Pause...2:00 she starts talking about the potato she's peeling. 🙋I personally am one of her viewers who struggle with food. I hit my head very hard a number of years ago. I now struggle with brain over energy. The more I use my head the less energy I have. I like this channel because I can make very good food myself in few steps. This channel helps me live and I will be forever grateful for her videos😁 **DTD you did an excellent job of defending the TBI community 👏my channel applauds you 😃
“TBI community?” What’s that? Also, I don’t understand your condition. The more you use your head, the less energy you have? It doesn’t make sense to me.
@@anti-ethniccleansing465TBI = Traumatic Brain Injury. Please research it on the internet. It might help you to understand the challenges and limitations faced by those with TBI.
@@anti-ethniccleansing465 Utilizing one's brain burns a tremendous amount of calories. (Students during finals are usually very hungry.) TBI stands for traumatic brain injury. The commenter above has a lifelong brain injury. Which means that she may require even more calories when she needs to concentrate. That can be a very real thing. Specifically referring to the timestamp she mentioned, I believe she's speaking about how the personal resources and physical energy it takes her to cook everything "from scratch" isn't as available to her as it might be to other people or as we might take for granted. Which is the point our RUclipsr here was making at that timestamp.
@@cherish78748 Sounds like bollocks to me, to be frank. Not the brain injury thing - the “my brain needs more calories than yours in order to cook” thing.
My grandma lived through the depression. She never wasted anything and was a proficient gardener. Yesterday's meatloaf was today's goulash, mashed potatoes turned into potato patties and she knew every shortcut in the book. It was a joy to growing up!
My grandmother did too, she was 19 when my dad was born and he was born in 1944. I wish I could have spent more time with her to have memories like that but she lived in Georgia so we only visited once or twice a year
Emily L, I understand... My grandparents were also gardeners, they had 13 children! I learned the art of canning from my grandmother, and wished that I had taught my kids, although I did teach my daughter to cook at an early age, as I was a single mom that worked 3-4 jobs! Blessings!!!
In the UK we had rationing as a result of WWII into the 1950s. That was before I was born but it did inform how we ate in subsequent decades. Absolutely no need to waste food and leftovers can be transformed in to something else.
I garden and can. I don't waist anything. My Granny taught me everything she knew. I already have my seeds started for my garden. I use containers bc I use a wheelchair
I am a Gen X'er adopted by Great Depression parents. I grew up with that cookbook in my family. My Aunt made the ham potato patties a lot and she use to put the potato peels in with the potatoes. It was so good. She add pepper. She also used bacon grease. The ham, milk & vegetables were from the farm. I still have relatives that make pour over coffee. I grew up on SOS & homemade corn fritters. I swore my Aunt add sugar to her fritters and she creamed the corn. I can hear her saying that to me. My Aunt & other beautiful women who were Depression Era cooks would give you a thumbs up.
I'm also a gen x'r with depression raised parents. I'm my case, I was born the last kid of a big family, Dad was 52 and Mom was 47 when I was born - a shock to be sure lol. I grew up on many of the recipes in this book as well, and I still make and love them. Basic, filling food. Love watching the younger generations learning to make these things.
@@redshed2020 Holy moley! Your mom was 47 years old when she gave birth to you?! I’m a 48 year old woman, and although I still get my period (inconsistently though), I can’t imagine having a baby at this age! Lol. That’s a crazy story, for sure!
My grandma was depression era. I had NO idea many of her meals that we ate, and my mother cooked, and I myself cook, were "depression foods." Until I saw Clara. It is what we grew up on and loved. I still make those foods today❤😊
Yes. I didn't know we were eating "cheap". I thought we were eating "good". I still make a lot of these I grew up on and I passed down to children and grandchildren.
I am one of those people that can’t cook from scratch anymore, like I used to. Physical disability changes everything. But, I LOVE watching the depression era cooking videos. I hope you continue doing them along with your Dollar Tree Dinners. Thank you!!
As someone who suffers depression, anxiety, and has very little energy due to this, the convenience foods are my go to most of the time. No, it is not cheaper, bit most of the time, I barely have the energy or mental capacity to cook. Thank you for recognizing this ❤
Caitlin, you are on my mind. I suffered for many years (like decades) from depression and anxiety. Most people do not understand that it takes so much energy, how very little is left for daily life. Adding in lack of motivation and it becomes difficult to even function. I won't give you any platitudes, I heard a boatload of them and frankly, they didn't help. I am finally overcoming mine and my hope is that you will too. Be strong and hold on. Give yourself credit for Every Single Hour you make it through. You are in my heart and I'm sending tons of encouragement.
My mom made potato patties with leftover mashed potatoes regularly when I was a kid... in the 80s. They work much better if you start cold. Same concept as fried rice: Your precooked starch has to get cold before frying for the texture to come out right.
I believe "dried beef" was actually a cured, heavily salted thinly sliced beef. It was very popular back then when prepared in a cream sauce over toast. Or, perhaps it was just a different variety of this dish. Great video!
My grandmother used to make the cabbage and corned beef and then for leftover she make the gravy and put it over the corned beef and cabbage and biscuits
Back in the 70's, I peeled potatoes every single night for dinner. You can save a lot of time by peeling potatoes with a paring knife. The discarded skins will be a lot thicker, but you can bake the potato skins in the oven with cheese, bacon, etc. as a separate dish.
I feel like you're showing us how to do a lot of things with very little. I also feel as though you don't need to explain yourself to anyone. I like that you did it nicely but be you and never mind having to explain yourself. I have been binging on your channel all morning. I'm now starving. Thanks for that! Haha Keep being you!!
My great grandmother (born in 1908) used to watch me and my brother when we were kids, and she made corn fritters for us ALL THE TIME. We ate them with honey or pancake syrup. They're my number one comfort food. So happy to see you make them.
My mom was a young woman during the depression, and I grew up on this food. Her corn fritters were very different from the ones you made. She used cream corn, and they were sweet. She liked them with pork chops. Fun video!
I love how inclusive you are. Obviously it would be amazing to be able to do things authentically but in this day and age I think it is great that people can cook even with convenience foods!
My mom used to make SOS (she called it slop on a shingle, my dad used the other name LOL). But she used the dried beef that comes in a jar, I think Armour is the brand name. It's thinly sliced beef, like deli meat, but it is dried out. Very salty. She would rinse it in water, tear it into chunks, then add it to a can of white sauce and heat it through and serve it over toast. I still see it sometimes in the grocery stores, in the area by canned meats, etc. It's not cheap. One time I had it and someone had added green peas to it and that was really quite tasty too! I love what you are doing and your compassion for people who are struggling, in many different ways. Thank you! And please keep it up!!! 💟
I was going to say the same. Dried beef iui s way different then ground beef. Also the fritters, they probably used course salt and that would make yours too salty with table salt.
I watched all her videos when they first came out….oh how I miss her. What a legacy!! I’m thrilled you decided to do this! You are a natural at this! You’re going to do really well on this platform!
