Gearing up ...for my New Years Challenge

Gearing up for the recipe challenge, which will start on New Years Day....I have changed the date several times, mostly for practical reasons like getting rid of more modern foods and like today, babysitting and having to make a Dhal (I don't think Pataks Curry paste was available in 1940!).

In common with rationing.

1) Bread was not rationed so I will likewise eat bread.
2) Dairy and proteins were, so I will stick to the allowed amounts of oil, butter, milk, cheese and eggs. Meat was also rationed but as a vegetarian, who cares?

These were:

Butter 50g
Cheese 50g (sometimes rising to more 100g or even 225g) for the purpose of this week I will stick to the norm.
Margarine 100g
Cooking fat 100g ( I will replace with oil for obvious reasons)
Eggs 1 shell egg (or one packet of dried egg a month
Milk 3 pints per week or one packet of 'Household' i.e. dried milk a month
Sugar 225g
Tea 50g (I will buy green, but otherwise will stick to allocated amount)
Preserves (aka Jam) 450g every 2 months
Sweets  350g every month

Surprisingly, I have just read that nursing mothers got concentrated orange juice....I wasn't expecting that, but it is an added bonus (just in case you were wondering, the baby will eat her normal food unless I make something suitable for her her).
Not in common with rationing

3) My vegetables will come courtesy of the Organic Delivery Company.

My delivery comes on Tuesday which is why I need to start after that particular day.  You never know exactly what you will get so I can't really write up all my recipes beforehand.

4) I will add a couple of tinned fruit to my weekly shop as that is more in keeping with what was available.

5) Most breakfasts will be porridge or bread/toast, it is obvious true but there wasn't much else back then.

6) One can eat out, I may do that if I get desperate or if I am asked. ;)

Little hiccups

My phone is on its last legs....sure, it may have lasted a bit longer had I not given it to the baby to play with but considering the longevity of these things nowadays, I say it has lived out its natural life and now I need to replace it, but it is also my camera and therefore, I need a replacement before I am due to start making my food or else.....I will need to take my lap top up to the plate!! ;)

The Great historical recipe challenge!!!!!

Determined to end this year with a bang and not a sluggish whimper and armed with my well worn copy of We'll eat Again

 I have determined to live entirely by this recipe book for the whole week!

Yes it is mad, yes it is awesome too!!!!

Meals will be semi-planned in advance but allowances will be made for ingredient issues (such as Tescos messing me about etc)

I don't think I will be allowed to actually copy the recipes I use for copyright reasons but I will put the title of the dish down, talk about the preparation, the taste and how the day went with regards to not indulging in my normal fare.

If you like the sound of the challenge than I really encourage you to buy the book, it is sold at a really good price and the dishes I made in the past were good and wholesome.

A nice bit of Vim

Right now I am enjoying The Hotel Inspector, not only because I have a terrible crush on Alex Polizzi and all her no nonsense posh gloriousness, but also because it is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the schadenfreude of people who are more messier than I am and they get a right ticking off from that curly haired Goddess of Forte..

I do not enjoy cleaning it has to be said, but I enjoy a clean environment so I need to be encouraged, sadly my dislike of the get down on your knees and scrub method of cleaning has led me in recent days to take modern short cuts AKA labour saving devices. I brought some wipes that disinfect and make my bathroom sparkly clean but I weep for the environment as I know these are not the most natural methods to use, I brought products that make my Lavvy smell like lavender, my living room smell like mulled wine, my clothes smell *sigh* heavenly and oh dear, I have bleach too :(

But vintage is often a lot more natural, so why can't I be more like this?

I could blame it on having a baby but it is not true, I was even worse before the baby, now I am a lot more clean but I am using modern products.  I feel guilty like I am compromising my principles.

I am doing much better with the baby though, I am buying a wooden high chair instead of a plastic one and hope to buy some more old fashioned traditional toys instead of modern ones.  The thing about having a three year old niece though is all those baby toys are passed down, including pink plasticy battery operated bits and bobs, but I am not so ungrateful as to reject them but along with the TV, phone and other modern bits and pieces, moving towards vintage is a slow process.