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Thanks so much for another fine post! I appreciated several points you made, such as that those who were already poor in the depression didn't have as much to lose. That is so true. I read that some rich people committed suicide during the Great Depression. I suspect there was less of that among poor people since they were already used to being poor.

I haven't had a garden for years, but I am getting some raised garden beds going this year. I have been using the Hügelkultur method with my raised beds, but it is still costing a lot to get this started. At least next year, I should just have to top off the beds with a few bags of potting mix. I planted 3 tomato plants, potatoes, onions, and marigolds today. I am trying the Square Foot Method. I saw a video that said you should always put a Tums in the hole when you plant tomatoes, as it helps prevent blossom end rot, so I tried that. I also saw that you should put crushed eggshells around your tomato plants, so I tried that. I have been saving my eggshells every day for this. I really hope I get a good harvest, and it is all worth it in the end. I am getting a lot more exercise anyhow. I'm averaging between 8,000 - 10,000 steps a day now.

I liked your point that we need to get into the study slowly and methodically. There are many things that I want to do, but right now my time is consumed with getting a garden going and getting my house organized. Hopefully, I will be able to do some of the other things later. I guess it is like each season comes in its time, and each season demands different things of us and offers its own rewards. Right now is the time for planting and spring cleaning. The hottest days of summer and winter will be times when I can do more mending and sewing. I want to try some new recipes too.

Have A Great Day, Everyone!

Becky Sue

I'm so proud of all the women who have joined in the 1930's challenge.  What they are learning will be fun now but if there is a SHTF situation in their future, the knowledge they're gaining will be priceless.  

I'm old, I've already done the washing by hand, wringer washer, hanging everything to dry inside or out, making do or doing without, cooking from scratch, gardening, canning and living in frugal survival mode.  I'm now in the years where my body is telling me no you cannot mix heavy batters by hand, so I'm keeping my mixer.  Ninety-nine percent of the time I cook from scratch and use the leftovers till they are gone.   I don't eat out but do allow myself two frozen pizzas a month.

My grocery budget is $140 per month, and I averaged $110 per month for the first quarter of this year.   I have a deep pantry and when Covid hit went two months without shopping for anything.  I wasn't in a panic over toilet paper because I had a good supply in my pantry.  My shopping these days is generally replacing what I use. 

During Covid I started using men's handkerchiefs and have continued to do so.  Due to allergies, I was using three boxes of tissue per month, so I've saved a lot in the years since then.  At that time, I had 12 boxes of tissue in my pantry and still have 6 left.  I keep boxes out for guests.  I also was able to make masks for myself and to donate from supplies I had on-hand.  

When my late dh was always wearing the toes out on his socks, so I learned to darn them.  To this day when I fold laundry I check to see if anything needs attention.  When a towel or wash cloth show fraying around the edges, I zigzag around the whole towel/wash cloth and gain several more years of usage.  A tiny hole in a knit can easily be mended, but if not mended quickly ruins the garment.

I have a Home Comfort Cookbook from 1930s or early 1940s that I found in an auction box.  It came with the wood cookstove someone purchased.  Some recipes are interesting for instance Roast Young Pig, it begins with 'Dress a young pig about 6 weeks old" and ends with "To carve:  Cut off head, slit down back ...  The majority of the recipes are much less challenging.

Ann W. I loved what you shared of your life experience . Spending only $110 per month for supplies was eye opening.

I feel greatly encouraged by your post and thank you for sharing 

I think I can explain the thing with Makkaroni. The pasta on your foto is what we call „Hörnchennudeln“, Cornetti is the Italian term. Makkaroni are as long as spaghetti and not curved, long sticks as mentioned in the receipe.

When I look back in time, I remember that my grandparents never had pasta, with the only exception of very little star or letter shaped ones for soup. I checked my mother’s school cookbook from 1963, and found only 6 receipes for pasta, 4 for homemade and 2 for sweet pasta. In other parts of Germany they have a lot of own pasta receipes, but where I live is potato land.

