Wolves

My friends here in Small Town run the Small Town economic spectrum - some of my friends are small town rich (a nice house on the good street in town, a couple of shopping trips to Toronto each year, a boat and a car that wasn't bought used) and some of my friends are living on almost unimaginably tiny amounts of money, surviving by their cleverness and their ability to stretch a small amount almost endlessly. We are in the middle of the Small Town spectrum - enough money to pay the bills and enough leftover for the kind of pleasant small extras that make life fun, so long as we're careful all the time.

Recently though, I have felt financially imperiled - debts piling up, expenses spiraling out of control - and Christmas is in 56 days, as my children constantly are reminding me. It's a chilly Novemberish sort of feeling, this not-enoughness, and so I spent some time combing through frugality websites, reading endless hamburger recipes and tips for buying used shoes. I pictured a grim future for us, with me wearing someone else's old polyester dress (the kind that comes pre-stained in the armpits) and feeding my children on cheap starches. My husband gently suggested that I had perhaps been frugal enough for one day and I instead sulked in a bubble bath and read M.F.K. Fisher's "How To Cook A Wolf."

WELL. If you ever want to feel IMMENSELY better about your financial affairs, THAT is the book to read. The food shortages and rationing from World War II certainly put our temporary financial drought into a much more cheerful perspective - we have to watch our spending for a few weeks, while that book contains recipes for pigeon and has a certain grim chapter called "How To Keep Alive."  And it also contains the finest recipe for gingerbread  - the cake kind - that I know of, just the thing to make on a cold November morning, when you need its spicy richness to chase the wolves right away from your door.

Edith's Gingerbread

• 1/4 cup shortening (although I'm using butter)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger, cloves and salt
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (this is not a typo - you add soda in TWICE to the recipe, so it's listed twice in the ingredients. Trust me on this!)
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 beaten egg

Cream the shortening and sugar. Mix the spices, flour, and baking powder together. Beat the 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda into the molasses until it is light and fluffy and mix into the shortening/sugar mixture. Add the 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda into the boiling water and then add it to the molasses mixture, alternating with the flour mixture (so you're going to do it this way: a bit of boiling water and stir, then the flour and stir and then the rest of the boiling water.). Fold in the beaten egg when the batter is well mixed (it's going to be a THIN batter. Do NOT thicken it!), and pour into a greased and floured 8" square pan. Bake for about 20 minutes at 325.

My children like to eat this in thick steaming slabs with butter. I like to eat it with applesauce and some beer. Whichever way you prefer, it's a lovely thing, whether you're rich or poor or someplace in the precarious middle.

Comments

[Lori]

May you never have to face a wolf at your door. But if you do you now know what to do - cook it!

[Margarita D]

I am a nursing mom to a beautiful 2 1/2 month old and since she is allergic to cow's milk protein I'm in search of satisfying my sweet tooth by making my own goodies. This recipe was perfect!! I found it by way of No Whey Mama's blog. Thank you so much!! My family loved it so much I had to make a second one! :)
Thanks for sharing.

[chelle]

Pigeon during the Depression totally sounds practical.

Mmmmm gingerbread .... my Grandmother makes a wickedly good gingerbread. I can hardly wait to get back to Canada!

Pre stained dresses sound dreadful.

[bren j.]

We always get this feeling in February/March. It's only been five years, but EVERY Feb/March - the SAME thing. Maybe this year, we'll plan ahead. Hopefully we won't have to go on any pigeon-hunting sprees!

[Susanne]

Thanks for the true perspective. If I ever need to get out of the poor me mode in the finance department I just go talk to hubby's mom and hear her stories of the dirty '30's. It makes me very grateful for what I have today.

The gingerbread sounds yummy! I've never heard of eating it with applesauce. Sweetened whipped cream is what we have it with.

[Jennifer]

I just wrote this down for later...
"It's a chilly, Novemberish sort of feeling, this not-enoughness..."
That's a great description. For us, in America, it's the month of "plenty," the month of Thanksgiving. And yet, the looming vastness of Christmas with all of its demands for our resources overshadows the warmth of a holiday dedicated to gratitude. There is a physical chill in the air, and sometimes if you go shopping too often, if you see too many Christmas trees out before Halloween is even over, your insides do shiver as if trembling before a giant clad with no armor or weapons of defense!!! "It's going to eat me alive, I just know it! One last meal, please before we begin the deathwalk to poverty..."

But then it's all okay. Perspective returns... we turn on the music, the lights get strung, the candles are lit, family comes home, and every year, we make it and we feel blessed and full. It's just that initial "novemberishness" that's unpleasant.

[Joy of course]

Oh yum. Gingerbread is in my top 10 foods. I am with you on the stress of pinching pennies and I appreciate a dose of perspective.

[Heidi]

I loved your preface; your husband sounds so sweet!

I was feeling down, too, yesterday. This is starting my Tuesday off right - with a smile. Thanks!

Heidi

[Kath]

Avarice (it would sound better to say money but I can't make myself intentionally mis-quote Chaucer no matter how hard I try) truly is the root of all evil, isn't it?

I tell you - if DH and I are going to fight about anything, it will be how we discipline the children or: MONEY.

However, my MIL was just in town for a few days with stories of her step-kids and their problems. Loads and loads of money but sad, broken families. We decided it was better to be poor (we're not, but by no means rich, either) and happy than rich and miserable.

Also loved the recipe for gingerbread...never made the cake kind but think I'll have to try, now!

[theflyingmum]

Applesauce and beer? I'll try it sometime, but I think my preference would be a generous dollop of freshly whipped creammmmmmm.

[Rosebud & Papoosie Girl]

I think I can smell it. Yeah I think I am feeling a bit Novemberish myself this week.

You can always make me see the bright side.

[slouching mom]

I feel a bit Novemberish too.

