Victory Gardens Take Root in San Diego

The county of San Diego, working with charitable organizations and volunteers, has gone further than most places in establishing new victory gardens as you will see from this video:

Economy Spiced Cake

Perfect for the 21st Century recession, this WWII recipe from Royal Baking Powder was a way for busy homemakers to add a sweet dessert to their busy wartime schedules. Let us know if you like it (recipe below).









Economy Spice Cake

¼ cup shortening
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup dark corn syrup
2 cups cake flour
2 ½ teaspoons Royal Baking Powder (or other baking powder)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt

Cream shortening; add sugar slowly, beating in well. Add unbeaten egg, beat well. Blend water and syrup. Sift together dry ingredients and add alternately with liquid to first mixture. Bake in 2 greased eight-inch layer cake pans in moderate oven at 373 degrees F about 25 minutes. Makes 1 two-layer cake.

WWII Bread Pudding

A recipe that restricts the use of sugar. The original instructions claimed the dessert to be "Inexpensive, Easy and Nourishing."

1 envelope gelatin
2 cups milk
½ cup light or dark corn syrup or 1/3 cup sugar
¼ teaspoonful salt
4 slices white bread (2 ½ cups cubed)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoonful vanilla
nutmeg, if desired

In a Pickle for the Fourth of July

This recipe is culled from a WWII cookbook that helped Victory Garden growers make the most of their produce. It's another example of saving money, and a good way to show some patriotic pride this July 4.

Sweet Cucumber Pickles (Short Process)

1 gallon cucumbers
6 cups sugar
1 tablespoon mixed spices
1 ½ quarts vinegar
1 cup water

Wash and dry fresh cucumbers. Cover with brine (1 cup salt dissolved in 1 gallon cold water). Let stand 24 hours. Drain. Puncture each cucumber in 2 or 3 places with needle. Simmer (do not boil) ½ of the sugar, the spices, vinegar, and water 30 minutes. Add cucumbers. Simmer 15 minutes. Let stand 2 days. Drain off the liquid. Pack the pickles in hot jars. Add the remaining sugar to the liquid. Boil 5 minutes. Pour, while hot, over the pickles and seal at once.