Dee

Use a piece of nylon stocking. It works just the same.

These are the freebie full size products I have received just for letting companies know my likes and dislikes of their products. 6 pot pies 4 lbs of cheese 8 half gallons of ice cream 8 free bags of tortilla chips 2 coupons for free kielbasa products up to 5.00 a piece 2 packages of meatballs 2 packages of 4 chicken breasts in each package for free. 1 coupon for free rice 4 free packages of dry soup mix 2 family size lasagna free 4 gallons of skim milk A case of sugar free syrup in individual serving sizes 2 pks of free fish fillets 4 pks of donuts for free 6 boxes of muffin mix free 10 boxes of veggie burgers and products 2 boxes of crackers 5 coupons for 5 free cans of tuna 1 case of bagels 6 pks of english muffins Free cake mixes, free frostings, free canned veggies and stews, free toilet paper and napkins by the packs. Oatmeal and other dry cereals several boxes all for free... and so much more. All this just for writing or emailing a company and telling them what you like or don't like about their products. ALL FOR FREE!

Everyone here gets the credit May!

HAPPY B DAY MOMO!!!!! Have a great day!

I am so glad you posted about Fred Rogers. I am a big kid and I still watch Mr. Rogers Neighborhood Reruns every day. I had the opportunity to meet him when I volunteered to answer phones during many pledge weeks and what you saw on tv was what you got in person and when you met him you became mezmorized by him. I have genuine autographed photo's of Fred and the Cast from the show and a lovely letter in which he sent me and thanked me for taking time out of my busy schedule by volunteering my services to raise funds for local public tv. While he was here for the day I and a couple people from the station took him to lunch at the local veggie bistro and we had a grand time, so when I recieved the letter and photos from him it made me smile. He was very thoughtful and such a gentle soul with a love for children and a love for God and Life. I am so lucky Cat to have met many people that others wouldn't even have the chance of getting close to and Fred Rogers was one of them. I will never forget him.

LOL... oh I do my cleaning ( what little there is) when I need to get up and move about to get the old circulation going Loggy. I do once a month cooking so all I have to do is pull meals out of the freezer and heat them up. I keep a list of what I clean and on what day do I clean it during the week so I get it done before I come online in the am. I get up with Mr. Reci to fix his breakfast before he goes to work so I get chores done very early. Believe it or not I am posting the freebies but I haven't had a chance to go back and sign up for some myself lately which I plan to do today. I also moderate a local board and am in charge of several forums such as the science forum, recipes, tips , I just started the freebies there... joke forum and a couple of other forums ... and I get everything done before 2 pm.

Thanks for posting the link to the Stone Soup Story Snowmom. I appreciate it!

Saturday I made stuffed cabbage rolls for the freezer. We had leftover rice that I mixed with hamburger and blanched a cabbage that I bought last month for soup. I got several meals from that cabbage. Anyway we are having- Stuffed Cabbage Green Beans, tomatoes and garlic which are simmering all day in the crockpot. Wheat bread and butter and Peaches Total meal cost per person is .87 cents per plate per person.

Pepsi Cola Cake with Broiled Peanut Butter Frosting CAKE 2 c Flour; Unbleached 2 c Sugar 1/2 lb Butter 2 tb Cocoa; Unsweetened 1 c Pepsi 1/2 c Buttermilk 2 Eggs; Large, Beaten 1 tsp Baking Soda 1 tsp Vanilla Extract 1 1/2 c Marshmallows; Miniature FROSTING: 6 tb Butter 1 c Brown Sugar; Dark, Packed 2/3 c Peanut Butter 1/4 c Milk 2/3 c Peanuts; Chopped CAKE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 9 X 13 X 2-inch pan. Combine flour and sugar in large bowl. Melt butter, add cocoa and Pepsi. Pour over flour and sugar mixture, and stir until well blended. Add buttermilk, beaten eggs, soda, and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in marshmallows. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 40 minutes. Remove cake from oven and frost while still warm. FROSTING: Cream Butter, sugar, and peanut butter. Add milk and stir well. Add nuts. Spread over warm cake. Place frosted cake under broiler about 4-inches from heat source. Broil just a few seconds, or until topping starts to bubble. DO NOT scorch! Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

Zucchini Brownies 2 c. zucchini, peeled & shredded 1/2 c. oil 1 egg 1 tsp. vanilla 2 c. flour 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 1 1/4 c. sugar 1/3 c. cocoa 1/2 c. walnuts chopped (optional) Mix zucchini, oil, egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix. DO NOT BEAT. Add nuts (optional). Pour into 9x13 greased pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Easy Vegetable Cheese Casserole 1/2 cup butter, divided 8 ounces pasteurized processed cheddar cheese, cubed 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen mixed vegetables, thawed 25 RITZ Crackers, crushed (about 1 cup crumbs) 1. Melt 6 tablespoons of spread and cheese in medium saucepan over low heat stirring frequently. Stir in vegetables. 2. Spoon into lightly greased 1 1/2-quart casserole. Top with cracker crumbs. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons spread; drizzle over crumbs. 3. Bake at 400F for 20 to 25 minutes until heated through and top is golden brown.

Dolmonico Potatoes Potatoes (amount desired) rinsed; peeled; and cut up into 1 to 2 inch pieces Boil potatoes When potatoes are soft but still hold their shape when stabbed with a fork; drain and set aside. Sauce: 1/2 cup of flour 1/2 cup of butter 2 cups of milk salt to taste pepper to taste (optional) 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese (mild or sharp) Melt butter in saucepan; over medium heat. When completely melted remove pan from heat, and quickly add flour to butter..whisking quickly until smooth, and making sure there are no lumps. Return pan back to heat and gradually add milk stirring constantly. Once all of the milk is added, (continue to stir) add in the white cheddar cheese; continue to stir constantly. Adding salt and pepper to taste. When mixture starts to bubble and thicken..reduce heat to low and continue to stir until to desired consistency. *note* if sauce is too thick..just add more milk.

Tips for beginners! -- i have posted this before, but this is basically what i would post again, so here goes -- get multiples of coupons-- recycling centers, family members, the local gas station, find extra inserts! (trade on the CRS board if you dont have an insert source) get organized (figure out a system to organize your coupons; you can read lots of old posts here about that), find out what stores do what (how many coupons you can use at a time, do they ad match other stores?, do they EVER do double dollars? or triples? find out how b1g1f items ring up and if you can use two coupons on them, etc.) clip evey coupon and file it somewhere you can find it. you NEVER know what will go on sale. and be ready! if you know there is a coupon you would like to have, dont wait on a sale before you start trying to get that coupon, you need it BEFORE b/c what if your store only runs a special for 2-3 days? you wont be able to trade for it in time. become unbrand loyal. so, your family only likes heinz ketchup???? well, buy hunts, too if its cheap/free and use it for things like meatloaf/meatballs. they probably wont notice it in baked things. you can always find a use for something! know your coupons and match coupons up to the sale items from your store/stores buy in BULK! i usually buy enough of one item to get us through 6-12 months (or longer if its canned goods/frozen stuff). if something is a good deal you want to get all you will use! for instance, i can get delmonte veggies for .04 a can this week. i will be buying about 30+ cans even though we have plenty of canned veggies right now think small!! this week, i was able to get coffeemate creamer for free. well, the large ones wouldve only been .40 each, but the small ones were free. since i have LOTS of multiples, i can purchase the small ones and not have to spend a penny. meat is usually marked down in the a.m. and will last in your deep freeze for a long time. (if you dont have a deep freeze, you may want to invest in one. i got mine for $20 in the newspaper ads and it is great) look for special coupon displays in your stores and try me free displays (mail in forms) you can usually make money on the TMF forms. look for winetag displays in your stores. they usually have tear pads in mine on items that there usually arent coupons for. take some, but please leave a few for the rest of us! lol remember that rainchecks are your best friend, b/c once you have a raincheck, you can trade for multiples of a coupon and THEN use your raincheck be creative with meal ideas (the LGC board can help out a lot!) this sound corny, but practice what you will say to the cashier when they say things, like, that product is not in the picture, or dont you have to buy the alcohol, too to use that one, etc. so that you will be prepared to defend yourself remember to ask for a Real LIVE manager if they give you real problems. and remember everyones name lol HAVE FUN you will get the hang of it!! __________________ FREE ~ * ~ what a beautiful word! --- Put your coupons in some organized manner that makes sense to you. I like my binder with the 9 card holders and I cut page protectors in half for the bigger coupons. ------ Look for "unadvertised" deals in your stores. I saw an extra refrigerator bin in the aisle - full of Farmland meats for 99 cents each (they expire within a month- to the freezer they went). bring ALL of your coupons with you to take advantage of extra savings ------ use Store AND Manufacturer coupons together - espicially for walgreen's ------- Ask your local stores about their coupon and price matching policies. Some stores do take expired coupons. Some stores double or even triple all the time or certain days/ events. -------- Check in with the boards at least daily - check each section too! I find deals not posted in TOT but are in LWIF or even MTCW ------- shop after holidays at your grocery store - holiday decorated items are clearanced out ( candy, paper towels, plastic wrap, freezer bags, cookies, crackers, cereals) use coupons and get them for nearly free or free.... --------- check the way back of your store - they may have a mark down area - boxes with cut marks, dented cans, single items that are out of multi pk pkging. Close out items due to new labels on pkging. --- Keep on eye out in the aisles for pkgs that look slightly different- the older style pkg may be on sale.... or it may be a better deal to get the older pkg (has more ounces, more items) RAIN CHECKS-get them and use them. If the store has a sale on something you like/will use and they run out, get a raincheck even if you DON'T have coupons currently. Keep the rainchecks until they expire and if you come upon some coupons in that time, combine them with the raincheck and score! If not, just toss the expired rainchecks, no big whoop. Giant Eagle here in Erie PA NEVER puts an expiration date or a limit on their rainchecks so I get them for anything that theres even a CHANCE I will want. Use coupons other than at the grocery store-many Dollar General stores take coupons and you can get some really good deals by using your high value coupons here. I usually get toothpaste, some food items and cleaning products FREE by using coupons at DG. They don't double, but if an item is only $1 and you have a $1/1 cpn it's FREE! AND, don't get discouraged if you don't see savings like some of the posts here on the boards. It takes time to work out your "system", not all stores have the same coupons policies like doubling, etc. Just keep at it and you'll be amazed at how quickly the savings add up! For COUPONING at Kroger's: Make sure they scan your card BEFORE they put the coupons in, or you won't get that almighty double or triple counted. Learned the hard way yesterday at home (went back and they refunded me). USE TRIPLES!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh yeah, one more thing...Don't buy it unless you have a coupon for it!

