Ration Hint of the Day - Number Eighteen

Ration Hint No. 18

Bacon fat is delicious in a ginger cake or gingerbread, 
spice cakes, cookies and foods with a strong flavour.

"Mince" made with Oats

"Mince" with Tomato on Toast

Well I am back, I needed a bit of a break as I wasn't feeling the best and had my hands full with my son's dancing but here is the promised "Mince" recipe.

It can be done with either a tomato sauce or with gravy.

Oaty Mince

1 cup of porridge oats
2 cups boiling water
1 stock cube
1 onion chopped
1 carrot grated
1 tablespoon cooking fat, dripping
Salt and pepper to taste
fresh or dried parsley
Mixed herbs and/ or Sage

Any of the following... 
1-2 stalks of celery finely sliced
sliced mushrooms
1 grated potato
finely sliced spinach or puha

1 tin of tomatoes or cup of fresh chopped tomatoes
or
1 cup of gravy, can be made up from gravy powder


In a bowl mix porridge, boiling water and stock cube.  Put to the side.
In a large pan or frying pan, fry onion in the dripping.
Then add the other vegetables of your choice (except spinach or puha) and cook until tender.
Then add the leafy vegetable and either the tomatoes or gravy.
Followed by the oats and the dried herbs.

Mix together well and simmer.
You may have to add more water as the oats really make the sauce thick.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I also like to add a good squirt of HP Sauce and some Worchestershire Sauce.
It is important to season well as the oats are quite bland.

Serve on toast, with pasta or mashed potatoes.

A little grated cheese with the tomato version is really yummy.

Give this a try and experiment with the seasonings.
It is a very economical meal and we generally have plenty for the next day.
Grumpy Teenager loves eating meat but really enjoys this "mince".

Ration Hint of the Day - Number Seventeen

Ration Hint No. 17

Use 4/5ths as much dripping in cakes as you would butter.
Cream it very well, adding a little lemon juice and a pinch of baking soda.

Ration Hint of the Day - Number Sixteen; Plus Oats, Wonderful Oats

Ration Hint No. 16

How to use baking powder in recipes that call for sour milk and soda or other leavening agents.

You can use baking powder in any recipe that calls for sour milk and soda by using sweet milk and 2 level teaspoons of baking powder for each cup of flour the recipe calls for.

This will give you perfect results with the recipe.

We have been doing a lot of cooking this week, have filled up the biscuit tins and made sweet and savoury loaves for a quick breakfast and/or lunch.

Grumpy Teenager is loving his slices of buttered loaf for school lunches.

Tomorrow I will be trying a brown bread recipe using baking powder instead of yeast.

It looks very quick and easy to make.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

We have been using a lot of oats.  

They are very versitile and great for porridge, anzac biscuits, vegetable and oatmeal casserole which is on an earlier post and as a replacement for mince beef or lamb, yes a meat replacement, in many recipes.

"Mince" on toast.

In the Vegetable and Oatmeal Casserole I ended up using a whole cup of oats instead of the couple of tablespoons and added more water and we all loved that, sooooo I experimented in using the oats in other recipes instead of meat as Salem and I are vegetarians but the Grumpy Teenager isn't.
I find that 1 cup of oats is more than enough for the three of us and I cook them up as per making porridge and then add a stock cube and/or some vegemite (or marmite) and stir it all in.
Then I use it in whatever recipe or creation that I am doing for dinner.
Fabulous as mince on toast with either tomato or gravy sauce.
It's well worth experimenting with.
I'll post my "mince" recipes tomorrow.

WWII Aircraft of the Day - The JU 52/3M

The JU 52/3M

The JU 52/3M - Germany
By Salem

The JU 52/3M was Germany's main military transport aircraft.
It was first developed in the early 1930's and was first used as a commercial transport aircraft before being used in the Spanish Civil War.
They were later used in bombing missions before being used in WWII as the Luftwaffe's main troop transporter.
The JU 52/3M was also used as an ambulance aircraft, glider tugs and even as seaplanes.

Ration Hint of the Day - Number Fifteen

Ration Hint No. 15

To stop nuts and fruits sinking to the bottom of cakes, etc.

Heat them in the oven and then mix them in a little flour before adding to batter.

WWII Aircraft of the Day - The Mitsubishi A6M Zero

The Mitsubishi A6M Zero

The Mitsubishi A6M Zero - Japan
By Salem

The finest Japanese fighter of WWII was the Mitsubishi A6M Zero.
This tough little aircraft had superb handling characteristics, it was light, powerful and was a long range flyer.
Some of the Mitsubishi A6M Zeros were even converted into float-planes.
But nearing the defeat of the Japanese, they were used for Kamikaze missions.

Ration Hint of the Day - Number fourteen

Ration Hint No. 14

To keep yolks of eggs fresh and stop them drying out.

Place the unbroken egg yolks in cold water.
Have sufficient cold water in the cup or bowl, to cover the egg yolks and they will keep perfectly.

