Spice Cake This is a rich and heavy textured cake and a great favourite with men: 1 1/2 cupfuls of water 3 ozs sugar 4 ozs grated carrot 4 ozs dried fruit 1/2 teaspoonful of ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoonful of mixed spice 2 ozs margarine 8 ozs self-raising flour 1 teaspoon bi-carbonate of soda Put the sugar, grated carrot, fruit and fat, with the spices and the water into a stout little saucepan an bring to the boil. Cook for five minutes, stirring well together. Let these ingredients get quite…
Tag: Recipes & Home Advice
Housekeeping in War-time Britain
Queen Elizabeth, consort of George VI the King of the United Kingdom (and mother of Queen Elizabeth II), visited the Ministry of Food on the 30th May 1941, where she was met by Lord Woolton who showed her a demonstration of food cooking, food for use in English homes under rationing and the “Planning of Meat Rationing.” During the visit, Her Majesty was given a demonstration of how potato pastry was made, and explained that no fat was used in the recipe. The Hairy Bikers have a recipe for this…
Lord Woolton Pie: The Official Recipe
Originally called Lord Woolton pie, and later as simply Woolton Pie, this pastry dish of vegetables was widely served in Britain during World War Two when rationing and shortages made other dishes hard to prepare. It was first created at the Savoy Hotel in London by its then Maitre Chef de Cuisine, Francis Latry. It was one of a number of recipes commended to the British public by the Ministry of Food during the Second World War to enable a nutritious diet to be maintained despite shortages and rationing of…
Food Facts: Mother & Child
Government advice given to Expectant Mothers, during th Second World War, on the food they should be trying to eat to help with their health, and the health of their growing baby. How has the advice changed today? Mother and Child Of course you are anxious to do everything in your power for your baby’s well-being both before he is born and afterwards. The Government wants to help expectant mothers on the important matters of diet. There’s no need to worry about special food, the expectant mother wants a good…
Billy Brown’s Guide to London Transport
Here is another fine example of the Billy Brown character, invented by cartoonist David Langdon OBE, giving advice on using public transport in London. Published in the Bromley & District Times, 27th December 1940 Billy Brown of London Town The safest travelling in town Is not too good for Billy Brown. He’s much too sensible and knowing To jump down off a bus that’s going. Especially in blackout house Or when the kerb is wet with showers On these occasions Billy B Goes by the slogan ‘Wait and See’. Printed…
What to Do Before Going into Your Shelter
Before, during and after the raid What to do before going into your Shelter – and the help that is ready if your home is hit. Before you leave the house, turn off all gas taps, including pilot jets, and turn off the gas at the main. Leave buckets or cans of water and sand or earth on the front-door step, or just inside the door. Put your stirrup pump, if you have one, where it can easily be seen, Draw back curtains and raise blinds in upper rooms so…
Rationing Recipes – Cakes without Eggs
Rationing on food items such as eggs during World War II meant that a little imagination was needed in the kitchen when it came to producing sweet treats for the family. During the war years, the Bromley & District Times was on hand to help home bakers with ideas to satisfy their sweet tooth. Cakes without Eggs Even the present egg shortage need not prevent the housewife from making her own cakes. Here are some suggestions for afternoon tea: – Chocolate Cake 1 half size tin sweetened full-cream condensed milk…
Tea-Time Gossip
As written in the Bromley & District News on 27th September, 1940 (page 2) Under the Bed A near-by A.A. gun of terrific calibre has brought down a large piece out of one of our ceilings. Someone said to me, “I do think they ought to warn us” I replied, “Don’t be such a fool. Do you expect them to knock on the door and say ‘Please we are about to let off a gun,’ as if they just wanted to turn off the water?” However, one piece of ceiling…
Homekeeping in Wartime
This article featured in the Bromley & District Times in August 1940, providing advice to housewives to help the with the organisation of the kitchen and larder to cope with any eventuality in this current conflict. The wise housewife will already have laid in her emergency larder. Inspect the Home Larder and Kitchen Front The Kitchen Front will play an ever-increasing part in the present conflict, and the housewife has now an excellent chance to prove her organising ability and foresight in planning her home larder and kitchen front…
Food Facts, August 1940
A regular feature in the local newspaper in the 1940’s, here is another list of useful ‘Food Facts’ for readers to help encourage them to ‘never waste anything’. The Ministry of Food was almost before its time, by offering more advise on the Wireless each morning – almost like a modern podcast! Every Time you cook you help or hinder Hitler! This advert appeared in the Bromley & District Times, 16th August 1940 (page 3) This Week’s Food Facts Please make full use of the fruit and vegetables now…