Food!

grumpybloke · Post by **grumpybloke** » Fri 27 Sep, 2013 11:39 pm

Food...always a good subject! My mind was wandering this evening about what my mother used to feed us. She had a white enamel dish in which she made meat and potato pies. She made blackberry pies on a big dinner plate, and I can see them both now. Then there'd be stew and dumplings and boiled jam puddings, both made with suet of course. We'd sometimes have rabbit stew, complete with the odd bit of bone. Chicken was a luxury, only at Christmas. PEK chopped pork was on the menu sometimes, mainly because my dad liked it. What did you mam feed you in the dim and distant?

Jogon · Post by **Jogon** » Sat 28 Sep, 2013 12:53 am

Potted beef sarnies.Veg boiled to Appalling 'pastry with raisins in it' Patty or fatty cake.Vesta dried curries

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Sat 28 Sep, 2013 8:24 am

Jogon wrote: Potted beef sarnies.Appalling 'pastry with raisins in it' Patty or fatty cake.Vesta dried curries Luxury! We could only dream of such delicacies!

shutthatdoor · Post by **shutthatdoor** » Sat 28 Sep, 2013 11:34 am

One of my firm favourites from my mums selection of offerings was corned beef hash served on a plate with a pancake underneath. mmmmThen Saturday afternoon tea, whilst watching World of Sport Wrestling was luncheon meat sandwiches with fruit cocktail and cream. Every time I hear of Giant haystacks or Big Daddy, I think of luncheon meat. But one of the simplest pleasures was a plate of egg, chips and beans on a Wednesday tea time because that was all we had in. Dad's payday was Thursday so it was fish & chips from Ivys' chippie on Town Street.

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Sat 28 Sep, 2013 1:14 pm

Probably like most working class families times were difficult in the 1940's and at least the early 1950's but my mum (bless her) always made sure we were well fed (although as a child I did not realise that at the time). One thing she did was to make home made jams using fruits picked locally such as raspberries and loganberries from plants in the back garden and wild blackberries from elsewhere. Her intention was that some would be stored to last ages. The jams were however always very runny, but no doubt vitamin rich 'spread' over home made bread with hard margarine (a warmed knife helped to spread the margarine). Unfortunately the stored jams often seemed to go mouldy despite being covered by those waxed like jam jar covers held by a rubber band or string.An occasional treat was a chicken in a tin can. They were precooked so could be eaten cold or warmed up. I still recall the gorgeous gelatine they had. The fat from cooking meat was poured into a small bowl and let to set. The fat (and the meaty fluid that collected under it) were then spread on a slice of home made bread with salt put over. Considered highly unhealthy now, but yummy and likely energy giving for child. And yes, as mentioned by others, a rabbit from the market or the local butcher. A few chickens kept in a small coop in the back garden provided fresh eggs. As a child I was fascinated whenever I happened to see an egg being laid as the shell was still soft (presumably so it would not break) but very rapidly hardens.

Caron · Post by **Caron** » Sat 28 Sep, 2013 4:02 pm

Monday to Friday my sister and I had a dinner at school but they were horrible! No kidding, they were the worst of offerings. Mam always cooked my sis and I a meal at teatime (about 5pm) and it was mainly chips or cheese pasta with luncheon meat, fried eggs, sausages etc etc. Then as my dad didn't get in until around 7pm she always cooked again for him and as he had a stomach ulcer it would usually be a meal consisting of mash along with either boiled fish cooked in milk or something in the meat line. I seem to remember him having "proper" meals. Weekends I loved. We would all sit together at the table. Saturday dinner was always fish n chips, tea was a Thurstons breadcake sandwich and a fancy bun. Sunday dinner was always a huge affair with Yorkshire puddings first followed by the main meal. Sunday tea was generally salad with celery in a large glass and the chopped up cucumber with onion in a glass dish with vinegar in it. For afters it would be jelly, fruit and cream. Mam often baked apple pies and always made her own xmas cakes. She worked hard as she also had a part-time job. I don't know how she did it. I once asked her why she didn't make my sister and I sit to eat an evening meal with my dad but like she said, she couldn't afford for us to have what dad had Mon-Friday as his was a special diet. I did not carry on the tradition when I had my children when it came to meals. We all sat at the same time, ate the same and if my fussy youngest didn't like it I would tell her to have cereal and toast. Bless my mam, she never seemed to stop.

tilly · Post by **tilly** » Sat 28 Sep, 2013 7:59 pm

Ham shanks, Bacon spare ribs, Ox tail stew with dumplings lentils and pearl barley. Home made rice pudding with grated nutmeg.I cant remember any pre packed meals in our house did they do pre packed meals in the fiftys?

Lilysmum · Post by **Lilysmum** » Sat 28 Sep, 2013 8:41 pm

Jogon wrote: Potted beef sarnies.Veg boiled to Appalling 'pastry with raisins in it' Patty or fatty cake.Vesta dried curries Oh dear, Vesta dried meals! When these first hit the shops my Dad immersed himself into the world of "Foreign food" the strangely coloured chicken curry being a particular favourite. It had uniform sized cubes of something re-formed and called chicken and quite a lingering odour. Coming in the house and asking "what's that smell" my Mum would say "Yer Dad's on with that dammned muckment again" At the time he thought he was being adventurous......then the stomach ulcer kicked in

jonleeds · Post by **jonleeds** » Sun 29 Sep, 2013 3:32 pm

You dont see blancmange anymore (I think thats how its spelt), urgh, I can remember the stuff being served to us in the 1970s by the lady who used to be my child minder before I started school in 1978. Its was always pink and served in the shape of a rabbit, that and coffee cake which was even worse. I once got into trouble as my portion of said cake and similarly flavoured custard was tipped by myself into the open ladies handbag which was conveniently hanging off the back of the adjacent dining chair. When she went to pay the milk man on retrieving her purse I heard a shriek of horror as she withdrew a claggy dripping hand and sternly glared over towards us still sitting around the table!Another time at the same child minder my cohorts and I found one of those deposit return bottles of Tizer under the bathroom sink, I opened it and went to guzzle the clear contents only to realise as it was going down my 3 year old throat that this clear Tizer wasnt Tizer at all but BLEACH! After quick trip to Batley hospital to be checked out I was fine apart from a nasty lingering taste in my mouth as I'd not really swallowed much other than a few spoonfuls.

Hunslet Sue · Post by **Hunslet Sue** » Sun 29 Sep, 2013 4:21 pm

my mum worked so whe she got home she used her pressure cooker a lot as it was quicker - trouble is everything seemed to taste the same. In winter the 'best' butter was so hard you put layers of it on your bread. I also remember having sugar and bread when things were a bit tight.