Here is a simple receipe for sweet pasta which you can also use for leftovers and loved by children: Cook 250 g pasta in 1 liter milk together with a dash salt, bit butter and 50 g sugar, serve it with cinnamon and sugar, or raisins/ dried fruits.

Hello Grandma Donna. Always lovely to see another post from you. I am enjoying following along in the spirit of the 1930's.

I so much wish I could find a lavabo here in Australia. I have much admired them on your website and on YouTube's Food around the world channel. I also notice they often have a bed in their summer kitchens.

I am sorry to hear you haven't had any bees around. Do you have native bees or honey bees in your area? We have many species of native bees but also very pushy honey bees from the neighbours. I worry they are too much competition for my gentle bees.

Your walking onions look very healthy, I tried to grow some a couple of years ago but the bulbs kept rotting. Perhaps we had too much summer rain.

We have noticed how much heavier the food seems when eating more traditional recipes. Earlier Australian recipes were quite British. We are sticking to our own version of simple eating. Tonight we are having pork and apple patties with beetroot leaves cooked in rice with onion and garlic.

Becky Sue K., I am also finding it very expensive to get my raised beds going. I have 3 of the 4 half filled and am using them like that and the fourth I am continuing to fill with prunings. I think I much prefer large pots overall. 

Ann W. I too am replacing what I use in terms of shopping but haven't managed to get the cost down to anywhere near your level. That is very impressive.

Good morning. I am enjoying reading your posts GDonna, as well as everyone’s responses. While I am not able to go “all in” on this study, and I taking to heart all that is being said and trying to do little things in my own home and life reflective of the lessons learned. As you said GDonna, this is a slow process, and I need to keep that in mind. 

I am sharing a couple of photos. One is the diary of my great grandmother she kept from late 1920’s through 1930’s. I am learning so much from reading this diary, and realizing how our priorities and focus has changed in current culture. It is quite sad and I hope for my home and my family I can help shift that back to a simpler time.

The other photo is of a poetry book my grandma had received as a gift from her teacher in 1931. As my dad wrote in his letter to me, this poet was known for writing poems about everyday American life during that time. 
I hope everyone is having a nice week. 

Your garden is so lovely! It was 38-degrees when I got up this am and my garden is still unplanted…. I have high hopes for it this year. My geraniums love the cold, though! Ha! Been working on cleaning out the house more to reduce my housework. When does Charles retire? It seems it should be soon!!! 

I am so grateful to Grandma Donna for putting us back into the thirties. Somehow it is where I can make the most changes to my life. And I'm grateful to everyone sharing ideas. I've already added some of them to my routine. 

I was sitting in my backyard yesterday watching the laundry moving around in the light breeze thinking how my outside is completely vintage and wondering how to do the same with inside my house. After thinking about it, I came up with a few ideas. They are not really my ideas. They are ideas from Grandma Donna's blog that finally click for me. :) I get very tired sometimes and that's when we get take out. The answer to that, I decided, is canning. If I have meat or soup or beans home canned in the pantry, it's quicker than picking up take out. Our power went out about a week ago and I thought I'd lose the food in my fridge and fridge freezer, so that's another reason to can. I bought some chicken to can, and I have a question. Grandma Donna, your canned chicken always looks so delicious, and I wondered if you hot packed it or raw pack? I've never canned chicken before, so I'm learning. 

Another thing is sewing. I still haven't attempted something new, but I'm getting much better at mending and altering. It really makes a difference! Some things I've mended more than once and they're still going. :) I will continue mending until I feel confident to start sewing something new, constantly expanding this skill. I put some nice sewing shears in my Amazon cart, and when I have enough points for them, I will get them. 

Getting off the Internet. This one is so important. Since I stopped looking at online news this week, I've had plenty of time for my tasks. I feel calmer too. My local PBS station sent me a confusing email yesterday about their public funding getting cut and asking for everyone to go to a website and stay informed about this. No, I won't is the first thing I thought, but I did break my rule and looked at the online news to see what they were talking about. I wish I hadn't! Bad news as usual. 