All of these prices were taken from issues of the Mooresville Times 1932-1933 Researcher: Tiffanie Luurtsema Product - Brand Name - Description - Sold in Units of - Price - Place Foods Apples Jonathans/Baldwins 3 lbs. $0.10 Kroger's Apples Jonathan/Cooking 5 lbs. $0.19 Kroger's Bacon 1 lb. $0.13 Logan Stout's Bacon Sliced 1/2 lb. $0.19 Kroger's Bacon 1 lb. $0.13 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Baking Powder Crystal Brand 1 lb. $0.05 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Bananas 1 lb. $0.15 Kroger's Beans Country Club With Pork 4 No. 2 cans $0.25 Kroger's Beets Avondale 3 No. 2 cans $0.25 Kroger's Bread Grandmother's Quality 1 lb. loaf $0.05 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Brown Sugar 1 lb. $0.05 Kroger's Butter 1 lb. $0.24 Logan Stout's Cabbage New Texas 1 lb. $0.10 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Cabbage 3 lb. $0.10 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Candy Bar Milky Way 3 bars $0.10 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Carrots New Texas 2 bunches $0.15 Kroger's Cauliflower 1 head $0.23 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Celery Medium Sized 2 stalks $0.15 Kroger's Cheese 1 lb. $0.19 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Cherries Pitted 2 No. 2 cans $0.29 Kroger's Chili Country Club Con Carne 2 No. 2 cans $0.25 Kroger's Chuck Roast 1 lb. $0.10 Logan Stout's Chuck Roast 1 lb. $0.13 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Coffee Maxwell House 1lb. $0.32 Kroger's Coffee 8 O'clock 1 lb. $0.19 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Coffee Del Monte 1 lb. $0.30 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Coffee Bokar 1 lb. $0.27 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Corn Standard Pack 1 No. 2 can $0.05 Kroger's Corn Del Monte 3 No. 2 cans $0.29 Kroger's Corn Butter Kernel 2 No. 2 cans $0.29 Kroger's Corn Country Club Fancy 2 No. 2 cans $0.25 Kroger's Corn Meal 5 lbs. $0.10 Kroger's Cranberries Eatmore 2 lbs. $0.25 Kroger's Cream Cheese Wisconsin Fresh 1 lb. $0.15 Kroger's Fish 1 lb. $0.19 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Flour Gold Medal 24 lb. Sack $0.63 Kroger's Flour Sunnyfield Pancake 20 ounce package $0.05 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Frankfurters 1 lb. $0.10 Kroger's Frankfurters 1 lb. $0.13 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Ginger Snaps 3 lbs. $0.25 Kroger's Grapefruit Florida 6 grapefruit $0.25 Kroger's Grapefruit Texas Fancy Seedless 6 grapefruit $0.25 Kroger's Green Beans Clifton 2 No. 2 cans $0.15 Kroger's Green Onions 3 bunches $0.10 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Ham 1 lb. $0.08 Kroger's Ham Fresh Delivered 1 lb. $0.15 Randall & Sons Groceries & Meats Hamburger 1 lb. $0.10 Logan Stout's Hamburger Delivered 1 lb. $0.15 Randall & Sons Groceries & Meats Hominy Avondale 2 No. 2 cans $0.15 Kroger's Jell-O 3 packages $0.20 Kroger's Ketchup Quaker Maid 3 - 14 ounce bottles $0.29 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Kraut Avondale 2 big cans $0.15 Kroger's Lemons 1 dozen $0.15 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Lettuce Fancy Iceberg 2 heads $0.19 Kroger's Lettuce large 1 head $0.10 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Lima Beans Clifton 3 No. 2 cans $0.25 Kroger's Macaroni 6 - 8 ounce packages $0.25 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Milk White House 3 tall cans $0.20 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Navy Beans Best Quality 10 lbs. $0.29 Kroger's Navy Beans 10 lbs. $0.29 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Oats Country Club Quick Cook 2 big packages $0.25 Kroger's Oats Economy 3.5 lbs. $0.10 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Oleo 1 lb. $0.10 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Oranges Sunkist California 1 dozen $0.29 Kroger's Oranges Juicy Floridas 2 dozen $0.29 Kroger's Oranges Florida 1 dozen $0.15 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Oysters 1 quart $0.45 Kroger's Oysters 1 can $0.15 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Peaches Del Monte 3 No. 2 cans $0.50 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Peanut Brittle 1 lb. $0.15 Kroger's Peanut Butter 2 lbs. $0.15 Kroger's Peanut Butter Sultana 1 lb. Glass jar $0.10 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Peas Country Club 1 No. 2 can $0.15 Kroger's Peas Standard Pack 3 No. 2 cans $0.25 Kroger's Pineapple Country Club Sliced 2 No. 2 cans $0.25 Kroger's Pineapple large 1 pineapple $0.19 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Pork Chops Delivered 1 lb. $0.15 Randall & Sons Groceries & Meats Potatoes 15 lbs. $0.15 Kroger's Preserves Ann Page Strawberry 16 ounce jar $0.15 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Prunes Kroger's Delicious 6 lbs. $0.25 Kroger's Pumpkin Country Club 2 big cans $0.15 Kroger's Red Beans Scott County 3 No. 2 cans $0.20 Kroger's Red Beans 1 can $0.05 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Rice Blue Rose Fancy 5 lbs. $0.19 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Roasts Beef Delivered 1 lb. $0.15 Randall & Sons Groceries & Meats Salad Dressing Rajah 1 quart jar $0.25 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Salmon Alaska Pink 2 tall cans $0.25 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Salt Granulated 1 lb. $0.73 Kroger's Sausage Home Made 3 lbs. $0.20 Logan Stout's Sausage Pork Delivered 3 lb. $0.25 Randall & Sons Groceries & Meats Sliced Bread 1 lb. Loaf $0.05 Kroger's Soap P & G 10 bars $0.32 Kroger's Soap P & G White Naphtha 8 bars $0.25 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Soap Super Suds 3 packages $0.20 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Soap Palmolive 3 cakes $0.20 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Spaghetti 6 - 8 ounce packages $0.25 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Spaghetti Encore Cooked 4 cans $0.25 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Spinach Country Club 2 No. 2 cans $0.25 Kroger's Spinach 1 lb. $0.05 Kroger's Spinach New Texas 1 lb. $0.05 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Steak Loin/Round 1 lb. $0.25 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Steak Round/Loin Delivered 1 lb. $0.20 Randall & Sons Groceries & Meats Strawberries 1 box $0.19 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Sugar 10 lb. Cloth sack $0.47 Kroger's Sugar Godchaux Cane 25 lb. Bag $1.23 Kroger's Sweet Potatoes Avondale 2 No. 2 cans $0.25 Kroger's Swiss Steak 1 lb. $0.19 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Tea Bon Marie Herbal 1 package $1.00 Kroger's Tomato Soup Campbell's 3 cans $0.19 Kroger's Tomatoes Standard Pack 4 tomatoes $0.25 Kroger's Turnips 2 lbs. $0.05 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Turnips 4 lb. $0.10 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Vanilla Extract Imitation 2 - 3 ounce bottles $0.15 The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Yellow Onions 3 lbs. $0.17 Kroger's Cars & Accessories Austin Austin New car 1 car $275 Austin Motors Company Cabriolet Chevrolet New car 1 car $565 C.A. Vestal Chevrolet Dealer Coach Chevrolet New car 1 car $515 C.A. Vestal Chevrolet Dealer Coupe Chevrolet New car 1 car $495 C.A. Vestal Chevrolet Dealer "Engine, 4-cylinder" Factory rebuilt 1 engine $37.50 Lester Park Company "Engine, V-8" Factory rebuilt 1 engine $40 Lester Park Company Heater Otwell Installed 1 car heater $6.95 Lester Park Company Lubrication Complete 1 lubrication $0.75 Lester Park Company Lubrication Complete 12 lubrications $5 Lester Park Company Motor Oil 1 quart $0.15 Rinky Dinks Motor Oil 1 gallon $0.50 Rinky Dinks Parking Downtown Indpls. All day $0.09 Market St. Phaeton Chevrolet New car 1 car $515 C.A. Vestal Chevrolet Dealer Pickup Chevrolet "New, Half-ton" 1 pickup $440 C.A. Vestal Chevrolet Dealer Sedan Chevrolet New car 1 car $565 C.A. Vestal Chevrolet Dealer Six Chevrolet New car 1 car $475 C.A. Vestal Chevrolet Dealer Sport Coupe Chevrolet New car 1 car $535 C.A. Vestal Chevrolet Dealer Sport Roadster Chevrolet New car 1 car $485 C.A. Vestal Chevrolet Dealer Super-Six Essex New car 1 car $775 Hunt Motor Sales Tires Goodyear All-weather Set of 4 $6.35 Allison Tire Company Tune-Up Ford Complete 1 tune-up $4.95 Lester Park Company Wash & Grease 1 wash & 1 grease $1.50 Lester Park Company Water Heater Hadees 1 water heater $9.95 Lester Park Company Entertainment Basketball Mooresville High School Games 1 child admission $0.15 Mooresville High School Gymnasium Basketball Mooresville High School Games 1 adult admission $0.25 Mooresville High School Gymnasium Basketball Mooresville High School Games 1 adult season pass $1.50 Mooresville High School Gymnasium Basketball Mooresville High School Games 1 child season pass $0.75 Mooresville High School Gymnasium Circus Travelling In Mooresville 1 admission $0.25 Dancing Lessons Private 1 couple lesson $1.00 Peggy Reeve's School of Dancing Dancing Lessons Private 1 single lesson $0.75 Peggy Reeve's School of Dancing Dancing Lessons Class 1 couple lesson $0.50 Peggy Reeve's School of Dancing Dancing Lessons Class 1 single lesson $0.35 Peggy Reeve's School of Dancing Music Lessons Private 1 lesson $0.50 Mooresville Studio of Music Newspaper Mooresville Times Subscription 3 months $0.50 The Mooresville Times Newspaper Mooresville Times Subscription 6 months $0.80 The Mooresville Times Newspaper Mooresville Times Subscription 1 year $1.50 The Mooresville Times Stationery Rytex Deckle Edge Vellum Raised monogram or printed name 100 single sheets & 100 envelopes $1.00 The Mooresville Times Swimming Pool Mooresville 1 admission $0.10 Mooresville Swimming Pool Theatre Ritz In Mooresville 1 admission $0.10 Ritz Theatre Theatre Prewitt In Plainfield 1 adult admission $0.25 Prewitt Theatre Theatre Prewitt In Plainfield 1 child admission $0.10 Prewitt Theatre Want Ads Mooresville Times 1 line $0.05 The Mooresville Times Product Brand Name Description Sold in Units of: Price Place Clothes & Accessories Boots Men's 1 pair $2.98 Add Sellars Coloring For hair 1 coloring $0.25 Audrey's Shoppe Dress Ladies' 1 dress $1 Add Sellars Facial Plain 1 facial $0.25 Audrey's Shoppe Galoshes Ladies' 1 pair $1.69 Add Sellars Gown Ladies' Flannel 1 gown $0.75 Add Sellars Haircut 1 haircut $0.25 Audrey's Shoppe Hose Ladies' Rayon 1 pair $0.50 Add Sellars Hose Ladies' Rayon 3 pair $1 Add Sellars Hose Ladies' Silk 1 pair $1.50 Add Sellars Manicure 1 manicure $0.25 Audrey's Shoppe Permanent 1 permanent $3 Mrs. Hundley's Beauty Shoppe Permanent 1 permanent $5 J.O. Smith Barber Shop Shampoo 1 shampoo $0.25 Audrey's Shoppe Shirt Men's Work 1 shirt $0.65 Add Sellars Shoes Ladies' 1 pair $3.50 Add Sellars Furniture & Appliances Ash Tray Smokeless Smoker 1 ash tray $1 Carlisle Furniture Store Bed & Springs Used 1 bed $3.25 Rinky Dinks Broom House 1 broom $0.29 Wilson Brothers Hardware Chair Steamer 1 chair $0.95 Jessup-Buford Hardware Chair Deck 1 chair $1.45 Jessup-Buford Hardware Chair Lawn 1 chair $0.95 Jessup-Buford Hardware Curling Iron Electric 1 curling iron $1.10 Public Service Company Dishes G.E. 16-piece set 1 set $0.89 Carlisle Furniture Store Dresser Arvin Used 1 dresser $3.50 Rinky Dinks Fan 1 fan $5 Public Service Company Heater American Beauty Electric 1 heater $7.75 Public Service Company Heating Pad NU-TYPE Electric 1 heating pad $3.50 Public Service Company Iron Electric 1 iron $8.95 Public Service Company Lamp Aladdin Mantle 1 lamp $2.98 Wilson Brothers Hardware Lamp Boudoir 1 lamp $0.35 Carlisle Furniture Store Lamp Table 1 lamp $0.75 Carlisle Furniture Store Light Bulbs Atwater Kent "15,25,40,50,60 Watt" 3 light bulbs $0.25 Wilson Brothers Hardware Percolators Electric 1 percolator $3.50 Public Service Company Radio G.E. Compact 1 radio $69.50 Public Service Company Razor Electric 1 razor $2.95 Public Service Company Refrigerator 1 refrigerator $99.50 Mooresville G.E. Sales Rocker Large Solid Oak 1 rocker $7.50 Rinky Dinks Rug Brooder Used 1 rug $8.50 Rinky Dinks Screen Door 1 door $0.98 Rinky Dinks Stove Monarch 1 stove $7.95 Rinky Dinks Stove 3-Burner Oil 1 stove $15 Jessup-Buford Hardware Stove G.E. Electric 1 stove $124.50 Public Service Company Toaster Hot Point Electric 1 toaster $2.50 Public Service Company Vacuum Cleaner Maytag Electric 1 vacuum $30 Public Service Company Waffle Iron Electric 1 waffle iron $6.50 Public Service Company Washer Electric 1 washer $59.50 Jessup-Buford Hardware Washer Automatic 1 washer $67.50 Public Service Company Product Brand Name Description Sold in Units of: Price Place Miscellaneous Diet Pills Ju-Van 20 capsules $1.00 Midwest Drug Company Evergreen 3-4 ft. 1 tree $1.49 Eagle Creek Nursery Hose 50 foot hose $2.25 Jessup-Buford Hardware Milk of Magnesia 1 bottle $0.57 Watson's Drug Store Polish Cedar Oil 1 bottle $0.10 Wilson Brothers Hardware Toothbrush West's 1 toothbrush $0.50 Watson's Drug Store Toothpaste West's 1 bottle $0.25 Watson's Drug Store

