World War II Ration Era Recipe: Peanut Butter Popcorn Balls

This week, we are combining two of my favorite things into one blog post: Popcorn and Christmas.

Popcorn was popular in World War II at Christmas. Not only was it used as garland on Christmas trees, but it was used to make tasty treats at the holidays. Peanut Butter Popcorn Balls provide a source of protein and satisfy the holiday sweet tooth without forsaking the war effort.

Recipe from “Grandma’s Wartime Kitchen: World War II and the Way We Cooked” by Joanne Lamb Hayes

Ingredients:

·         1 cup light molasses

·         2/3  cup of light corn syrup

·         1 tablespoon of vinegar

·         1 teaspoon of salt

·         1/2 cup of peanut butter

·         1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

·         3 quarts of popped corn

Instructions:

·         Combine molasses, corn syrup, vinegar, and salt in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently until mixture reaches 250^oF or until a little syrup dropped into cold water forms a hard ball. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla.

·         While syrup is cooking, spread out popcorn in a deep roasting pan. When peanut butter mixture has been combined, pour immediately over popcorn and stir until popcorn is evenly coated.

·         Lightly oil hands and shape mixture into 12 balls. Set aside to cool completely.

I will be honest, this recipe sounded much more promising than what it turned out to be. It was more difficult and messy than I anticipated in regards to mixing the molasses-peanut butter combination with the popcorn. I’ve also never really liked molasses, and the popcorn balls tasted more like molasses than peanut butter. They also did not stick together well at all, even after putting them in the refrigerator.

Perhaps, the reason why I did not do too well with this recipe is because I made it. I hope that you take time to try it out and I hope that you have better results than I did, especially if you like molasses J

Until next time,

Maggie

74th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor

This week, we are featuring a blog from Ches Bono, one of our Visitor Services staff members, about Pearl Harbor since today is the 74^th Anniversary of the attack. I’ll be back next week with a blog on a 1940’s do-it-yourself Christmas tree.

-Maggie

             

Early in the morning of December 7, 1941, the Japanese Imperial Army attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. During the attack, over 2,400 Americans died, and over 1,100 were injured. Of the eight battleships in the harbor, four were sunk and the rest significantly damaged. 188 aircraft were destroyed, three cruisers were sunk or destroyed, as well as three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and one minelayer. This surprise attack was meant to cripple the Pacific Fleet and deter the United States from entering World War Two. However, the attack woke a sleeping giant instead.

Jeanette Rankin, Congresswoman from Montana
(1916-1918 and 1940-1941)

On December 8, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress for a declaration of war against

Japan. It was passed almost unanimously. The only dissenting vote came from Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress, famously said, “As a woman I can’t go to war, and I refuse to send anyone else.” Ironically, she was in Congress for the declarations of war in World War I and World War II. Almost immediately after the declaration of war, Germany, Japan’s ally and fellow Axis Power, declared war on the United States. With one swift attack, the United States entered World War II.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt during
a fireside chat

Throughout the Great Depression and the war, President Franklin D. Roosevelt communicated with the nation through his fireside chats over the radio. In his address to the nation after the attack, he declared that it was “a date which will live in infamy.” Americans all over the country were shocked and saddened by the sudden loss of life from such an attack. In Bedford, as in other communities across the country, the townspeople were preparing for the holiday season and enjoying their normal Sunday activities when they found out. Families were heading off to church and gathering afterwards

for a meal. When word came, families across the county worried for those in the Pacific, but they also worried for themselves since many of the young men in the county had enlisted in the National Guard in order to make ends meet during the Depression. For many of these young men, a dollar a day for the work that they did with the National Guard was a fortune, especially during such a harsh economic downturn. When Congress declared war on December 8, these young men were now in the military for the long haul of the war, whether they liked it or not. For many, however, the desire to serve their country outweighed the fear of war.

