If you are among those who are stocking up, in preparation for very high food prices next year, you may be interested in this recipe.
I was reading information about the pioneer lifestyle and about the typical meals they ate. It wasn't a shock to read that a growing a successful garden was "critical" to putting food in their bellies.
It was interesting to find out that some store owners added fillers to certain food items, so they could make more money off of the buyer. Some of what I read really raised my eyebrows - plaster in the flour? Or dyed dried beans in the coffee? Yuck.
One tip I read, was about a coffee substitute, when coffee was not available or affordable. Here is the tip:
"One popular "coffee substitute" recipe advised settlers to roast molasses-soaked bran in the oven until it was charred black. The bran could then be ground like coffee beans, and the resultant brew was "a very tasty drink for a number of months." (From Pioneer Life)
I wonder what bran and molasses we cost next year? I guess if you grown your own grain, this may not be a problem.
I was reading information about the pioneer lifestyle and about the typical meals they ate. It wasn't a shock to read that a growing a successful garden was "critical" to putting food in their bellies.
It was interesting to find out that some store owners added fillers to certain food items, so they could make more money off of the buyer. Some of what I read really raised my eyebrows - plaster in the flour? Or dyed dried beans in the coffee? Yuck.
One tip I read, was about a coffee substitute, when coffee was not available or affordable. Here is the tip:
"One popular "coffee substitute" recipe advised settlers to roast molasses-soaked bran in the oven until it was charred black. The bran could then be ground like coffee beans, and the resultant brew was "a very tasty drink for a number of months." (From Pioneer Life)
I wonder what bran and molasses we cost next year? I guess if you grown your own grain, this may not be a problem.
Comments
I was happy to learn that during winter time when the cows weren't putting out lots of milk; Ma used sour dough starter for bread and biscuits. By using water and flour and placing it in a jar near the warm stove she was able to create a starter and make bread for the family without having much in the way of milk.
I learned lots of other things too reading those books. I don't have much in the way of resources (except the internet) would love to get my hands on Old Time homemaking books-- you can learn a lot and live that way without much technology.
Can you suggest a book or two? I'd love to start building a library of resources for myself.
...nice to meet you!