[Sca-cooks] Re: WWII

[Peldyn at aol.com]

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[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
In a message dated 8/8/2002 3:54:58 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
sca-cooks-request at ansteorra.org writes:


> *sound of jaw dropping on floor*
>
> > My
> >grandfather was captured at the Battle of the Bulge and put in a prisoner
> >camp. My grandmother was left with a new baby (my mom) and no idea if my
> >grandfather was alive or not. She probably didn't have much money and food
> >items were rationed. Hmmm.... food for thought!
> >Peldyn
>
> So was my Grandfather! My mom's Dad. He weighed 130# when he came home (six
> feet tall) and for the rest of his life refused to eat any soup whatsoever
> unless there was at least a half a package of crackers in it. Some parts
> must have been ok though- My mom was born about 9 months and ten minutes
> after he came home... ;-D)
>
> My mom always blamed her mother's interesting culinary expeditions  as hold
> over from growing up in rural Missouri during the Depression. The family
> went to California (didn't everyone?) in teh late 30's but they still
> cooked as though they were on the farm. Never met a meal she couldn't
> oversalt, or a vegetable that couldn't be turned into olive drab mush.
>
> Other side of the family though- Mennonites- Boy-howdy! There's good
> eatin'!
>
> 'Lainie
>

My goodness! I remember my grandmother talking about how he looked like a
walking skeleton. Six foot two and skin and bones. Most of the other men with
him died from starvation. Somehow he hung on. He escaped three times and was
recaptured. He would never talk about it. I will have to ask her what the
name of the camp was. It has been about 20 years since we last talked about
it. As for cooking, my grandmother was from Mississippi and she could make
the best pot roast. She also made the best skillet cornbread, oh with ham and
red eye gravy.  It was definitely not a skill she passed to my mother.
Peldyn