Every fall my parents would make tunnels of dirt and plant cabbage and vegetables in the tunnels. This preserved the vegetables. We would then dig them out in the winter and cook them. We never went hungry. My mom preserved everything." "In the third grade, my teacher announced a spelling bee. I was very excited because if you won, you received a prize of twenty-five cents. This was a lot of money. I studied very hard and was nervous, but I did win. My mother took my twenty-five cents to buy food." "During Christmas we never received toys. We could never afford them. My best Christmas was when I was in the first grade. My teacher gave every girl a doll and every boy a truck. I took the doll home and shared it with all my siblings. I was so happy to finally have a doll." "When we had vacations from school, we would pack a lunch, usually a piece of bread and fruit, and go in a big group for picnics under the pine trees. We thought it was so great. We looked forward to vacations…" "When I was walking to school, I had to take a cold pancake in my hand. It made me really embarrassed." "My parents said that they would be back for me. They said they were going to look for work and they would be back soon. I was six weeks old when they left. They never came back. This was due to the Depression." "My father gave me $.25 a week. I would always go and see a movie since it only cost $.10. I thought this was the best thing that could have happened." "My grandparents told us to make a Christmas list. We asked for one thing that we especially wanted and my grandparents made sure that we received that one thing. They did what was necessary to get it even if that meant they had to sacrifice necessities." "Mama made our bloomers out of flour sacks for all four of us girls. They were thin material in floral patterns. All of our friends did the same."