WWII Aircraft of the Day - The Boeing B-29

The Boeing B-29 Superfortress

The Boeing B-29 Superfortress
United States of America
By Salem

The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was the bomber that dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Boeing designed this four engined heavy bomber.
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress had a great advantage over the Japanese due to it's ability to climb to great heights.
It was a very advanced bomber for it's time and remained in service way after the war had ended.

Ginger Biscuits

Ginger Biscuits

These biscuits are very yummy and smell divine when cooking.
I have just made a batch now.
You can add another teaspoon of ginger if you want a very gingery bikkie.
Great with a hot cup of tea.
Don't forget to dunk!!!!!

Ginger Biscuits

1/4 cup margarine

1 Tablespoon golden syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

2 teaspoons powdered ginger

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup plain flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda.

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C.
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

Melt the margarine and golden syrup together.

Stir in the vanilla essence then add to the bowl of dry ingredients.

Mix into a dough.  Use your hands as it is easier.

Roll into small balls and press down onto a lightly greased oven tray.

Prick with a fork and bake for 10-13 minutes.

Leave to cool down for a few minutes then cool on a wire rack until cold.

WWII Aircraft of the Day - The Yak 1

The Yak 1

The Yak 1 - Russia
By Salem

The Yak 1 was one of the aircraft that turned the tide of the German Invasion of Russia.
It was a single seated mono-plane and was extremely manouverable  and fast.
It's fuselage was made of welded steel tubes and fabric- faced plywood, it was light and sturdy.
The Yak 1 was produced from early 1940 and was very well armed.

Ration Hint of the Day - Number Thirteen

Ration Hint No. 13

Beating egg whites for cakes.

Beat egg whites for cakes at the time it is to be used.
If allowed to stand, some of the liquid white will go to the bottom of the bowl, and if this is put into the cake it will make the cake tough.
So beat and use immediately.

Aircraft of the Day - The Aichi D3A

The Aichi D3A

The Aichi D3A - Japan
By Salem

An important aircraft in the success of the Japanese Imperial Navy was the Aichi D3A was was code-named "Val" by the Allies.
It was an all metal dive bomber.
It's main bomb-load was slung on a crutch which swung forward during the attack dive.
The Aichi D3A served in many battles including the raid on Pearl Harbor and attacks on the U.S. bases in the Phillipines.
The Aichi D3A also sank more Allied warships, including the cruisers the Cornwall and the Dorsetshire, than any other Axis aircraft during WWII.

Salem has really been enjoying learning about the aircraft of WWII.

We looked up how many different aircraft there were and there were hundreds so he will be doing an Aircraft of the Day for quite a while.

Looking at this blogs stats, the Aircraft of the Day is proving quite popular, so thank you to everyone who has been having a look.

Check in again tomorrow.

Ration Hint of the Day - Number Twelve

This next hint is not intending to be a replacement for a fire extinguisher to be kept in the kitchen.
Not all of us have an extinguisher, if you do, make sure it is the correct type.
The wrong type is as dangerous as throwing water on a fat fire.
I was a chef for many years and always made sure we had a large salt container by our stove tops.

Ration Hint No. 12

Putting out a fat fire.

You may never have had the fat in a broiling pan catch fire or a pan of fat catch fire, but accidents will happen and a fat fire is an obstinate fire.
Don't ever try to put out a fat fire with water.
Water and fat will not mix and water will only spread the fire.
Take the salt box and throw salt on the fire.
Just keep throwing on a handful of salt and the fire will soon go out.

Ration Hint of the Day - Number Eleven and Night-time Cooking

Last night's cooking

Last night, after the kids went to bed, I decided it was time to do some baking to fill up our tins.
I like to make three loaves at a time as they all fit in the oven so are cooked together.
I made my oaty loaf, cheese loaf and the coconut loaf.  All favourites of my boys.
And since I had the oven all heated, I made a batch of chocolate biscuits to go in after the loaves were done.
I used self-raising flour by mistake instead of plain flour and baing soda.
So I thought that the texture would be different, and it was at the ten minute cooking time, so I left them in for an extra five minutes.
They turned out great.  Very hard like a New Zealand "Gingernut" biscuit, great for dunking in a cup of tea.
The boys want me to cook them like that again.


The recipes for the delicious goodies are in my previous posts.
Look them up and give them a try.

Now for the next Ration Hint .......

Frying Spam

Ration Hint No. 11

Stopping grease from spluttering.

When grease snaps and splutters in the frying-pan, just put about 1/4 teaspoon of flour in a sifter and sift it into the hot grease and instantly the spluttering will cease.

WWII Aircraft of the Day - The Nakajima Ki-27

The Nakajima Ki-27

The Nakajima Ki-27 - Japan

By Salem

The Nakajima Ki-27 was the first Japanese low-winged monoplane fighter.

It was the main fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force until 1940.

The Allied Forces gave it the nickname of "Nate".

The Nakajima Ki-27 was also called "Abdul" in the China Burma India Theater.

It was used for combat by the Manchukuo and Thai Armed Forces.

Ration Hint of the Day - Number Ten

Ration Hint No. 10

To make light scones.

Milk made from dried milk makes light scones and cakes.

Icing sugar helps to make scones light.

Scones are lighter mixed with water, but keep moist longer when mixed with milk.

