This is an interesting question because 70 years ago, our grocery stores did not have the variety of foods you see today. Now you can get anything, same food but, with different spices added to it, or pre-cooked, or carry out meal which is already cooked. Our stores had just the essential foods that one would need to have a good meal, bake your own bread or rolls, make your own deserts, etc.
So, with this in mind, I (Noel) would say that growing up in our home, I enjoyed a good roast beef dinner, with mashed potatoes, vegetables, maybe a slice of homemade bread or a dinner roll, and some form of dessert. Beef was the primary meat since we usually had a locker full of it. We did not have a freezer, so our locker for frozen meat was at the local grocery store, and we paid a monthly charge to rent a locker (a huge drawer that would store all our frozen meat).
We did have chicken and pork because we raised our own chickens and always raised a pig to butcher. The beef came from the farmer I worked for, which was a part of my wages. So we always had plenty of meat.
We also had a favorite of both mom and us. It was cooked rice in a double boiler, milk and cinnamon on it. Sometimes we added a little sugar. After a football game, when we were all at home, mom would whip up a large bowl of whipped cream, and we would put that on a slice of bread with cinnamon on top. We always had plenty of whipping cream since dad usually had a cow or two to milk.
For desserts, mom made various pies. She taught me how to make a banana cream pie as well as a coconut cream pie. One day when everyone was gone, and I was the only one at home, I made myself a banana cream pie and ate the whole thing. Crazy.
The farmer I worked for would raise chickens to eat. So when they were ready to be butchered, his wife fixed chicken almost every day for our noon meal. In college, I wasn’t too excited when chicken was on the menu. I had had enough for a while.
Got over that quickly.
When you think of all the different foods available today, some may think our meals were boring. But to us, they were great. Still love beef, pork, and chicken. Didn’t have fish since it all had to be shipped in, and our store in Ruskin didn’t carry much fish. Why have fish when you can raise your own beef, pork, and chicken and a good supply of vegetables from the garden?
Ruby
My (Ruby) mother was an excellent cook. She always fed our family of six, plus a couple hired men each day for three meals. Since we lived on the farm with beef, chicken, and pork readily available, we had a hearty meal each day. Meat, potatoes, and vegetables were the main menus. Lettuce salads were not popular like they are today, but mom often served a wedge of iceberg lettuce. I guess a roast beef dinner was my favorite, with the potatoes and carrots cooked on the side. She always had some kind of dessert, but I don’t remember my favorite. I guess all of them.
My dad loved his ice cream, maybe so he could support his milking business? He shared that love with us kids to this day. We ate it often. I remember each Sunday we had jello salad….sometimes with hot dogs!
Since my dad milked cows for a living, he and the hired men got up at 4:00 a.m. That was early, and they were hungry in a few hours. Each day mother fixed a “big” breakfast of pancakes, french toast, eggs or/and oatmeal and fruit. Her day began at an early hour too. When the men were working in the field, she had to prepare an afternoon lunch. Far different than how we live today with all of our conveniences.
On Sunday nights, mother would vary our evening meal. My favorite was rice cooked in the double boiler. We ate it with a glob of butter in the center, milk poured around it, and sprinkled on cinnamon. Mother was great at making fresh rolls and sometimes bread.
Another favorite was her Danish “Prune Ladder.” This was like a sweet roll but had a filling of prunes….yummy. We would come home from school and enjoy a hot, buttery treat.
My favorite cookie at Christmas was the Danish Peppernuts. They took hours to make, but the taste was well worth it.
My mother shared her love of cooking with us girls…we love to please our families and share recipes. We have passed on some of mother’s recipes as well.