Story 1. Oranges for Christmas I snuggled further under the woolen comforter in the cold back bedroom of the little house. The moon shone through the bare window, its light glistening on the icy pane. My two sisters slept soundly in the bed beside me, but sleep would not come for me. I was wide awake. It was 3:00 a.m., just before dawn on Christmas day, 1935. I was seven years old and had just learned one of the most significant facts of my life. THERE WAS NO SANTA CLAUS! I thought back over the events of the Christmas Eve and remembered past Christmases in my short life. It was such a relief to know that there was no real Santa Claus. It explained so many things I had wondered about. I was born in 1928, just as the Great Depression was descending on America. My family, while not destitute and not homeless, was very poor. Food was hard to come by and gifts and luxuries were almost non-existent. However, when Christmas came, our family always celebrated. We had a tree, cut from the woods behind the house, which we carefully trimmed with popcorn and other homemade decorations. There were gifts, too and that was the cause of my problem about Santa Claus. On Christmas morning, my sisters , Martha and Bonnie and I, found that Santa had left long brown stockings, new underwear, perhaps an orange or an apple under the tree for our Christmas treat. Sometimes there would be a slice of fruitcake or a small bag of hard candies. Never was there a shiny necklace, a fur muff, a beaded purse, or, God forbid, a doll. These were always wished for; never received. But we had been taught to be grateful for what we had and did not complain. After all, a bag of hard candy was special and a nice change from the solid but hum-drum meals of navy bean soup and cornmeal mush, usual fare for the family. Still, I wondered why Santa never brought a necklace or a doll. He, apparently had unlimited resources. This particular Christmas Eve, my family and I had gone to church for the Christmas event that was called " The Tree". At this gathering, Santa Claus distributed gifts to all the children. The gifts had been secretly taken to the church, complete with wrappings and name tags. At this celebration, Santa gave me three oranges, a new pair of brown leather oxfords and a blouse that looked suspiciously like something my mother had made. I watched, wide-eyed, as my best friend, Elinore Frye, received a pearl necklace and a shiny, glittery compact. Another friend, Joanne Scott, got a coveted Shirley Temple doll. I gasped, audibly, in pain and envy as I watched Joanne hug the beautiful doll. I sat huddled in the church pew and wondered. How come? They're rich kids. They already have so many pretty things. They live in big houses and wear WHITE long stockings to school. How come Santa brings them beautiful gifts and gives me shoes and oranges? Joanne got the doll I have dreamed of all my life. Why? I felt anger welling up inside me. I tried to hold it back, and be thankful for the oranges and clothing, but it was just asking too much. Anger consumed me as silent tears slipped down my cheeks.. Walking home from the church, Mother pointed up to the sky and told the us that if we looked carefully, we could see Santa in his sleigh, rushing off to other homes and churches to leave children's gifts. I refused to look. When asked why, I told my mother I was mad at Santa. I poured out my heart. I asked Mother why Santa was so cruel. "He gives the rich kids beautiful gifts, and he gives us poor kids stupid presents like oranges and ugly shoes. I hate Santa Claus. " With that I burst into tears and ran the rest of the way home, ahead of the others. I tumbled into the house and threw myself on the couch, breathless and sobbing. Mother quickly followed and gently folded me into her arms. "Maxie," Mother said quietly, as she held her crying child. "We must talk. I think it is time you knew." She carefully explained that there was no real Santa Claus. "Santa is just a symbol of Christmas. Your parents are the ones who give you the gifts. We are poor right now, and we give you what we can. We do not have enough money to buy dolls and other expensive gifts. We wish we could give you the things you dream of, but we cannot." At that moment , relief flooded through my heart, mind and body . It was perfectly clear to me now, and really all so simple. This one small fact was a revelation to me. My entire world changed perceptibly the moment my mother shared the truth with me. I knew all about being poor. And if there was no benevolent person called Santa Claus, of course I couldn't expect dolls or necklaces. I knew my mother and daddy were doing the best they could in really tough times. My anger subsided and a calmness settled over me. Lying there in the pre-dawn darkness, I finally felt sleepy. I was tremendously comforted by the new knowledge I now owned. I turned over, pulled the covers up a little around my neck, smiled and said to myself, "Gee, I'm lucky to get oranges". I slept then, contented and still smiling. Story 2. Going to the Circus The Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus came to Wichita, our home town, once each year. We always went to the circus, but not in the usual way. Of course we had no money for tickets to the performance, but my Daddy, once again, made sure we had a special experience. He awakened us at about 4:30 in the morning to go to the circus. It had arrived in town the night before. With sleep still in our eyes, we loaded three girls into the cab of Daddy's truck and went to the Circus grounds. As we arrived, we saw the circus people unloading the animals and equipment. We watched intently. We saw the marvelous elephants pulling on ropes to help raise the tents. We watched the circus cooks making pancake breakfasts for all the performers. We watched in awe, as the trainers fed their animals, the growling tigers in their cages and the roaring lions in theirs. Big hunks of meat they fed them, more than enough to feed our family for months. We were fascinated. We saw the trapeze artists unload their trunkloads of costumes. We saw the "Fat Lady", the midgets and the "Tallest man in the world", all considered oddities for exhibition in the days before the American Disabilities Act. We marveled at the horses, as they helped unload the circus, too. They shoved bales of hay around for the floor of the rings. We stayed until all the tents were raised, and the circus was ready for the opening night. the trapezes were hung, the animals fed and caged and the circus was prepared for the crowd. It was exciting, seeing the circus come together, and we never for a moment lamented the fact that we would not be seeing the performance that night. We went home about 8:00 a.m. to a breakfast of corn meal mush with maple syrup, and thought we were the luckiest kids in the world because we had just been to the circus! Story 3. Told You So!! In January, 1998 I had knee surgery. I had both knees replaced with artificial ones. The cartilage in both knees had simply worn away. The bones were rubbing against bone, and it was extremely painful. I was told that it would not get better and was urged by my physician to have the surgery. My mother would have said, "I told you so!" had she known. She lectured me about exposing my knees to the cold and was certain that I would "catch cold in them" and would eventually have rheumatic fever in them and they would be ruined beyond repair. I would never have convinced her that my early behavior had not led to the eventual deterioration of my knees at age 70. When my sisters and I were growing up in frigid Wichita we wore long white underwear, the kind that had a trap door over the buttocks that buttoned shut. This was long before children's tights were invented, and slacks or other long pants were not worn by little girls. Over the underwear we wore a harness to keep our stockings up. The harness was made of heavy cotton tape and was a horror to get on. It had four little silver fasteners, called supporters, that hung down over our legs, two in front and two in back. We wore long, brown, cotton lisle stockings which we had to pull up over the long underwear and fasten into the little supporters. Getting this all together was a long and difficult process. The underwear bunched up under the stockings, and it was impossible to make it smooth. Mornings in our little house were cold; there was heat only in the front room, where we had a coal stove. We used to take our underwear, harnesses and stockings into the front room and put them on while huddled behind the stove. But we dutifully went through the struggle, morning after morning. I absolutely hated it. My legs were so lumpy with the underwear bunched up under the stockings that I looked like an old woman with varicose veins. The very minute I was out the door on the way to school, and far enough away that Mother couldn't see me from the window, I pulled up my dress, reached down and unfastened my supporters and rolled my stockings down. Then I rolled my underwear up, high as it would go. It wasn't pretty, but better than the brown lumpy legs. I then walked to school bare-legged. Of course Mother found out. My stinky sisters told on me, and I believe that a teacher occasionally apprised her that I was exposing my legs to the cold. I was scolded and given those awful predictions about rheumatic fever and the eventual demise of my knees. I did not heed the warnings and continued to bare my knees to the bitter Kansas cold for as long as I was forced to wear those awful clothes. Though she didn't live to see the demise of my knees, I can hear Mother saying "I told you so. You just never learned to listen to me, Maxie." It is certain that the cold weather had nothing to do with the cartilage in my knees wearing out, but you'd never convince my mother of that. Story 4. The Guess What In 1933, I was five years old and in Kindergarten. I had a lovely young teacher named Miss Beaver. I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, and would do anything to please her. Of course, as was usual for a child growing up in the depression I hardly ever had any money. I hardly knew what it was, in fact. But occasionally, an aunt or an uncle would give me a penny, and I quickly learned how to spend it. There was a little store across the street from Irving School where I attended Kindergarten every day from 9:00 till 11:30. It had a candy case that was a sight to behold. They had licorice, jawbreakers, sour lemon balls and Horehound drops that one could buy for a penny. They also had something called "Guess Whats". A Guess What was wrapped in a small brightly colored paper cylinder which contained a few pieces of hard candy, and a prize, which was the Guess what. One never knew what the prize would be, and would spend delicious moments guessing what it might be. It was always a small trinket, like a ring, a charm or a simply fabulous "priceless" gem like a fake pearl or opal. A Guess What could also be purchased for a penny, and it was my very favorite thing to buy when I was lucky enough to have one. One fateful morning, I had a penny and stopped at the store eager to buy my Guess What. I was running late that morning. The first bell had already rung before I left home. It rang at 8:45, to alert parents and students that school was about to begin.. The second bell rang at 9:00, and the students were supposed to be in their classrooms before it stopped ringing. Just as Mr. Olsen handed me my Guess What, neatly tucked in its little brown paper bag, the second bell began to ring. I had no time to open my treasure; it would cause me to be late. I had never been late to school. I wasn't about to be now. What would I do? I panicked. As I bolted out of the store and ran across the street to the Annex where my Kindergarten class met, I quickly lifted the skirt of my flowered cotton dress and slipped the brown bag that held my treasure into my bloomers, also made of flowered cotton. There! It would be safe nestled inside my pants until recess, when I planned to open it. Candy that had been purchased on the way to school was not permitted in the classroom. It was not permitted on the playground either, but I was prepared to take that chance, just to find out what my Guess What was. I was not prepared, however for the discomfort presented from having a crinkly brown paper bag in my panties. As I sat on the floor for opening exercises, I squirmed and wiggled, trying to find a comfortable way to sit with a bag in my pants. Miss Beaver asked, "Maxine, is there something the matter?" "No" I answered, trying to keep an innocent look on my face. But I continued to fidget. We were having singing class. I was in the back row, as usual. I was a "frog" in the chorus, and frogs were always in the back row. That meant that I had a low voice and couldn't sing a note. I have never gotten over that. I wanted so much to be a fairy. The fairies were the kids who could sing on key and they were in the front rows of the chorus. On this day, however that wasn't my main problem. My main problem was that bag of treats in my pants. I fussed and fidgeted and squirmed. Miss Beaver asked me three times if something was wrong. She asked me if I needed to go the bathroom. I vehemently answered "No" to each of her questions. Finally, she stopped the singing and called to me to go out into the hall with her. When she got me there, she pulled down my bloomer panties and found my treasure. I was mortified and furious. Miss Beaver said, decisively, "I'll take that." And she did. She took my Guess What. I couldn't believe it. She added great insult to my injury when, at recess time, she went to the office in the main building and called my mother to tell her of my transgression. She asked my mother to come to school and bring me with her at 3:30 when the "afternoon" children had gone home. Of course my mother agreed. I had gone home at 11:30 without my precious Guess What. I suffered all afternoon wondering what awful thing was going to happen to me. At that point, my mother did not know the details of my delinquent behavior; she only knew that I was in trouble with my beloved Miss Beaver. We went for the dreaded conference. I waited outside while Mother and Miss Beaver discussed the situation in the classroom. It seemed like they were in there forever. I knew that Miss Beaver had put my Guess What in a cupboard high over her head, and it was all I could think of. Would I get it back? It was such a treasure, and I desperately wanted to know what suprise my Guess What contained. Finally, my mother emerged from the classroom and came out on the porch where I was waiting. I had wrapped myself around a pole on the porch to help ease my tension. Miss Beaver followed Mother out of the classroom. Mother said, "Maxine, you know you have been a very naughty girl. You know you are not supposed to have candy at school". I acknowledged that I had been naughty. I promised never to do it again. Then I asked, "Can I at least have my prize from the Guess What? Miss Beaver can keep the candy". But they were having no part of my bargaining. Miss Beaver said, "No. I will keep the whole package, to help teach you a lesson." My mother agreed with her. I begged just a little, till I could see it was doing no good at all. Then I cried, really saddened over my loss. But Miss Beaver and Mother held firm. Of course, my sacrifice was my punishment; I needed nothing further. No spanking was needed, and none was given. Mother did lecture me sternly as we walked home, and cautioned me to never do such an awful thing again. She told me that next time I had a penny to spend, I should