!!
 
#101 ·
Welcome to Frugal Village. :welcome2:
 
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#102 ·
Thank you so much for the warm welcome. I am working on figuring out how to post stuff to the bottom (debt goals, ect).

This site is soooo amazing. I can not get over how much valuable information is here. Looking forward to exploring more :)
 
#104 ·
We sold our larger home in a "nicer" area for a small one in a more working class area so we could pay for it in cash. So no mortgage. (Whew!) We only keep one vehicle and don't even give a thought to getting another one until we can afford to pay for it in cash as well. I keep the pantry stockpiled/prepped/whatever you want to call it so if we do fall on difficult financial times I can shop my own pantry instead of the stores. We keep chickens for eggs and just finished raising/butchering 26 meat chickens. On occasion, we will even raise rabbits for meat.

I don't let any food go to waste. If it's something that I know we won't eat will go to the chickens or dogs. I keep bits and bobs of meats, gravies, etc in the freezer in case I ever need to make my own homemade dog food. We had a long period of job loss in '09 and buying dog food wasn't an option so I learned to improvise. Did you know you can cook down bones (pressure cooker - half hour or crock pot - 2 or 3 days) and they will crumble into bonemeal into your hands? Very healthy to add to homemade dog food. :)
 
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#105 ·
Hi all you new folks and welcome I really enjoyed handyandys, Scarlett, and twilights. Everyone is welcome. There is so much waste in this country. I personally am trying to reduce my food waste because we really waste a lot. 2 cooks in the house and we loose leftovers. Anyhoo nice to meet you I am Pen. Thank you for the posts hugs to all
 
#106 ·
Thank you everyone for your warm welcome. It is wonderful to be amongst such friendly and like-minded people :).

This weekend we decided to set up a worm farm/composting area to use up veggie scraps. We visited a friend of ours who has an established worm farm and learned tons about getting started. I will keep you posted of our progress.

Have a nice day, everyone!

F
 
#107 ·
How wonderful. I compost, bokashi compost, and have a worm farm as well. Love them. Good luck with yours.
 
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#110 ·
Scarlett, a worm farm is a type of composting which is much faster than the more common 'hot' composting where you put your veggie scraps into a compost bin. Worm composting relies on worms going through the food and leaving worm castings which can then be used to supplement soil in your veggie patch. :thumb:
 
#112 ·
So - in an effort to keep costs down (yet again or still). . . I scrounged the fridge for lunch - it was just me today. I found a splash of milk that was just turning blink. . . one small baked potato that was starting to shrivel, a thin slice of ham and some cheese that was beginning to dry out. I made a huge bowl of potato/ham chowder and dined very well, while using stuff that I'd probably would have had to toss in the next day or so.
 
#113 ·
In november of 2008 right after thanksgiving, i was garnsihed for back state taxes ( $2200 ) i get paid every 2 weeks. I called and talked to them and i was able to keep about $330 every two weeks. My rent was $625 at the time ! Anyhow, i took what i had in the bank and borrowed $1000 from my 401k ( which i have paid in full since) and paid my rent through January. The rest of it i just lived on very carefully. NO eating out etc....

Luckily i'm single so i was able to cancel christmas with forgiveness.

If something like that happened to me now, i am happy to say i am more prepared. I make more than i did then too.
 
#114 ·
Just wanted to pipe up and say this is a wonderful thread to read through. it really does make one thankful for the little things one has :)

DH and I lived with very little heat (couldn't afford the oil) for a couple winters a few years ago- we wore layers and layers of clothes, and basically lived in one room with a little electric heater. Now I am so thankful to have a warm house, and money put away for the next tank of oil. So many people take things like heat and water for granted- never again for us!

I think one of the best tips I've learned (wish I learned this in uni!) was to know how to cook from scratch. So many good, filling meals can be made for next to nothing. Pea soup, potato soup, chicken soup with leftovers- make your own biscuits or buns. In university my roomate and I lived on rice-r-roni, sidekicks, and ramen- I wish someone had taught me budget cooking before moving away.

I'm definitely going to make sure that my DD learns how to cook the frugal basics before she leaves home.

This spring I'm going to take a foraging hike with our local botanical gardens to learn what I can find to eat in the woods out back. So excited!
 
#115 ·
We barter a lot, more when times are desperate. . . swap garden produce with neighbors. . . swap knitted items in exchange for raw wool/fibers to spin (ie, one hat/scarf set snagged me 30 lbs of wool seconds from my neighbor) . . . swap fish for mutton or beef, etc.

We shut down all but essential electricity - line dry clothes, even in winter. . . wash clothes in the bathtub by hand. . . lights off and do any reading/close work in daylight house. . . utilize solar heat grabbers for added warmth. . . shut off the fridge and use the outdoors as a fridge/freezer (we have a cold room in the house for the fridge part)
 
#116 ·
This is such an amazing thread!

I've had some really tough times before, but I have never in my entire life lived on as little as I am right now, so its been an ugly crash course. Despite literally hundreds of applications, no job to replace the one I was laid off from. Unemployment ran out two months ago, and I am now about to lose the housing that my teen daughter and I live in.

We eat nothing that is not free or pretty close to it. And Thank God for the .99 cent store! The ideas on here will be very, very helpful.
 
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