Post-Rational Confession

So, let's see...rationing has been over for almost seven weeks.

That's seven weeks of no points. Seven weeks of menu freedom. Seven weeks of everything in the grocery store beckoning to us as potential purchases.

But I can't bear to toss out my menus/shopping lists for those seven weeks.

They're sitting in a pile near my rationing notes.

After recording all of our menus and grocery purchases every week for the rationing year I struggle with just throwing away that information for our post-rational life.

Maybe I can work up the courage, soon. After all, we'll be moving to the new house shortly - surely that will be a good time to purge seemingly worthless papers.

Right?

--Rational Mama

P.S. They'll be more post-rational thoughts to post on the blog, now that my self-imposed hiatus from blogging is over.

Rational Ritual

This past Wednesday night we sat around the table, rolled the die and pulled scenarios from Mr. Bowles' Marketplace Scenario Randomizer...for the last time.

So interesting how doing something once a week for a year becomes such a habit, such a ritual.

Over the past year we've both cheered and boo-ed the die roll, rearranged menus to suit the scenarios and listen to the girls quarrel countless times over whose turn it is to roll the die.

In the end the last scenario of the rationing year was a dud...only half the usual amount of flour was available, but we have plenty in the pantry anyway.

The week before was a doozy, though. Eowyn wanted from-scratch macaroni and cheese for dinner when a gaggle of family was to be visiting to celebrate her birthday. But when we pulled scenarios for that week Mr. Bowles' informed us that only half the amount of cheese was available at the store. The cheese supply in the fridge was not bountiful, so there was no way we could acquire enough cheese to make macaroni and cheese for a crowd of sixteen.

As a friend said, Mr. Bowles' giveth and Mr. Bowles' taketh away.

So, we had to go to Plan B: roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and Brussels sprouts (you gotta love an eight-year-old that asks for Brussels sprouts).

It will be strange, if not liberating, to be able to make a shopping list without consulting the Randomizer. There are several aisles that I think I haven't even stepped a foot in during the rationing year. Everything in the store will be available for purchase. Everything.

And I know that I originally said that I would compost the Randomizer when the rationing project was complete, but now I am (based on a reader's advice) considering holding on to it for a while.

Some habits die hard.

--Rational Mama

Reality Check

I was at one of those mega-market grocery stores the other night.

That night (and all during rationing) my cart contained basic staples like flour, sugar, butter, cheese, bread, a small amount of meat, beans, cereal, maybe a frozen or canned vegetable and seasonally appropriate fresh fruits and vegetables.

This seems very normal to me.

The person in line behind me the other night had three economy-sized packages of frozen burritos, frozen blueberry waffles (artificially flavored), frozen tater tots, several frozen dinner entrees, a few bags of chips and two flats of bottled water.

I have to admit I stared a little; I was simultaneously amazed at how different our two purchases were and by how little real food was piling up on the conveyor belt behind my purchase. I was very aware that a significant portion of the volume of their purchase consisted of artificial colors, artificial flavors, bulking agents, salt, high-fructose corn syrup and other quasi-food substances.

If that's what life after rationing looks like then I don't want to leave rationing.

--Rational Mama

U.K. Ration Day!

Hello to all! Today is the day we start living on 1945 U.K. rations for the next two weeks!

A previous post outlined some of the rations and restrictions which were, unfortunately, a little squishy. Since I didn't have access to many first-hand sources I was making a sort of U.K. ration hodge-podge - a little 1943, a little 1945, etc.

Luckily, the ever so kind Mr. Graham (from On the Ration) set me straight. So, here's a rundown of our rations for the first week.

Standard Weekly U.K. Rations for Family of Four (1945)

8 oz preserves/syrup/treacle (Hagrid's favorite) (We have blueberry preserves)

32 oz sweets (We've gone with 27 oz sugar and 5 oz hard candy)

One pound bacon or ham (bacon this week)

32 oz butter/margarine/lard (We have 16 oz butter, 8 oz margarine and 8 oz lard...shudder)

8 oz cheese (Cheddar)

4 eggs (Drats! I can't find egg powder in this town!)

1.80 gallons fresh milk

milk powder - enough to make .6 gallons of milk

8 oz loose tea (no coffee or soda allowed)

Ribena concentrate for the girls (Our local grocery store had Ribena, Mr. Graham!)

2 cans concentrated orange juice

$8.32 for meat ration (Our antibiotic-free whole chicken was $8.30)

The monetary ration for meat was historically for red meat only, but to stay in line with our rationing year we will also include pork and poultry as part of this ration due to their current widespread availability (as compared with WWII).

There is also a standard ration of cod liver oil that I will not be subjecting the family to (I'm afraid Sissy would never speak to me again).

Then we have 24 points per week to use on tinned and dried foods. This is how we spent ours for the first week:

2 pounds oatmeal (8 pts)

1 pound dried beans - garbanzos (4 pts)

1 pound pasta (4 pts)

1/2 pound rice (1 pt)

1 pint condensed milk (2 pts)

1 fl oz olive oil (1 pt)

4 oz mayonaisse (4 pts)

Of course, local fresh produce and whole-grain breads are ration-free.

Soap rations are outlined in a previous post.

And then there's the gasoline rations...Under U.S. rations (and with a little 2010 math) our family is allowed 193 miles per week combined for both of our vehicles. Mr. Graham shared that gasoline rations varied during the war, with civilian rations of gasoline not being an option for a good portion of the war. He did related that if TMOTH's employment correlated with a wartime industry (which it would) then in early 1945 he would be allowed 9 gallons of gasoline per week which, using our 2010 math, would equate to 157 gallons per week.

