Victory Medley

Good Morning Lovelies...

and what a grey overcast day it is

. 

The weather has definitely changed and its much cooler. I hope its a little brighter tomorrow for our sons wedding

Photo 1940

The weekly shop will be done a day early but all I really need to buy is fresh produce and some deli meat. The big shop I did last week is a blessing. 

All thats left is to make sure MrD's suit is freshly pressed and we are all set for tomorrow.

So tonights dinner has become one of our favourites. The first time I made it my dear Hubby got  two bites in.. and exclaimed that it was delicious and I must make it again...soon! So here it is.. Victory Medley

This oddly named dish is a tasty pasta casserole from Coupon Cookery by Prudence Penny, 1943 and is the ultimate comfort food, Creamy, cheesy noodles with sausage, mushrooms, olives and peppers make a very filling meal. 

This recipe is quite adaptable and I made a couple of changes due to what I had on hand. I changed out the tomato sauce for canned tomatoes and a bit of tomato paste. I added some garlic powder.. because I love garlic and also added mushrooms and peppers for extra colour and flavour.. and they needed to be used up.

1/2 package of medium egg noodles (8 oz.)
1/2 pound sausage
1 cup whole kernel corn, canned (undrained) or frozen (+1/2 c. water)
1 cup tomato sauce
8 oz. shredded cheese 
1 cup ripe olives, sliced
1 cup diced green peppers
1-2 cups diced mushrooms, to taste
1 Tbsp. minced parsley, fresh or dried
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. onion salt
1/2 - 1 tsp. garlic powder, to taste
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup or tomato soup

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Cook the noodles in salted water until done. 
• Drain and set aside.
• Cook the sausage until brown and crumbly, then pour off the fat. 
• Dice the green pepper and mushrooms*.
• Save 1 cup of the shredded cheese for top
• In a large bowl mix together the ingredients, including the liquid from the canned corn
• If using frozen corn, add in the 1/2 cup water.
• Turn into a lightly greased 2 quart casserole dish 
• Top with 1 cup of shredded cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. 
• Remove the foil and bake for an extra 5 minutes to brown the cheese, if desired.

Coupon Cookery

by Prudence Penny, 1943

Irish Italian Spaghetti

Good Morning Lovelies...

As usual.. I've such a busy day today so it’s a quick breakfast this morning..

My American hubby still doesn’t understand the British staple of “Beans on Toast” but I love it. It took me a while to find a close enough match to my beloved British brand.. but he still asks “why???!!” when I serve it up.. so I tend to give him something else!

So first on the agenda this morning..

Just over 15lb potatoes.. 

peeled...

blanched and plunged into ice water

 then layered into the dehydrator

Mrs. Frank Rogers looking at a tray of blanched pencil pod beans

on the dryer of a coal and wood range,

the beans will dehydrate in the dryer....

Also a tray of plums waiting to turn into prunes...

Canfield, Ohio September 1942.

Did you know that dehydrating vegetables was done in the 1940s (and before). Dehydrators were either big and bulky... or like this one placed over the top of the cooker range. Things have changed slightly since then.

Mine is not quite the 1940s dehydrator, but the best I have.. and it uses  my Victory Garden produce which is preserved for the winter months

And finally today... Thursday is the day I menu prep and make my shopping lists ready for tomorrows grocery shopping. I check my pantry and cupboards to see what I have on hand... then I look through the store weekly ads and see what the best buys are. Finally I look through my recipe collection.. and plan what we are eating next week.

I find that not only does it save me money... but it saves time and hassle when it comes to cooking for the family. And... I dont need to visit the store more than once a week

Cheeze-it Ad 1948

And I must remember to add Cheeze-its to the list.. 

MrD has run out...

Eating spaghetti 1940s style..
Life Magazine 1942

Dinner tonight is a delicious plate of spaghetti from the early 1940s

Im always on the look out for a good pasta recipe and I found this recipe for "Irish Italian Spaghetti" in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, January 1940. Im a bit puzzled about the name... I get the Italian part, but not sure what makes it Irish

I must say it was an easy recipe, pan browned ground beef and onions in a sauce made from a mixture of mushroom and tomato soup with added chili powder, tabasco sauce and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, served on a bed of spaghetti. The only change I made to the recipe was to add some chopped green pepper and sliced mushrooms that had been looking very sorry for themselves in the fridge

I must say I was a bit dubious, as the meat mixture was very thick and looked more like a stroganoff, rather than one made from jarred pasta sauce

But it was really tasty and my hubby helped himself to seconds.. something he normally doesn't do. So this was another winner that I will be making again..

