Make Your Own Kitchen Blends (Part 2)
The homemakers of World War II, tired as they may have been after a long day of volunteer or war work, would have needed to make their evening meal without many of the shortcuts we find at the supermarket today. They needed a healthy meal all the more because of the heavy workloads during wartime.
Nutrition in War
In Britain, the Ministry of Food educated the public about nutrition. Food was considered a weapon of war, for only healthy citizens could manage the work at home, much of which provided the military its needs.
At the time, foods were divided into three main groups according to their work in the body. Building foods protected bones, teeth, muscles, tissues and blood. Protective foods guarded against illness and disease with vitamins and minerals. Energy foods supplied the fuel needed for grueling days.
Everyone on the Home Front was encouraged to eat all his or her share of the building foods, along with generous servings of vegetables and fruit. Energy foods were needed but were fillers after the other two groups had been eaten.
Two Ways to Make Your Own Sausage
During the war, meat and many other foods were rationed and difficult to obtain. Specialty meats like sausage were not easily available. However, homemakers might have found cuts of meat that could be ground at home. Turning these into homemade sausage would have been one way to add flavor variety to their diets. I am including two sausage recipes here that you can try—no meat grinder necessary!
Maple Chicken Breakfast Sausage can be fried just like store-bought sausage. You can alter the spices to suit your tastes, and using your own spices gives the sausage a delicious, fresh flavor. This sausage is also good crumbled into breakfast casseroles, muffins or the Sausage Balls recipe below.
Beef sausage is excellent in Beef Dip—mix one recipe of the sausage with a 10-ounce can of Rotel® diced tomatoes & green chilies and an 8-ounce package of softened cream cheese. Serve with crackers and try to stop eating it, if you can!
Baking & Cooking Blends
As I mentioned in Part One of the Kitchen Blends series, cream of tartar is a great ingredient to have in your pantry. A by-product of wine making, this alcohol-free ingredient has many uses, including baking powder. Store-bought baking powder has a limited shelf life. When making your own, you can be sure you always have baking powder that will work.
Use your own homemade baking powder to make Quick Mix. This is a much healthier alternative to prepared baking mixes. The recipe here uses shortening—if you want to avoid vegetable shortening, there are organic alternatives. I use one that is a blend of red palm and coconut oils, and it works perfectly.
All of these blends are economical and help you prepare meals even in times of shortage when certain foods can’t be found, or when pre-made foods are out of the budget. One popular grocery item—condensed cream soup—is notoriously expensive and full of additives. I have included a recipe here for making your own. You can change the vegetables or even omit them, to make a variety of cream soups. There are too many variations to list—you could sauté broccoli or exchange the vegetables for small bits of chicken
Recipes for homemade blends allow you to take charge of the ingredients in your meals, adjust flavors to your taste, manage your budget better, and be creative—just like the homemakers of World War II.
Beef Sausage
1 pound ground beef
2 teaspoons paprika
½ tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon marjoram
¼ teaspoon thyme
Dash cayenne
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Mixture is better if allowed to chill in refrigerator for at least two hours before using. Shape into links or patties, or use as is in recipes calling for ground sausage. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
Maple Chicken Breakfast Sausage
1 pound ground chicken
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon sage
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dehydrated onion flake
1 teaspoon paprika
¾ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon marjoram
½ teaspoon thyme
Dash cayenne
With wet hands, mix all ingredients thoroughly. Mixture is better if allowed to chill in refrigerator for at least two hours before using. Shape into links or patties, or use as is in recipes calling for ground sausage. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
Condensed Cream Soup
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons minced celery, onion or mushrooms
1/3 cup dry milk powder
2/3 cup vegetable broth (or chicken broth or water)
Salt & pepper
Melt butter in a small saucepan. Sauté whichever vegetable you are using in the butter until tender. Then, blend in flour and whisk until smooth. Add dry milk powder and broth or water. Whisk over medium heat until mixture thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Quick Mix
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup shortening
½ cup dry milk powder
Thoroughly sift flour, baking powder, salt, cream of tartar and sugar. Add shortening and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles the texture of cornmeal. Stir in dry milk powder. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. To measure, pile mix lightly into measuring cup; then, level.
Maple Chicken Sausage Balls
Ingredients
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients well. Form into walnut-sized balls.
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Notes
* Recipes for Maple Chicken Breakfast Sausage and Quick Mix are in the blog post "Make Your Own Kitchen Blends (Part Two)" at wartimewisdom.com. These recipes allow you to use your own pantry ingredients so you know what is in your food! The Quick Mix can be used for biscuits, muffins and many other recipes. It is a healthier alternative to expensive, store-bought baking mixes.
References
Photo by Lumitar on Unsplash
“The LORD is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?”
Psalm 27:1