Our weekly average has been closer to 180 miles per week, so we will definitely have to rethink our trips.

Of course, no appliance or clothing purchases are allowed and eating outside the home (restaurants, etc.) will only be permitted at two different (previously scheduled) family occasions during the two week period.

So there's the basics! Last night we went through the cupboards and refrigerator, storing away tempting items that are not allowed on U.K. rations. It was like removing all the hametz out of a house for Passover. Good bye crackers, gratuitous amounts of packaged cereal and cheese. Today we have nice, sparse shelves and a simple vegetable and dumpling soup.

We'll see how this goes.

--Rational Mama

Soap Box

So...less than a week until we adopt 1945 U.K. rationing standards for two weeks. I've got my shopping lists to rearrange and a different point system to consider and I've got soap on the brain.

Unlike the U.S., things in the U.K. during WWII got so tight as to require soap rationing (to save fats and oils for food). In 1945 (our target year for U.K. rations) each individual was allotted four soap coupons per month (babies were given more), and each coupon could be used to purchase (along with money):

4 oz of hard bar soap (think lye soap)

3 oz of hard toilet soap (equivalent to our modern bath soap)

3 oz soap flakes (used for laundry and general cleaning purposes)

6 oz soap powder (think Vim, similar to Ajax)

6 oz soft soap (a semi-liquid soap similar in consistency to cold creams)

1/2 oz (15 ml) liquid soap (think liquid Castile soap)

As a family of four we will have four coupons per week. Mr. Graham (writer extraordinaire at On the Ration) informed me that if TMOTH's job was the industrial type that required him to get extra dirty then he'd earn extra soup coupons. As much as I like the idea (and smell) of that, I'm not sure that TMOTH's job would apply. Does he get dirty at work? Most definitely. Dirtier than the average 1940s job (think of coal miners and railroad mechanics and such)? Probably not. So, in good faith I'm sticking to four soap coupons per week.

Here's what I've chosen to trade in our first week's coupons for the following:

3 oz hard toilet soap
6 oz soap flakes

1/2 oz (15 ml) liquid soap

The toilet soap is self explanatory. I ordered the soap flakes online and there is enough in the weekly supply to clean two to three loads of laundry (note to self: wash bed linens the week before). The liquid soap will be dissolved into water and put in a sprayer bottle for general cleaning purposes around the kitchen and bath.

I hope this will be sufficient, although I'm already wishing there was another coupon so that I could get some soap powder, too. Maybe I can get some soap powder the second week if the toilet soap looks like it will last.

How would you spend your soap ration coupons?

--Rational Mama

A Randomizer Review

We are entering our week 33rd of the rationing project. Week 33! Can you believe it?


This means for 33 weeks our menus and shopping trips have been affect by the amazing Mr. Bowles' Amazing Marketplace Scenario Randomizer. For those who really like data, here's a list of all the scenarios we endured (and a few comments in red)...


Week 1:
No scenarios (we were being nice to ourselves)


Week 2:
Salad oils - none available for purchase
Frozen fruit - scarce, available only for 1.5 times the regular ration points
Processed meats - only substandard quality available (off-brand)


Week 3:
Processed meats - none available for purchase
Coffee - only half the normal amount available


Week 4:
Beef - only half the normal amount available (so if a recipe called for 1 lb of beef, we could only buy a half lb)
Coffee - ditto
Canned fruit - scarce, available only for 1.5 times the regular ration points
Dried fruit - ditto


Week 5:
Canned soups and sauces - only half the normal amount available


Week 6:
Eggs - none available for purchase
Canned vegetables - scarce, available only for 1.5 times the regular ration points


Week 7:
Alternative sweeteners (corn syrup, maple syrup, honey, molasses) - only substandard quality available (off-brand)
Canned soups and sauces - surplus, available for half of the normal ration points (bought extra tomato sauce and tomato soup)


Week 8: (our first week with five scenarios!)
Pork - none available for purchase
Processed meats - only half the normal amount available
Poultry - scarce, available only for 1.5 times the regular ration points (we had company over for dinner and already had chicken on the menu for the event, so we paid copious points for that particular dinner)
Salad oils - surplus, available for half of the normal ration points
Coffee - only substandard quality available (store brand)


Week 9:
Beef - only half the normal amount available
Fresh vegetables - ditto
Canned fruits - Victory Special! Available for 1/4 the normal ration points (Our first Victory Special! Bought extra cans of fruit)
Nuts and nut products - none available for purchase (very happy that we had an extra jar of peanut butter on the shelf)
Poultry - surplus, available for half of the normal ration points


Week 10:
Beef - Victory Special! Available for 1/4 the normal ration points
Salad Oils - ditto
Sugar - only half the normal amount available
Canned vegetables - scarce, available only for 1.5 times the normal ration points


Week 11:
Butter - scarce, available only for 1.5 times the normal ration points
Salad oils - surplus, available for only half the normal ration points
Soft cheeses - scarce, available only for 1.5 times the normal ration points
Beef - ditto


Week 12:
Butter - none available for purchase
Poultry - only substandard quality available (off-brands, lower-quality cuts...really wanted fried chicken that week so had to use only off-brand chicken legs...bleh)


Week 13:
No scenarios (first time in three months!)


Week 14:
Shortening - surplus, available for only half the normal ration points
Salad oils - scarce, available only for 1.5 times the normal ration points
Pork - ditto


Week 15:
Pork - scarce, available only for 1.5 times the normal ration points
Shortening - only half the normal amount available
Sugar - scarce, available only for 1.5 times the normal ration points
Beef - surplus, available for only half the normal ration points


Week 16:
No scenarios


Week 17:
No scenarios


Week 18:
Poultry - none available for purchase


Week 19:
No scenarios (we could get used to this - three out of the last four weeks!)