wait and spend it on the way home instead of on the way to school. I never quite recovered from the loss of my Guess What, and always wondered if Miss Beaver ate the candy and what she did with the ring or the gem or whatever magic it was that my Guess What held. I never knew. I was always sorry that I had been such a disappointment to my adored Miss Beaver. As I recall this event now, which took place more than 66 years ago, I am quite sure that Miss Beaver and my mother were amused by my somewhat creative but unsuccessful behavior, though of course they showed only disdain for an unorthodox, punishable act. And guess what? You can be sure I never did such a thing again, though there were plenty of other risks taken and lessons learned. In fact, I was forever "learning lessons", it seemed. Story 5 THE THREE MUSKETEERS My father had a trucking business and was away from home most of the time. He came home every few weeks, always without letting us know he was coming. I can still hear the cries of my sisters, "Daddy's Home!," "Daddy's Home!", as they saw him drive down the street in his truck. Daddy would always ask Mother if his three girls had been behaving themselves. When Mother told him that we had indeed been little angels (not true, of course). Daddy would say that he thought it was time for a treat. He often called me, and told me that it was time for a treat. He would hand me a nickel with great ceremony, and tell me that I should run fast as I could to the corner drug store and buy a Three Musketeer candy bar. I did as I was told and came back, breathlessly, after running all the way. Daddy would open the candy bar. A Three Musketeer contained three separate sections of luscious chocolate. Inside one section was pink ,creamy stuff (to die for), that was strawberry flavored. Another was white inside, (vanilla), and the third was chocolate flavored. Daddy divided the three sections among his three girls, and no matter which piece we got, we were ecstatic. It was gooey and sweet and delicious, the likes of which we hardly ever tasted. I always secretly hoped that I would get the piece that was pink inside and that may have happened once or twice. But it didn't really matter, the treat was fantastic, no matter what color we got. I will always be grateful to my Daddy for the nickel treat that he gave to his three little girls, when treats were few and far between. I can't pass a candy display today without noticing the Three Musketeer candy bars and remembering fondly that delicious happening during the depths of the depression. I haven't had one in many years, but I wonder if they are still the same. I would guess that they are. But probably not quite so delicious. Story 6 THE ABOMINABLE SNOWSUIT My mother was a genius at making ends meet. She could make something out of nothing. During those lean years of the depression she kept her girls clothed without spending much money at all. She made us dresses from flowered flour sacks, with bloomers to match. I hated them of course and to this day I don't wear garments made from flowered fabric. Flowered garments remind me too much of the "flour sack" dresses that I should have appreciated, but regrettably did not. I longed for something made of crisp, checked gingham or striped chambray. When our feet grew fast and our shoes became too short, mother cut the upper leather toes out of the shoes so that we could wear them another few months, or perhaps even a year longer. The winters in Wichita, Kansas were bitterly cold. We had to walk about eight blocks to school each day, and needed warm outer clothing. Faced with the challenge of providing that warm outer clothing for us, Mother devised a brilliant plan. She went to the Salvation Army Thrift Store and bought three men's discarded overcoats for pennies. They were all 100% wool, wonderful warm fabric. They were all dark ugly colors, shades of brown and gray. A far cry from the bright hot pink, blue, purple and yellow colors of children's outerwear today. She brought them home and spent many tedious hours carefully ripping them apart, piece by piece, until she had several large pieces of the warmest woolen fabric from each of the overcoats. Then she proceeded to make a snow suit from the fabric of each of the overcoats, one for each of her daughters. The one she made for me was a very dark menswear gray. It was thick and heavy; it weighed a ton. She made the jacket with the inside of the fabric facing out. The inside of the fabric had a tiny dark red pin stripe on it, which she told me, made it pretty. The snow suit pants were made with the outside out, and were such dark gray they were almost black. Mother always made our garments over-sized, so that we could "grow into them" and wear them for a long time. Usually our garments were worn out before we grew enough to fit appropriately into them. Well, I hated that snowsuit. It was so big and so heavy that once I had it on, I could barely move. It also had a matching hat, made with the inside out, meaning it had that little "pretty" pinstripe in it. The hat, horrifying to me, was made from a pattern of an aviator's hat, and snapped under my chin. The sleeves of the jacket were a raglan type sleeve, and because Mother had allowed for growth, the underarm seams of the jacket bulged out like two tents from beneath my arms. Altogether, I thought the snowsuit and hat were abominable. I thought I would rather freeze to death than wear it. But, of course, I had no choice. I wore it, though not without some resistance. Looking back now, I know I should have been grateful for the warm outfit my Mother had made for me, but I was not. I hated wearing it, and thought I was a laughing stock when I did. If the truth be known,the snowsuit was very likely unnoticed by the other kids. But it did nothing to enhance my self-image. I felt awkward and ugly when I wore it. Fortunately or unfortunately, the snowsuit met its demise one wet, cold morning in the middle of the winter. It had become quite wet from my making Angels in the snow on the way to school. I was in the second grade, and attending classes in another annex. Annex II, it was called. Annex II was heated by a pot-bellied wood stove, which stood in the middle of the classroom. As I bolted into the room I saw many of my fellow students huddled beside to stove to get warm and dry out. I joined them. I backed up to the stove, and stood close, in order to get my snowsuit dry. I don't remember how long I stood there, but was brought sharply to attention when Miss Cobean, my teacher, called to us and said "I smell something burning! Someone is too close to the stove." Yes, of course it was me. My snowsuit was on fire. The acrid smell of burning wool filled the room. Miss Cobean rushed to me and pulled the burning snowsuit off of me. It was too late to save the snowsuit. A huge hole smoldered on the back of the jacket, and went all the way through to the snowpants. The abominable snowsuit's days were over. Miss Cobean told me how sorry she was, and even went to the main building and called my mother to tell her about the tragic accident and express her apology to her. But I wasn't sorry. Secretly I was glad that the awful suit was so damaged that it could no longer be worn. Memory fails me when I try to recall what I wore for the rest of the winter. My mother was resourceful, so I'm sure she thought of something. I do know that I did not have another abominable snowsuit made from a man's discarded woolen overcoat. That I would remember. Story 7. The Party Crasher For Recreation during the lean years of the depression, my parents played cards or bingo or, in the summer, went on fishing trips. They sometimes had friends over to our home for a pleasant evening of cards. A couple with the unlikely name of Mr. and Mrs. Wickersham was a favorite for this activity. One winter evening the Wickershams came over for an evening of pinochle. Daddy set the card table up in the front room and Mother made simple refreshments. My sisters and I were sent to the back bedroom for the evening. My parents subscribed, I think, to the belief that children should not be seen or heard when they had company. We were instructed to stay in the bedroom and to play quietly with our paper dolls or color in our coloring books. Most of all, we were to keep quiet and not get into trouble. We were banished, in other words, to the back bedroom which belonged to all three of us. In our bedroom was a small closet. It was jammed, of course, since it held the belongings of three girls. In the top of the closet were two shelves, and above them was an opening to the attic. None of us had ever been up in the attic, but each of us thought it would be a great adventure to go there. Though getting there would be precarious. It would involve stepping on the high shelves, pushing the wooden cover to the opening aside and lifting our body up through the opening. We often discussed it. "I bet I could do it." I told my sisters. I thought Bonnie, my older sister was too fat to do it, and Martha, my younger sister, too little. "I bet you can't," said Bonnie. "Can too," I countered. "OK" said Bonnie, "I dare you." That was all it took for me.In our bedroom was a small closet. It was jammed, of course, since it held the belongings of three girls. In the top of the closet were two shelves, and above them was an opening to the attic. None of us had ever been up in the attic, but each of us thought it would be a great adventure to go there. Though getting there would be precarious. It would involve stepping on the high shelves, pushing the wooden cover to the opening aside and lifting our body up through the opening. We often discussed it. "I bet I could do it." I told my sisters. I thought Bonnie, my older sister was too fat to do it, and Martha, my younger sister, too little. "I bet you can't," said Bonnie. "Can too," I countered. "OK" said Bonnie, "I dare you." That was all it took for me. It was tedious, but I managed. I used a chair to make myself tall enough to reach the shelves, then pulled my body up till I could rest on them in a sitting position. With no trouble at all I shoved the cover aside and hoisted myself up through the opening. It was dark and somewhat ominous up there, but I quickly became acclimated. There was no floor in the attic, just rafters that were attached to the plastered ceiling of the house. I blithely "walked the rafters" which were quite narrow. I gleefully called down to my sisters, "See, I told you I could do it." I was feeling quite smug with my accomplishment when suddenly, my foot slipped off the rafter I was standing on. It slipped, with the full weight of my body onto the plaster in between. It didn't stop there. It crashed right through the ceiling. Most unfortunately, it happened that it crashed through the front room ceiling exactly above my parents' card party. The plaster crumbled, and my leg went through the hole my foot had made, so that it was dangling through the ceiling just above the card table. As the crumbled plaster went splashing into the beer the card players were drinking (it was homebrew that the Wickersham's had brought; they made it themselves), my Daddy looked up at the shattered ceiling and said, "What in the H--- is going on!" What indeed? Oh, nothing much. One daughter's leg just came crashing through the ceiling. And they thought we were playing paper dolls! The pinochle party quickly ended. The Wickershams hurriedly left for home. Daddy and Mother rushed to the back bedroom and to the closet and ordered me to come down RIGHT THIS MINUTE. Mother admonished me severely and told me I could have been killed. Daddy got the ruler and administered what I still consider to have been a very serious spanking. It was weeks before I was back in the good graces of my parents. They were slow to forgive me for my destructive behavior, and for crashing their party. Daddy also had to mend the plaster, not an easy task. And it took a while for the scratches on my leg to heal as well. All told, it was not a pleasant experience. But it was certainly unforgettable Story 8 Home Sweet Home Though I would never wish it on another child, I am not sorry that I was a child of the depression. I learned to value money and to treasure the things I have. A few additional glimpses into the past will add to the understanding of what it was really like then. We lost what my mother always referred to as her "dream home" in 1930. It was a two story home on Jeannette Avenue, and she lamented the loss forever. We were fortunate, however, for we soon had another home and felt lucky to have a roof over our heads. Daddy did oilfield hauling for a Wichita oilman named George W. Hinkle. He sold my father a small two bedroom house on North Santa Fe. He sold it to him for $3000. Then he allowed him to "work out" the payments. What that meant was that when Daddy did hauling for Mr. Hinkle, he didn't get paid for it, the payment instead went toward the debt of $3000 that he owed on the house. It was always a matter of tremendous pride for Mother and Daddy that Daddy's work paid for the house in three years time. A major accomplishment, indeed. It was comforting to live in a house and have no rent to pay. Daddy fairly worked his fingers to the bone to do it of course, but no sacrifice was too great to make sure that his family was safe and warm and that he was out of debt. Daddy deplored the idea of credit and scrupulously avoided being in debt at all. Mr. Hinkle was often our benefactor. Almost every winter he butchered beef on his farm and one year he gave our family a quarter of beef. It was a bonanza! We had no freezer, of course, and no money to rent a frozen food locker. So Mother and Daddy learned how to can beef. It was all canned; steaks, roasts and all in Mason glass jars. I'll never forget how comforting all those glass jars of beef looked lined up on the shelves in the kitchen and in the cellar. We had meat all winter from the beef that Mr. Hinkle gave us, and began to eat better than we had for years. Giving us a quarter of beef became a tradition with Mr. Hinkle. He bestowed the gift on us every year. After a few years my parents were able to rent a locker to keep the beef in, so that steaks and hamburger really tasted like steaks and hamburger, for a change. I will always be grateful for Mr. Hinkle's generous gifts to our family. I would not have known what meat tasted like, but for him. We also often subsisted on Government Commodities. This was a subsidy program of the federal government. Government trucks would come to town to a particular distribution point. Those who wanted food could go to the location of the truck and get free food. As I recall, Commodities came two or three times a year. The food was always in half-gallon or gallon cans, and always consisted of a single item. Daddy might come home with ten cans of green gage plums or 10 cans of green beans, or corn or peaches or whatever. No matter what the cans contained, that's what we ate for weeks. I remember many a meal that consisted of bread and plums, nothing more. It was good food and we were glad to have it. After George Hinkle gave us beef, however, we always had some kind of meat at least two or three times a week, and always on Sunday! When my mother died in about 1981 my sister, brother and I discovered a note from Daddy written to her sometime in the 30's. She had saved the note in her cedar chest. It read: "Dear Pearl, I am sending you $2.00. Pay 50 cents on the water bill, 50 cents on the gas bill and 50 cents on the electric bill. Use the rest for anything that you and the girls need. Hope things are going OK. Love, Jim."