Just a note here, I love this video so thank you. I used both instant and real potatoes to make potato leek soup. Instant potatoes are a great soup "thickener." I also use them in other recipes. I don't eat dairy, I just use spices and vegetable broth in my mashed potatoes, tastes great to me.
I love your channel because you are so compassionate and thoughtful, recognizing not everyone lives in an ideal situation with tons of money, access to perfect food, have perfect health, or a kitchen loaded with appliances and fancy tools. My Grandma lived thru the Depression and she always peeled her potatoes with a paring knife. 😊
I found you a month ago and love your content. I love how you taste test dollar tree foods, show how to use in recipes, and by you featuring certain foods from dt I would never had tried at all, thinking I was wasting my money but now they are my easy delicious go to meals on days I'm not feeling well or busy. Now you are doing depression era video I couldn't love you more 😍 I watch Clara alot God rest her soul 🙏 please keep doing you and do content you want because like most that are watching you, we are just as interested in your thoughts and ideas ❤
I love her thought process too. Also like that she critiques her food and gives changes or additional ingredients and changes that she would have made to the recipe. So glad I found videos and subscribed w notifications.
Loved this video! My dad used to make SOS often when it was his night to make dinner. My mom didn’t like beef, so she made something similar with a drained can of tuna, a can of cream of chicken soup, and half a soup can of milk(or water if we didn’t have milk). This was served over toast like the SOS, and I think I liked it more. Try it sometime. It would even fit with a Dollar Tree meal!
My dad made a dish lovingly referred to as "slop". Two cas tuna, two cans cream of mushroom soup and instant white rice served with la choy chow mein noodles.
Some people serve their mashed potatoes with butter, milk, salt, and pepper. That would have helped to season them a little bit more but they still looked delicious! Your bean soup looked wonderful! …Deb Gnagey
When you showed the last recipe, that Creamed Dried Beef, all I could think of was Max Miller's Tasting History episode about S**t on a Shingle from WWII 😂! He got me laughing so hard when he said his video would likely be demonetized because he kept saying s**t on a Shingle so much. You both did the recipe proud 🤗👍!
I wonder what recipes will come out of this era because if I’m being honest it’s a good day when I go to a regular grocery store and spend less than $100 on normal necessities
I’ve made the bean soup using ham stock left from roasting a bone in ham and boiling bone and scraps for broth. No bacon but rather left over ham. It’s my husband’s favourite.
This is a full in depression. I just payed 8 dollars for a liter of Aldi brand orange juice and 8.75 for a 12 pack of eggs there...even the discount stores are pricing me out.
Hi, when you make mashed potatoes from fresh it's takes more electricity,more water way more time then instant. If you have left over mashed potatoes you can add milk to them and make potatoe soup. The creamed dried beef to make today would cost at least $5.00 for the little glass jar of the meat. Love your videos. On a personal note, since people on food stamps are not getting the "extra" I now get $23.00 a month in food stamps. So seeing what you are doing is giving me ideas.
Just found your channel today and am loving your videos! I took the "dried" beef to mean the super salty chipped beef that comes in a glass jar (which in my house growing up then became a small drinking glass--my parents still use them). I think this beef was common in the Depression and wartime eras, and it's what we used when I was a kid too. We would also instead of the beef slice up boiled eggs into the gravy. That makes a delicious hearty breakfast that my kids also now really love.
It definitely does but for the sake of making it more accessible by modern standards I used ground beef which is also how I’ve always had it. Chipped beef is actually pretty expensive now haha
Mashed potatoes change when they stay in the fridge that consistently changes slightly so that might affect how they Patty up. My dad used to make potato patties all the time and he always used old mashed potatoes he said it worked best.
My great Grandma taught me how to cook and bake from scratch. Every time I do (which I tend to do often) it makes me think of her. Now I'm teaching my children how to cook and bake from scratch just like she did with me. That being said, scratch cooking is tedious - definitely a labor of love! Loved this video, can't wait to see what you'll do next 😊❤
I agree with your grandma, it's the best use for creamed corn tbh. And for anyone wondering about the fritters salt. The recipe probably called for kosher salt rather than table/sea salt, kosher salt is less salty in the same volume as other types of salt. But if all you have is normal table salt like we see in this video try 25-50% less salt, depending on your salt proclivities. No judgement to the video creator of course
Made corn fritters last night and they were delicious! I tried them with honey and some with mustard which was like a corn dog! Recipe was in my better homes and gardens cookbook. Think the recipe was much easier than yours! 1 can corn 1 cup corn liquid/milk 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/4 cup cornmeal, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 beaten egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir just until moist and fry in hot fat/oil 😋🌽
Loved this video! Please make more depression era meals. Thanks for sharing these recipes with us. I really enjoyed watching you cook them, especially the bean soup. They all looked delicious. Have a blessed week! ❤️
We had SOS all different ways. With tuna, boiled eggs, dried beef, hamburger, leftover ham, leftover turkey, etc. Sometimes my Mom would add peas or sliced onions. We didn't have it out of financial difficulty. I think it had to do with my Mom wasn't much of a cook and Dad liked plain food. We always had it over toast.
Thank you for another great video. I love watching Clara's videos. She seemed like such a sweet n wise lady. Another idea to eat your ground beef SOS is to put it over torn up pieces of bread, over rice, or over potatoes. We grew up eating it over the torn up bread n I make it over rice. A cheap n yummy comfort meal.
We love your videos; keep doing it the way you do it. There will always be “Karnes” out there who think they know better than you to them I say go start your own you tube channel and experience what it takes to make videos. We appreciate your effort. Most people I would guess who actually use the information that you provide don’t have the time, energy, ability to cook everything from scratch or they don’t want to do all of the dishes. Thank you for all of the time and effort you put in to your videos.🥰
Is the dried beef that salty beef in the little jars? Admen when you are doing dollar tree videos, you are limited to items sold there. Those videos are super creative! Love seeing depression era recipes. My grandma had many quirky habits like washing baggies and foil is she could. And never wasted any food either
I believe so, and I kind of diverged a bit on that I’ll admit, mostly because ground beef is more accessible than chipped dried beef. And also because that’s how my mom used to make it when I was a kid 🥰
I have a garden and I wash my baggies because I just use them to freeze blanched veggies. Can’t stand the waste. I’ve even been known to reuse aluminum foil. My mom was born in 1929. Waste nothing.
My parents were kids during the Depression. My dad grew up in a small Midwestern town. My mom was a city girl from Tacoma. Coffee was a staple. People would do what they needed to be able to buy coffee, and rationed it, reused grounds, extended with other foods, whatever to make sure they had some. Whether you were a hobo riding the rails or Daddy Warbucks you drank coffee. It was fun watching you do Depression era cooking. You did a great job! I'm going to try the spin on leftover mashed potatoes. I use instant potatoes to make "leftovers" all the time. They're real potatoes with real butter and real milk. Just less elbow grease. There's no shame in that!
Hey there!!! I'm a recent subscriber and I love this. My great grandma was born in 1909 and my grandma lived through the GD as well. Great GMA passed in 2000 and I remember wanting to learn everything she did even at a young age. I wish that I wrote down all her recipes. A lot of time she just knew how to do it. I'm really looking forward to going through your videos. Thank you!!!