Week 20: (reality check)
Flour - only half the normal amount available
Eggs - none available for purchase (lucky to get eggs in our CSA bag that week)
Beef - scarce, available only for 1.5 times the normal ration points
Nuts and nut products - none available for purchase (umm...haven't been stocking up so we're out)



Week 21:No scenarios


Week 22:
Soft cheeses - only half the normal amount available
Butter - only substandard quality available
Frozen fruit - surplus, available for only half of the normal ration points (for some reason we didn't stock up)
Dried fruit - only half the normal amount available
Frozen vegetables - none available for purchase


Week 23:
Dried beans - scarce, available only for 1.5 times the normal ration points
Canned vegetables - ditto


Week 24:
No scenarios


Week 25:
Beef - none available for purchase
Pork - scarce, available only for 1.5 times the normal ration points
Frozen juice - ditto
Grains - only half the normal amount available
Coffee - none available for purchase


Week 26: (Yay! Passing the halfway point!)
Butter - none available for purchase
Jams/jellies - Victory Special, available for only 1/4 the normal ration points (we didn't take advantage of this since we have home-canned jam)
Hard cheeses - none available for purchase


Week 27:
No scenarios


Week 28:
Frozen fruit - scarce, available only for 1.5 times the normal ration points
Dried fruit - only substandard quality available
Hard cheese - none available for purchase (oh dear, getting low on hard cheese...)
Salad oils - scarce, available only for 1.5 times the normal ration points
Poultry - only half the normal amount available


Week 29:
Coffee - none available for purchase
Cottage cheese - only substandard quality available
Salad oils - none available for purchase


Week 30:
Eggs - only half the normal amount available
Shortening - ditto
Beef - ditto
Pork - scarce, available only for 1.5 times the normal ration points


Week 31:
No scenarios


Week 32:
Pork - only half the normal amount available
Salad oils - scarce, available only for 1.5 times the normal ration points
Butter - ditto





Week 33:
Salad oils - none available for purchase (dang! salad oils have been restricted/none available for the last several weeks and we need more olive oil for pesto supplies)
Flour - none available for purchase

Whew! There you have it. I think we've rolled with the punches pretty well. In general, we've learned that there are certain items that we always want to have an extra supply on hand of: butter, sugar, flour, oils, hard cheeses and peanut butter. Everything else is just bonus.

A quick review of our records show that the average number of dinners where meat is a main component hasn't changed from the first eight weeks of the program as compared to the previous eight weeks; we still have meat-based dinners an average of 2.75 times per week.

Okay, that's enough of a trip down memory lane for now. How do you think you'd handle the Randomizer?

--Rational Mama

Black Saturday

So...I think I bought something on the black market.

Granted, it wasn't as controversial as cigarettes or booze, or even something more traditional to the WWII civilian black market (typically beef, sugar and coffee).

It was granola bars. You know, those kind that have two thin, crunchy granola wafers in each individual wrapping? I bought a box of those.

A few Saturdays ago I found myself at work without my lunch. The best option was a nearby grocery store, so I wandered the aisles looking for something to hit the spot. This small grocery store didn't have a salad bar, nor much of a deli to speak of. Rationing makes impulse purchases a little tricky, since things like prepackaged meals and most chips are not allowed. I looked and looked, with nothing catching my eye or my taste buds.

And then I saw them - their cheerful green box beckoning me hither, saying, "Go ahead, you haven't had a granola bar in over six months...live a little."

I pondered the implications. Technically, this type of prepackaged good was not available during the 1940s and so isn't really allowed during our rationing year. But, in the broad scheme of things they were a pretty basic option (as opposed to, say, highly processed Cheetos). And they sounded really, really good.

So I bought them. I had purchased a contraband item.

I guess I can somewhat rationalize (no pun intended) it by saying I traded some of our coffee rations for the granola bars. Coffee was a highly-desired commodity during WWII rationing and made frequent appearances on the black market.

Friends, we haven't actually bought coffee since the end of January. This means that, had we been purchasing coffee at our normal ration allowance with the idea of stockpiling it, we would have approximately 10 pounds of the stuff with which to make trades.

That's a whole lotta granola bars.

But I promise to not abuse this option, since there were serious implications (jail time, fines) for anyone caught trading on the black market.

Instead, let me know if you have a recipe for the type of granola bars I'm talking about - that way, we can have our snack and be legit.

--Rational Mama

Apparently, Everyone Needs a Heart

I went grocery shopping tonight and passed through the meat department.

The number of beef hearts available has already dropped since Saturday; down from thirteen to five.

Seriously, who is eating this stuff? I mean, the beef heart kabobs were palatable for sure, but I had no idea there would be a demand.

Is there some cultural recipe I'm missing out on?

--Rational Mama

The Great Snack Food/Cereal/Soda Smackdown of 2010

Next week will mark the completion of our sixth month on the rationing program. Can you believe it? The half-way mark!

Next week will also mark the start of the Great Snack Food/Cereal/Soda Smackdown of 2010. What? You don't know about this? Well, lemme 'splain.

For nearly six months we've been toodling along with the rationing program fairly comfortably (except for the lack of green vegetables in the winter and that liver incident I don't want to talk about). And an important part of why we've been fairly comfortable is because cereals, crackers and chips were not rationed, so we have not put any restrictions on those items. But in reality, this isn't fair.

