INTERESTING GROCERY PRICES FROM EARLY 1900s

Instead of a recipe, today's post is just a list of a few interesting facts I came across in an old fashion cookbook.  With today's grocery prices I thought you might be interested in knowing some grocery prices for baking needs in 1900.

• Sugar - 4 cents per pound
• Eggs - 14 cents per dozen
• Butter - 25 cents per pound

It was also during the early 1900s that tuna was first put into cans.

KITCHEN TRIVIA FROM THE SECOND DECADE OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

1910 through 1919 was the second decade of the twentieth century. A terrible thing for all Americans was WWI from 1914 to 1918 resulting in the following:

• The war brought serious food shortages which caused soaring prices making life hard in the American kitchens. 
• More Americans planted gardens for their food.
• Eggless and butterless cakes became popular from necessity.
• Meals without meat often became necessary.
• Rationing of sugar in 1918.
• Vegetable shortening often replaced hard-to-get lard.
• America saw a rise in processed foods such as Oreos, hamburger buns, and Hellmann's mayonnaise.
• Self-service grocery stores were introduced in California in 1912.
• Piggly Wiggly was the first supermarket chain after it opened in Memphis, Tennessee in 1916.

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? 2

More fun facts from the early 1900s. I love trivia and tidbits of history. I hope you enjoy these, too.

Ever wonder where the brand Le Sueur peas,etc came from?  In the early 1900s the Minnesota Valley Canning Company began packing corn and peas in cans.

America's 1st pizzeria opened in New York City. I wonder how many pizzeria's are in NYC today. When I worked in NYC in the 1980s it seemed there was a pizzeria on almost every block.

Housewives and cooks were excited with new kitchen items that came on the market: Drip coffeemakers and Electric toasters.

Chocolate lovers rejoice. The first recipe for Devil's Food Cake was printed.

file photo

BIRDIE CAKE

Another old recipe from my home state of Indiana.

2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2-lb can crushed pineapple with juice (don't drain)
1/2 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream the eggs and sugar together.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well blended.  Pour into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes.

TOPPING:
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-oz pkg cream cheese
1/2 lb powdered sugar

Soften the butter and cream cheese to room temperature.  Add the vanilla and powdered sugar.  Spread on the cake while the cake is still warm.

This makes a very moist cake yet uses very little fat.

file photo for reference only

DOILY STIFF

My mother and grandmother crocheted a lot and used this recipe to stiffen their doilies after washing them.

3/4 cup cornstarch
2 tbs. turpentine
2 tbs borax
1 quart cold water

Mix water, cornstarch, and borax good. Be sure dissolved. Add turpentine. Dip and squeeze and roll in towel. Let stand for two hours or more.

(Good grief. I never had a clue! No wonder they were always telling us kids to stay away from their handiwork that was so pretty on tables!)

LAZY BAKER'S PIE CRUST

Have had this recipe for so long, I don't know who gave it to me.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in the pie pan, mix with a fork. Add the milk to the oil and stir together. Pour over the flour mixture and stir with the fork until well mixed and crumbly. Press evenly in the pan to form a shell. Use as any other pie crust. Fill and bake or bake and fill for cream pies. To use for fruit pies, save back part of the crumbs and sprinkle over the filling and bake as any other fruit pie. Baking time is till crust is brown, about 30 to 35 minutes.

photo from kitchen genius

OLD FASHIONED BEEF "BIRDS"

This recipe is another from the area where I grew up in Southern Indiana.

1 1/2 lb round steak
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbsp shortening
1 can condensed consomme
1/2 tsp dry mustard

Cut the steak into 6 serving pieces and pound with a meat mallet or the edge of a saucer.

Chop the mushrooms and mix with the onion and Cheddar cheese. Put 3 tablespoons of the mixture in the center of each piece of steak; reserve remaining mixture. Roll the beef pieces jellyroll style and fasten with a wooden toothpick. In a shallow dish or pie plate, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge the meat rolls in the flour mixture, rolling to cover all sides.

Melt the shortening in a large skillet and brown the meat rolls in the skillet. Pour off the drippings. Combine the consomme and dry mustard; add to the skillet with the steak rolls. Cover and cook slowly for 45 minutes. Add the remaining cheese mixture to skillet and continue to slow cook for another 45 minutes. If desired, thicken the liquid with some cornstarch or flour to make a gravy to serve over the steak rolls.

FISH BATTER

This is a good batter to make for frying your fresh catch of fish.

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup ice water
2 tbsp baking powder
1 egg

Put all the stuff together in a bowl and mix it with a fork or spoon. Dip your fish in the batter then fry in hot grease.

(This recipe is signed by Sarge, whoever he was.)

                               This is a file photo used for reference only.

Vicks VapoRub

When I was growing up in Southern Indiana this was the recipe for whatever ailed you! We still use it in our house. It is a standby.

HOMEMADE PEPPER RELISH

This recipe is an old recipe from Southern Indiana.

12 red bell peppers
12 green bell peppers
12 large white onions
1 qt vinegar
3 cups sugar
1 oz mustard seed

Grind red and green peppers and onions together. Cover with boiling water and let stand 15 minutes; drain. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, mix the vinegar, sugar, and mustard seed together. Add the drained vegetables to the sugar mixture; bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes. Put relish into hot pint jars and seal with rings and inserts that have been boiled in hot water. Make sure jars seal. If a jar doesn't seal, refrigerate it.

 John Landis Clipart