My grandmother often reminded us she lived thru the depression, and was fond of saying "Use it up, make it do, do with, or do without!" She was green before anyone had heard that term!
S.O.S. was one of the first meals my husband cooked for me when we were dating. He wanted to share it since his family and he grew up with the meal after all having a navy background. It was delicious! 😊
I was a kid in the early 1950s. My maternal Grandma lived with us. She was a widow who supported herself & 2 kids, my Mom & Uncle, during the Great Depression. We ate a lot of meals that were from those hard times because that's how Mom & Grandma cooked. There were obviously some better cuts of meat & all, but I was expected to learn to cook and I learned so much from Mom & Grandma. I still make my own chicken stock, although these days it's often from the skin & bones of a few rotisserie chickens. No food gets wasted if I can help it. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
I swear I'm not trying to be "that person" but the depression was in the 1930's, not the 20's... other than that, I love how you tackle these recipes as authentically as possible! A lot of work went into preparing just one day's meals. I can't imagine doing that day in and day out!
Ok, the coffee ... I needed this! I have so many beans, no coffee pot and my French press broke...been buying instant...but this will help me use up what beans I have!! Thank you!!
I had the same response a couple of years ago when looking at Depression era recipes, expensive now. Actually, KitchenAid has been around since the early 1920s. There were also crank egg whippers. Good job by hand!
No waste. When my grandmother made potatoes even the potato peelings did not go to waste. She chopped them up a little bit and she tossed them out to the chickens.
Morning ! My Dad never threw away the left over coffee . He was a head of his times drinking cold coffee . We laugh about now ! Thanks for your Videos 😃
Awww I loved watching Clara. Such a sweet lady. You are such a thoughtful content creator. I could have used your ideas 40 yrs ago when I was first out on my own, but we didn't have dollar stores then and I did ok. A couple of times I made a big pot of fried rice with what I had on hand and ate that for a few days until pay day. Thankfully my income increased over the years, but you never know when or if one will be in a dire situation and be in need of your ideas. I always enjoy you and your videos. Well done ! 🥰🌱🍀🌷💐💗✝
i think a lot of people would benefit from considering the three 'costs' that come with most things but esp making food: the economic cost, the energetic cost, and the temporal cost. i feel like the kind of people that leave comments saying things like 'wouldn't it be cheaper to buy a 5b bag of russets' 'wouldn't it be cheaper to buy bone in skin on chicken thighs' have an abundance of free time and mental energy to peel potatoes all day, but lack the perspective that others do not or can not. i live in a motel and i don't have a car. i have a two burner stove, an air fryer, a microwave, and about 6 inches of counterspace to work with. i have chronic pain that flares up easily, and even on the days i feel i can take anything on, its still a struggle for me to get to the grocery store and come home and make dinner. i always appreciate your candid and realistic perspective, rebecca. i've tried a few of your recipes and they are always very good.
I loved Clara’s recipes! I know it’s easier to buy a frozen dinner from Costco but the simplicity of knowing what ingredients are in your food is priceless…Ps I’m not knocking Costco..they have great deals. Great video!!!
Hi! Just coming across this video now and oh, wow, the nostalgia! This is all stuff my great grandmother (born 1911) made for us. We had her with us until she passed at age 98. She still would put sweetened condensed milk in her coffee (a treat during the depression) and mixed up powdered milk daily to cook/bake with. These are things she got with her rations points, and can still be found today. I know powdered milk is not something you can find at the dollar stores, but I do see canned milk occasionally, which she also bought with ration points. All of that to say well done, I love these videos and I miss my grandma's (and Clara's!) simple but delicious cooking and baking.
Clara’s recipe calls for dried beef. It comes in a jar and tastes very different than ground beef. Just make sure you rinse the beef very very well. My mom, and granny and great grandma all made SOS with dried beef. Childhood favorite. We called what you made hamburger gravy and it’s so delicious too. Going to add ham to my potato patties next time. Thanks for a fun video. Brought back a lot of fond memories of my family.
Hamburger gravy goes over mashed potatoes, best. Dried chipped beef cooked up in a roux, would go over the toast. During the Depression, having access to fresh meat would have been limited, but a preserved dried food product could be stored more easily, and made by people who likely had limited kitchens, if they had been put out of their homes, as so many were.
I have been binge watching your videos over the last few days. I love ot when you said "enjoy the little things in life" as you drank your coffee. I had been considering giving up coffee due to the expense....but after hearing you say that.....I will cut something else out of my budget! ☕☕❤❤
I use the peels from the potatoes and make them spicey with Lawry's salt. Heat your ketchup add Texas Pete or garlic powder & mayo. Bake in the oven until crispy. So good. Loaded like nachos is good too. I waste nothing. Old veggies can be dehydrated to make stock powder.
Rebecca you are doing great with your channel ! When you soldiered on with whipping the eggs, I applauded you for your stick to itness as well as well with the fritters. I've been going through all of your videos and you are great doing these. I think it's great you try to include anybody and everybody. You make it real, like anybody could do these recipes in their own home, when you have gotten flour on yourself of spilled something on the counter or stove, it made it like it was me doing the same. Thank you for all that you do with your recipes/ videos etc. It is much appreciated. Have a great day !
My favorite Poorman's meal is of course one version of a good old fashioned trash plate: Ground beef, crispy fried potatoes, baked beans, some scallions, maybe some cheddar cheese sprinkled on top. Or of course, you can just treat yourself to your choice of good old dependable Rice-A--Roni, in whatever flavor you might desire - Spansh, beef or chicken. Doesn't matter, just as long as it's basic sustenance and there's enough to feed your family. 😊😊👍👍
The potatoe ham patties would have more salt if left over ham had been used . The corn fritters are tradionally deep fried, but these look really good (with less salt) 😅
I really like the idea of these recipes.... I do make bean soup, but not quite like that recipe. Have never made corn fritters, but I have always wanted to. We have also had SOS since childhood. There were 6 of us kids, so SOS went a long way!
You do a wonderful job with these videos I have never understood why people feel the need to nit pick about why you do certain things it should be obvious that if anyone wants to make the other things from scratch they can but you also did a great job explaining why and it makes total sense. Thank you for all your hard work it is very much appreciated. ❤
I miss Clara, too. My parents were young adults during the Great Depression and I grew up hearing their stories about it and the war years. The Great Depression began with the crash on Wall Street in October 1929 and lasted until the U.S. entered WWII in 1941.
I recommend salting the water for the bean soup when you add the water into the pot to simmer. Dried beans, much like potatoes, NEED the salt in the water during the simmering process; otherwise they come out bland and flavorless. They absorb the salt while cooking and it imparts it into the final taste result of the food.
I think this topic is TOTALLY in line with the spirit around the work you do about Dollar Tree meals. You want people who don’t have a lot of resources to have the best meals they can have.
