Cheer For Lunch Boxes (Recipes For Today WWII) « RecipeCurio.com (2024)

Cheer For Lunch Boxes (Recipes For Today WWII) « RecipeCurio.com (1)Here are pages 34 and 35 of the WWII ration cookbook titled “Recipes For Today” that was published by General Foods Corporation in 1943. This was during the second world war when the United States was experiencing food rations and shortages (sugar, meat, etc.) and homemakers were looking for creative ways to feed their families.

You can view all the pages in this little book by visiting this category: Recipes For Today (WWII), just click a page title to view that section of the book. You’ll find scans of the pages included below (click pictures to view a larger size) as well as a typed version for easy printing.

  • Home-packed lunches must offer good square meals, appealing each day. So don’t forget: 1. A thermos bottle for soup, cocoa, milk, or Postum. 2. These useful sandwich spreads. 3. Changes in breads, whole grain and enriched. 4. Lunch cakes and cookies. 5. Desserts to pack in jars or paper cups. 6. Crisp relishes and fresh fruit.

Cheer for Lunch Boxes

BUTTER-SAVER SPREAD

1/2 pound butter or margarine
1/4 cup cold milk
1 1/4 teaspoons Minute Gelatin or granulated gelatin
3/4 cup hot milk
1/2 teaspoon salt

Let butter stand in warm place. Work with spoon until very soft, but not melted or oily.

Add cold milk to gelatin and mix well. Then add hot milk and salt and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Cool to lukewarm. Add to softened butter, a small amount at a time, beating with rotary egg beater after each addition until blended. Store in covered dish in refrigerator. Use within a week. Makes 2 to 2 1/4 cups.

This spread is delicious on bread, rolls, crackers, and in sandwiches. It is not recommended for cooking uses.

One-fourth cup cold water and 3/4 cup hot evaporated milk may be substituted for cold and hot milk.

To double recipe, use 1 pound butter, 1/4 cup cold milk, 1 3/4 cups hot milk, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 envelope Minute Gelatin.

MAYONNAISE SPREAD

1 tablespoon (1 envelope) Minute Gelatin or granulated gelatin
1 tablespoon cold water
3 tablespoons boiling water
1/2 cup fresh or evaporated milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/2 pound butter or margarine

Soften gelatin in cold water. Add boiling water and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Add milk and blend. Add gelatin mixture gradually to mayonnaise, stirring until smooth. Cool until thickened. (Do not chill in ice water.)

Let butter stand in warm place. Work with spoon until very soft, but not melted or oily. Add mayonnaise mixture to softened butter, 1/4 at a time, beating with rotary egg beater after each addition until blended. Store in covered dish in refrigerator. Makes about 2 1/2 cups or enough for 20 sandwiches, 2 tablespoons each.

Savory Spreads for sliced meat or cheese sandwiches, or for spreading on crackers and snacks, may be made by adding special seasonings to Mayonnaise Spread. For each sandwich, use 2 tablespoons of the spread. Add 1 teaspoon drained horse-radish and a little minced parsley; or 1 teaspoon prepared mustard; or 2 teaspoons drained piccalilli; or 2 teaspoons ketchup; or 2 tablespoons minced olives; or 2 teaspoons grated orange rind, mixed with 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar.

SANDWICH FILLING COMBINATIONS

For moist, flavor-full sandwich fillings, combine Mayonnaise Spread with other sandwich ingredients. Work the spread to right consistency for spreading, then add ingredients as suggested below, and season to taste. Each mixture makes 2 or 3 sandwiches.

Ham and Cucumber Filling. To 3 tablespoons spread, add 1/2 cup diced cooked ham, 1/4 cup minced cucumber, 1 teaspoon horse-radish. Or omit cucumber and add 1 teaspoon prepared mustard.

Snappy Peanut Butter Filling. To 3 tablespoons spread, add 3 tablespoons peanut butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons chili sauce.

Liverwurst and Celery Filling. To 3 tablespoons spread, add 1/3 cup cut celery, 1/4 cup mashed liverwurst, 1 teaspoon prepared mustard.

Egg and Olive Filling. To 4 tablespoons spread, add 2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped, 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped stuffed olives, 1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard, 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce.

Cream Cheese, Raisin, and Carrot Filling. To 3 tablespoons spread, add 3 tablespoons cream cheese, 1/4 cup cut raisins, 1/4 cup grated carrot.

American Cheese Filling. To 2 tablespoons spread, add 3/4 cup grated American cheese and 2 tablespoons milk.

Piquant Grape-Nuts Filling. To 4 tablespoons spread, add 1/2 cup Grape-Nuts, 3 finely chopped sweet pickles, and 3 tablespoons chili sauce. Let stand 30 minutes before spreading.

CHILDREN’S DELIGHT

1 cup finely crushed Post’s Corn Toasties
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3 tablespoons melted shortening
1/2 cup raspberry or strawberry jam

Combine Toasties, flour, sugar, and melted shortening. Cover bottom of greased pan, 8×8 inches, with 1/2 of mixture, pressing firmly. Spread with jam and cover top with remaining Toasties mixture; press down lightly. Bake in moderate oven (375° F.) 15 to 20 minutes. Cool. Cut in squares. Makes 36 pieces.

