Victory Kitchen

American housewives in WWII had a dizzying task ahead of them - they not only had to make their food dollars stretch, they also had to figure out how to spend their ration points in conjunction with any sales going on at their local grocery. Add to that the government's push to utilize "the Basic 7" food guide to strengthen the health of their families, and they had a headache in the making! Enter: Menu Plans. In this episode, Sarah explores wartime menu planning using three case studies, tries out a rice loaf sure to satisfy your cheese tooth (is that a thing?), and we get a behind the scenes look at Mrs. Roosevelt's life in the White House. 

Check out the corresponding blog post at victorykitchenpodcast.blog

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To see images, recipes and research conducted for this episode go to victorykitchenpodcast.substack.com. To learn more about Sarah and this podcast go to thevictorykitchenpodcast.com.

With 40% of young men being turned away at the draft for malnutrition, Uncle Sam had to do something if he wanted a strong, healthy fighting force and nation of civilians. In this episode, Sarah explains the start of the National Nutrition Program, how merchandisers got involved, and what the deal was with "the Basic 7". She tries a weird nut loaf recipe and laments her candy making skills.

Check out the corresponding blog post at victorykitchenpodcast.blog

Don't forget to share this podcast with your friends and leave a review!

To see images, recipes and research conducted for this episode go to victorykitchenpodcast.substack.com. To learn more about Sarah and this podcast go to thevictorykitchenpodcast.com.

If there was anything Uncle Sam wanted the American people to know, from war plant worker to school child, it was that eating a good, healthy lunch was their patriotic duty. In this episode, Sarah talks about the Victory lunch box - why it was a thing, what it looked like, and what went inside it to keep Americans in top form. She tries out three tasty ration recipes from a Victory lunch box cookbook and we learn how one Michigan community came together to make sure their kids ate a lunch that packed a punch. 

Check out the corresponding blog post at victorykitchenpodcast.blog

Don't forget to share this podcast with your friends and leave a review!

To see images, recipes and research conducted for this episode go to victorykitchenpodcast.substack.com. To learn more about Sarah and this podcast go to thevictorykitchenpodcast.com.

With all that Victory garden bounty, no one wanted it to go to waste. Women learned or brushed up on canning skills in order to preserve the harvest and stock their pantries to save on ration points. In this episode, Sarah examines wartime canning, especially within communities, and dives headlong into the touchy topic about why we should never use vintage canning recipes. She sings the praises of two delicious ration recipes, and a Minnesota woman remembers her teenage years on the home front. 

Check out the corresponding blog post at victorykitchenpodcast.blog

Don't forget to share this podcast with your friends and leave a review!

To see images, recipes and research conducted for this episode go to victorykitchenpodcast.substack.com. To learn more about Sarah and this podcast go to thevictorykitchenpodcast.com.

Prisons, church yards, department store displays... WWII Victory gardens were planted in some pretty interesting places! 

In part two about Victory gardens, Sarah discusses the nitty gritty details of the actual Victory garden - what U.S. citizens planted, what tools they needed, and all the gardening helps available, including the discovery of the second most important aspect of Victory gardens after being a food source. Sarah tries two more vegetable recipes, one of which her family won't touch with a ten-foot pole, and the mystery about Indiana mangoes is cleared up!

For more content related to this episode go to www.victorykitchenpodcast.blog.

Don't forget to share this podcast with your friends and leave a review!

To see images, recipes and research conducted for this episode go to victorykitchenpodcast.substack.com. To learn more about Sarah and this podcast go to thevictorykitchenpodcast.com.

Victory gardens may be one of the most iconic aspects of WWII. In this first episode of the new second season, Sarah explores the various aspects of the National Victory Garden campaign, what makes a garden one of the official "victory" variety, and why these gardens were so important to the war effort. Sarah experiments with a couple 1943 vegetarian recipes, and one Indiana preacher sets the bar for the Victory Garden standard.

For more content related to this episode go HERE!

Don't forget to share this podcast with your friends and leave a review!

To see images, recipes and research conducted for this episode go to victorykitchenpodcast.substack.com. To learn more about Sarah and this podcast go to thevictorykitchenpodcast.com.

By the 1940s, Americans had come to rely on the conveniences of canned, dried, and frozen foods, but wartime needs and restrictions changed all that. In this episode finale for Season 1, Sarah explains everything that went into the rationing of processed foods including a national "pantry census." She features two wartime cookbooks with contradictory messages and the homefront farm kitchen gets a highlight. 

To view the pictures and resources for this episode please visit the Victory Kitchen Podcast blog.

Don't forget to leave a review!

To see images, recipes and research conducted for this episode go to victorykitchenpodcast.substack.com. To learn more about Sarah and this podcast go to thevictorykitchenpodcast.com.

With the rationing of dairy cream, Americans had a difficult time getting their hands on their favorite dessert: Ice Cream. Sarah gives the "scoop" on the headaches and the heartbreaks of ice cream rationing and experiments with a Victory "half & half" frozen treat combo. 

{Happy V-E Day! This episode commemorates the 75th anniversary of kicking Hitler's rear!} 

To view the pictures and resources for this episode please visit the Victory Kitchen Podcast blog.

Don't forget to leave a review!

To see images, recipes and research conducted for this episode go to victorykitchenpodcast.substack.com. To learn more about Sarah and this podcast go to thevictorykitchenpodcast.com.

Wartime dairy farmers were no strangers to milk dumping, distribution problems, and irate customers. Sarah lays out the problems dairies faced during WWII and what American consumers had to do without. (Oh, sweet butter!) Two ration recipes for cheese dips are praised and "Nostradamus McLemore" has his say about food rationing.

To view the pictures and resources for this episode please visit the Victory Kitchen Podcast blog.

Don't forget to leave a review!

To see images, recipes and research conducted for this episode go to victorykitchenpodcast.substack.com. To learn more about Sarah and this podcast go to thevictorykitchenpodcast.com.

In March 1943, Americans loved their meat enough to go on carnivorous shopping sprees before official meat rationing began. In this episode, Sarah explores who got most of the good meat (you know, the kind everyone actually wanted), which exact meats were rationed, and she uncovers a "dastardly" government meat conspiracy that no one seems to be complaining about. Plus - Hot Ham Rolls are on the menu!  

For more content related to this episode, visit the podcast blog HERE!

To see images, recipes and research conducted for this episode go to victorykitchenpodcast.substack.com. To learn more about Sarah and this podcast go to thevictorykitchenpodcast.com.