How do we buy YOUR book? You should make your own Dollar Tree Struggle Meals for a full day. You are an inspiration and people like myself as a single mother would LOVE to buy your book
Thank you SO much for bringing the fact that not everyone can peel and chop potatoes up in this video!!! I have an autoimmune connective tissue disease (not sure which one yet, I finally have an appointment with a rheumatologist coming up soon!). While I love peeling and chopping, it thankfully doesn't hurt, but it takes me FOREVER to do. When you have a hard working hungry husband and two teenage boys, that just doesn't fly!! Has to be faster. There are times it does hurt after awhile, but it's mostly that it takes so long.
Love that you're trying these but not sure you are going about it with the right frame of reference. You commented that most of the recipies seemed to be designed to only serve two or three. During the great depression many families were likely feeding two adults and several children with what you cooked. Sometimes lunch was a single slice of bread spread with lard! Your corn fritters likely were made with home canned corn which would likely have been a quart jar. Bread would likely have been a whole wheat bread provideing WAY more nutrition than today's breads and was often spread with things like jam, lard and beans for a meal. Families that were fortunate to have a garden ate better, but in most bigger cities pickins were oretty slim.
I loved this! Here’s an idea 💡 what if you did a series where you made meals based on people’s environment and what they might have? Like college dorm lasagna with only microwave & hot plate. Or fish n chips with no electricity 😮 or a full dinner using all food you have to ‘get’ from local farmers, etc. It’s good that you remind us that not everyone lives the same. I love seeing how creative people get with their food.
I make potato patties from leftover mashed potatoes all the time. I think the assumption in the recipe is that your mashed potatoes are already salted, with pepper, milk, etc. As opposed to cooking potatoes and mashing them. I use whatever is leftover into the potatoes (carrots, peas, leftover meat, etc.). It stretches the leftovers for another meal, especially if you have just a little meat leftover. I generally serve them with plain yogurt as another dinner.
My father was a Depression-era child. He liked ground beef in cream gravy poured over toast. While serving in the Korean War, he'd get angry when other soldiers referred to it (or chipped beef instead) with insults. He'd make it sometimes; it IS good, especially with a generous sprinkling of fresh black pepper. Your comments of hunting (venison, pheasant) or fishing required for some of the recipes, and the expense of venison or pheasant for those of us who don't hunt is spot-on.
We always did SOS with dried chipped beef instead of ground beef. ... I rechecked at 15:20 and the recipe calls for dried beef. It's an entirely different texture and flavor to ground beef. You basically made what we did for beef stroganoff topping minus the sour cream. All still delish.
I’m not going to lie but I don’t know how you popped up on my feed… but i love how genuine and kind you are xoxo. Please when you get rich and famous please continue to be kind and sweet!
My pastor in high school loved peanut butter and he would always tell us about when he was a boy and lived thru the depression...his family mainly just had peanut butter as the protein that they were able to access and eat and even though he had it for most meals through the depression, he still loved peanut butter.
I haven't had a corn fritter in about 15 years when my grandmom used to make them for me. That part of the video totally brought back some fun kitchen memories with her.
Great video! I really enjoy the Depression Era cooking. I’m thinking that the actual recipe called for fresh corn. That may have been the reasoning behind the salt. Thank you for sharing!😉
I actually tried to make this same ham and potato recipe, but using instant mashed potatoes, and they disintegrated completely! Thank you so much for all your hard work! I enjoy your channel very much!
My mom made those sweet rolls at the end all the time! I’ve been wanting the recipe but haven’t been able to find it. She probably used no recipe! Also, she’s the one who taught me about brown sugar and butter on French toast, which is the best ever. Thanks for showing that recipe!
Thank you for making these videos! Far too often in our contemporary world, food is seen as some form of a given - as though we all have easy and equal access to an abundance and variety of food. But we all know that simply isn't the reality for many of us. And as the theme of this partuclar video points out, very hard times have been endured by the majority of Americans throughout our history. It is the highest kind of love to honor and keep the ways of the past - as the things we can learn and share may make life easier in our own futures. None of us are ever a few bad turns of fate from our own food insecurity - not even the richest among us. By learning, sharing, and discussing ways to make simple ingredients go the furthest they can, we can not only be ready should we ever need these lessons again, but we can further appreciate when food is abundant and varied. I can't say thank you enough for these videos - they are such a great resource! Your passion and compassion shines through.
I absolutely love the different flavored instant mashed potatoes they make now-a-days💜 The price is definitely not bad at all. Well worth the convience👍
I love cookbooks! If you enjoy stories and recipes of the Great Depression look for ‘Stories and recipes of the Great Depression of the 1930’s’ by Rita Van Amber. There are five volumes and in volume 5 there is an index of recipes in all five books, it also shows which volume you will find it.
Pause...2:00 she starts talking about the potato she's peeling. 🙋I personally am one of her viewers who struggle with food. I hit my head very hard a number of years ago. I now struggle with brain over energy. The more I use my head the less energy I have. I like this channel because I can make very good food myself in few steps. This channel helps me live and I will be forever grateful for her videos😁
**DTD you did an excellent job of defending the TBI community 👏my channel applauds you 😃
got to use your number of spoons for the day in a way that works for You 👍👍 #spoontheory
“TBI community?” What’s that?
Also, I don’t understand your condition. The more you use your head, the less energy you have? It doesn’t make sense to me.
@@anti-ethniccleansing465TBI = Traumatic Brain Injury. Please research it on the internet. It might help you to understand the challenges and limitations faced by those with TBI.
@@anti-ethniccleansing465
Utilizing one's brain burns a tremendous amount of calories. (Students during finals are usually very hungry.) TBI stands for traumatic brain injury. The commenter above has a lifelong brain injury. Which means that she may require even more calories when she needs to concentrate. That can be a very real thing. Specifically referring to the timestamp she mentioned, I believe she's speaking about how the personal resources and physical energy it takes her to cook everything "from scratch" isn't as available to her as it might be to other people or as we might take for granted. Which is the point our RUclipsr here was making at that timestamp.
@@cherish78748
Sounds like bollocks to me, to be frank. Not the brain injury thing - the “my brain needs more calories than yours in order to cook” thing.
My grandma lived through the depression. She never wasted anything and was a proficient gardener. Yesterday's meatloaf was today's goulash, mashed potatoes turned into potato patties and she knew every shortcut in the book. It was a joy to growing up!
My grandmother did too, she was 19 when my dad was born and he was born in 1944. I wish I could have spent more time with her to have memories like that but she lived in Georgia so we only visited once or twice a year
Emily L, I understand... My grandparents were also gardeners, they had 13 children! I learned the art of canning from my grandmother, and wished that I had taught my kids, although I did teach my daughter to cook at an early age, as I was a single mom that worked 3-4 jobs! Blessings!!!
In the UK we had rationing as a result of WWII into the 1950s. That was before I was born but it did inform how we ate in subsequent decades. Absolutely no need to waste food and leftovers can be transformed in to something else.
I garden and can. I don't waist anything. My Granny taught me everything she knew. I already have my seeds started for my garden. I use containers bc I use a wheelchair
My mom did the same and now I do too. It’s always fun (to me) to see what you can turn things into. ❤
I am a Gen X'er adopted by Great Depression parents. I grew up with that cookbook in my family. My Aunt made the ham potato patties a lot and she use to put the potato peels in with the potatoes. It was so good. She add pepper. She also used bacon grease. The ham, milk & vegetables were from the farm.
I still have relatives that make pour over coffee.
I grew up on SOS & homemade corn fritters. I swore my Aunt add sugar to her fritters and she creamed the corn. I can hear her saying that to me.
My Aunt & other beautiful women who were Depression Era cooks would give you a thumbs up.
I'm also a gen x'r with depression raised parents. I'm my case, I was born the last kid of a big family, Dad was 52 and Mom was 47 when I was born - a shock to be sure lol. I grew up on many of the recipes in this book as well, and I still make and love them. Basic, filling food. Love watching the younger generations learning to make these things.
@@redshed2020
Holy moley! Your mom was 47 years old when she gave birth to you?! I’m a 48 year old woman, and although I still get my period (inconsistently though), I can’t imagine having a baby at this age! Lol. That’s a crazy story, for sure!
My grandma was depression era. I had NO idea many of her meals that we ate, and my mother cooked, and I myself cook, were "depression foods." Until I saw Clara. It is what we grew up on and loved. I still make those foods today❤😊
Yes. I didn't know we were eating "cheap". I thought we were eating "good". I still make a lot of these I grew up on and I passed down to children and grandchildren.
I am one of those people that can’t cook from scratch anymore, like I used to. Physical disability changes everything. But, I LOVE watching the depression era cooking videos. I hope you continue doing them along with your Dollar Tree Dinners. Thank you!!
As someone who suffers depression, anxiety, and has very little energy due to this, the convenience foods are my go to most of the time. No, it is not cheaper, bit most of the time, I barely have the energy or mental capacity to cook. Thank you for recognizing this ❤
Caitlin, you are on my mind. I suffered for many years (like decades) from depression and anxiety. Most people do not understand that it takes so much energy, how very little is left for daily life. Adding in lack of motivation and it becomes difficult to even function. I won't give you any platitudes, I heard a boatload of them and frankly, they didn't help. I am finally overcoming mine and my hope is that you will too. Be strong and hold on. Give yourself credit for Every Single Hour you make it through. You are in my heart and I'm sending tons of encouragement.
I understand as I also suffer from anxiety and depression. No energy for cooking.
Loved Clara miss her every day.
Yes, love Clara video’s 😋
Me too!!! I still watch her videos over and over.... wish she was still here
My mom made potato patties with leftover mashed potatoes regularly when I was a kid... in the 80s. They work much better if you start cold. Same concept as fried rice: Your precooked starch has to get cold before frying for the texture to come out right.
I believe "dried beef" was actually a cured, heavily salted thinly sliced beef. It was very popular back then when prepared in a cream sauce over toast. Or, perhaps it was just a different variety of this dish. Great video!
My grandmother used to make the cabbage and corned beef and then for leftover she make the gravy and put it over the corned beef and cabbage and biscuits
You can still get dried beef at Walmart for like $4
Yes, I buy dried beef to keep as a pantry staple.
You are correct about the dried beef. To extend the recipe try adding chopped hard boiled eggs. Delicious plus added protein. Yum.
Yes, dried beef or the Budding Beef Brand that is also used in cheese balls for the holidays & Parties, but ground beef is practical as well.😊
Clara may or may not have done this, but you can extend those potatoes even more by making potato skin snacks!
Me I leave the skin in my mashed potatoes for the vitamins and fiber makes them more filling.
Back in the 70's, I peeled potatoes every single night for dinner. You can save a lot of time by peeling potatoes with a paring knife. The discarded skins will be a lot thicker, but you can bake the potato skins in the oven with cheese, bacon, etc. as a separate dish.
Sounds so yummy. Just scrub skins really well before peeling and cooking.
I feel like you're showing us how to do a lot of things with very little. I also feel as though you don't need to explain yourself to anyone. I like that you did it nicely but be you and never mind having to explain yourself. I have been binging on your channel all morning. I'm now starving. Thanks for that! Haha Keep being you!!
My great grandmother (born in 1908) used to watch me and my brother when we were kids, and she made corn fritters for us ALL THE TIME. We ate them with honey or pancake syrup. They're my number one comfort food. So happy to see you make them.
My mom was a young woman during the depression, and I grew up on this food. Her corn fritters were very different from the ones you made. She used cream corn, and they were sweet. She liked them with pork chops. Fun video!
Hello Maureen, where are you from?
Yes my Mom made them they were very fluffy and we had them with maple syrup
I love how inclusive you are. Obviously it would be amazing to be able to do things authentically but in this day and age I think it is great that people can cook even with convenience foods!
My mom used to make SOS (she called it slop on a shingle, my dad used the other name LOL). But she used the dried beef that comes in a jar, I think Armour is the brand name. It's thinly sliced beef, like deli meat, but it is dried out. Very salty. She would rinse it in water, tear it into chunks, then add it to a can of white sauce and heat it through and serve it over toast. I still see it sometimes in the grocery stores, in the area by canned meats, etc. It's not cheap. One time I had it and someone had added green peas to it and that was really quite tasty too! I love what you are doing and your compassion for people who are struggling, in many different ways. Thank you! And please keep it up!!! 💟
I was going to say the same. Dried beef iui s way different then ground beef. Also the fritters, they probably used course salt and that would make yours too salty with table salt.
I watched all her videos when they first came out….oh how I miss her. What a legacy!! I’m thrilled you decided to do this!
You are a natural at this! You’re going to do really well on this platform!
Thank you! I’m getting better haha my original videos were so awkward 🥰
Just a note here, I love this video so thank you. I used both instant and real potatoes to make potato leek soup. Instant potatoes are a great soup "thickener." I also use them in other recipes. I don't eat dairy, I just use spices and vegetable broth in my mashed potatoes, tastes great to me.
I love instant potatoes in soups, a perfect thickener in lieu of starch or flour and added flavor too if you buy seasoned potato packets
My son can't eat dairy either. Thanks for this tip!
We use them to thicken our soups too
My mom has always added instant potatoes to her potato soup, too.
@@frankieamsden7918 if your son can have it, a lot of nut milks can replace dairy in recipes.
I love your channel because you are so compassionate and thoughtful, recognizing not everyone lives in an ideal situation with tons of money, access to perfect food, have perfect health, or a kitchen loaded with appliances and fancy tools. My Grandma lived thru the Depression and she always peeled her potatoes with a paring knife. 😊
I found you a month ago and love your content. I love how you taste test dollar tree foods, show how to use in recipes, and by you featuring certain foods from dt I would never had tried at all, thinking I was wasting my money but now they are my easy delicious go to meals on days I'm not feeling well or busy. Now you are doing depression era video I couldn't love you more 😍 I watch Clara alot God rest her soul 🙏 please keep doing you and do content you want because like most that are watching you, we are just as interested in your thoughts and ideas ❤
I love her thought process too. Also like that she critiques her food and gives changes or additional ingredients and changes that she would have made to the recipe. So glad I found videos and subscribed w notifications.
