23 January 1933 “1930’s, Here I Come…again. Yummy Spiced Coffee Cake, Breakfast Cereal, Twentieth Amendment to U.S. Constitution and our President Roosevelt talks about Foreclosures.”

Well, as usual, all your lovely thoughts put things into perspective. And I find myself again thankful for our little community. Though we are not actual neighbors, as virtual neighbors you are all gems. You sat me down and made me feel good, as if we were gabbing over a cuppa and some coffee cake in the kitchen or over the fence. I thank you.

I see by the poll that a large majority are happy for me to continue onwards in the 1930’s. And to those few of you who have voted for my return to 1950’s know that I shall, in time, return there. In many ways it is a sort of normal living for me. And, at the year’s end, may happily move to simply a state of 1950’s stasis. I do think, however, that the 1950’s fans will find some fun and excitement in the 1930’s as well. Remember, this is living history to those 50’s homemakers, either in their own childhood or simply lessons learned from Mother. It would have played a major role in their development. And so, in true deeper investigative form that I so love, find it really adds to my understanding of the 1950’s. And, how much more will I appreciate my 1950’s things after my sojourn through the 30’s and into the beginning of the War in Europe?

Therefore, I shall get back to it, as it were, and focus more on what I am doing and learning and worrying less about comments. But, do know it was for you and because I do care about who reads my little scribblings. You have all come to mean so much to me, even those who merely read and don’t comment, in your well wishing or even casual interest, it spurs a gal onward to try harder and to be truer to herself and her project. I also think I may include more polls in the future as they are sort of fun. Most likely dealing with things pertaining to the 1930’s of course.

Now, how about a lovely 1930’s recipe.

This morning I made hubby and I a lovely coffee cake from my 1930’s Better Home’s and Gardens Cookbook. I checked again in my 1950’s version and could not find a coffee cake recipe in there. I have a few I used in the 1950’s, my favorite being the Fanny Farmer version. But, wanting to compare the 30’s recipe with the same book in the 50’s could not find the recipe at all, odd. If I have simply overlooked it, do let me know readers and tell us page number and such if you have a copy of the 1950’s version of the cook book. Here it is fresh from the oven, I wish I could impart the smell to you! It was heavenly. And our having had snow recently made the warm spicy aroma even more enticing as one wants to simply curl up with a slice and a warm cup of tea or coffee in front of the fire.

I served it with hot coffee for our breakfast. Hubby loved it. I was worried it would be too spicy, as I find many modern palates do not appreciate the more deeper spices I find in older recipes. I often peruse Victorian recipes and see such things as candied fruits and heavily spiced foods were more normal, mainly due to their lack of refrigeration as well as taste.

I am finding, thus far, that the recipes I have encountered do have a bit more chemistry or work in them than some of the 1950’s versions. I am glad to have done the 1950’s earlier. I also noted that this cookbook has, as does the 1950’s variety, much use of shortening over butter. I have since found out that this was mainly part of the push to get homemakers to switch to it, but in fact many would be using butter or lard in lieu of shortening as I did. I chose butter as the recipe begins with your mixing the flours and spices with the fat as you would a pastry. I always use ice cold butter for pastry so did so here.

If you would like to follow this recipe here are some things you can do. If you do not have cake flour, as I never do, simply make it by replaces 2 tablespoons of flour with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in each cup used in a recipe. And if you do not have buttermilk, I usually do when I make my own butter, you simply add one tsp white vinegar to your one cup measuring cup, then fill to full with milk (at least 2% milkfat or higher) and let stand 15 minutes. I did that today and it worked fine.

This cake is so dense and rich. It rises a treat and has such warm and hearty fragrances. When I was making it I thought, “my this is quite a bit of butter for that little 8 x 8 pan” but it is so dense and rich that one small piece and hubby and I were more than full. It has an almost softer note of a gingerbread but a bit lighter overall. I highly recommend it and it really gives one a taste of what was considered a treat in 1930’s.

I thought for fun, I would share this wheaties ad from one of my 1933 magazines. It is interesting as it involves the use of a sports here, Babe Ruth, as a means to lure one into buying the product. One is also able to collect a prize by mailing in a box top. I thought the drawing also fun to see the 1930’s women and the look of the children as well. Certainly eggs and bacon and oatmeal are more likely to be found on that breakfast table, but the move towards prepared cereals are growing.

Now, for some news:

Today, 23 January 1933, the 2oth Amendment to our U.S. Constitution is ratified, changing Inauguration Day from March 4 to January 20, starting in 1937.

This process was meant to put an end to lame duck congress or government. That is to say, with the length of time to March, an outgoing President and his administration may not have the ability or support to act quickly enough to various circumstances. It also dealt with the situation were there no president elect. If the president were to be killed or die and there were no vice president in line of succession, that line was now laid out. This same instance of who is next in line was dealt with again in the Succession Act of 1947.

Many felt that during Lincolns election, this stalemate of waiting until March affected greatly his dealing with the Civil War and was used as the argument for the 20th Amendment.

Here we see the new President Roosevelt discussing the current plans to recover from the Depression. His talk about halting foreclosures of farms and homes until solutions are found would be greatly appreciated today, as well, I am certain. I know many seem to think it odd for me to compare today with the Depression, but in so doing I am not belittling the struggles of those who suffered through it, but only drawing parallels so that we might, today, not repeat such history.

We are not currently as bad off as those in the 1930’s, but we must remember MANY now are being saved by policies invented during that time. Unemployment, Healthcare, Social Security and the like are readily available today, but were only being created then. Were we not to have them I am certain we would feel it much harder. I know, as someone who gets no government money, has to pay very high prices for healthcare and property and income taxes, that with the rise in grocery bills and the relative inflation in our current dollar, we personally have had a pay loss. Just the increase in fuel and food costs over the past three years (the last time hubby received a raise) has made it seem as if he has lost at least a $2 an hour pay cut. 

Our current unemployment rate of 8% would also be closer to 20% if we used the same system as they did in the Depression rather than our new system. Also our current inflationary figures do NOT count food or fuel costs, which seems rather odd when those are the greatest factors affecting the poor and middle classes.

We do need to respect those who have gone, but let us not, for one instance, think that we might not ever find ourselves in dire straights again. As I always say, “Forewarned is Forearmed”.

Happy Homemaking.

Now, to our President: