Victory Gardens -- Can all you can!

When I was in grade school in New Orleans, I spent a lot of time at my grandfather's house. On many evenings, his neighbor, an amateur chef whom he also dated for many years, came over to cook for us. Mike (her given name was Ruby) had lived through the Great Depression, and though she didn't often prepare the cream cheese and olive sandwiches her mother had made from the family rations, I knew about them.

By the time I was a teenager, I'd learned about the Depression and the Dust Bowl, the Stock Market Crash of 1929. I was aware of how hungry I might have been had I grown up just half a century earlier.

It wasn't until last month when I visited the Rosie the Riveter Visitor Center in Richmond, CA that I learned in detail about Victory Gardens, grown in abundance in the United States between WWI and WWII. The goal was to alleviate pressure on the public food stores. Gardening helped feed families and boosted morale for civilians on the home front. In the winter, excess food from VG's was canned and shipped to the troops.

To help get the gardens started, the government sometimes provided seeds, soil, water and expertise. Food was grown in public parks, backyards, on school grounds, and even in a crater in London.

The refrain "Can All you Can" emerged around 1941 here in the U.S.
In London, you heard things like "Plant more in '44!"

At peak production, Americans boasted 20 million gardens, and at that time VG's were responsible for over 40 percent of the vegetables consumed here. This was good for the government and even better for citizens' health; VG's were responsible for bringing nutrient-packed Swiss chard and kohlrabi into the American diet.

Here's what your standard backyard VG looked like, front to back:

2 rows potatoes
2 rows carrots
2 rows cucumbers
2 rows onions
2 rows lettuce
3 tomato plants

Needless to say, VG's fell out of favor when folks had more money in their pockets, but you'll notice a community garden here and there. With the 60's came a heightened fear (and rightfully so) of pesticide use. And people began planting anew in their own backyards.

I'm still investigating whether all these six items will grow outdoors in the Texas heat. It's a good experiment since my first baby is due six months from now!

I'll keep you posted. It'll be some time before I have access to enough of my own dirt.

Pondering Life Choices Through Dessert

A few weeks ago, I had a fabulous trip to San Antonio, Texas, which Mark Twain declared one of the four unique cities in the United States. Since I've lived in the first two cities and within a two-hour's drive of the third, I think a move to San Antonio is on the table.

It offers the chance to live in a more affordable southern city near both my mother and another key person in my life. But until I make the physical move (I've got another year of grad school), I will ponder how the River City provoked me through food. For now, here are the pictures.

I purchased the small cinnamon roll from Los Cocos Bakery and ate it right away. It was delicious and is definitely meant for one. As it write this, I observe how nicely it fits on the small dish with the black and white leaf design. 

This next dessert amazed me. A classmate had told me about the cinnamon rolls from Lulu's Bakery and Cafe but I was astounded when I finally saw one. It weighs three pounds and is wider than most infants! I was only in San Antonio for a few days, so I couldn't bring myself to dig into it. It needs to be shared with several people so I've frozen it. I like the way it looks wrapped up for later. 

I've decided that appropriate names for these desserts are the Western Cinnamon Roll and the Southern Cinnamon Roll. They look good together, I think.  

–MDB