For the first time ever, my husband could lose his job in this economy. I made my 1932 Depression budget with this in mind. I am going to keep some categories as cash in envelopes, and big things like the duct cleaning we're having done this week, and the dental bills, will go on the credit card for points (though we have the cash in the bank). 

That's as far as I've gotten this past week. 

Thank you GDonna for the suggestion of "Clara's Kitchen" in book form.  I tried watching her videos but I received the message that I had to sign up for YouTube first, which I don't want to do.  I may try again and see if I can get around that.  I got the book from the library and have been reading through it.  There are so many pasta recipes!  

I was interested in her father's gardening - my dad used to put in a garden and we helped with weekly weeding and harvesting as needed, but not much else was needed, because we lived in an area with rich, black dirt.  Now I live in Florida with pale, sandy soil, and it takes a lot to make vegetables grow and keep the weeds down.  I changed to raised beds and added dirt, which increases the cost of gardening, but I hope that will reduce over time.  I planted late this year - I have struggled with a lack of motivation after going through three hurricanes and the loss of four close family members in one year.  I cover the plant beds at night to keep the pest population down but uncover them to let bees pollinate the flowers during the day. 

Stephanie G, I canned turkey last year and followed directions to cook the bird part way then pressure can the meat.  The biggest problem I have with cold pack canning is the shrinkage of the meat.  My partially cooked turkey meat shrunk a little, but not much. 

Since I still work full time, I can't go all in on the 1930's, but I'm simplifying things as I think of them.  My wardrobe is already simple - I have eight logo work shirts and seven pairs of slacks, which I mix and match five days a week, every week.  I have a few clothes for working outdoors and indoors, and some dresses for church.  I follow tradition in wearing dresses for church, with hosiery, and I wear the same dresses to weddings, funerals, and other events.

I make nearly everything from scratch and hand wash some of my laundry.  I make my own cleaners, mend for myself and do light household repairs.  My mother, who married my father during the Depression when nylon was scarce, knew how to mend runs in her stocking so that the mend was almost invisible.  I watched her a few times, but never got the hang of it. 

One thing I'm not going to do - use turpentine for medicine, as my father's family did!

Thank you, Joan S. That's just the kind of thing I'm looking for. Personal knowledge from someone I trust. I am sorry about so many losses happening to you all at once. :( I'll pray for peace for you, if that's alright. 

Yes, I always welcome prayers.  Thank you!

I am loving all of the comments along with the blog, I am just learning so much.

I can't believe what a difference just turning the TV off has made!  It was just backround noise and I am loving the quiet, it makes me slow down and be more mindful.

My garden is popping and everything except the parsnips are up,  I will give them a bit more time and if they don't pop soon I will replant.  I love them and I used to grow them so really want to have some again this year.

JC

Regarding my post above and averaging $110 per month for Jan., Feb., and March, I can easily do so because I have an extensive pantry and a large freezer both full.  If I don't want to shop, I don't.  I live in Iowa and have to drive 25 miles to shop so during the winter months, I often don't want to shop.  My meals are simple and living alone gives me freedom to please myself.  My late dh was a very picky eater, so all meals were catered to his likes.  I keep shelf-stable milk on-hand and, if I run out of bread, I have the ingredients to bake my own.

I have home canned pork, turkey, venison and chicken.  Each pint will easily make three or four or even more meals for me depending on how I use it.  The pork is loins, venison ground.  Chicken is mostly hind quarters cooked, removed from bones and cut to bite size although I do have some breast meat in larger chunks.  Canning raw chicken results in what is called "ugly chicken", but it's still tasty.  Other than salt, I do not add seasonings to canned meats so they can be used in many various ways adding seasoning when prepared.

For someone starting out with sewing, The Readers Digest, Complete Guide to Sewing, would be useful.  Singer has a bunch of individual books on sewing, mending, etc. which are also good.  I've picked up my library on sewing from thrift shops mostly for less than $1.  I've had mine for many years, so prices are likely more now.  