You see, in the 1940s there was not the enormous variety of snack crackers, chips and cereals as there are now. There were no Cool Ranch Doritos, Ritz Chips Sweet Chili and Sour Cream nor Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal to appease the masses. Hence, while we've missed things like lettuce, pork chops and ketchup at times we've been able to stuff ourselves on these modern (and questionably nutritious) items.

And that's just not fair.

So, to renew our commitment in the second half of the rationing year we are imposing a limitation on snack foods, cereals and sodas: they must be period appropriate. What does this mean for us? Here's a list of what will be available (and the year it was first commercially produced)...

Crackers
Ritz Crackers (1934)
Saltines (19th century)
Graham Crackers (1829)
Cheez-Its (1921)
Triscuits (1902)

Chips
Frito's (1932)
Tortilla Chips (early 1940s)
Plain (salted) Potato Chips (1853)
Pretzels (1889)

Cereals

Grape Nuts (1898)
Shredded Wheat (1893)
Cheerios (1941)
Corn Flakes (1894)
Raisin Bran (1926)
Kix (1937)
Chex (1937)
Rice Crispies (1928)

What won't be allowed are those newer, fancy-flavored, highly processed varieties. For crackers this means no Goldfish or specially flavored versions of the approved list. Doritos, Pringles, cheese puffs and the likes won't be available in the chip category. When it comes to cereals we will be avoiding most children's cereals (we already do - way too much sugar and artificial colors) and the specialty cereals which include sweetened or frosted pieces.

TMOTH is a Grape Nuts man, and my cereal of choice is shredded wheat, so our breakfasts will remain compliant. We will, for the first time in their lives, allow the girls to sprinkle a tiny amount of sugar on their cereal if that will help the plain shredded wheat go down better.

I imagine we'll get a bit creative and learn how to make our own version of Doritos and such using the resources we have (I have quite the spice collection).

And as far as soda's go...the biggest change is that no artificial sweeteners will be allowed. Mostly, this will affect me, since my maximum three sodas I drink per week are of the diet kind. We won't be too stringent about whether or not the soda actually existed in the 1940s, since we rarely drink soda and when we do it's along classic soda lines (Pepsi, 7Up) rather than newer varieties (Mountain Dew).

What would be the most difficult snack/cereal/soda item for you to go without?

--Rational Mama


P.S. This is our 100th post! My, how time flies!

What Would YOU Do?

In general, most rationing points during WWII had an expiration date of the end of the month they were issued. So, for example, the points that became available for use during the month of May had to be used by May 31st. After that date the May points would be cursed by an evil witch and twisted into a horrible, homely representation of a point so hideous that no grocer nor butcher would consider accepting them. Or something like that.

Over the past few months we've lightened up our red points purchases quite a bit. Due to my rising cholesterol we've focused on returning to our family's general pattern of only eating meat at three to four dinners per week (and my cholesterol has gone down to a very happy level as a result) and we've been buying locally raised chicken, which is not rationed. Plus, with the early summer heatwave we've had the menu has been switching to lighter fare.

Thus, this week we had a dilemma: in addition to the 64 red points we have allotted for the week, there were an extra 24 red points left over from earlier in the month. What to do?

In the end we bought an extra bottle each of canola and olive olive oil, an extra pound of butter, an extra pound of cheese (extra-sharp cheddar) and one pound of bacon (BLT season is just around the corner!).

With the handy dandy chart in mind, what would you have done with roughly 35 extra red points to burn?

--Rational Mama

Shhh...

When I went to pick up the CSA bag this week I was surprised to find four small bundles of asparagus available. I was literally stunned (it was 4:40pm) and kept staring at the dry-erase board that lists bag options, trying to figure out just what was going on.

The CSA representative was amused.

Finally, I asked "What are the asparagus a choice with?"

"Oh, well, technically you're choosing between the mushrooms or the asparagus," she replied. "But I took the asparagus off the listing board since we were almost out. I set aside a few asparagus bunches for those who come a little later."

My wide eyes communicated a silent, sincere gratitude.

"Just tuck them down in your bag so the folks up front don't see them."

Apparently, the asparagus gods heard my laments. Or maybe the CSA reps had heard numerous complaints.

Of course, this serves as positive reinforcement for my bitching.

Either way, we're having asparagus tomorrow night.

--Rational Mama

Asparagus and Whine

We've now had three weeks of CSA bag pick-ups. As a result we've had an abundant supply of spinach and salad greens (especially when combined with what we’ve harvested from our own garden). We've also received some fresh mushrooms, carrots, a few bok choys, green onions and a dozen eggs from truly free-range chickens. Last week I was pleasantly surprised with the addition of French breakfast radishes (my favorite kind of radish) and…and…oh, wait. I wanted to say asparagus, but that would be lying.

Two years ago we participated in the same CSA veggie bag subscription. Asparagus season lasts for a little less than two months in these parts and I know last time we were the happy receivers of asparagus on several occasions. This time, however, things are different.

Bag pick-up times are from 4:30pm to 5:30pm on Fridays – at least, that’s what the official subscription information page says. The latest I've arrived at the co-op to pick up my bag? 4:38pm. Each week asparagus is listed on the board when I arrive, but has a line through it, implying that it was available but all of it has already been taken. When another politely disgruntled CSA subscriber voiced his disappointment last Friday at yet again not receiving any asparagus the well-meaning check-out clerk said, “Oh, yes. It’s very popular. You have to get here at 4:00pm to get asparagus in your bag!”

What?

Pick-up time begins at 4:30pm. They’re letting other folks pick up their bags earlier than that? But that’s against the rules!

This, my friends, is a good point to talk about how (in general) I am a rule follower.

