Easy Spaghetti Dinner

On the first Thursday of the month, I attend the Ladies Aid group in our church hall where we sew, knit, and gather clothes or supplies for the needy. I have been going for quite a few years now.

But early last year things changed slightly when we partnered with not only the Red Cross but with a new organization to help with the war effort.  Bundles for Britain is a massive American volunteer organization founded by Natalie Wales Latham in 1940 as a knitting circle in a store front in New York City. Knitted goods—socks, gloves, hats, sweaters, and scarves—are  made and shipped to Britain who have been at war since 1939

Within sixteen months, Mrs Latham has expanded Bundles into an organization with 975 branches and almost a million contributors. By 1941, moreover, Bundles had also shipped ambulances, surgical instruments, medicines, cots, blankets, field-kitchen units, and operating tables, along with used clothing of all sorts. 

As well as having wonderful fellowship with the other ladies... it makes me feel like I'm doing something useful for the war effort

So after the meeting Sheila Harrington kindly gave me a lift home.. a lot quicker than taking the bus. I had a quick sandwich lunch.. cheese and homemade chutney.. one of my favourites. Then I got stuck into the housework...  a dust.. a wipe... and a vacuum.. then it was time for another weekly chore. Making a meal plan for next week... and a shopping list to go with it. Luckily our pantry is very well stocked s this week it will be just fresh vegetables, meat  and a few odds and ends. It wont be long until our Victory Garden is fully producing and so I will be shopping even less

Dinner was a quick pasta dish from the "Better Homes and Gardens" Magazine, November 1940. It turned out to be a flavourful one pan meal. They call it a Spaghetti Dinner, but it uses elbow acaroni

I did amend the recipe slightly. As with a lot of 1940s recipes, it used a lot of salt and, for me, more than two teaspoons of salt seemed too much. 1 teaspoon was plenty and I added some garlic powder for good measure. If you make it, adjust the seasonings to your own taste

Plus, it says it serves 6? Not in this house Im afraid

8 link sausages
1 No. 2 can (2½ cups) tomatoes

1 cup diced celery 
1 cup diced green pepper
1 cup sliced onion
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper sauce
1 cup elbow spaghetti 

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup grated American cheese

• Brown sausages. 
• Add celery, green pepper, and onion; brown. 
• Add uncooked spaghetti, carrots, tomatoes, and seasonings
• Cover; simmer 35 minutes. 
• Add cheese; cook 5 minutes. 
• Serves 6. 

Better Homes and Garden Magazine
November 1940