And so it begins

If I wait until January comes around again, I’ll chicken out. Hell, if I wait the 29 days until 8 August, I’ll chicken out. I’m starting today, 10 July, 2018 because waiting is the worst part.

The first items rationed were bacon/ham, butter, and sugar on 8 January, 1940. I was unable to find dates for margarine, cooking fats, milk, and the points system, so I’ll start on those today also.

Bacon/ham: 6 oz. In April, 1945 the ration was actually 4 oz but I’m trash and adore bacon too much to do that to myself. The highest recorded ration of bacon/ham for regular civilians was 8 oz but that would feel like cheating, so I split the difference.

Butter/margarine: 8 oz. I hate the idea of buying two different products for the same damn thing, so I’m lumping the two together into the butter ration. Like the bacon/ham ration it’s higher than the minimum (6 oz combined) but lower than the maximum (1 lb, 4 oz combined).

Sugar: 8 oz, as per the chart on Wikipedia.

Milk: 4 pints. The fresh ration was 3 for the average person, but a packet of powdered household milk was provided every eight weeks or so that equaled out to an extra pint each week. I don’t know where I would get milk powder and have no patience for it, so I’m playing pretend.

Cooking fat: 2 oz. For me that means liquid ounces, since I don’t really make sweets and any other cooking I use olive oil on. If that changes at any point, I’ll put a note in that for that certain ration I got oleo instead or whatever.

20 ration points/mo. Those could go for a good many things, and most of the specifics aren’t known, beyond a can of fish, 2 lbs dried fruit (when those go on ration later), or 8 lbs dried peas. I’ll take that to mean processed food in general, 10-20 points per item depending on what it is.

All the fresh fruit and veg I want. I’m not limiting myself to the kinds available then and there, but I’m not allowing any prepackaged stuff either. Sorry prepared Caesar salad, I’ll miss you too.

Looking at the small amounts of all the good stuff (bacon, I’m looking at you) makes me a little nervous. I know I won’t go hungry thanks to the unlimited allowance of fresh fruit and veg, but it makes me instinctively antsy to be limited. At the same time I’m laughing at myself because oh, this is barely the tip of the rationing iceberg…

People often spent their work breaks at places called British restaurants, basically cheap canteens serving nutritious food. Eating didn’t require ration coupons but the courses and prices were limited. I’m taking that to mean that when I go out with friends, I pick the smaller quantity and if possible a healthier option.

There will be a lot of cooking though, since I don’t work outside the home. The lack of prepackaged foods available back then compared to now are what makes the fats and sugar rationing so hard. If you’re making everything from scratch, you’ll want to use a lot of both. Too bad that’s not an option under rationing. 

Here’s to Day 1!

(This post was copied from my Tumblr on 10th July, 2018.)