Rules are rules and are there for a reason. And typically, I follow the rules. This is evidence by my strong academic career, solid employment history and completely clean driving record (knock on wood). I honor the system and follow the system and usually do not take short cuts. Granted, I have a few examples in my past of rule bending (I had an amazingly thorough "wet floor" sign collection in college), but by and by I typically follow the rules.

After all, how could one follow the rationing program and NOT follow the rules? The rationing systems requires a certain inherited sense of duty and respect for the rules...a respect I often suspect would not be available if rationing was imposed in the U.S. today. I mean, you have to follow the rules to pick up the right ration book at the right time, use the correct stamps during the correct period, and follow obligatory point values which are out of your control.

Granted, there were black markets in the 1940s, but imagine how much more complex the black markets would be today with Craig's List, Facebook and the like!

But I'm a rule follower, and so I woke up early on Saturday to get to the farmer's market in time to assure that I could buy asparagus. I bought a nice looking bunch from an elderly gentleman for $3.00 while I groused a bit under my breath about missing the asparagus in my CSA bag again.

We had the asparagus that night with dinner and it was everything asparagus should be: local, crisp yet tender, earthy and flavorful. I have to admit it was worth the $3.00.

So I need to stop my complaining and accept that part of the "eating locally" approach means that there's not always enough for everyone. And sometimes, people will play the system to get theirs.

I think that's a good life lesson, too. Be happy with what you get.

That being said, I'm considering using some of our gasoline rations this weekend to drive almost an hour to harvest local strawberries. The stores have been flooded with strawberries from Mexico and I drool a little bit every time I pass the displays in the produce section, unable to purchase them because of the rationing program (damn me and my rule following).

Maybe if I can get to the strawberry patch early enough they'll have some left.

And I'll be sure to leave some for the next family.

--Rational Mama

A (Not So Perfect) Storm

Another night in the central plains and another night of covered veggies, tornado warnings, lightening and the threat of hail. This time of year the plains climate is ripe for atmospheric instabilities and serves to shake off the rose-colored glasses we've been wearing since the first signs of spring burst forth.

At the Rational Living homestead we've had our own microcosmic parallel this week. Since April 10th the only scenario thrown our way was that no chicken was available for purchase during the week of April 25th. That's it.

We've been living the easy life; no scenarios means status quo rationing with predictable supplies and established ration point values. To paraphrase the gentleman writer of On the Ration, there's a knack to rationing and once you've figured it out meal plans and shopping lists become second nature. This is especially true when one week of rationing looks just like the next.

But this week was different. After a month of predictability we found ourselves faced with four scenarios this week:

Beef - scarce, available for 1 1/2 times the usual ration points
Eggs - none available for purchase (at the store)
Nuts and Nut Products - none available
Flour - sparse, only very limited amounts available

Luckily, we're not big beef eaters. And our CSA has provided us with another half dozen farm fresh eggs that by-passed the store.

But Sissy and Eowyn typically (and quite willingly) eat peanut butter at least once a day (if not more), and I had not stock-piled a back-up supply, so this week of scant nut butters has required much more creativity for their lunches. So far we've done turkey sandwiches, leftover (homemade) pizza and cottage cheese with peaches. Although no one has complained outright about this change, I know in my heart that a peanut butter and jelly sandwich would be happily greeted about now.

And flour? Flour wasn't actually rationed during WWII but was subject to market variability due to the massive amounts of resources being redirected to feed "the boys." What makes this a particularly touchy scenario for us is the fact that, for the past month, we've been making our own sandwich bread from scratch. Partly for the experience, partly to control the ingredients (no HFCS, please), we've been making two loaves of whole wheat sandwich bread each week. Luckily, we've had enough flour on hand to make it through the week, but this scenario, combined with the previous, has really reminded me of how important it is to stockpile a small supply of essentials.

Early on in the rationing year I was very diligent to make sure we always had back-ups of critical supplies: peanut butter, sugar, oils, raisins, pasta, etc. But during the past month I've gotten lazy and lackadaisical about maintaining this reserve. I've even gone weeks without purchasing our allotted sugar rations. But this week's "storm" has served as a well-heard reminder.

So when the current rations are lifted for this week I'll stock up on peanut butter, sugar, flour and other important supplies. Hopefully we'll be able to weather the next storm a little more comfortably.

--Rational Mama

Grocery Time!

Goodness, dear readers! It's been less than a week since I posted but it feels like a month! A sudden project fell into my lap this week which resulted in copious amounts of writing in the evenings, and then I spent part of one evening at the clinic getting antibiotics and heavy-duty decongestant for this nasty virus thingy that I've been fighting for over three weeks.

Well, the writing project is done, the meds are working, and I'm back!

I thought I'd share these April 3, 1943 grocery store ads with you (you can click on the ads for a larger image):

They're from the Topeka Daily Capital and they're almost 67 years old to the date! Pretty cool, huh? There's so much I like about these ads. I like that you can see typical spring produce like rhubarb, fresh peas and asparagus becoming available for the first time that year. I like that the Lynde-Falley ad on the left includes the ration points alongside the listing. I like that exotic meats like pickled pigs' feet and oxtails are advertised.

And I like the fact that you have what seem like competing grocery store ads right next to each other. From the research I've done I've found that in the 1940s there were at least three grocery stores within easy walking distance from our house (one block, four blocks and seven blocks). In the 1940s folks typically visited only their neighborhood markets, and usually more than once a week (although gasoline and rubber rationing during the War curbed this practice). So, in a sense, since the two grocery stores highlighted in the ads are over a mile apart they are not necessarily competitors. They can peacefully co-exist, filling their own local niches (you know, just like wildebeests and zebras).

