If I was a sensible wartime housewife, I’d have made mince and potatoes for dinner last night and then put the leftovers into a pie to provide a bit of variety for tonight’s meal. As it is, I’ve just had some leftover pie –  having already had some for lunch, AND with plenty more remaining for tomorrow – so I’m afraid it’s a rather repetitive photo today.

It does go to show, however, that with little cold storage back then (except for larders in the winter) housewives must have had to plan ahead so as not to waste food.  Or could they plan ahead if they had to shop daily and food wasn’t always available on that day?  Hmmm.

We’re off to the movies tonight. Normally I’d have some popcorn, but I’m so full from these wartime meals that it’s unlikely I’ll eat anything more before breakfast.  But it did get me thinking; Did they sell treats at the cinema during the war?  (Could they, if sweets were rationed?)  Will need to ask Anne about that.

The other thing I haven’t eaten during this experiment is fish. I’d been saving this entry of Anne’s until then, but just in case I don’t get around to eating any before Sunday, here it is.

From Anne:

Fresh fish was not rationed, but supplies were limited – it was not safe for boats to go beyond a narrow strip of coastal water, and long queues formed outside a shop that displayed any.

Fishmongers then also sold chickens, and Mother would beg the bits that got cut off when they were being prepared for sale – necks, intestines, claws etc. The claws she would wash, then scald to clean them and loosen the scales; I can remember the job of scraping the scales off.  Then they were ready to go into the more or less permanent stock pot along with any other edible scraps; there was always soup to make from Dad’s veg.