Great Depression Recipes During the Great Depression, money was scarce. Few funds were available to most families for purchasing groceries. As a result, most families had to have one resourceful cook to make use of the meager goods. In my own family, my grandfather had a favorite recipe leftover from his childhood during the Great Depression. It was a staple in his childhood diet, and something that he ate occasionally as an adult. The recipe was called Cemetery Stew, and was a great recipe for a budget. It was the best substitute he could find for "real" cereal. Cemetery Stew 2 slices of white bread, torn into bite-sized pieces 1 cup milk (sprinkle of sugar if you have it) Mix ingredients together and enjoy like a bowl of cereal.

People spent about 20 percent of their income on food, so it was important to get good value for every penny, and our buying club was a response to this need. Several of the prices below come directly from the Hanover Consumers Club mimeographed bulletin, which was distributed to members. These items are some of the pantry ingredients in the recipes that folks were making and eating in the ’30s. Brown Sugar, 5¢/lb. Flour, 2.5¢/lb. Pineapple, #2 can, 17¢ Sugar, 4.7¢/lb. Oleo (margarine). 10¢/lb. Eggs, 35¢/dozen Vanilla Extract, 4 oz., 37¢ Sweet potatoes, #2 cans, 2/25¢ Cheese, 19¢/lb. Canned Milk, 3 tall cans, 20¢ Elbow Macaroni, 25¢/lb. Butter, 41¢/lb. Loaf bread, 10¢ (delivered) Cream Cheese, 15¢/lb. Canned Peaches, #2 can, 15¢ Mayonnaise, 32 oz., 49¢ Mooresville Times Prices January 1930 Researched by Jessica Dunham Jessica Dunham FOOD Item Quantity Price Apples 1 lb $0.10 Apple Butter 38 oz $0.19 Applesauce 2 cans $0.23 Apricots 3 cans $0.57 Asparagus 3 cans $0.50 Bacon 1 lb $0.25 Baking Powder 25 oz $0.25 Bananas 4 lb $0.19 Beans, Green 3 cans $0.31 Beans, Navy 1 lb $0.10 Beans, Pinto 3 lb $0.25 Beans, Red 4 cans $0.25 Bran Flakes (Kellogg's) 1 pkg $0.10 Bread 1 loaf $0.08 Butter 1 lb $0.25 Celery 10 lb $0.34 Cheese 1 lb $0.29 Cherries 1 can $0.25 Cocoa 2 lb $0.19 Coffee 1 lb $0.25-0.39 Corn 3 cans $0.39 Corn Meal 5 lb $0.19 Crackers, Soda 2 lb $0.25 Cream of Wheat 1 pkg $0.24 Flour 24 lb $0.88 Fruit Salad 1 can $0.19 Gingersnaps 1 lb $0.10 Graham Crackers 2 lb $0.29 Grapefruit 4 $0.25 Grape Juice 16 oz $0.19 Grapes 1 lb $0.15 Gumdrops 2 lb $0.25 Ham 1 lb $0.23 Hominy large can $0.09 Jam 12 oz $0.17 Jello 3 pkgs. $0.25 Lard 2 lb $0.23 Lettuce 2 heads $0.25 Mackerel 2 $0.25 Milk 3 cans $0.25 Oats 3 pkgs. $0.25 Onions 5 lb $0.25 Oranges 1 doz $0.49 Pancake Flour 3 pkgs. $0.25 Peaches 2 cans $0.35 Peanut Butter 16 oz $0.15 Pears 1 can $0.23 Peas 3 cans $0.25 Pineapple 3 cans $0.67 Pork & Beans 3 cans $0.25 Potatoes 10 lb $0.34 Potatoes, Sweet 6 lb $0.25 Raisins 3 lb $0.25 Rice 2 pkgs $0.15 Salad Dressing 16 oz $0.25 Salmon 2 lb $0.25 Soap (Ivory) 2 bars $0.13 Sour Kraut 1 lb $0.06 Spinach 1 lb $0.10 Succotash 3 cans $0.39 Sugar 10 lb $0.55 Syrup 1 can $0.12 Tangerines 1 doz $0.35 Tomatoes 3 cans $0.25 Tomato Soup (Campbell's) 3 cans $0.25 CLOTHING Belt $0.50-1.50 Dress Shirt $1.25-2.50 Jackets $1.98 Overalls $1.50 Suspenders $0.50-1.00 Socks $0.50-1.00 Sweaters $2.00-5.00 Tie $0.50-1.50 Work Shirts $0.90-1.00 OTHER ITEMS Ad rates: Memory $1.00 Obituary $1.00 Poetry (per line) $0.10 Thank You $0.50 Admission to a basketball game: Per game: Adult $0.35 Under High School $0.25 Season Ticket: Adult $2.00 High School $1.50 Grade School $0.75 Chevy Car $365-675 Cleanser 4 cans $0.25 Double Broiler $1.95 French Fryer $0.95 Frying Pan $1.35 Furnace Lamp $6.00 Matches 6 boxes $0.20 Mooresville Times 1 year $1.50 6 months $0.75 3 months $0.40 1 issue $0.05 Stove $79.75 Tires $6.55-10.20 Tissue Paper 4 rolls $0.25 Toothpaste 1 tube $0.25 Can you imagine!!!!!

1. Depression Era Rabbit Stew 1 Rabbit Cold water 1 ts Salt Hot biscuits 2 tb Flour 1 c Milk or cream Salt and pepper to taste Cut up the rabbit and place in a kettle. Cover with water, add salt and boil till tender. Break open hot biscuits and put them on a platter; put on each one a piece of rabbit. Make a paste of flour and a little milk, stir into pan drippings and let boil a minute. Add the milk, season and pour over the rabbit. Serve at once. 2. My grandfather use to shoot pigeons and my grandmother would clean and dress them and cook them as you would cook roast chicken. My grandparents grew their own vegetables so they would put the pigeons along with some carrots, potatoes and onions in a very large roasting pan and let it cook in the oven all day. 6 birds and veggies fed their 16 children with no mouths going hungry. My grandfather also bought milk and wheat from a farmer and he made cheese from it and the kids always had cold milk waiting for them after school along with some of grandmas wheat ground sugar cookies that she made with what little sugar my grandparents bartered. My grandfather also grew many tomatoes and my gran would make sauce for her wheat pasta spaghetti that she made. They had wild blueberry bushes in their yard and pear and apple trees which supplied them with canned fruits throughout the year. Depression Era Fried Rabbit 1 Rabbit Salt and pepper Flour 1 tb Butter 1 tb Lard Cut the rabbit into pieces and rinse quickly in cold water (do not soak). Season the meat, roll in flour to cover. have the fats very hot in the skillet, put in rabbit. Cover and let the rabbit get very done before browning the other side. A rabbit fried in this way will smell almost as nice as it tastes Poor Man's Bread 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder Water Stir in enough water to make a batter and pour into greased skillet.{ use a cast iron skillet. Fry until brown on each side like a pancake. Taste great with homemade butter and jam. Quick, Muffins 1/2 cups of flour 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons sugar 1 egg 1/2 cup milk 1/4 cup of butter or butter substitute Mix into a bowl the flour, and baking powder, salt, sugar and egg. Add milk, pour gradually into the bowl with other ingredients, beating with a fork as it is added. When the mixture is smooth, add butter or butter substitute melted. Beat until the dough is smooth and creamy; this takes but a moment. Grease the tins and only fill them half with the batter.Place in hot oven 400 degrees F. Bake 25 Min. Sweet milk Doughnuts 2 tablespoons fat 1 cup sugar 1 egg 1 cup sweet milk 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg 3 to 4 cups of flour { just enough to make a soft dough } Cream fat,add sugar, add milk and well beaten egg. Add 3 cups flour mixed and sifted with dry ingredients, then enough more flour to make dough just stiff enough to roll. With knife, toss about1/3 of dough onto a floured board, knead slightly to make smooth. Roll to thickness of about 1/4 inch. Use flour spatula freely to prevent dough from sticking to board. Cut with floured doughnut cutter. Fry in deep fat about 2 minutes. They should come quickly to the top. Brown on one side, turn and brown on the other side. Turn but once. Drain over fat and then on absorbent paper. When partly cool, or just before serving, sprinkle with powder sugar, or frost with favorite frosting. My grandfather also use to fish as bass and sunfish were plentiful among the lakes near his home. This provided sources of protein for his family. During the butchering season where my grandfather got his milk and wheat from, he always got the head of the butchered pig along with the feet and if he was lucky the farmer might give him fresh ham from a pigs leg and of course he always got the cows head, neckbones and the leftovers that the farmer didn't want- for trading pears with him. My grandmother would cook up a storm and she scraped all the meat off those bones of the animals after they were cooked and she would can the meat. She also cooked the bones of the animals and made soups and stews to serve her family with a few loaves of home made bread. She had access to many eggs because they had chickens so the kids really never did get hungry. My grandfather also had grapevines so he would share with the famer. Anyone that came to my grandparents door were fed a hearty warm meal and were given a bag with sandwiches, fruit and cookies when they left my grandparents home. My grandfather lost his business and he almost lost his home until my aunt and uncle bought it from him during the depression. He made sure his employees had been paid before he paid himself. He always knew that God would provide for him and his large family and God did...

I am proud of you Kelly! Your a girl after my own heart. Heres a tip for you Kelly and everyone here.. If you are at the store and you see delivery trucks and their stockers go on up to them in the store and ask them if they have day old goods going back to the plant and if so can you purchase them at discount. Most times the delivery men will give you a whole kit and caboodle for nothing to 2.00 because they don't want to drag the stuff back to the warehouse where they only throw it out anyway. Also if you see soda distributers go on up to them and ask them for soda coupons. They always carry a nice stack of 50 cent or other off coupons. At least my Pepsi Man does. I also do this with produce and fruit that is going bad and has been taken off the shelf. I get crates of overripe bananas, peppers ( the price of those are high nowadays) cukes and other fruits and veggies and I cut out the bad parts and clean the rest and freeze them. The bananas are great because if I know company is coming I can always whip up a banana bread or banana cake. I love summer because of all the produce I get for next to nothing. These days I donate to the local soup pantrys at the churches in the area. Every little bit helps and I love to take my bargins and make feasts fit for kings, with them. The other day I got 10 cases of Elbow macaroni with 24 boxes in each case. Whoever opened up these cases split the tops of the boxes with the cutters so they boxed the open boxes up and the store gave them to me because they can't sell them like that. I got a local store to donate 50 lbs of ground beef and 4 cases of tomato sauce ( their brand) and I helped the soup Kitchen make up a mess of goulash. The discount bread store donated a truckload of breads and pastrys and my neighbor up the road who is a farmer donated home made butter. I made sugar cookies for 1000 people and we placed them on the assembly line with the bread. 4 large cookies per person plus we made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for their dinner that they take with them. We do this everyday.. those of us who work at the soup kitchen. I cook 2x a week in the evenings for the days next meals for the hungry and homeless at the church. I am done with my little diatribe here... I just wanted to show you all what you can get if you ask. Kelly, kudos to you on your good grocery haul for free. Nice going.

