Friday, February 13, 2009

{ Great Depression Cooking }

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You all know how much I love cooking, to me it's not a chore, it's not a task that I begrudgingly get through. It's a passion, it's this great feeling of creating, of using simple ingredients to come up with meals to nourish my family.

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I'm always on the lookout for cookbooks and recipes and I'm extremely interested in cooking from different eras. I want to know what kind of food they were preparing during the Victorian Era or in the 14th Century or the Great Depression. I want to know how these wonderful women made do with what little they had, so when I was on YouTube the other night I found something quite by accident and I can't tell you how happy I was.

So let me introduce you to Clara, this amazing 94 year old lady is the cutest and sweetest thing you'll ever see. She even has her own website "Great Depression Cooking" that I can't wait to go through, it's chock full of interesting facts about her life and you can find links to her DVD and online episodes.

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Who exactly is Clara? Well like I said above, she is a 94 year old woman who lived through the Great Depression, she worked for Hostess filling Twinkies in 1945 and also did Secretarial work in a factory.

The magic of Clara is that she can turn lemons into lemonade and potatoes into just about everything else. She had a childhood that most of us can’t imagine, but she was able to make the best of it and turn those trials into lessons we can all learn from.

If you're interested in watching her episodes, you can find most of them on You Tube.

Episode 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuMkW35BwK8
Episode 2 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yREFkmrrYiw
Episode 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OPQqH3YlHA
Episode 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4IjNV3lZkQ
Episode 4 (part 2): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IEWJmm4Tms
Episode 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qptfhu9R0WI
Episode 6:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zXqkHvs0po
Episode 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5tXODF4of0
Episode 8 (part 2) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhBZrPk2xaY

I started watching the first episode and I think one of the things that immediately drew me to Clara is not just her sweetness but her stories, you feel like you're actually sitting at the kitchen table with her. She is a pretty funny lady too.....Love it!

So while I'm sitting here getting my menus ready, I am thrilled to try some of her recipes, it's all about cooking on a budget and using things you have available, nothing weird or complicated, just good homemade food.....things like Pasta with Peas, Egg Drop Soup, Cooked Bread, and Poorman's Meal.

She reminds me so much of my greatgrandmother and the time I spent with her listening to her stories, learning how to cook and hearing her smile and laugh as she took me on a journey through the era she grew up in.

Go on and take a look at Clara's videos, then come back and tell me what you think.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing those links.. I watched them all and Clara is adorable..
Her bread dish gives an all new meaning to being sent to bed with only bread and water for dinner :)

Anonymous said...

What an adorable lady!!!! I loved watching her videos and she makes you want to go out and cook potatoes lol... Thank you for sharing!!!!

Jen said...

i'm going to check her out..thanks so much for finding this....

The Raggedy Girl said...

I just know I will love her, thank you so much!
Roberta Anne

Lulu said...

she sounds like a great woman..
Hey, you didnt mention anything about your new laptop...:-) are you loving it, is it what you wanted, are you excited???????
hugs, have a good weekend..

Cheri said...

I've only watched one but I'm heading back to watch more.
I love her!
I love that she cooks in a normal little kitchen with old utensils.
She's so cute!!

Michelle said...

She's adorable and I can just imagine having tea at her table with her ;-) The wonderful links that you share is great.Do you love the portability of a laptop????

threesidesofcrazy said...

Sandra, I ran across her wonderful site last year when I did the Tuesday Romance series http://www.3sidesofcrazy.com/search/label/Tuesday%27s%20Romance of A Thousand Ways to Please a Husband' by Louise Bennett Weaver and Helen Cowles LeCron which I think you'd enjoy. It's a book and a cookbook. I know you'll enjoy her site.

On a side note I'm trying to remember did you say Printshop PRO or paintshop PRO? in your video.

Thanks!

Macy said...

Thank you so much for sharing!! It's like having your own grandma teach you to cook! Love it!

Elizabeth said...

Thanks so much for sharing the Clara videos, she's a delight and fun to watch. Her kitchen is so homey and basic, nothing fancy, no expensive gadgetry. I look forward to watching all the vids, never would have found them without you!!

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day with your family. Hope you are all feeling much better.

Donnetta said...

Oh my how fun! I so enjoy listening to the stories of my own grandparents. I can only imagine how wonderful each and every one of these are.

I will be taking time to check them out for sure!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Anonymous said...

My step dad grew up in the depression too & he's taught me a thing or two :)

Gonna check this out :)

Tina Leigh said...

Oh this sounds so interesting. I dont always have the best luck watching youtube b/c my internet is slow most of the time. But I'm gonna check it out.

Michele said...

I came across Clara a few months ago through another blog. I love her!
The only two vids I have watched are ones of her making bread (something like 8 loaves at a time!) and then serving the fresh bread with her Peppers and Onions saute'. Her stories are amazing, too.
Thanks for sharing some of her other videos.

momstheword said...

Thank you for sharing this, Sandra! I am going to check her out when I have more time. My parents grew up during the depression.

I love being frugal and could really use some simply, frugal recipes!

Lynn said...

What a fantastic series, Sandra! Clara is adorable, and reminds me of my grandma. Thanks so much for sharing this. Would you mind if I linked to you and this post from my blog?

DarcyLee said...

Thanks so much for sharing the links to Clara's videos. I put a link to your site and to the videos on my blog. They are too good to not share! I look forward to coming back here and looking around some more. I love your series on the 31 Days of prayer for our husbands.

Theresa said...

I can't wait for some quiet time to watch them this afternoon. I wanted to share a cookbook that I have. I got it from my grandmother.

It is called Stories and Recipes of the Great Depression of the 1930's.

Blessings,
Theresa ♥

Joy @ Joy Of Desserts said...

Hello Sandra. If you like Clara and Depression Era recipes, you will love Vintage Recipe Thursday. You can post your own vintage recipes or stop by to get some great recipes. You are warmly invited to participate.
Joy
Joy Of Desserts
http://joyofdesserts.blogspot.com