1943 Rations for Lent 21023. Day 4.

25th February 2023

In yesterday’s post I detailed the groceries we bought in preparation for this week. This post is about the progress in sticking to the ration diet.

Breakfast was a mug of tea with two rounds of whole meal toast with a “scrape” of vegetable spread and some rather nice blackberry marmalade made by my sister in 2018. I had to throw the strawberry jam which I opened last November as it was somewhat fuzzy on top. The new confection tastes of blackberries with a hint of orange.

For lunch I had two rye crisp breads, spread thinly and accompanied by 1/2 oz. of thinly sliced ham and the same of thinly sliced cheese, followed by an apple and a mug of tea.

For dinner we each had half the cauliflower with a medium-sized potato, boiled in its skin, and seasoning. The cauliflower stem and leaves I kept for another meal. I ate the last of the 21st century fruit yogurts. I am now free from food that would not have been available in 1943.

In summary, since starting the project last Wednesday, in four days I have consumed:

Tea: 8 teabags of the 140 allowed for the 40 days. Within budget. Yogurts: 4, (to clear -substitute for milk or custard). Muesli: 1 bowl (to clear – substitute for oats). Tomatoes: 4. Wholemeal bread: 10 slices. Potatoes: 2 large, 1 medium. Eggs: 1 fresh, fried. Ham: 1 3/4 oz., sliced. Cheese: 1/2 oz,, sliced. Meat Pie: 1, half my weekly meat ration. Rye crackers: 2 (@ 1 point per packet). Mackerel: 1 small tin (1 point), saving the oil for cooking. Milk: 1 pint. Apples: 3. Pears: 1. Cauliflower: 1/2. Beer: 1 pint.

Allowing myself 6 points for the 7 days of February covered, I have used only 2 so far. I have 24 points for food for each calendar month. On Sunday I start counting the first full week and will be strictly adhering to the scheme with the only substitute being vegetable spread in place of butter and margarine combined. As for other fats, I am using lard for frying and saving what can be drained from the pan afterwards for future use.

I am enjoying the challenge and hope I can keep it up. A “National Loaf” is currently baking in the kitchen, and that’s the best thing since sliced bread!