52 Ancestors: Unusual Source - U.S. War Rations

My parents, Gordon and Gerry (Martin) Levy, met at Fresno High School in about 1943 - dad was a senior, Mom was a sophomore.  Shortly after my dad graduated in June,1944 he went away to Stanford to start his college career.  Of course, Mom missed him terribly so she did what people did in those days, she wrote letters to her man.  With social media and e-mail today, those hand written letters are virtually non-existent but, fortunately, my dad inherited the "pack rat" gene and saved the letters she wrote to him.

Gerry Martin and Gordon Levy, c. 1944

They look so young in this photo but it would have been about the time they were writing to each other.  Note:  My mother apparently did not have the "pack rat" gene as I haven't located any of the letters he wrote to her.

My latest project has been transcribing the letters she wrote to him and I've learned a lot about my mother from these letters.  I could research for years and years and without this unusual source I would never have learned details about her cousin Norma, whom she spent a lot of time with, and Norma's parents, Winnie (Dick) and John Hoey.  And who would have guessed her overuse of the exclamation point!!!!!!  But most of all, I would have never understood just how much this young woman who had just turned 16 loved my dad. ♥

As I transcribed letters yesterday, I came to a very interesting section where she wrote on September 2, 1944:

Just went down to get the steaks!!!  Beautiful 2 inch thick T-bones!!!   This isn’t common knowledge but we don’t have to pay the points until we get them!  Also I think the place should be reported to the A.P.A. for the prices they charge!!  Not because they’re high but because they’re so low!!!!  Please don’t think we’re too awful – we’re not you know!!!

Of course my radar went up as I typed the part about common knowledge and then - what?  Points?  So I did what any person in 2021 would do and immediately started researching.  And sure enough, I started learning about meat and cheese rationing in World War II.  

I came across a blog at www.sarahsundin.com that was very interesting.  On March 29, 2018 she wrote this:

Rationing of meat and cheese was an important part of life on the US Home front.  A complex and constantly changing system kept grocery shoppers on their toes.

The United States produced meat and cheese for her civilians and military, and also for her Allies.  During World War I, food shortages were a serious problem, with hoarding, escalating prices, and rushes on stores.  When World War II started, the government reduced deliveries to stores and restaurants, instituted price controls, and urged people to voluntarily reduce consumption.  Britain had already instituted a point-based rationing system and had found it effective, so the United States decided to implement a similar program in 1943.  Rationing made sure everyone got a fair share.

Did Mom or Dad ever talk about this?  While I knew there had been rationing, I didn't really think about the fact that it could have affected my parents or even grandparents.  But, apparently, it had.

And the blog went on to say:

War Ration Books Two, Three, and Four contained blue stamps for processed foods and red stamps for meat, cheese, and fats.  Each person received 64 red stamps each month, providing 28 ounces of meat and 4 ounces of cheese per week.  The stamps were printed with a number for point value and a letter to specify the rationing period - such as C8.  Rationing calendars in newspapers declared which stamps were current and for how long.  To prevent fraud, the stamps had to be torn off in the presence of the grocer.  Stamps were good for one, two, five, or eight points, with "no change" given, so the shopper had to be careful to use the exact number of stamps.  The system was simplified on February 27, 1944, when plastic tokens were issued as change.

Each cut of meat was assigned a point value per pound, based not on price or quality, but on scarcity.  These point values varied throughout the war depending on supply and demand.  "Variety meats" such as kidney, liver, brain, and tongue had little use for the military, so their point values were low.  On May 3, 1944, thanks to a good supply, all meats except steak and choice cuts of beef were removed from rationing - temporarily. 

You can read her complete blog HERE

And then it hit me - I'd seen War Ration Books somewhere around my house so I went on a hunt to find them.  There they were - the property of my husband's maternal grandparents, Pearl (Grumer) and Marcus Burket Byrd.

Pearl (Grumer) and Marcus Byrd, date unknown

I have to laugh - "Do not lose it".

Never pay more than the legal price - how did you know what was legal?

My mother's letters to my dad have proven to be an unusual source and I had no idea the things I'd learn.  Who knew?

52 Ancestors: In the Kitchen - Tamale Pie!

 

Yes, that's me in the kitchen apparently helping Mom cook.  Funny, I don't remember ever being 'allowed' to help in the kitchen but here's proof that I did.  My mother always wore an apron - looks like I followed in her footsteps.

Mom was a good cook and I remember that she typically prepared a 'well balanced' meal each night - salad (not always green but maybe shrimp, macaroni, etc.), a meat (chicken, steak, or icky chicken liver), and a vegetable (broccoli, squash, carrots).  But once in a while she'd make some sort of casserole, most memorably "goop" and tamale pie.

I don't remember ever making tamale pie as an adult and doubt that my children have ever had a taste.  But when Mom died and we were cleaning out her house, I remember my brother, sister, and I reminiscing about tamale pie and did any of us have the recipe?  We all quickly chimed in "NO"!

So as we continued to clean, we all stayed on the lookout for the recipe.  And when we got to "the" recipe box, we figured we were close.  I don't remember when Mom started this recipe box but you can see that it's seen better days.

There were a lot of recipes stuffed inside.  And sure enough, there it was!

Tamale Casserole?  What the heck?  We always called in Tamale Pie so I was a bit confused and even wondered if I'd found the correct recipe.  But after a trial run, my taste buds told me it was THE one.

Disclaimer:  The first time I made it I found it impossible to find Nalleys Enchaladas (cracks me up that she spelled it like that) or any other brand of canned enchiladas.  So I punted and used two cans of tamales instead - wouldn't it be better to have an additional can of tamales in Tamale Pie anyway?  And this year required three trips to three different grocery stores to find canned tamales - darn Covid!

I don't know if Mom switched it up but I always remember the olives being whole rather than chopped.  I can remember biting into them and a bonus squirt of tamale pie would take over.  Yum!

Years ago someone in the genealogy world shared a photo of a recipe they'd had etched into a bamboo board and instantly I knew what I would give my brother and sister that year for Christmas.  Maybe I couldn't ship them food but I sure could send them this.

I love that it's in Mom's handwriting!

We never really do much on Christmas Day so I've started a new tradition - I make Tamale Pie.  And just like I remember, it is so, so good.  See those whole olives in there?

I don't remember Mom serving it in a 'special' bowl but I have realized that we all have certain foods that go into certain bowls.  Mashed potatoes in this bowl, green salad in that bowl.  And now I have a Tamale Pie bowl, although I might need to double the recipe so that it fills up the bowl.

I don't have a photo of Mom with her apron on but I do need to shout out my compliments to the chef!  And what woman in the 1950's didn't wear pearls to a barbeque?

Thanks for the recipe, Mom!