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It's a fact—grandmothers are wise. They've witnessed life as we never knew it, they know how to bake things, and they serve sage advice like "everything in moderation, dear" with their cookies. ("Everything in moderation" is a pearl of wisdom from my grandmother, Grandma Mary, who also makes the world's best chocolate-oatmeal cookies.)
After stumbling upon someone else's Grandma, Clara, dropping some knowledge (and making cookies) on the Internet, it occurred to me to call up mine and ask her a bit about her experiences with the Great Depression. Now that we're in a recession that's been called a depression, these stories have value beyond their nostalgic worth. Clara survived the lean years on a diet of onions, pasta, potatoes, and the occasional canned peas. Grandma Mary was in her early teens during the Great Depression—how did her family get through it, I asked?
A bit of background: Mary is a sassy gal who comes from a family of 10 kids, who slept three to a bed in a small house in Lacrosse, Wisconsin. They grew vegetables in the backyard, and had a small flock of chickens that clucked about, eating kitchen scraps and bits of grain. Her mother potted, pickled and preserved vegetables through the summer, so they'd have vegetables to eat during the long, harsh Wisconsin winter.
Mary's father kept his job through the Depression, and the family was better off than many. But pinching pennies was still their modus operandi—so read on and learn how to make it through our generation's recession/depression, Grandma-style.
Befriend a farmer and get their cast-offs and leftovers! Grandma Mary's eldest sister, Margaret, married a farmer, who proved to be a handy son/brother-in-law when times got tough. The family was able to get fresh meat from the farm, and if there wasn’t any fresh meat to spare, Margaret would make potted meat to use in sandwiches.
Grow your own vegetables. If you don't have space outdoors, use containers to grow small plants inside. If you have more than you can use, preserve the harvest for use later in the year (or in tougher times).
Wear used clothing. Mary and her siblings would get their school uniforms from a club next to the high school that collected and gave away old uniforms. Lucky for us, vintage shopping is bigger than ever.
Go fish. Grandma Mary's father would occasionally go fishing in the afternoon, and the family would feast on fried fish for breakfast the next day.
Don't give up on holey shoes. During the Depression, Grandma Mary's siblings would put cardboard in the bottom of shoes to cover the holes. If that's a bit too depression-chic, consider re-soling shoes to prolong their life.
Get to know and love pasta. Clara makes pasta in almost all of her videos; Grandma Mary remembers her mother making a lot of pasta for lunch, so the kids would get full off a heavy midday meal. Her mother made simple, rustic noodles by combining an egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft, non-sticky dough. Grandma Mary makes these noodles to this day, rolling them out with a rolling pin and then her hands, and adding them to chicken soup.
Use nail polish to save stockings. If a stocking has a run, put a bit of clear nail polish at the top and the bottom to prevent it from continuing to run. Grandma Mary taught me this one as a young girl; it's been prolonging my tights’ lives for years.
Eat less meat. Mary's family would get meat once a week, but one or two of today's pork chops would stretch to feed over 10 people. The trick: slicing them thinly. A thick, juicy pork chop and steak was not an option during the Depression. Instead, a thin slice of meat, like would be used for scaloppini, would make a serving. Today, it's universally agreed that eating less meat is better for your wallet, your waistline, and the environment.
More Recession Tips:
Less is More
Get Your Car Recession Ready
Cure Recession Depression
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