Listen, the hard candy cost 9 cents a pound, cream 15 cents a pint, nuts two pounds for 35 cents. Some change! – Ina Dobson to son Vance, December 1932
We can laugh today at the inflation noted by Ina during the Great Depression, but in the days when every penny counted, I guess those were terrible prices. Strictly speaking, she didn’t need hard candy and nuts, but she wanted them as treats to serve at her annual Christmas party. She said that others were unable to contribute, so it fell to her to provide for everyone. She added that the store gave her an extra pound of hard candy, and she was grateful.
Previously I have said that we can afford to have whatever we want from the grocery store. I now say, “We can, but do we want to?” Food items keep going up. For 30 years, I have mixed myself a cup of hot chocolate with a touch of instant coffee every morning, but given the price of chocolate and coffee, I’m about to let it go. We have a stash of tea in the cupboard, so if I don’t find an outlet for affordable hot chocolate, I’ll switch to tea. What happens if you drink bedtime tea first thing in the morning?
But
– we have to eat. The question is, what are we going to eat? I think Mike and I
will stick to the basics – produce, dairy, bread, and meat. Maybe we’ll eat
foods that are better for us. Relatively speaking, processed food has always been
expensive.
What about other shopping? I might not buy 30 dolls this year. Maybe I’ll only buy two. I thought about buying a Maplelea Girl, the Canadian answer to the American Girl, but I don’t need another doll. In fact, I don’t need much – hardly anything at all. My stashes will hold me for a while. It’s just that something new now and then boosts the morale.
Here’s
a small project I just finished – two Halloween quilt-as-you-go mug rugs, kits
from the Fat Quarter Shop. They were quick to make and added to my enjoyment of
the season. And the pineapple upside-down-cake that Mike ordered turned out
well, too. (Not everything turns out well these days.) KW
6 comments:
The Pineapple upside-down cake looks very yummy! It was Mom’s favorite! Love the mug rugs too. Cute!
Yes, I thought of Harriet all the while I was baking the cake. I remember Mother making pineapple upside-down cake only a couple of times. I have never made one before, but I guess Mike remembered one from his past and had a hankering for it. I used Betty Crocker's easy recipe -- a cake mix rather than from scratch. And I tried to halve the recipe. It was fine, but next time I'll try a scratch version.
I haven't made a pineapple upside-down cake in years but I used to love them, too. I used a scratch recipe but I have no idea where I got it. Hmmm. And the mug rugs are perfect! So cute.
P.S. You're worth the coffee and cocoa whatever the price! Little everyday treats are a ritual worth hanging on to in these crazy times.
Hi Chris! Thanks for the encouragement. Actually, Mike and I had that conversation. We're worth what we want from the grocery store, though I'll probably continue to have sticker shock.
I find that simplified recipes just don't satisfy my desire for the retro experience. In search of the true pineapple upside-down cake, I'll try again. Another issue is that we don't want to eat it forever, so I try for a small batch, and that doesn't always work either.
I read this post some time ago but didn’t comment. Chris said what I would have: it’s the little luxuries that sustain us. You shouldn’t give up your morning cocoa and if you try, Santa might deliver a year’s supply!
I did buy more Swiss Miss, and I bought instant coffee at Walmart, and I will continue. However, I just can't help but have sticker shock sometimes.
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