I love Clara's channel. She was an amazing person
I love Clara’s channel! I binged all of her videos when I first found her. 🥰😍
I still binge them from time to time haha
Loved this video! My dad used to make SOS often when it was his night to make dinner. My mom didn’t like beef, so she made something similar with a drained can of tuna, a can of cream of chicken soup, and half a soup can of milk(or water if we didn’t have milk). This was served over toast like the SOS, and I think I liked it more. Try it sometime. It would even fit with a Dollar Tree meal!
my grandma would add a can of peas to the tuna one when she made it with out beef. She said kid need some Veg in there life.
Yep, lol, I always refer to creamed tuna on toast as the "Seafood SOS"
My dad made a dish lovingly referred to as "slop". Two cas tuna, two cans cream of mushroom soup and instant white rice served with la choy chow mein noodles.
Sounds good!!😊
My husband used to make something similar with leftover turkey. He called his "sludge"! It was especially good served over cornbread.
My dad makes something similar except canned chicken instead of tuna.
Probably pretty good!
Some people serve their mashed potatoes with butter, milk, salt, and pepper. That would have helped to season them a little bit more but they still looked delicious! Your bean soup looked wonderful! …Deb Gnagey
When you showed the last recipe, that Creamed Dried Beef, all I could think of was Max Miller's Tasting History episode about S**t on a Shingle from WWII 😂! He got me laughing so hard when he said his video would likely be demonetized because he kept saying s**t on a Shingle so much. You both did the recipe proud 🤗👍!
I wonder what recipes will come out of this era because if I’m being honest it’s a good day when I go to a regular grocery store and spend less than $100 on normal necessities
I’ve made the bean soup using ham stock left from roasting a bone in ham and boiling bone and scraps for broth. No bacon but rather left over ham. It’s my husband’s favourite.
We look forward to a leftover ham bone to make this. We consider it a great treat.
I loved her recipes. I think we're in a recession, so this is a perfect choice for your content. Love your channel
This is a full in depression. I just payed 8 dollars for a liter of Aldi brand orange juice and 8.75 for a 12 pack of eggs there...even the discount stores are pricing me out.
Hi, when you make mashed potatoes from fresh it's takes more electricity,more water way more time then instant. If you have left over mashed potatoes you can add milk to them and make potatoe soup. The creamed dried beef to make today would cost at least $5.00 for the little glass jar of the meat. Love your videos.
On a personal note, since people on food stamps are not getting the "extra" I now get $23.00 a month in food stamps. So seeing what you are doing is giving me ideas.
Just found your channel today and am loving your videos!
I took the "dried" beef to mean the super salty chipped beef that comes in a glass jar (which in my house growing up then became a small drinking glass--my parents still use them). I think this beef was common in the Depression and wartime eras, and it's what we used when I was a kid too. We would also instead of the beef slice up boiled eggs into the gravy. That makes a delicious hearty breakfast that my kids also now really love.
It definitely does but for the sake of making it more accessible by modern standards I used ground beef which is also how I’ve always had it. Chipped beef is actually pretty expensive now haha
@@DollarTreeDinners oh, you probably even said that and I missed it. My bad!
I may have cut out my explanation, sometimes I feel like I’m being too talkative or redundant 😂
I really enjoy your videos and learn from them.
I absolutely love the Clara videos and am so glad her grandson shared her with us💜
Mashed potatoes change when they stay in the fridge that consistently changes slightly so that might affect how they Patty up. My dad used to make potato patties all the time and he always used old mashed potatoes he said it worked best.
My great Grandma taught me how to cook and bake from scratch. Every time I do (which I tend to do often) it makes me think of her. Now I'm teaching my children how to cook and bake from scratch just like she did with me. That being said, scratch cooking is tedious - definitely a labor of love! Loved this video, can't wait to see what you'll do next 😊❤
My grandmother made corn fitters quite often, but she used canned cream-style corn. Really good.
I agree with your grandma, it's the best use for creamed corn tbh. And for anyone wondering about the fritters salt. The recipe probably called for kosher salt rather than table/sea salt, kosher salt is less salty in the same volume as other types of salt. But if all you have is normal table salt like we see in this video try 25-50% less salt, depending on your salt proclivities. No judgement to the video creator of course
Made corn fritters last night and they were delicious! I tried them with honey and some with mustard which was like a corn dog! Recipe was in my better homes and gardens cookbook. Think the recipe was much easier than yours! 1 can corn
1 cup corn liquid/milk 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/4 cup cornmeal, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 beaten egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir just until moist and fry in hot fat/oil 😋🌽
Your recipe is similar to my mother in law's. She made hers with cream corn instead of whole corn and milk.
Keep doing these types of recipes please, they are really helpful 👍
Loved this video! Please make more depression era meals. Thanks for sharing these recipes with us. I really enjoyed watching you cook them, especially the bean soup. They all looked delicious. Have a blessed week! ❤️
We had SOS all different ways. With tuna, boiled eggs, dried beef, hamburger, leftover ham, leftover turkey, etc. Sometimes my Mom would add peas or sliced onions. We didn't have it out of financial difficulty. I think it had to do with my Mom wasn't much of a cook and Dad liked plain food. We always had it over toast.
Thank you for another great video. I love watching Clara's videos. She seemed like such a sweet n wise lady. Another idea to eat your ground beef SOS is to put it over torn up pieces of bread, over rice, or over potatoes. We grew up eating it over the torn up bread n I make it over rice. A cheap n yummy comfort meal.
I put mine over cooked, quartered potatoes. Delicious!
We love your videos; keep doing it the way you do it. There will always be “Karnes” out there who think they know better than you to them I say go start your own you tube channel and experience what it takes to make videos. We appreciate your effort. Most people I would guess who actually use the information that you provide don’t have the time, energy, ability to cook everything from scratch or they don’t want to do all of the dishes.
Thank you for all of the time and effort you put in to your videos.🥰
Thank you! I try to be very understanding of the hurdles others experience, made from scratch isn’t always the answer when someone is on a budget 🥰
@@DollarTreeDinners You got that wright.
I have Clara's cookbook. It's made it through many book purges. I loved her!
Is the dried beef that salty beef in the little jars? Admen when you are doing dollar tree videos, you are limited to items sold there. Those videos are super creative! Love seeing depression era recipes. My grandma had many quirky habits like washing baggies and foil is she could. And never wasted any food either
I believe so, and I kind of diverged a bit on that I’ll admit, mostly because ground beef is more accessible than chipped dried beef. And also because that’s how my mom used to make it when I was a kid 🥰
Budding beef in a pkg is what my mom used. In the lunch meat section of the grocery store.
I have a garden and I wash my baggies because I just use them to freeze blanched veggies. Can’t stand the waste. I’ve even been known to reuse aluminum foil. My mom was born in 1929. Waste nothing.
My parents were kids during the Depression. My dad grew up in a small Midwestern town. My mom was a city girl from Tacoma. Coffee was a staple. People would do what they needed to be able to buy coffee, and rationed it, reused grounds, extended with other foods, whatever to make sure they had some. Whether you were a hobo riding the rails or Daddy Warbucks you drank coffee. It was fun watching you do Depression era cooking. You did a great job! I'm going to try the spin on leftover mashed potatoes. I use instant potatoes to make "leftovers" all the time. They're real potatoes with real butter and real milk. Just less elbow grease. There's no shame in that!