This, of course, is very different from today. Today each store has it's own tri-fold, five-color spectacular insert to entice you to their store - even if it means you drive five miles out of your way to do so. And people today do so.

I have to admit that I have a nostalgic longing for the neighborhood grocery, where the staff would know me by name (and not as that lady that brings in all the cloth bags to use and insists that her glass milk bottles not clink together when bagged). Of course, that's one of the reasons why I shop at the local food co-op; I can get the family-feeling but have to deal with limited variety in return. I'm envious of Jamie's frequent trips to his local green grocer (he's doing an entire month of soups now - check it out). Why don't we have green grocers?

Today the nearest grocery store to our house is four blocks away (in the same building as the Lynde-Falley grocery store in the ad above), but you don't go there unless you want to see if it's reputation is well-earned (expired meats and the like). The next closest stores are well over a mile away. Sigh.

So, readers, I will leave you with these questions:

• How far do you walk/drive to get your groceries?
• Do you go to the nearest store, or do you drive out of your way to visit your preferred chain?

As always, thanks for reading and thanks for sharing!

--Rational Mama

This Week's Scenarios and Menu (and No-Bake Cookies)

This week we had yet another mix of both favorable and limiting scenarios:

Beef - Victory Special! available for only 1/4 of the usual ration points
Salad Oils - Victory Special! available for only 1/4 of the usual ration points
Sugar - limited, only 1/2 the usual quantity available
Canned Vegetables - scarce, available for 1 1/2 the usual ration points

The beef Victory Special is nice, especially since my regular blood donation appointment is this Thursday and I could use the extra iron.

I used the salad oil Victory Special to purchase two pounds of olive oil.

We should be fine with only one pound of sugar this week since we have yet to run dry on that particular ration, so to speak.

The only canned vegetable in this week's menu is a can of corn that was actually left over from a previous week.

The biggest challenge for this week's menu was the sudden comatose state of the oven range. This menu was already planned and purchased when the range took a turn for the worse, so we were pretty much stuck with it. Here's what we have to work with:

Saturday: Hamburgers and (from scratch) potato fries
Sunday: Vegetarian lasagna and iceberg salad
Monday: Beef brisket and (canned) corn
Tuesday: Chicken and dumplings
Wednesday: Leftovers and Asian cabbage slaw
Thursday: Vegetable fried rice
Friday: Chicken enchiladas and black beans

Firstly, Saturday's fries were amazing. I did the entire peel, slice, soak in ice water, fry at 325 degrees, cool, fry at 375 degrees process and, although a lot of work, was totally worth it. Wonderfully delicious fries to rival anything available in a restaurant.

Normally, I would not be happy at all about an iceberg salad. I like my greens very, well, green and flavorful. Since the 1943 grocery store ads show that iceberg lettuce was occasionally available this time of year I decided to go for it. It was crunchy and a nice change of texture, but I learned that, as far as salads go, I might actually prefer a cabbage salad to an iceberg salad. Go figure.

I decided to "bake" the lasagna in the electric skillet by placing a metal trivet in the bottom and filling the skillet with water a little over half-way up the sides of the lasagna dish. Then I put the lid on and cranked the heat in the skillet for a while. The only drawback was that the top layer of cheese didn't get that golden, toasted appearance and taste. I'll reuse this method on Friday for the enchiladas if tomorrow's news from the appliance technician is not so good.

Otherwise, I was having a major cookie craving this evening and was quite disappointed to realize that you can't bake cookies if your oven is busted. And then I had a brilliant aha! moment: no bake cookies!

Here's the simple (and not very ration-friendly) recipe I used:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 TB cocoa
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla
3 to 3 1/2 cups oats (bland cereal like Cheerios or bran flakes work well, too)

• Place all ingredients except the oats in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
• Boil hard for one minute and then pour into large bowl with the oats and mix well.
• Drop by spoonfuls onto cookies sheets covered with wax paper.
• Cool until set.

If you're like me you get so excited at the thought of no-bake cookies that you forget to add the milk. What you're left with doesn't quite gel like the recipe intends but it's still a wonderfully tasty mess!

Hope everyone has their favorite sweet treats available tonight!

--Rational Mama

Just Ask! A Matter of Finances

This week's question is from Rational Living reader Rebecca, who asked:

"Do you keep close track of your household finances and, if so, are you seeing substantial savings from all these homemade meals and not eating out?"

Great question!

I consulted the great Quicken oracle for some fast stats on the same period (Dec. 26 through Feb. 21) this year and last year and here's what I discovered:

Dec. 26, 2008 through Feb. 21, 2009
Gasoline: $197.86 (avg. price per gallon $1.87)
Eating Out: $241.72
Groceries: $1019.60
Total: $1459.18

Dec. 26, 2009 through Feb. 21, 2010
Gasoline: $147.60 (avg. price per gallon $2.50)
Eating Out: $106.50
Groceries: $735.01
Total: $989.11

Total savings while rationing (so far): over $470.00

Not too shabby, huh?

I know we had extra miles last February when Eowyn was hospitalized for a few days at a children's hospital around 60 miles away from home, but in general we've been able to reduce our consumption just by being more efficient with our trips. If you divide last year's figure by the average cost per gallon, that equates to 106 gallons, whereas the more recent figure equates to only 59 gallons. Even if you subtract last year's extra trips to/from the children's hospital our current rate of consumption for gasoline is down 39%.

Our eating out tab has reduced to less than half of last year's expenses. We are all surprised at how manageable the transition to reduced restaurant visitation has been.

