The War

Cooking with Coupons

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Rosie the Riveter may have been on the assembly line, but she still had to come home and put a hot meal on the table. Coffee, sugar, meat were all rationed. So, how did she do it? There's more to Victory dishes than canned Spam! Take a look at how we stocked our pantries, and what we ate during Wartime rationing.

Emergency Steak
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(courtesy General Mills)

Serves 6

-1 pound ground beef
-1 cup Wheaties cereal
-1/2 cup milk
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon black pepper
-1 tablespoon minced onion, if desired

Mix ingredients well. Shape into T-bone steak 1 inch thick. Broil 8-15 minutes, depending on desired doneness. Turn half-way through cooking.

Betty Crocker
Take a nostalgic look back at Betty Crocker in Wartime America.
(Courtesy: Susan Marks, author of "Finding Betty Crocker.)
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General Mill's Betty Crocker Program shares advice and letters to war brides. Listen » (courtesy Susan Marks)

Listen to Betty Crocker introducing Milton S. Eisenhower speaking about the "Food Sharing Program" (courtesy General Mills)

The Wartime Pantry
Most of this article appears in The Pantry - Its History and Modern Uses by Catherine Seiberling Pond