I've learned not to mention my thrifty ways or my pantry because people just do not understand.  I have a lady that I'm mentoring and just getting her to have one extra can of anything has been a struggle!  We live in an instant gratification, throw away and replace society instead of fixing/mending/making do or doing without.  Any kind of self-sacrifice is unheard of as long as there is a balance still available on the credit card. 

Grandma Donna wrote, Stephanie G, I always uses the Ball canning book. I use the raw pack method for chicken, it is very easy and of course we must have a pressure canner for canning meat and vegetables. You can get free canning information from the "National center for home food preservation" and that is online, just do a search for that.  

We have never had any problems with raw pack pressured canned chicken.  The Ball book states that you can leave the bones in or remove them.  I always can boneless chicken because that is how we like to have it in our jar.  I do not give directions to canning because everyone needs to go by the safe guidelines from trusted sources so I stick to my guns on that.  I am glad that you asked the question because that gives me a chance to repeat what I always say, do not take chances with canning, do not be afraid of it, just use the trusted sources.  

I am recalling my grandmother's farm house. It was very simple and she had only the basics. My mother was born in 1935. I know when I visited their home in the 60s it was very much the way it had been for decades. 

I am sure it will take me all year to achieve the simplicity of that time. 

This past week we had some work done on our kitchen so I had limited use of the kitchen. As a result our meals were really simple and clean up was quick! I'm thinking about how I can continue that.

I so appreciate all the helpful posts as we move through this together.  I checked on Amazon to see if they had a lavabo that appeared  like the one you found for your garden. .They do have one available. If anyone else is interested you might want to  check out the link below. The featured product is cost plus shipping. But there is a note/link   on the site to a free delivery option available  (minimal increase in price) to  prime members. It is cheaper than the pricier cost plus shipping option which is featured.

https://www.amazon.com/Books-More-Aluminum-Lavabo-Hand/dp/B07G3GWC5Y/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1DVF9QHCWLRLR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ztpsF7p-qKhk_ODZMOgLsZJsfMILnUo7IgIisQGDEcJ0XE0eSA8mikRuaDW_xr0rP5BnCBiBUgcwTgPf2YDBtz9PB5rMkvsTk5OwPxBLCWQu8XkCoAy8Aj2C57iVLMaVb-sPUyXQsgR8gk91dVyucUuDShYJFnqc4gwVeB1BZTaz6lc7CMKE6KvhTlfYAQyvFOvoaLPJk71ilgfAZi_A4w.sGvU-gBegrR_cLrtMtT6F3gXJtPnvs6Gwm_mkCUZ880&dib_tag=se&keywords=Lavabo&qid=1746656529&sprefix=lavabo%2Caps%2C251&sr=8-1

My grandma canned whole chickens minus the cut out backbone in 1/2 gallon jars. She used the backs and cooked them to make noodles as the easy meal to have while doing all of the processing. She always followed the Ball canning book because as a young bride/mother they lived in Muncie Indiana and that's where the Ball factory was located. She said they gave public demonstrations at Home Ec. clubs and had some sort of kitchen available where you could sign up, take your food to be canned along with the jars, lids and such. This was to help out people who couldn't yet afford their own canner.

When grandma was able to buy her own canner she would have her sisters and friends come and they would have like a canning party.

I can chicken with1/4 a bouillon cube in the pints and a half in the quarts. That is plenty of seasoning for me. 

JC

I've been planting out my garden and allotment (my personal plot at the community garden) but my tomatoes got a slight frost the other night;  my son and I had covered them as best we could with some straw and netting but the tops of some of them look very sad now.  Hopefully it's just the tops and they will perk up again--it might frost again tonight so I'm going to bury them in straw this time!  There's a stable at the allotment site with a big manure pile next to it--plenty of mostly-clean straw and it's good for the soil too.

Regarding cooking fats, we use almost exclusively animal fats.  We can buy lard very inexpensively in the UK;  in the US I believe it can be found in the Hispanic section.  Our local butcher also gives us raw beef fat for free;  I render this myself and it keeps well in a jar for several months in my cupboard.  I like it because I know what's in it and how it was made, and I consider it an ancestral food--something my ancestors have eaten for thousands of years.  And it makes beautiful pastry too.