I make myself hungry Homesteader especially posting all those recipes...

Congrats Girly... I am so glad you are here to mod.... Nair a better person to mod this forum Lassie!

1. Freezer Chuck Roast with Mushroom Gravy 2 2-lb chuck roasts 2 cans cream of mushroom soup 2 soup cans water with beef boullion added chopped onion Place chuck roasts in large covered roaster or crockpot. Mix soup, water with boullion, and onion; pour over roasts. In oven, bake at 350* for a couple of hours or until nice and tender. In crockpot, cook on low until same. Cool and divide into freezer bags or containers. To serve: Thaw and place in covered baking dish. Heat in oven or microwave until hot and bubbling. 2. Hillbilly Roast First brown a 3 to 4 pound chuck roast on both sides, to lock in the juices. Place foil on the bottom of a roasting pan. Put chopped onions and bell pepper on the bottom of the pan. Place the browned roast in the pan. Season with thyme,pepper, can of rotel, diced, and 1/4 cup of water. Cover with foil, tightly. Cook on 275 for 4 hours. Now add in vegetables, potatoes, quartered, and carrots, chopped in 1 inch pieces cover and cook until veggies are tender. 3. Weight Watchers Garden Vegetable Soup 2/3 cup sliced carrot 1/2 cup diced onion 2 garlic cloves 3 cup broth (beef, chicken, or vegetable) 1 1/2 cup diced green cabbage 1/2 cup green beans 1 Tbsp. tomato paste 1/2 tsp. dried basil 1/4 tsp. dried oregano 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 cup diced zucchini 1. In a large saucepan, sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, saute carrot, onion, and garlic over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. 2. Add broth, cabbage, beans, tomato paste, basil, oregano, and salt; bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered about 15 minutes or until beans are tender. 3. Stir in zucchini and heat 3-4 minutes. Serve hot. **Each serving provides: 0 POINTS!!** 4. Tater Tot Casserole 1 lb. ground meat (preferably very lean) 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 can cheddar cheese soup (optional) 1 bag of frozen tater tots grated cheddar cheese Preheat oven 350. Pat hamburger into bottom of a 13x9 pan and salt and pepper. Add soup, both or just one. Smooth over meat. Place tater tots in rows on top of meat and soup. Bake for 1 hr. and last few minutes sprinkle with cheddar cheese, leave in just until melted. 5. Chuck Wagon Salisbury Steak 2 cup Corn flakes 1 1/2 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Black pepper 1 Egg 1/2 cup Barbecue sauce 1 lb Ground beef Measure corn flakes,then crush to 1 cup. Place crushed flakes in a mixing bowl. Add egg, 1/3 of the barbecue sauce, salt and black pepper; beat until thoroughly combined. Add ground beef; mix well. Shape into 4 oval patties, about 3/4" thick. Place in a shallow baking dish in single layer. Brush patties with the remaining barbecue sauce. Bake @ 375 degrees about 25 minutes for medium doneness. 6. Freezer Pork Chops & Rice (makes 2) 2 cans cream of mushroom soup 2 cans cream of chicken soup 4 soup cans water (mix in a little beef boullion for great flavor) 12 porkchops 3 cups rice, uncooked Mix all except for rice. Divide evenly and pour over porkchops in freezer bag. To serve: Thaw, remove and place porkchops in single layer in greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Mix 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice with soup mixture and pour over chops. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and bake at 350* for about 1 hour or until rice is done. If soup mixture seems to thick, add a bit of water before baking. You can also add a slice of onion to the top of each porkchop before baking. 7. Freezer Smothered Chicken (makes 2) 6 boneless chicken breasts 2 cans cream of mushroom soup 2 cans cream of chicken soup 2 cans french onion soup (or dry mix equivilant) Mix all in crockpot and cook on low 4 or 5 hours, or until chicken is done. Cool and divide into freezer bags. OR, as I did this time, mix soups and pour over raw chicken breasts in freezer bags. To serve: Cooked chicken- thaw and heat in oven or microwave until hot and bubbling. Raw chicken - thaw and place in crockpot and cook as directed above. Serve over rice or noodles. 8. Freezer Chicken Dumplings (makes 2) 4 cups cooked and shredded chicken broth from cooking 2 cans cream of chicken soup 6 tubes biscuits (or dumplins of your choice) Divide chicken and broth into 2 quart sized freezer containers. To serve: Thaw chicken and broth and bring to a simmering boil. Pinch off pieces of canned biscuits (3 cans) and drop into broth. I shake mine in a plastic bag with a small amount of flour first because it helps thicken the broth a bit. Cover and simmer several minutes or until done as desired (we like ours chewy). Remove from heat and stir in 1 can cream of chicken soup until well blended through. Freezer Chicken Broccoli Casserole (makes 2) 4 cups cooked and shredded chicken 2 boxes chopped broccoli, cooked 2 cans cream of broccoli soup 2 cans cream of chicken soup fresh bread crumbs Mix all except bread crumbs and pour into freezer bags. Store bread crumbs in separate bag. To serve: Thaw casserole, pour into baking dish and top with bread crumbs. Bake at 350* until hot and bubbling. 9. Un Fried Chicken 9 pieces of skinless chicken 3 1/2 cups ice water 1 cup plain no fat yogurt 1 cup italian bread crumbs 1 cup flour 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon creole seasoning black pepper to taste 1/2 teaspoon thyme 1/2 teaspoon basil 1/2 teaspoon oregano Preheat oven to 400 F spray cookie sheet with no stick spray place chicken in ice water. while it sits there mix ALL dry ingredients place the dry stuff into a plastic bag dip the chicken in the yogurt (2 pieces at a time) then shake in the bag of coating spray no stick spray LIGHTLY over chicken bake on bottom rack of oven for about 1 hour. turn the chicken every 20 minutes for even browning 2.2 grams fat per piece of breast meat 4.2 grams fat per piece of drumstick or dark meat 185 calories per piece of white/breast meat 195 calories per piece of dark/leg meat Freezer Salsa Chicken with Cheese (makes 2) 6 boneless chicken breasts 1 large jar salsa 1 1/2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded Divide chicken breasts in freezer bags and pour on salsa. Freeze cheese in separate bags. To serve: Thaw and place in covered casserole dish. Microwave about 20 mins, or until chicken is done. Uncover and top each breast with cheese; microwave just long enough for the cheese to melt. Serve over cooked rice. Crab Casserole 1 1/2 to 2 pounds crabmeat - the recipe came from my aunt in Baltimore who used fresh crab. I use canned, frozen, or in a pinch, sea sticks. Occasionally, I substitute shrimp for part of the crab. If you use canned or frozen, you can put it together within 30 minutes on very short notice! 1/2 bag thinnest noodles UNCOOKED (or equal amt. spaghetti) 1 can cream of shrimp soup 1 Soup can evaporated milk 11/2 - 2 cups shredded swiss cheese 1 can french's french fried onion rings Combine everything but onion rings and 1/2 c. cheese and bake covered in a 375 degree preheated oven for 20 - 25 min or until noodles are soft. Uncover and top with remaining cheese and f.f. onion rings and return to oven until cheese browns (about 5 min.) Use any leftovers by the next day. I serve it with coleslaw and a bread basket and a shamefully wicked dessert. 12. Skinny Soup Put some water in soup kettle. Then slice some carrots in. Then slice some celery into pot. Add chopped cabbage, chopped onions and diced potatoes . Maybe some green beans and corn. You could put in leftover vegetables of any kind you want. Don't forget the chopped onions and maybe peppers. Just don't use anything with fat in it. Season to taste. I even put juice from black olives in one time and it was really good. Then tomatoes to suit your taste. I like a lot. You can eat as much of this soup as you want get a large container or one big enough to fit in your freezer and anytime you have left over veggies throw them in it and when your ready to make this soup there you go all your veggies no wasted money Tomato Basil Bisque Begin the night before. 1 bunch leeks (2-3), finely chopped into the green 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 T. olive oil 1 29oz can Italian Plum Tomatoes (Progresso or Hunts) 12 fresh Basil Leaves 1 14 1/2oz can Chicken Broth 1/4 teas. salt 1/4 teas. white pepper 1 Cup whipping cream Heat the oil, cook leeks and garlic, stirring constantly for 12 minutes, DO NOT BROWN. Chop the tomatoes with the liquid, add to the leeks. Add basil leaves, simmer 10 minutes. Add chicken broth, salt and pepper. Simmer 1 hour uncovered. Chill at least 2 hours or over night. Puree. Chill 1 more hour. Add whipping cream and reheat gently before serving. This soup feeds 10, you can double or triple the recipe as needed. Weight Watchers Best Cabbage Soup 2 cup shredded cabbage 1 cup chopped leeks 1/2 cup diced carrots 1/2 cup diced celery 2 tsp margarine 2 cloves garlic, crushed 4 cup water salt and pepper to taste 2 packets Herb OX vegetable bouillon Saute cabbage, leeks, carrots, celery and garlic in margarine until vegetables are tender. Add water and Herb Ox and simmer. Makes 4 servings ****On the old program, circa 1988/1989, each 1 1/2 cup serving was equal to 2 vegetables, 1/2 fat, 5 optional calories. As a variation, I would also add onions, and sometimes 6 oz of cubed potato (equal to 1/2 bread) 15. Weight Watchers Favorite Vegetable Soup Makes 2 servings 2 3/4V 10C 1/4 Cup diced onion 2 pkg instant chicken broth 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 1/2 Cups thinly sliced zucchini 1/2 Cup each thinly sliced carrot & chopped seeded tomato 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley 1/4 tsp basil 1/8 tsp pepper In 1 1/2 qt nonstick saucepan combine onion, broth mix & garlic; cook, stirring occasionally until onion is translucent. Add remaining ingredients, stir to combine; cover & cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 mins. Add 2 Cups water & bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover & cook until vegetables are soft, about 20 mins, Using a slotted spoon remove about 1/2 Cups vegetables from saucepan & set aside. In blender container, puree remaining soup, return to saucepan, add reserved vegetables & heat. 16. Honey Nut Squash 2 acorn squash (about 6 ounces each) 1/4 cup honey 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts 2 tablespoons raisins 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce Cut acorn squash lengthwise into halves; do not remove seeds. Place cut side up in baking pan or on baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F 30 to 45 minutes or until soft. Remove seeds and fibers. Combine honey, butter, walnuts, raisins and Worcestershire sauce; spoon into squash. Bake 5 to 10 minutes more or until lightly glazed. 17. Tofu and Spinach Lasagna 1 - 16 oz. pkg. low-fat ricotta cheese 1 lb. frozen spinach - cooked and drained 16 oz. soft tofu 1 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. salt 2 Tbsp. butter 2 Tbsp. flour 1 cup soy milk 2 lb. cooked lasagna noodles Sauce: 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2 finely chopped carrots 2 finely chopped celery stalks 1 minced yellow onion 1 - 28 oz. can tomato sauce In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, spinach, tofu, nutmeg, and salt. In a small sauce pot, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes to create a roux. Slowly add the soy milk and whisk until thickened. Add the thickened mixture to the spinach mixture and combine well. To assemble, spray a 9 x 13 glass casserole dish with non-stick spray. Place 2 cooked noodles on the bottom of the pan, then spread spinach mixture on top. Continue layering until the pan is full. Bake at 350 degrees, covered with foil, for 40 minutes or until hot. To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a sauce pan. Add the carrots, celery, and onion. Saute until tender. Add the tomato sauce and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Spread sauce over the top of the lasagna 18. Tofu Enchiladas **be sure to read note at end 1-lb blocks firm tofu/drained & pressed 45 min. 2 cups chunky salsa 1 tsp cumin 1 1/4 cup low-fat Kraft cheese & mozzarella mixed 2 cups sour cream -divided (I use no-fat or cottage-cheese sour cream) 6 inch flour tortillas It works better to first freeze tofu after draining and placing flat to drain with a weight places on top for 45 min. You can then either slice or crumble the tofu after thawing. I crumble for this and cut the slices into strips for stir-fry. Mix tofu, 1 to 1 1/2 cup salsa, cumin, 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup cheese, salt & pepper to taste. Place 1/4 cup on each tortilla and roll up. Place in 13 x 9 1/2 inch pan seam-side down. Cover with 1 cup salsa. Bake 30 min at 350 degrees covered. Remove cover and top with 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until melted. Serve with shredded lettuce, sour cream, diced tomatoes and green onions.ENJOY! ** for sour cream made from cottage cheese: place as much cottage cheese as you need for sour cream in blender. Add 1 TBLS. lemon juice. Blend and add milk by tablespoons until creamy. Will be a little bit grainy if not enough milk added. However, it works the same. Add salt to taste. If you want to use this recipe as a topping on fruit or desserts: omit salt, add vanilla and sugar or sweet and low/equal to taste. Great on jello. 19. Low Cal Macaroni Bake 2 cup Macaroni, cooked 2 tbsp Margarine 2 cup Skimmed milk 2 tsp Parsley 1/2 tsp Pepper 1/3 cup Bread crumbs 1 Onion, chopped 1/4 cup Flour 2 tsp Dill weed 1/8 tsp Garlic powder 2 cup Low fat cottage cheese 1 pinch Paprika Preheat oven 350F. Saute onions in margarine, add flour. Stir in milk, little at a time until thick. Add spices. Add cheese. Add macaroni. Pour into shallow pan. Top with crumbs and paprika. Bake 45 minutes. Yield: 5 servings Low-Fat Potato Salad 1-1/2 pounds small salad potatoes 3/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley 2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon 1/2 medium onion, chopped 1 celery rib, chopped 1 small carrot, coarsely shredded Cook potatoes until tender but firm; cool and slice. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add potatoes and stir until well coated. Chill for several hours. Yield: 8 servings. Exchanges: 1 starch Nutritional Information: Serving Size: 1/8 recipe Calories: 78 Sodium: 19 mg Cholesterol: trace Carbohydrate: 17 gm Protein: 3 gm Fat: trace 20. 14. 13. 11. 10.