Although the United States participated in the war prior to the attack through the Lend-Lease Act, this declaration of war caused the economy to shift from a peacetime one to a wartime one, with rationing and production increasing across the nation. Although the United States did not see intense action for a few years, men were still called away from home for training leaving the factories and farms largely unattended. The women of the United States answered the call, and joined the ranks of factory workers and providers for their family, aiding in the victory effort.

On this solemn anniversary, we remember those who lost their lives on December 7, 1941 and all who participated in the war. Each December, the National D-Day Memorial remembers the 4,413 men who lost their lives on D-Day during our Flames of Memory Illumination Event with 4,413 luminaries placed around the Memorial. The event takes place December 11-13 from 6 pm to 9 pm on these evenings, and the cost is free for all, although donations are appreciated. We hope to see you all there!

-Ches

Ration-Era Recipes: Cinnamon Bread

I know I've been absent from blogging lately, so please forgive me as I know you've been eagerly awaiting my latest post.  Well, the wait is over!  Once again I've returned to the trusty Victory Cookbook for some good ole fashioned carb therapy.  The variety found in the Victory Cookbook is quite incredible, and I would expect nothing less from a volume totaling a mere 860 pages.  While you'll probably never see me fixing recipes like "Peanut Butter and Pickle Sandwiches" (p. 137) or "Tounge Braised with Aspic Jelly" (p. 349), I'm always willing to try a variety of "safe", typically carb-y, recipes regardless of the labor required.

My very messy, sticky, flour-y counter

And let me tell you, this week's recipe was a labor of love - the process was laborious; the result was lovely.  

The "Rolled Cinnamon Bread"  took about 3 1/2 hours from the start of the recipe until the bread was ready to be sliced.  (Also, I cheated a little by using quick-rising yeast to speed up the process.)  Furthermore, it created quite a mess -as you can see.  Thankfully I'm lucky enough to have a gracious husband who scrubbed the counter-top afterward.

Freshly sliced Rolled Cinnamon Bread

But all of the effort was well worth it.  The smell of cinnamon and fresh bread filled our house, which only made the entire process seem so much longer as we waited to sink our teeth into the warm deliciousness.  After much standing and sniffing and peaking into the oven, the bread was finally done.  We let it cool slightly then dug in, and we were not disappointed.  The bread tasted just as good as it smelled!  My husband even emarked that this was possibly the best ration-era recipe I've tested so far.   Hooray!  

Fittingly, the Victory Cookbook recommends that mothers serve this bread as a treat for children, and I can see why.  The cinnamon-swirled bread has just the right amount of sweetness, yet it remains very ration-point friendly.  It requires very little sugar and oil which were heavily rationed during WWII.  I can easily imagine little mouths in a 1940s kitchen waiting anxiously for a taste of this sweet bread as it baked.   

Enjoy!

Megan 

Here's the recipe: 

Standard Recipe for White Bread

1 cake yeast                                             2 Tbsp. shortening

¼ c. lukewarm water                                  2 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. sugar                                              2 c. milk, scalded

1 ½ tsp. salt                                             6 cups sifted flour, about

Add yeast to lukewarm water and 1 tsp. sugar.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Add salt, shortening, and remaining sugar to milk and cool to lukewarm.  Add softened yeast and 3 cups flour.  Beat well.

Add enough more flour to make a soft dough.  Place remaining flour on board, turn out dough on floured board and knead until smooth and elastic.  Place in greased bowl, turn over, so that greased side is on top, cover with cloth and let rise until doubled in bulk.  Punch down and let rise a second time if desired.

Rolled Cinnamon Bread

1 recipe Standard White Bread dough (p. 103)    6 Tbsp. brown sugar        

1 tsp. cinnamon

When dough is light, divide into halves and roll each half into a sheet 9” square.  Sprinkle with a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon.  Roll up like jelly roll and place, seam side down, in greased bread pans.  Let rise until light.  Bake in hot over (435 degrees)  15 minutes, then reduce temperature to moderate (375 degrees) and bake 25 minutes longer.  Remove from pans and cool.  Makes 2 loaves.

