Thanksgiving Bounty

We live in a land of exceptional bounty, but it wasn’t always so.

As I give thanks for the food on my Thanksgiving table and the hands that prepared it, I think back to a time when it wasn’t quite so easy to obtain that food. Did you realize that 80 years ago, various grocery items (sugar, butter, coffee, cooking oil, canned and frozen goods, dairy, and meats) were rationed to help our military succeed during WWII?

Between 1942-1945 one would have had trouble securing enough ingredients for just one pumpkin pie. Why the 3/4 cup of sugar and 2 eggs required in today’s recipe exceeded an average person’s WWII weekly ration allowance. One was able to purchase just 8 ounces of sugar and one egg per week.

Today, I think nothing of adding a stick of butter to my pan of fried apples. However, during WWII, dairy restrictions allowed for a half stick (two ounces) of butter per week. Cheese was limited, too, to one ounce per week.

Another simple pleasure I gratefully enjoy is my morning cup of coffee. And I don’t question putting half an unfinished cup of the satisfying liquid down the sink. However, during WWII, coffee wasn’t to be wasted or thrown out. It was hard to come by. Some supplies from other countries were cut off due to the war. In 1942, a family was allowed a pound of coffee every five to six weeks and they had to make it last.

In WWII, food was a great comfort to soldiers overseas. The military worked very hard to provide a hot, traditional Thanksgiving meal of turkey and all the trimmings. At home Americans were asked to limit their consumption of meat to two and a half pounds of meat per person per week, less than six ounces per day. Think of that as we eye today’s large roasted turkeys!

One thing that wasn’t rationed during WWII was fresh fruits and vegetables. They could be purchased when available with no coupons or restrictions. Today, I enjoy picking out my fresh produce at a weekly market and am grateful for it. I’m happy that someone cared enough to plant the seeds and tend the crops. I’m glad someone worked hard and delivered the food to market. I’m pleased the grocer has what I need. Each day, we can even see our grocery shelves restocked.

I think back to Brooksville farmers such as J.T. Daniels (1877-1961), who helped families make ends meet. He left culled vegetables in crates and piles of melons outside his home on Highland Avenue. They were free for the taking. His generosity continued from the Great Depression to WWII.

Each person in the chain, from the farmer to the truck driver to the grocer, plays a part in my Thanksgiving. I’m grateful I can celebrate at this bountiful table and live in a time without rations and restrictions. We truly live in a great country.

Happy Thanksgiving!