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1. Tootsie Rolls 1 cup white sugar 1/2 cup light corn syrup 2 tablespoons shortening 4 teaspoons cocoa 2 tablespoons evaporated skim milk 1/2 tsp. vanilla Combine sugar, corn syrup, shortening and cocoa in a medium saucepan over medium/high heat. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer candy until temperature reaches 275 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove the saucepan from the heat. When the bubbling stops, add the evaporated milk and beat candy with an electric mixer for about 30 seconds.Add vanilla and continue to beat candy until it begins to firm up and you can no longer beat it. Pour candy out onto wax paper. When it is cool, divide the candy into several portions and roll portions into long ropes that are approx. 1/2 inch thick. Use a sharp knife to slice candy into 1 inch pieces. Arrange candy on a plate and let sit out overnight so that it firms up. Makes approximately 60 bite size pieces 2. Puppy Chow 1/2 cup peanut butter 1/2 cup butter or margarine 6 ounces chocolate chips 10 cups Corn Chex cereal 2 cups powdered sugar Melt peanut butter, butter, and chocolate chips in a saucepan over medium heat. Pour over Corn Chex, being sure that all cereal is coated. Put the powdered sugar in a large paper bag. Add the cereal and shake until all the cereal is coated. Pour out on waxed paper to cool. Serve in a new, clean doggy dish. 3. Rainbow Jello Use 3oz. jello's in a glass oblong pan With each layer, let jello set for about 1-1 1/2 hours. Black cherry 3/4 cup cold water, 3/4 cup hot water Cherry 1/2 c. cold water, 1/2 c. hot water, 1/2 c. evaporated milk Lime 3/4 c. cold water, 3/4 c. hot water Lemon 1/2 c. cold water, 1/2 c. hot water, 1/2 c. evaporated milk Orange 3/4 c. cold water, 3/4 c. hot water Apricot 1/2 c. cold water, 1/2 c. hot water, 1/2 c. evaporated milk Strawberry 3/4 c. cold water, 3/4 c. hot water This recipe tastes good and looks even better! Looks good in a glass pan also. 4. Beary Basic Biscuit Mix 6 cups flour 1 cup nonfat dry milk 1/4 cup baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 cup shortening Mix until well blended, but putting all ingredients in a one gallon resealable plastic bag, pressing all the air out and squeezing ingredients together until well mixed. Snail on a Limb Two cups of Beary Basic Biscuit Dough 1/3 cup water Mix well, adding more water if necessary, until the dough is like soft clay. Roll a handful of the mixture into a rope about 8 inches long, and coil the dough in a tight, snail like spiral around your cooking stick. You can wrap it around a hot dog too, for a special treat. NOTE: You can make pancake batter out of the Beary Mix by adding one egg and 1 1/2 cups of water to 2 cups of mix 5. Maple Fudge 2 cup Sugar, granulated 1 cup Maple syrup 1/2 cup Light cream; 10% 2 tbsp Butter Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook and stir over medium high heat until boiling. Clip candy thermometer to side of pan, cook and stir over medium heat, til syrup reached temperature 238F (155C) on candy thermometer (soft ball stage) 25 to 35 minutes,. Remove from heat and cool without stirring to lukewarm (110F/45C) about 50 to 60 minutes. Remove candy thermometer and beat mixture with wooden spoon until color lightens and fudge begins to quickly set. Quickly press into well greased 8 inch square pan. Make in squares before fudge sets. When firm, cut into squares. MAKES 20 to 25 PIECES Magic Marshmallow Crescent Puffs Puffs: 1/4 cup sugar 2 TBs all purpose flour 1 tsp cinammon 2 (8 oz) cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls 16 large marshmallows 1/4 cup margarine or butter (melted) Glaze: 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2 to 3 tsps milk 1/4 cup chopped nuts, if desired Heat oven to 375 degrees. In small bowl combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Separate dough into 16 triangles. Dip 1 marshmallow in margarine, roll in sugar mixture. Place marshmallow on wide end of triangle. Roll up starting at wide end of triangle and rolling to opposite point. Completely cover marshmallow with dough; firmly pinch edges to seal. Dip 1 end in remaining margarine; place margarine side down in ungreased large muffin cup or 6 oz custard cup. Repeat with remaining marshmallows. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. (Place foil or cookie sheet on rack below muffin cups to guard against spills.) Immediately remove from muffin cups; cool on wire racks. In small bowl, blend powdered sugar, vanilla and enough milk for desired drizzling consistancy. Drizzle over warm rolls. Sprinkle with nuts. This won the 1969 Pillsbury Bake-Off contest. The cinnamon-sugar coated marshmallow melt during baking, forming tender crescent dough puffs with sweet centers. 7. Pig Lickin' Good Cake 1 box yellow cake mix 4 eggs 1 6 oz. can mandarin oranges, juice too 1/2 cup oil Icing: 1 box vanilla instant pudding 1 8 oz. container Cool Whip 1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained Cut mandarin oranges up into small pieces. Mix the orange pieces (including the juice) into cake mix with eggs and oil. Pour into 9x13 or 2-9" round pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min. Cool. Mix icing ingredients together and frost cake. 8. Peanut Butter Fudge 1 c. peanut butter 1 c. marshmallow creme 2 c. sugar 2/3 c. evaporated milk 1 t. vanilla Bring milk and sugar to a rolling boil in a med. saucepan and boil for 7 minutes. Remove from heat, add remaining ingredients. Beat until smooth and pour into a buttered 8 X 8 pan. 9. Harvest Cheesecake CRUST: 1 cup of graham crumbs 3 Tbsp sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 cup marg melted FILLING: 2 - 8 ounces pkgs cream cheese 1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs 1/2 tsp vanilla TOPPING: 4 cup thin peeled apple slices 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 cup chopped pecans CRUST: Combine crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and margarine; press onto bottom of 9 inch spring form pan. Bake 350, 10 mins FILLING: Combine cream cheese and sugar; mixing at medium speed until well blended. Add one egg at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in vanilla; pour over crust. TOPPING: Toss apples with cinnamon and sugar. Spoon apples over top. Sprinkle with pecans. Bake 350, 1 hr and 10 mins. Loosen cake from rim of pan. Cool. Chill. 10. Blueberry Jell-O Salad 1 large pkg. grape or raspberry Jell-O 1 pkg. frozen blueberries 1 can crushed pineapple 1 8-oz. container sour cream 1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup chopped pecans Reserve juice from pineapple; add enough water to make 2 cups of liquid. Boil juice; dissolve gelatin in it. Add 1 cup cold water, stir well. Add blueberries and pineapple; chill until set. Cream the cream cheese and sour cream with beaters; add sugar. Spread on top of salad. Sprinkle with pecans. 6.