I have arthritis in my fingers and it hurts to peel potatoes. I make applesauce out of dried apples also.
My Late father grew up in the mid west and my mom was from Tacoma as well. Grandpa worked in the mills and such up there.
You have such a kind, gentle heart. I live alone and enjoy watching your videos especially when I need a hug. Thank- you.
Hey there!!! I'm a recent subscriber and I love this. My great grandma was born in 1909 and my grandma lived through the GD as well. Great GMA passed in 2000 and I remember wanting to learn everything she did even at a young age. I wish that I wrote down all her recipes. A lot of time she just knew how to do it. I'm really looking forward to going through your videos. Thank you!!!
My grandmother often reminded us she lived thru the depression, and was fond of saying "Use it up, make it do, do with, or do without!" She was green before anyone had heard that term!
S.O.S. was one of the first meals my husband cooked for me when we were dating. He wanted to share it since his family and he grew up with the meal after all having a navy background. It was delicious! 😊
It’s so simple yet so delicious! It’s great seeing you again 🥰
I was a kid in the early 1950s. My maternal Grandma lived with us. She was a widow who supported herself & 2 kids, my Mom & Uncle, during the Great Depression. We ate a lot of meals that were from those hard times because that's how Mom & Grandma cooked. There were obviously some better cuts of meat & all, but I was expected to learn to cook and I learned so much from Mom & Grandma. I still make my own chicken stock, although these days it's often from the skin & bones of a few rotisserie chickens. No food gets wasted if I can help it. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
I swear I'm not trying to be "that person" but the depression was in the 1930's, not the 20's... other than that, I love how you tackle these recipes as authentically as possible! A lot of work went into preparing just one day's meals. I can't imagine doing that day in and day out!
I love that Clara's legacy lives on through you! ❤
Ok, the coffee ... I needed this! I have so many beans, no coffee pot and my French press broke...been buying instant...but this will help me use up what beans I have!! Thank you!!
I had the same response a couple of years ago when looking at Depression era recipes, expensive now. Actually, KitchenAid has been around since the early 1920s. There were also crank egg whippers. Good job by hand!
Fellow vintage cookbook lover! 😁🖐
The best! I love reading them
No waste. When my grandmother made potatoes even the potato peelings did not go to waste. She chopped them up a little bit and she tossed them out to the chickens.
Morning ! My Dad never threw away the left over coffee . He was a head of his times drinking cold coffee . We laugh about now ! Thanks for your Videos 😃
Awww I loved watching Clara. Such a sweet lady. You are such a thoughtful content creator. I could have used your ideas 40 yrs ago when I was first out on my own, but we didn't have dollar stores then and I did ok. A couple of times I made a big pot of fried rice with what I had on hand and ate that for a few days until pay day. Thankfully my income increased over the years, but you never know when or if one will be in a dire situation and be in need of your ideas. I always enjoy you and your videos. Well done ! 🥰🌱🍀🌷💐💗✝
i think a lot of people would benefit from considering the three 'costs' that come with most things but esp making food: the economic cost, the energetic cost, and the temporal cost. i feel like the kind of people that leave comments saying things like 'wouldn't it be cheaper to buy a 5b bag of russets' 'wouldn't it be cheaper to buy bone in skin on chicken thighs' have an abundance of free time and mental energy to peel potatoes all day, but lack the perspective that others do not or can not. i live in a motel and i don't have a car. i have a two burner stove, an air fryer, a microwave, and about 6 inches of counterspace to work with. i have chronic pain that flares up easily, and even on the days i feel i can take anything on, its still a struggle for me to get to the grocery store and come home and make dinner. i always appreciate your candid and realistic perspective, rebecca. i've tried a few of your recipes and they are always very good.
I loved Clara’s recipes! I know it’s easier to buy a frozen dinner from Costco but the simplicity of knowing what ingredients are in your food is priceless…Ps I’m not knocking Costco..they have great deals. Great video!!!
Hi! Just coming across this video now and oh, wow, the nostalgia! This is all stuff my great grandmother (born 1911) made for us. We had her with us until she passed at age 98. She still would put sweetened condensed milk in her coffee (a treat during the depression) and mixed up powdered milk daily to cook/bake with. These are things she got with her rations points, and can still be found today. I know powdered milk is not something you can find at the dollar stores, but I do see canned milk occasionally, which she also bought with ration points. All of that to say well done, I love these videos and I miss my grandma's (and Clara's!) simple but delicious cooking and baking.
Clara’s recipe calls for dried beef. It comes in a jar and tastes very different than ground beef. Just make sure you rinse the beef very very well. My mom, and granny and great grandma all made SOS with dried beef. Childhood favorite. We called what you made hamburger gravy and it’s so delicious too. Going to add ham to my potato patties next time. Thanks for a fun video. Brought back a lot of fond memories of my family.
We’ve used dried beef too. Though not sure which would be cheaper at this point.
Hamburger gravy goes over mashed potatoes, best. Dried chipped beef cooked up in a roux, would go over the toast. During the Depression, having access to fresh meat would have been limited, but a preserved dried food product could be stored more easily, and made by people who likely had limited kitchens, if they had been put out of their homes, as so many were.
Lots of memories from my childhood. Thank you for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it 🥰
I have been binge watching your videos over the last few days. I love ot when you said "enjoy the little things in life" as you drank your coffee. I had been considering giving up coffee due to the expense....but after hearing you say that.....I will cut something else out of my budget! ☕☕❤❤
I use the peels from the potatoes and make them spicey with Lawry's salt. Heat your ketchup add Texas Pete or garlic powder & mayo. Bake in the oven until crispy. So good. Loaded like nachos is good too. I waste nothing. Old veggies can be dehydrated to make stock powder.
Thanks for the tips!
I bury my very old leftovers in the garden to enrich the garden
Your folding technique is fine! I love corn fritters and I've never seen a recipe like this.
Your depression episode made me happy- lol.
I love watching you chop vegetables and ham! Your knife intrigues me!
ThankYou for all you do💕
Rebecca you are doing great with your channel ! When you soldiered on with whipping the eggs, I applauded you for your stick to itness as well as well with the fritters. I've been going through all of your videos and you are great doing these. I think it's great you try to include anybody and everybody. You make it real, like anybody could do these recipes in their own home, when you have gotten flour on yourself of spilled something on the counter or stove, it made it like it was me doing the same. Thank you for all that you do with your recipes/
videos etc. It is much appreciated. Have a great day !