"I personally like to use 1/2 milk with 1/2 water."

WWII Aircraft of the Day - The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka

The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka

The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka

Japan

By Salem

The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka "Cherry Blossom" was the world's only purpose built Kamikaze suicide attack aircraft that saw service.

The American sailors nicknamed it "Baka" which is Japanese for idiot or fool.
The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka was less of an aircraft and more like a flying bomb.
It had short stubby wings and very crude controls.
The pilot was carried by a 'mother' aircraft, which was usually a converted bomber, then released within gliding range of it's target.

Ration Hint of the Day - Number Nine

Ration Hint No. 9

How to make butter spread further.

1 Tablespoon cold water
1 teaspoon gelatine
1/4 lb butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk

Soften gelatine in 1 tablespoonful milk over hot water.  
Cut butter into small pieces and heat over hot water until butter is soft enough to beat.
Do not melt butter.
Add dissolved gelatine and salt to the milk, having milk at room temperature.
Gradually whip milk into the butter with eggbeater.
Put aside to cool and set.
Ready for use.

WWII Aircraft of the Day - The Ilyushin Il 2 Shturmovik

The Ilyushin Il 2 Shturmovik

The Ilyushin Il 2 Shturmovik
Russia
By Salem

The Ilyushin Il 2 Shturmovik was one of WWII's greatest aircraft and were very well armoured.
It was an all metal, low-winged monoplane designed for low altitude tank-busting.
The Ilyushin Il 2 Shturmovik was loved by Russia and feared by the enemy.
They were highly mass produced with over 36,000 of them built in both one seater and two seater versions.

Cheese Loaf

Cheese Loaf

This loaf is extremely tasty and very yummy.
This recipe is another from the "Self Help Wartime Cooking Suggestion"s booklet.
It is the favourite of the Grumpy Teenager.
It keeps well and still stays soft after several days if it's not eaten up first.

Cheese Loaf

2 cups of flour
1/2 cup grated cheese
4 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon each of salt, pepper & mustard
1 cup milk

Mix all dry ingredients and add milk to consistency of a soft dough.
Pour into greased loaf tin.
Bake in oven  for 30 minutes at 180 degrees C.

I used half milk and half water and instead of the plain flour and baking powder I used self raising flour.
It turned out perfectly fine.
I also added 1 teaspoon each of dried chives and dried parsley which really bought out the cheesy flavour.
I didn't have mustard powder, just English mustard in a jar and this also worked well.

Do try this very tasty loaf.

Ration Hint of the Day - Number Eight

Ration Hint No. 8

How to make butter spread further.

1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon warm milk

Mix together and the butter will go further.

Note - Only mix sufficient for one day's use at a time - for sandwiches, etc.
Does not apply when using cooking measurements.

WWII Aircraft of the Day - The Caproni Ca 101

The Caproni Ca 101

The Caproni Ca 101 - Italy

By Salem

The Caproni Ca 101 was a sturdily built aircraft with three engines.

Even though the Caproni Ca 101 were mainly used in the Italian invasion of Ethiopia (1935 - 36) and the Spanish Civil War (1936 - 39), it was still used in the conflict with Russia in 1943.

This bomber / transporter only had a weight capacity of 500 kg.

Ration Hint of the Day - Number Seven

Ration Hint No.7

To save eggs.

In making custard, 1 tablespoon of golden syrup dissolved in 1 cup of milk is said to be equal to 1 egg.

WWII Aircraft of the Day - The Heinkel He 59

The Heinkel He 59

The Heinkel He 59 - Germany

By Salem

The Heinkel He 59 was a seaplane often used for air-sea rescue duties.

It had been designed as a torpedo bomber and during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) and was a member of the Condor Legion.

The pilots soon discovered that the Heinkel He 59 made an ideal night bomber and could glide silently towards the enemy.

Ration Hint of the Day - Number Six

Ration Hint No.6

To save eggs.

When making milk puddings and eggs are scarce or expensive, use a heaped teaspoon of Custard Powder instead of each egg required.

Coconut Loaf

Coconut Loaf

This recipe is from the "Self Help Wartime Cooking Suggestion"s booklet.

I cooked this last week and thought it was quite nice and mildly flavoured.  

Not very sweet but was very nice with some jam and then was very nice toasted and spread with butter or margarine.

Then I made another last night and added a tablespoonful of coconut sprinkled over the top before baking it and that really added a nice toasted coconut flavour to the loaf.

It has also passed the kids taste test.  They love it.

Coconut Loaf

2 cups flour

3 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 dessertspoon  golden syrup

6 Tablespoons dessicated cocnut

Milk to mix.

Sift flour, salt and baking powder.

Add sugar and coconut.

Mix the syrup and milk.  (I found 1 cup half milk/ half water worked fine)

Stir into the dry ingredients to form a moist dough.

Bake in a greased loaf tin at 180 degrees C for 30 minutes.

Instead of using plain flour and the baking powder, I used self-raising flour instead.

Yummy, yummy, yummy!!!!!!

Ration Hint of the Day - Number Five

Ration Hint No.5

To save sugar.

To save sugar add a pinch of baking soda when stewing fruit.