Cheer For Lunch Boxes (Recipes For Today WWII) « RecipeCurio.com (4)

Print A Copy Of This Recipe:

More Recipes For You To Enjoy:

No related posts.

Cheer For Lunch Boxes (Recipes For Today WWII) «  RecipeCurio.com (2024)

FAQs

What was the most eaten food in WWII? ›

Meat (March 1940) was first, followed by fat and eggs, cheese, tinned tomatoes, rice, peas, canned fruit and breakfast cereals. Remember this was a world where even in the pre-war days of plenty, olive oil was sold as a medical aid and dried pasta was confined to a few Italian shops. Rice was mainly for puddings.

What did people eat for breakfast in WWII? ›

An English Breakfast during WWII. Breakfast tended to be porridge with milk if available but some families would use melted lard! OMG. A special treat was toast or bread and jam (we always had jam apparently – my grandmother would make it, but so little sugar, she relied on the fruit.

What meals would people make from their rations? ›

A week on WW2 rations – meal ideas
  • porridge with honey, apple sauce, sugar, milk, raisins (?)
  • toast and butter/jam/marmite/honey.
  • dippy egg and toast and butter (can only do this once unless we get more eggs somehow)

What food was banned in ww2? ›

Rationed Foods. The categories of rationed foods during the war were sugar, coffee, processed foods (canned, frozen, etc.), meats and canned fish, and cheese, canned milk, and fats.

What food was almost impossible in ww2? ›

The government began rationing certain foods in May 1942, starting with sugar. Coffee was added to the list that November, followed by meats, fats, canned fish, cheese, and canned milk the following March.

What fruit was available during WWII? ›

They kept bread in a bread bin and biscuits in tins. Families ate some tinned foods, such as tinned meat, peas and baked beans, but hardly any frozen foods. You could only buy fresh fruit grown in Britain, such as apples or pears. Fruits that had to come in ships, like bananas, vanished from the shops.

What did WWII children eat? ›

Children's rations were slightly different to adults. Children were entitled to extra food that was considered essential for healthy growth, such as milk and orange juice. The National Milk Scheme provided one pint of milk for every child under 5. Fruit and vegetables were not rationed but were in short supply.

What cereal did they have in WWII? ›

1940 — During World War II you could only buy Kellogg's products in the North and Midlands. Kellogg created Wheat Flakes and Wheat Krispies to help feed war time Britain.

What did they eat for dessert in WWII? ›

Popular Sweets During WWII
  • Lemon Sherberts date back way back into the early 19th century and so were already a firm favourite by the mid 20th.
  • Flying Saucers are another old favourite. ...
  • Barley Sugars are even older. ...
  • Cola Cubes or kola cubes are another classic hard sweet which originated in Britain.
Sep 20, 2020

What are C rations called today? ›

Today's combat ration is the MRE. That stands for Meal, Ready-to-Eat. MREs are highly processed, well-packaged food. Tin cans have given way to light-weight plastic.

What is the most fulfilling meal? ›

Here are 10 examples of whole, nutrient-dense foods that not only will help keep you satisfied, but are great for overall health as well.
  • Oatmeal.
  • Red Chili Pepper.
  • Fish.
  • Nuts.
  • Beans and Legumes.
  • Eggs.
  • Fruits and Vegetables.
  • Rx Only.

What to serve 12 people for lunch? ›

19 Ideas For Easy Meals For Large Groups
  • Taco Bar. A taco bar is one of the best inexpensive meals for large groups. ...
  • Meatballs. ...
  • Butter Chicken. ...
  • Lasagna. ...
  • Chili. ...
  • Homemade Pizza. ...
  • Baked Pasta. ...
  • Skewers.
Apr 4, 2023

What food did soldiers eat in World War 2? ›

Second World War

However, soldiers at the front still relied on preserved foods. These largely consisted of tinned items, but also dehydrated meats and oatmeal that were designed to be mixed with water. Morale-boosting items, such as chocolate and sweets, were also provided. And powdered milk was issued for use in tea.

What was the most eaten food in the world? ›

Cereal grains and tubers are the most common food staples. There are more than 50,000 edible plants in the world, but just 15 of them provide 90 percent of the world's food energy intake. Rice, corn (maize), and wheat make up two-thirds of this.

What was the most widely used food for soldiers? ›

The most common food given to soldiers was bread, coffee, and salt pork. The typical ration for every Union soldier was about a pound of meat and a pound of bread or flour.

How much food did people get during ww2? ›

Ration books worked on a coupon system, so people could only purchase their entitlement and no more. A typical person's weekly ration allowed them 1 egg, 2 ounces each of tea and butter, an ounce of cheese, eight ounces of sugar, four ounces of bacon and four ounces of margarine.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Patricia Veum II

Last Updated:

Views: 6224

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (64 voted)

Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Patricia Veum II

Birthday: 1994-12-16

Address: 2064 Little Summit, Goldieton, MS 97651-0862

Phone: +6873952696715

Job: Principal Officer

Hobby: Rafting, Cabaret, Candle making, Jigsaw puzzles, Inline skating, Magic, Graffiti

Introduction: My name is Patricia Veum II, I am a vast, combative, smiling, famous, inexpensive, zealous, sparkling person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.