1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsp salad or olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 dash red pepper
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp Tabasco sauce
10 ½ oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup
10 ½ oz can condensed tomato soup
1 pound long spaghetti
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Brown onion in hot fat
•  Add meat and seasonings and brown lightly. 
• Cover and simmer 10 minutes. 
• Add soups; cover and simmer 45 minutes. 
• Cook spaghetti in boiling, salted water until tender. 
• Drain and rinse with hot water. 
• Arrange on hot platter.
• Pour over sauce. 
• Sprinkle with cheese. 
• Pass additional sauce and cheese.

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine

January 1940

Thank you for stopping by

Love and Blessings

Mrs D

Sausage Macaroni Casserole

This quick and easy recipe comes from a 1947 edition of Woman's Home Companion magazine. A creamy, comforting macaroni casserole thats on the table in under an hour

I did make a change to the instructions. I actually made a white sauce first, using a little butter. with the flour, milk and seasoning. I then added the veg and sausage meat to the sauce

As with most casseroles, this one can be adapted. You could swap the sausage for lean ground beef, chicken, or turkey and change the peppers for broccoli, corn or frozen mixed veg (just as I did)

 And it was really delicious... with clean plates all round

1package (8-ounce)Elbow Macaroni

½ pound sausage meat

1 onion, sliced

½ green pepper, sliced

2 tablespoons flour

½ teaspoon salt

1½ cups milk

½ pound American cheese (2 cups grated)

• Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. 
• Fry sausage, onion and green pepper until lightly brown. 
• Stir in flour and salt. 
• Add milk; cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. 
• Place alternate layers of macaroni and cheese in greased 1½-quart casserole. 
• For sauce over all. 
• Top with cheese. 
• Bake in hot oven 400°F for 25 minutes. 
• Garnish with sautéd apple rings. 

Spaghetti and Meat Balls

I dont know what it is about 1940s recipes, but they are really tasty. These meatballs from Better Home and Gardens Magazine, September 1942, are no different. Using Italian seasoning, garlic and parmesan cheese the flavours really hit the spot. 

There were plenty of meatballs so I froze some for a later date and there was enough sauce leftover to mix with pasta for another meal.

1 onion, chopped 

3 tablespoons fat
1 No. 2 can (2 1/2 cups) tomatoes
2 6 ounce cans tomato paste
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1 bay leaf
3/4 pound ground beef
1/4 pound ground pork
1 cup fine, dry bread crumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 sprig parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup milk
2 beaten eggs
Salt and pepper
18-ounce package long spaghetti

• Brown onion in hot fat
• Add tomatoes, tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, sugar, and bay leaf. 
• Cook slowly 1 hour. 
• Combine remaining ingredients except spaghetti
• Mix thoroughly; form in small balls. 
• Brown in hot fat.
• Add to sauce and cook over low heat 15 minutes. 
• Cook spaghetti in boiling, salted water until tender
• Drain and rinse with hot water. 
• Pour sauce and meat balls over spaghetti in serving dish. 
• Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. 

Magazine illustration

Better Home and Gardens Magazine, 
September 1942

Macaroni Salad

A lovely fresh tasting pasta salad from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine July 1943 is perfect for a hot summers day. It was lovely and creamy.. and I should imagine you could add any vegetable you like to the mix. I added some lovely cherry tomatoes from our garden. Eat as a side dish...or on its own... but either way.. enjoy!

1 6-ounce package 7-minute macaroni
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped pimiento
1½ cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons grated onion
1 cup diced, cooked ham
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper

• Cook macaroni in boiling, salted water 7 minutes; drain. 
• Add vinegar; mix lightly
• Let stand 10 minutes. 
• Add remaining ingredients; toss; season. 
• Chill

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
July 1943

Plain Pasta Sauce

This sauce from 1948 may be used on any type of macaroni or boiled rice. Sufficient for 1 pound. Also used with pizza recipe.

1 large canned tomatoes (or 15-20 small to medium garden tomatoes)
4 tbs. olive oil
2 sliced onions
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 clove garlic
1 sprig basil
Salt & Pepper to taste

• Fry sliced onion and garlic about 5 minutes in oil.
• Add basil.
• Strain tomatoes through sieve
• Add to the pan and simmer 45 minutes or until tomatoes are cooked to a thick sauce.
• Stir frequently
• Add sugar, salt and pepper and stir thoroughly.
• Simmer 15 minutes.

The Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Lo Pinto, 1948

Recipe Source: The Vintage Kitchen

Easy Spaghetti Dinner

This pasta dish from the "Better Homes and Gardens" Magazine, November 1940, turned out to be a flavourful one pan meal. They call it a Spaghetti Dinner, but it uses what we would call today elbow pasta

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