The Health for Victory Club

As it was the first Thursday of the month means it was our monthly Ladies Society Meeting

The Ladies Society helps the war effort in so many ways.. but today it was time to start helping our families at home... and our Ladies joined the Health for Victory Club

This is a nutrition and meal-planning program created by the Home Economics Institute of the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company at their plant in Mansfield, Ohio.

It is designed to to help women and homemakers keep the whole family healthy and strong through proper food. Trained home economists will demonstrate how to plan balanced, nutritious meals despite anticipated food shortages and rationing. Today we had a demonstration of cooking appetizing vegetables with little or no water to retain vitamins

Meal-Planning Guides, will be distributed at each meeting. They will provide readymade nutritious, budget-friendly and point-thrifty menus with practical recipes built around the government's "Basic 7" food groups. It will cover every meal in the month, including daily lunch boxes. as well as  home canning and food conservation tips.

I think it will be very interesting

Health for Victory Club
Meal Planning Guide
November 1942

Leftover Stuffing Balls

 Another busy Monday.. laundry ..baking.. cleaning.. cooking.. such is my life.. ad I love it

But I also had time to do a bit of work in the Victory Garden and picked some lovely Brussels sprouts for dinner

I picked quite a few.. and those we didn't eat with our chicken dinner.. I will use with the leftover mashed potatoes and carrots to make Bubble and Squeek at the weekend

And talking of leftovers.. to accompany our meat and vegetables we had some lovely stuffing balls which I made and and froze when we had stuffing a few weeks ago

 

Making stuffing balls from leftover cooked stuffing is a quick and easy way to give this tasty side dish a crispy, golden-brown exterior while keeping the inside warm and tender. 

Leftover cooked stuffing

1 large egg to help bind the mixture, optional
 A splash of chicken broth if too dry

• Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, combine the leftover stuffing and the egg. 
• Mix thoroughly with your hands until the stuffing is soft and holds together. 
• If it feels too crumbly or dry, mix in a tablespoon or two of chicken broth.
• Scoop out portions (about the size of a golf ball or walnut) 
• Use your hands to press and compact them tightly so they do not fall apart.
• Arrange them on the baking sheet 
• Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on the edges 

Alternatively they can be frozen for a later date  

• Arrange the balls 1 to 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. 
• Place the sheet in the freezer for a few hours until the balls are frozen solid.
• Transfer the frozen balls into n airtight container. 
• Freeze for up to 2 to 3 months and cook 
• Bake as above 

Pumpkin Pie

November arrived wet and windy.. and sadly we didnt get many trick or treaters last night due to the dreadful weather. Still I can use the candy in baking.. and we can eat the popcorn for snacks

We made it to church though.. I love the fellowship almost as much as the sermon. We had a guest pastor this morning who gave an excellent talk.. well worth getting a little soggy for.

We were chatting with Miss Marilyn and her husband Wayne and she told us that in the new year they will have been married 70.. yes 70 years!! Can you imagine? I hope MrD and I will be blessed to be together that long

For dinner we had a lovely, comforting Pork Chops en Casserole, from The Lily Wallace New American Cookbook.. served with some steamed cabbage

For dessert I baked a  delicious Pumpkin Pie using a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, October 1941. 

A very straight forward recipe.. with a lovely result. It doesn't state what kind of pastry so I used a short crust. And I did take two slight changes.. I didn't flute the edges as shown in the illustration... and.. I didn't top with triangles of cheese as suggested

2 cups canned pumpkin
¾ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
3 beaten eggs
1 cup irradiated, evaporated milk (or standard evaporated milk)
¾ cup water
¾ recipe plain pastry (for crust)

Original Magazine Clipping

• Combine pumpkin, sugar, salt, and spices. 
• Cook in a double boiler until the sugar melts.
• Slowly add eggs mixed with the evaporated milk and water.
• Place the pastry-lined pie pan on the oven rack before filling to avoid spills.
• Pour the mixture into a pastry-lined 9-inch pie pan. 
• Bake in a hot oven (450°F) for 10 minutes, then lower to a moderate oven (350°F) for 45 minutes.
• Cool completely
• Top with triangles of American cheese (a traditional mid-century serving suggestion)

A real taste of Autumn. Very nice!

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
October 1941

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

After yesterdays torrential rain..

for the last morning of October there was a beautiful sunrise here at our Little Blue House

We dont really 'celebrate" Halloween but we do get candy for the children... and I make little bags of chocolate drizzle popcorn  Our granddaughters did not go trick or treating this year.. but were all excited..and looking beautiful for their friends halloween party tea

But MrD loves to carve the pumpkin to put on the front porch. I kept the pumpkin innards to make a lovely soup.. but not wanting to waste anything.. roasted the seeds to make a salty snack.

So with the pumpkin is carved  and put up front, we are all ready for the Trick or Treaters.. 

Nibbling on delicious roasted pumpkin seeds

Cooking the seeds in salted water for about 10 minutes before roasting can make the interior more tender and deeply season the seed from the inside out.

• Scoop the seeds from your pumpkin
• Submerge them in a bowl of water, and remove any stringy orange pulp or flesh
• Place the seeds in a pan of salted water and simmer for about 10 minutes
• Drain and pat the seeds dry 
• Allow to air dry air-dry for a few hours (or overnight) to help the outer shell cure and get extra crunchy.
• Toss the dry seeds with 1 to 2 teaspoons of oil or melted butter
• Sprinkle generously with salt.
• Spread the seeds in a single, even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. 
• Bake at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until they turn light golden brown and crispy.
• Let them cool completely on the pan
• Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.