Finally, our grocery tab is down 33%, even though more meals at home theoretically means more groceries. I imagine it is because we are spending less on commercially prepared items. Our cost per person has dropped from $4.39 per person/per day last year to $3.16 per person/per day during rationing. That figure includes several different occasions of having company over for dinner, so that actual figure is less than that. Now, some bloggers out there will say that it is still too high, but since I work outside of the home 40 hours a week and don't have the availability to prepare certain foods (breads and pastas) from scratch (although I would really love to), I'm pretty happy with that figure.

What are we doing with this savings? Well, our charitable giving is significantly higher than last year. Very significantly. Otherwise, we're trying to set aside the extra for a fabulous family vacation post-rationing.

What would you do with the extra savings?

--Rational Mama

The Doldrums

Another week, another menu... *yawn*

I'm afraid we've reached the doldrums...listlessly shuffling from one rationing week to the next, counting our points, making the same meals with the same *sigh* seasonal produce.

Same, same, same...

Of course, in 1943 most food rationing didn't begin until late February, so folks didn't have to wait very long at all for the growing season to begin and thus quickly had colorful and tasty options for their menu. Plus, they had nearly a year to plan ahead and preserve that bounty so they wouldn't get stuck with only cabbage and carrots next winter.

Us? We started in late December, so cabbage and carrots we have.

Why, oh why, didn't we wait to start rationing until the end of February?

Anyhoo...after TMOTH rolled a five last week for the Randomizer I wasn't going to chance it again and gave the die to Eowyn for this week's scenarios. And she proceeded to roll a five (head smack!). BUT, at least two of the scenarios we pulled for this week we're favorable, unlike last week, so it wasn't too bad in the end.

• Beef - limited, only 1/2 the normal purchase amount available
• Fresh Vegetables - limited, only 1/2 the normal purchase amount available
• Canned Fruits - Victory Special! available at only 1/4 the usual ration points
• Nuts and Nut Products - none available for purchase
• Poultry - surplus, available for only 1/2 the usual ration points

Luckily, the only beef on the menu this week (Monday's meal) was leftover from last week - we ended up not making the meatballs last Sunday and so can use that beef instead of buying new for this week.

The fresh vegetable shortage is a bummer and I had to downsize several portions for the week.

The Victory Special on canned fruits allowed us to buy a few extra cans of peaches and pears and a much coveted jar of applesauce.

I usually try to have a spare jar of peanut butter in the house since it is a staple at Rational Living. That will come in very handy this week since we can't purchase another. Also, there is a pecan pie scheduled for a special meal with guests on Friday that was in jeopardy until I remembered that we still have a stash of locally-grown pecans we picked a few seasons ago hiding out in the back of the cupboard. Whew!

Since poultry was available for reduced ration points I bought a pound of chicken breasts for future use and then obtained a nice quantity of turkey deli meat for a yummy sandwich night on Saturday (all those Subway commercials during the Olympics convinced me we needed a yummy sandwich night).

So here's how our menu shaped up for the week:

Saturday: deli-style sandwiches and chips
Sunday: roasted turkey, gravy, canned green beans and homemade stuffing
Monday: cabbage, tomato and beef soup with fresh baked bread
Tuesday: out to eat (our once-a-month splurge)*
Wednesday: hot dogs and oven-roasted potato fries
Thursday: crisped lemon liver, rice and canned fruit
Friday: bacon-wrapped venison tenderloin, baked sweet potatoes and baked cabbage

*Since it is an eating out week our point allotments for the week were reduced by 1/14th.

Did you see that on Thursday? It's a liver recipe. *shudder*

Liver seems to be a very generational thing, in that generations before mine eat it but subsequent generations don't. I tried to find a recipe that wouldn't be too anachronistic for our experiment but had a very favorable rating. I don't think I will tell the girls it's liver until I see their reaction - but more on that in a special "liver" post after Thursday night.

In the meantime - liver has such a reputation that I am curious as to if there was anything particular that your family cooked that you just couldn't bare to eat?

For me, it was these hamburger/shredded potato patty combinations...it seemed the potatoes were never fully cooked and made the entire patty a bit slimy. My stomach turns a bit just thinking about it.

Sorry, Mom.

--Rational Mama

This Week's Scenarios and Menu

First off, let me say this: TMOTH may never be allowed to roll Mr. Bowles' Amazing Scenario Randomizer die again.

You see, the number rolled represents the number of scenarios we will have that week - except for six, which represents a scenario-free week. We have not yet experienced a scenario-free week.

In between a quick dinner and rushing to piano lessons and church obligations Wednesday night we did our weekly ritual of consulting the Randomizer. In a hurry to get things done, I handed TMOTH the die to roll.

He rolled a five. (EEEK!)

And then we proceeded to pull out some pretty heavy scenarios:

• Pork: none available for purchase (this includes cuts of pork like pork chops, pork roasts and pork steaks)
• Processed Meats: limited availability, only 1/2 of the regular purchase amount available (this category includes sausages, salamis and the like)
• Chicken: scarce, only available for 1 1/2 times the normal ration points as usual
• Salad Oils: surplus, available for 1/2 of the usual ration points
• Coffee: only substandard (instant or off-brand) qualities available

There was some nervous giggling going around as we pulled out those first three scenarios. What made it worse was that I had already planned out the menu for the week, which included sausage gravy, a traditional Polish meat stew and a generous portion of chicken satay on Friday night when we are having company over. Meat amounts were adjusted down, down, down and the following solidified for our menu this week:

Saturday: Sausage gravy (using only 1/4 lb sausage), from-scratch biscuits and from-scratch hash browns and canned pears
Sunday: Church potluck - sausage and cheese quiche (using only 1/2 the sausage the recipe calls for) and Asian cabbage slaw...Dinner - spaghetti and meatballs (making only a 1/2 batch of meatballs)
Monday: Bigos (with only half of the recommended Kielbasa and supplemented with non-rationed venison) and bread and butter (and Spaghettio's for the girls)
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup
Thursday: Black beans and rice
Friday: (Company for dinner) Chicken satay (reduced portions), sesame noodles and baked cabbage

I took advantage of the surplus scenario and purchase some canola oil. I also purchased 2 pounds of confectioner's sugar. We're still plenty good in the coffee category, so I didn't have to sacrifice my appreciation for responsibly harvested, locally roasted PT's Coffee.

