Standing Rib Roast of Beef

Happy Easter Sunday Lovelies

1940s Easter Card

1940s Easter Card Message

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend. 

MrD and I enjoyed the Easter message at church today and it was such a lovely morning we walked home and spent a lovely relaxing afternoon together

Our dinner of choice this Easter was a delicious Rib Roast of Beef, using a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, November 1940. This is a lovely recipe that Ive used a few times a and the joint always turns out moist and tender. Paired with delicious fresh vegetables and Grannys Yorkshire Puddings.. is really was a tasty meal

It may look like a a big peice for two people, but the leftovers will give us a couple of meals during the week... and MrD will have Roast beef and Horseradish Sauce on his work sandwiches tomorrow for a treat

2-or 3-rib roast (4 to 6 pounds)

Salt and pepper 

• Season meat with salt and pepper; place, fat side up, in open roasting pan. 
• No rack is necessary, as bones keep meat out of juices. 
• Do not cover; do not add water.
• Roast in slow oven (300°), allowing...
• 18 to 20 minutes per pound for rare roast, 
• 22 to 25 minutes per pound for medium, and 
• 27 to 30 minutes per pound for well-done roast. 
• If using meat thermometer, insert so that bulb reaches center of the roast. 
• Be careful that bulb doesn't rest on fat or bone. 
• Meat thermometer will register 140° for rare, 160° for medium, 170° for a well-done roast. 
• Basting isn't necessary. 
• Serve with Yorkshire Pudding. 

Original Magazine Recipe

 Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
November 1940

The Living God - Episode 5 

 Easter Sunday, April 5, 1942

After dinner we turned on the radio... and tucking into our Easter biscuits.. we listened to the "The Living God," a modern adaptation of the Easter story.

It was an apt and enjoyable ending to a very happy and blessed Easter week

Grannys Yorkshire Pudding

With a list in my hand.. shopping was done a day early. There was a long line at the butchers but eventually I managed to pick up the rib roast I had ordered for our Easter dinner. Having already been to the greengrocers I made my way home got changed into my apron and made the house spic and span.

Original 1940s Easter Card

 The mail man arrived and delivered a couple more cards..

Original 1940s Easter Card

How pretty!

And with everything done.. I had time to put my feet up, listen to music on the radio, have a nice cuppa, and do a bit of knitting before MrD got home.

Moonlight Cocktail by Glenn Miller & his Orchestra, 

vocal by Ray Eberle and The Modernaires

So for Easter dinner we will be having roast beef and of course you cant have beef with out its tradional accompaniment.. Yorkshire Pudding,

This recipe has been handed down from mother to daughter in my family for a few generations, and I must admit, they always turn out amazing

This recipe is different to the Wartime recipe I've shared before. Its a bit more indulgent as it uses 4 eggs. Luckily we have our Lovely Laying Ladies who bless us every day with an abundance of eggs. So seeing as its Easter... this is the recipe I will choose

1 cup/ 5 oz plain flour
1 cup/ 1/2 pint milk
4 eggs
salt and pepper
Vegetable oil for cooking

• Heat the oven 230C/ 450F/Gas 8
• Pour a little oil into into a 12 hole non stick muffin tin
• Put in the oven to heat until sizzling hot
• Put flour into mixing bowl
• Beat eggs into milk and add gradually to the flour
• Beat until there are no lumps, add salt and pepper to taste then pour into a jug
• Remove tins from oven and carefully pour batter into holes
• Cook undisturbed in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown
• DON'T KEEP OPENING THE DOOR!
• Serve immediately or if you leave them to cool they can be frozen for later use

Creamy Chocolate Frosting

Im always on the lookout for simple frostings to spruce up plain cakes. This one from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, February 1942 is easy... and only uses 2 squares of chocolate a very chocolatey topping.

¼ cup water 

2 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate

2 tablespoons butter

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups confectioners' sugar

• Heat water and squares unsweetened chocolate until chocolate melts. 
• Add butter, vanilla extract, and confectioners' sugar
• Beat until of spreading consistency

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine 
February 1942

Wartime Bara Brith

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus…. Happy Saint Davids Day

Welsh National Dress
1948

It was a beautiful morning... it felt like Spring. For the first time in a while we walked home from church. And yes...I wore my daffodil with pride

Back home.. Mr D joined a few of our neighbours with the weekly ritual of mowing the front lawn. I know pride is a sin... but boy... these men love their lawns!

Meanwhile.. I used the dried fruit I had soaking in tea over night and made a delicious Bara Brith.. the last of my Welsh dishes for this week

“Bara Brith” is a traditional Welsh fruit loaf that literally means speckled bread. The recipe calls for lots of dried fruit, soaked in tea overnight and orange zest to give it a little zing. Using only one egg it easily fit into a rationed diet... and could be easily adapted during the war to use orange marmalade instead of orange juice and zest. Finely grated carrot could also be used to replace some of the fruit.

Delicious spread with a little butter....and served with a nice cup of tea

Dried fruit soaking in tea

1lb of self raising flour (I used plain with 5 teaspoons of baking powder)

1/2 pint of tea

1lb of mixed dried fruit (substitute 1/3 with finely grated carrot to save on rations)
6 oz of light brown sugar
1 medium egg
1 or 2 teaspoons of mixed spice
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon or orange juice
1 tablespoon of orange zest (or use 2 tablespoons of orange marmalade to replace the honey, orange juice and zest)

• Make 1/2 pint of strong tea and add the dried fruit and grated carrot to the tea
• Place in fridge overnight
• The next day mix the honey, orange juice and zest (or marmalade) with the sugar and egg
• Add that to the fruit and tea mixture
• Sift the flour and spice into a large bowl
• Add the fruit/tea mixture
• Mix until all flour is mixed in
• Place in two small greased loaf tins or one large one
• Cook at 160C or 320 F for about 1 to 1.5 hours (use foil to cover if getting too brown)
• Remove and cool for a while then glaze with honey or a sugar water mix
• Remove from tin and cool thoroughly before storing in a tin
• Slice and serve with butter

We ended the weekend listening to the happenings of the week on the radio... 

with a nice cup of tea.. and of course.. a lovely slice of Bara Brith

Week Ending February 28, 1942 

 Old Time Radio