Saturday 9 January 2010

On not taking a day off

I've discovered something pleasing. When I started this experiment, I mentioned the need to cook a Sunday lunch for our best friends Kate and Jon on one of the days covered by rationing. I concluded that I'd need a day off the ration to manage it.

But looking at my ration book, I can cover the meal with very little penalty. I've saved so much butter that I still have a week's worth left at the start of the second week. I've barely dented the margarine ration. The dripping ration is tiny, but using the extra butter and marg instead means I don't have to take a hit on that.

That means I don't have an issue with any leftovers: if I'm discounting the roast lamb, how do I use the uneaten meat in further recipes over the next week - something I'd do even when not rationing - without discounting them again? But I can cut the coupons without penalty and CJBS can dine off the lamb in the week.

All this means that tonight we're having the leftover vegetable curry again, but it was very tasty and we won't mind a second go immediately after the first.

4 comments:

Michelle said...

Congratulations! Saving a bit in advance really does make a big difference. Our daughter's birthday is next week and between family and friends we'll have 17 mouths to feed! We settled on from-scratch macaroni and cheese and a banana cake (no frosting), so we've been saving up our cheese, butter and sugar rations so we don't go "off the program" for her event. Doesn't it feel satisfying?

Also, we sympathize with the lack of fresh produce - it's our biggest disappointment so far.

--Michelle (Rational Mama)

Anonymous said...

You are doing exactly what people used to do by saving up for guests. No matter how bad things got they always managed to put on a "spread"

Camp coffee always was disgusting.

angygraham said...

I am not anonymous

Kif............ said...

Having the same (good) meal on two consecutive evenings is not an issue with me and the apologies offered for this apparent "sin" are never required. I often fancy again 'what I had last night' (if it was good) and so I never feel bored with the same dish on two evenings. Avoids waste too. Two of my customary desires met at once!