It's been a while since we tried a historic recipe, so I'll try to come up with a good one for next week. It may be time to try one of the "glandular meats" recipes.

*shudder*

--Rational Mama

Irrational Panic!

Friends, I don't have to tell you just how seriously I take this rationing program.

I have about half of the handy dandy list memorized. We've dramatically reduced the amount of food waste in the kitchen. Our hand mixer has seen more use in the last month and a half than in the last five years.

And, apparently, I panic at the thought of a contraband can of soup.

You see, last Thursday night was a busy one in the Rational Living household. I wasn't off work until 5:00pm and we needed to be at the school for parent-teacher conferences by 5:50pm. There wasn't much time for dinner, but I chose an easy pasta dish that TMOTH could get a jump start on before I arrived home.

Not only did TMOTH get a jump start on dinner, he had it nearly finished by the time I walked in the door. In fact, as my foot crossed the threshold I beheld a view of him in the kitchen, happily at stove, pouring a can of cream of mushroom soup into the sauce pan.

The problem was, friends, that the ration-friendly recipe I was using didn't call for a can cream of mushroom soup.

PANIC!

The can of soup he was using was from our surplus stash in the basement, where I store items purchased on sale and then bring upstairs (and therefore purchase with ration points) when they become part of the menu.

This was a contraband can. A canned item, being infused into a meal, for which we did not pay ration points.

PANIC!

I stopped dead in my tracks. I stared at the can, as if that could make it go away.

I imagined Office of Price Administration spies kicking in the windows and doors and busting us for our transgression.

PANIC!

And then I caught my breath and sobered up. I decided that we wouldn't have the canned green beans that were scheduled to go along with the pasta dish.

I place the can of green beans in the basement stash.

And all was well once again.

Whew!

--Rational Mama

This Week's Scenarios and Menu

So, first things first...

Last week we used all of our red and blue/green points...again. Really, I don't see this changing anytime soon. After suffering a week for purchasing ketchup (still in shock over how many blue/green points that costs us) I vow to squeeze out every bit of point purchase I can because, thanks to the Randomizer, we have no idea what items are or are not going to be available. As inconvenient as it may seem I consider this a historically accurate development and success for the project.

We used 145 of our 192 allotted miles. TMOTH had to drive himself to work (rather than carpool) at least once and we had a 14 mile round trip to a nearby hamlet to pick up a gently used treadmill.

Because we have a rule preferring used items for non-perishable purchases during the rationing year (and, really, that should be our rule everyday), it took about a month's worth of searching to find a used treadmill that: 1) works, 2) has an adjustable incline, 3) is a reputable brand, and 4) was within our price range. Anything we found on Freecycle was in rough shape (understandably - it's free!) and the listings on Craig's List were mostly for primo-top-of-the-line models that were reduced to only a million dollars after the owners shelled out bajillions. Eventually, a serendipitous e-mail from a co-worker sealed the deal on a perfect treadmill at the perfect price. This was definitely not an instant gratification process. Again...inconvenient? Yes. Appropriate for our rationing redux? Most definitely, considering most appliances were rationed during the War.

After that victory we were ready to see what Mr. Bowles' Amazing Marketplace Scenario Randomizer had for us. Another week with only two scenarios:

• Alternative sweeteners (molasses, honey, corn syrup, maple syrup, etc.) - only substandard (off-brand) quality available
• Canned soups and sauces - Victory Special! Available at half the usual ration points

(Okay self, just breath and stay calm...)

First - alternative sweeteners...luckily I had purchased molasses the previous week (we were getting awfully low to guarantee another batch of Oatmeal Raisin Cookies), and our syrup and honey supplies are well-stocked. Lucked out once again.

Whoa, that's weird, don't know why the font went all wonky there. Anyhoo...

(Big gasp for breath...just let it out...)

Oh my gosh! A Victory Special! Seven weeks into rationing and this is our first Victory Special! And did you see what it was for, friends? Canned soups and sauces! And what is a very common type of sauce? Tomato sauce! Remember my rantings last week at how ridiculously point expensive tomato products are? I would like to be all cool and suave and tell you that I absolutely did not freak (in a good way) and stand in the tomato-based sauce section of the grocery store, drumming my fingertips together like a mad scientist while chuckling absurdly at all the half-point tomato sauces.

But, friend, I did. And I bought them.

Okay, now that I blurted out my excitement, here's our menu for this week:
Saturday: Fried chicken, mash potatoes and gravy
Sunday: Lentil loaf and (canned) carrots
Monday: Homemade pizza (mushroom, olives, pepperoni and left-over sausage from the sausage loaf)
Tuesday: Grilled pork steak and Asian cabbage salad
Wednesday: Baked potatoes and cottage cheese
Thursday: Black bean soup, sour cream and Frito's
Friday: From-scratch macaroni and cheese and cabbage salad

Maybe I'll get organized and make a post for the macaroni and cheese recipe. It's authentic 1940s, with real butter, cream and cheese. A little excessive for rationing? Yes.

But you gotta live.

--Rational Mama