The Two-Piece Swimsuit: Utilitarian Fashion

Clothing fashions of WWII have always been a source of fascination for me, not because I'm a fashion goddess and just have to know every detail of vintage fashions.  Instead, I'm intrigued by the way the circumstances dictate fashion.  Just as rationing affected recipes and eating habits during the war, rationing also influenced fashion to a great degree.   In the 40s, when Americans were faced with fabric shortages, hemlines became shorter, necklines became lower, and outfits became slimmer and more streamlined.  

McCall's Sewing Pattern for a Two-piece Swimsuit, circa 1944

In addition to everyday wear, bathing attire also changed.  For the first time in the United States, the two-piece swimsuit emerged presumably due, at least in part, to fabric rationing.  It should be noted, however, that modesty was still very much in still, so ladies' two-piece bathing suits still covered a far amount of skin.  One thing that is quite noticeable about two-piece swimwear at the time is that few, if any, revealed a lady's belly button!  What tasteful way to introduce the latest in swim fashion while maintaining a proper, lady-like appearance!

  

So next time you head to the beach, pool, or other summer watering hole, think about the history of fashion and the lasting impact of wartime rationing!

-Megan

Ration-Era Potato Soup

This past Monday in Central Virginia was a dreary, cold, rainy day - perfect for a bowl of steaming soup.  So I decided to turn to the trusty "ABCs of Wartime Canning" cookbook for a ration-era inspired meal.  I found just what I was looking for under the low-ration points category: Creamy Potato Soup.  Perhaps one of the most enticing aspects of this recipe was that I had everything I needed in my pantry to put the meal together.  Also, this recipe was very budget-friendly and took less than 30 minutes to prep, cook, and serve.  Clearly, you can see that I was quite impressed with all aspects of this culinary experiment.  

The only real prep work involved with the recipe was peeling and thinly slicing five potatoes and an onion.  The rest of the steps involved dumping ingredients in the stock pot and stirring contents together.  If you decide to test this recipe out yourself (which I sincerely hope you will), don't be deceived by the potato to water ratio.  I seriously contemplated adding more water than the recipe called for so that all contents in the pot could be covered.  Thankfully I resisted my urge, and the results came out beautifully.  The potatoes and onions cooked down nicely and made the liquid thick and starchy.  Then the addition of flour and milk further enhanced the creaminess of the soup.  

My only complaint with this recipe was that it was far to bland.  After I tasted the initial results, I liberally added more salt and pepper, and I even threw in some chili powder to kick the flavor up a bit.  The end result was delicious.  This could easily become a go-to meal in our house since it was so easy, cheap, and tasty. 

Enjoy!

Megan

Spry Honey Rolls

Cover of the Spry Cookbook

This week I experimented with my first ration-era recipe: Honey Rolls.  I found the recipe in the Spry shortening product cookbook, and I must say the results were delicious!  Now, it's true that shortening and other fats (like butter) were rationed, but keep in mind that this from a product cookbook, so every recipe in the pamphlet includes shortening.  Aside from the few tablespoons of shortening, the rest of the recipe is ration stamp friendly!

One of the most delightful things about this recipe was its simplicity.  Prep maybe took 15-20 minutes which included rolling out the biscuit dough, melting the topping, and preheating the oven!  And shortening was the only item called for that I didn't already have stocked in my cabinet.  (On a side note, the Lever Brothers - yes, the soap company - stopped producing Spry shortening sometime in the 1960s, so I just used Crisco instead).

My lovely, floured counter, perfect for rolling out the biscuit dough.

Mmmmm. Hot honey rolls fresh out of the oven!

Here's the finished product!  The taste reminded me of monkey bread.  We'll definitely make these again sometime soon! 

 Here's a copy of the recipe to try on your own: 

And here's the recipe for the dough (baking powder biscuits):

Recipe taken from: What Shall I Cook Today: 124 thrifty, healthful tested recipes.  Lever Brothers Company, Cambridge: Mass. p. 39-40.