Your selections actually made me feel right at home. Good choices. I really like your vids! 👏
Glad you like them! 🥰
My favorite Poorman's meal is of course one version of a good old fashioned trash plate: Ground beef, crispy fried potatoes, baked beans, some scallions, maybe some cheddar cheese sprinkled on top. Or of course, you can just treat yourself to your choice of good old dependable Rice-A--Roni, in whatever flavor you might desire - Spansh, beef or chicken. Doesn't matter, just as long as it's basic sustenance and there's enough to feed your family. 😊😊👍👍
The potatoe ham patties would have more salt if left over ham had been used . The corn fritters are tradionally deep fried, but these look really good (with less salt) 😅
The recipes takes me back to spending time with my great grandmother
I really like the idea of these recipes.... I do make bean soup, but not quite like that recipe. Have never made corn fritters, but I have always wanted to. We have also had SOS since childhood. There were 6 of us kids, so SOS went a long way!
You do a wonderful job with these videos I have never understood why people feel the need to nit pick about why you do certain things it should be obvious that if anyone wants to make the other things from scratch they can but you also did a great job explaining why and it makes total sense. Thank you for all your hard work it is very much appreciated. ❤
I miss Clara, too. My parents were young adults during the Great Depression and I grew up hearing their stories about it and the war years. The Great Depression began with the crash on Wall Street in October 1929 and lasted until the U.S. entered WWII in 1941.
I recommend salting the water for the bean soup when you add the water into the pot to simmer. Dried beans, much like potatoes, NEED the salt in the water during the simmering process; otherwise they come out bland and flavorless. They absorb the salt while cooking and it imparts it into the final taste result of the food.
I think this topic is TOTALLY in line with the spirit around the work you do about Dollar Tree meals. You want people who don’t have a lot of resources to have the best meals they can have.
How do we buy YOUR book? You should make your own Dollar Tree Struggle Meals for a full day. You are an inspiration and people like myself as a single mother would LOVE to buy your book
Loved watching Clara.sweet lady and I loved listening to her stories from the depression I even bought her cookbook
Love reading these comments and how supportive people are and also great additions/substitutions. Great community 😀
I feel like we viewers are becoming a community!
Thank you SO much for bringing the fact that not everyone can peel and chop potatoes up in this video!!! I have an autoimmune connective tissue disease (not sure which one yet, I finally have an appointment with a rheumatologist coming up soon!). While I love peeling and chopping, it thankfully doesn't hurt, but it takes me FOREVER to do. When you have a hard working hungry husband and two teenage boys, that just doesn't fly!! Has to be faster. There are times it does hurt after awhile, but it's mostly that it takes so long.
Dried beef (for the SOS) is not ground beef. It’s a packaged product of salty thinly sliced beef. I love it.
Love that you're trying these but not sure you are going about it with the right frame of reference. You commented that most of the recipies seemed to be designed to only serve two or three. During the great depression many families were likely feeding two adults and several children with what you cooked. Sometimes lunch was a single slice of bread spread with lard! Your corn fritters likely were made with home canned corn which would likely have been a quart jar. Bread would likely have been a whole wheat bread provideing WAY more nutrition than today's breads and was often spread with things like jam, lard and beans for a meal. Families that were fortunate to have a garden ate better, but in most bigger cities pickins were oretty slim.
I loved this! Here’s an idea 💡 what if you did a series where you made meals based on people’s environment and what they might have? Like college dorm lasagna with only microwave & hot plate. Or fish n chips with no electricity 😮 or a full dinner using all food you have to ‘get’ from local farmers, etc. It’s good that you remind us that not everyone lives the same. I love seeing how creative people get with their food.
I make potato patties from leftover mashed potatoes all the time. I think the assumption in the recipe is that your mashed potatoes are already salted, with pepper, milk, etc. As opposed to cooking potatoes and mashing them. I use whatever is leftover into the potatoes (carrots, peas, leftover meat, etc.). It stretches the leftovers for another meal, especially if you have just a little meat leftover. I generally serve them with plain yogurt as another dinner.
My father was a Depression-era child. He liked ground beef in cream gravy poured over toast. While serving in the Korean War, he'd get angry when other soldiers referred to it (or chipped beef instead) with insults. He'd make it sometimes; it IS good, especially with a generous sprinkling of fresh black pepper. Your comments of hunting (venison, pheasant) or fishing required for some of the recipes, and the expense of venison or pheasant for those of us who don't hunt is spot-on.
Being able to hunt, fish, and grow a garden is part of our lifestyle. So blessed to keep these traditions.
We always did SOS with dried chipped beef instead of ground beef. ... I rechecked at 15:20 and the recipe calls for dried beef. It's an entirely different texture and flavor to ground beef. You basically made what we did for beef stroganoff topping minus the sour cream. All still delish.
I’m not going to lie but I don’t know how you popped up on my feed… but i love how genuine and kind you are xoxo. Please when you get rich and famous please continue to be kind and sweet!
My pastor in high school loved peanut butter and he would always tell us about when he was a boy and lived thru the depression...his family mainly just had peanut butter as the protein that they were able to access and eat and even though he had it for most meals through the depression, he still loved peanut butter.
Also, to give the bean soup more flavor you can add bouillon and we prefer oregano and bay leaves. We serve it with hot sauce and homemade cornbread.
I haven't had a corn fritter in about 15 years when my grandmom used to make them for me. That part of the video totally brought back some fun kitchen memories with her.
Great video! I really enjoy the Depression Era cooking. I’m thinking that the actual recipe called for fresh corn. That may have been the reasoning behind the salt. Thank you for sharing!😉
It did call for 1 can of corn 😀
Remember in the 20s they had the mixer hand blender that were a gear system. They used a handle that went around like a jack in the box handle.
I actually tried to make this same ham and potato recipe, but using instant mashed potatoes, and they disintegrated completely! Thank you so much for all your hard work! I enjoy your channel very much!
My mom made those sweet rolls at the end all the time! I’ve been wanting the recipe but haven’t been able to find it. She probably used no recipe! Also, she’s the one who taught me about brown sugar and butter on French toast, which is the best ever. Thanks for showing that recipe!
Thank you for making these videos! Far too often in our contemporary world, food is seen as some form of a given - as though we all have easy and equal access to an abundance and variety of food. But we all know that simply isn't the reality for many of us. And as the theme of this partuclar video points out, very hard times have been endured by the majority of Americans throughout our history. It is the highest kind of love to honor and keep the ways of the past - as the things we can learn and share may make life easier in our own futures. None of us are ever a few bad turns of fate from our own food insecurity - not even the richest among us. By learning, sharing, and discussing ways to make simple ingredients go the furthest they can, we can not only be ready should we ever need these lessons again, but we can further appreciate when food is abundant and varied. I can't say thank you enough for these videos - they are such a great resource! Your passion and compassion shines through.
I absolutely love the different flavored instant mashed potatoes they make now-a-days💜 The price is definitely not bad at all. Well worth the convience👍
I love cookbooks!
If you enjoy stories and recipes of the Great Depression look for ‘Stories and recipes of the Great Depression of the 1930’s’ by Rita Van Amber. There are five volumes and in volume 5 there is an index of recipes in all five books, it also shows which volume you will find it.
The mashed potato cakes were something we ate often growing up. It was really good with an overeasy egg on top.
Old person here, first-time viewer. Not old enough to have experienced the depression era. Absolutely love your heart and effort. I enjoyed your post.