[Pastormac's Ann]

I'd like two slices - one the way your kids eat it and one with applesauce & beer.

Yum.

Love your Monday posts. Really really do.

Tried your sour cream waffles the other night. ( I know, I know, sometimes we eat waffles for dinner.) They turned out great.

[Omaha Mama]

Hey - I can relate. The hubs and I get paid on the same day, one day a month. Those months when it's five weeks between pay are brutal!

Thanks for the post - it felt very universal!

[Tracy]

I read this with my mouth hanging open- not just because of the deliciousness of the gingerbread but because I thought I was the only one feeling this way (Novemberish). Thanks Beck.

[Heidi]

I want to feel better about my financial situation! Great post.

[Janet]

I have never had the cake kind of gingerbread. And I have never had any kind of gingerbread with beer.

Clearly I need to expand my culinary horizons.

[Soul Fusion]

As usual, this recipe sounds excellent and I love the preface. I grew up in a family that had endless financial struggles and lived my high school years in a more affluent neighborhood where kids received brand new cars on their 16th birthdays and appeared to have limitless material items. Looking back my siblings and I are all glad we were the ones who struggled and not the ones who were spoiled. I do well and if I ever have kids I know it will be a different sort of challenge to not cave to their every material desire if I can.

[Aliki]

I am reading this and thinking --"I can't wait to get paid tomorrow so I can buy the ingredients to make this"--yes, I feel poor, too.

I might have to read that book. And take a bubble bath.

[meredith]

Mmmm! Do you know of anything I could replace molasses with?

[Mary]

Beck, I was just thinking of a somewhat similar post today but haven't written it yet. We've also been stretched lately and others in our close family have been monetarily blessed, getting to do major fix-ups on their houses, etc, things that ours desperately needs and there's no extra money for it. These things can really make me grinchy, I'm always 100% better off when I'm not comparing. Contentment is highly under-rated!!!

Anyway, I went to a baby shower in a very humble home this weekend and had the bestest of times there. It was such a happy home atmosphere between the hubby and his wife and kids, yet they had so little (materially). What a great reminder it was to me, that yes, while we and our house, may look like a failure to other members of the family, we've got vast riches in the places where it most needs to be.

And you know what, last year we happened to have plenty at Christmas and really enjoyed buying lots for each other and it really fell flat. Too much stuff, you know? It was enough for me to purpose that this year will be different, no matter how much we have financially. The fun is in the spending and that's about it, so it's not worth going overboard. Not that you would, understand, I'm just sharing my mistake here. I'm looking forward to a simple Christmas "worldly-wise"...

Thanks for sharing this (and the recipe--yum!) it really appealed after the weekend I had. And that book title, esp if YOU recommended it ;O), must be good, I'll be jotting it down...

[Heather]

Oh wow, glad to know we are not the only ones feeling it. Sounds like a book I need to read. I guess, according to my kids, I have been going a bit overboard with the frugality--you know, making them eat leftovers, keeping the heat down so they have to wear socks and an extra sweater. :)

[Alice Gunther]

Beck, I'll be making that gingerbread. And this is one of the most interesting prefaces to a recipe I've ever read.

When I was growing up, my father had a book on the shelf called, "How to Cook a Rogue Elephant." I'll need to track it down to find out what it was about.

[christine]

i think i'll take mine with butter and beer.

and when i feel really poor the tightwad gazette makes me feel "thrifty" and "frugal" instead.

I am dying to know if you tried the beet bread!

[jenkneebee]

"The kind that comes pre-stained in the armpits" -- this line made me physically shudder.

It's good that you're scaling back before you get too far in and debts start to snowball. That's even worse than dresses that are pre-stained :)

Can't wait to try the gingerbread recipe!

[Jen Maier]

Another great book is "The Glass Castle" by Jeanette Walls. If you ever want to be inspired and thankful it is a good one. Thanks for this, Beck. Nothing like a little perspective on a Monday.

[Marta]

Sounds like an eye opening book. My husband has a so-called recipe for gravel soup, which is just exactly as it sounds, that his family had during their hard times when he was a child. Fortunately, he's come a long way since then!! Enjoyed your blog.

[nomotherearth]

I would like to add that I just read "I Capture the Castle" by Dodie Smith, and it made me feel MUCH better about our present financial circumstances...

[Mary Beth]

I was just craving gingerbread - not only for the taste but the aroma. I think it's the falliing temperatures. However, I never got around to finding a recipe (life got in the way, AGAIN). Now I have no excuse - think we're having gingerbread for dessert tonight:)Just one question, is the 1/2 tsp of soda regular soda like Coke or Pepsi? I notice baking soda is further down the list.

[Nowheymama]

Yum! I will definitely try this - with shortening, of course. Now I just need to find my grandmother's lemon sauce recipe to top it off.

And a new book to try. I love to read books about people scrimping and pinching. I don't know why.

[LoriD]

mmmm.. gingerbread with a nice creamy soup. I'm thinking butternut squash or potato. But the beer sounds good too!

[Barb @ A Chelsea Morning.blogspot.com]

We're probably in that middle place, too, Beck. We get by but always, always have to be careful. I hope I'm never in such a place that I have to put out wolf bait so we can have dinner that night!

Gingerbread. The best home fragrance of all!

[karen]

YUMMY, with a BEER? You're my kinda girl beck!
I've got to try this one. Happy Monday to you!

[Beck]

I would serve it for dinner, certainly, but it depends on how your family would receive it - if they would just stare at you in disbelief, you might want to call it dessert. It would follow soup quite nicely.
(and watch the cooking time! Mine took longer than 20 minutes this morning.)

[Tracy]

56 day! Uh oh!

[Pieces]

Mmm. Sounds nummy. I had such a hit with those pumpkin muffins you posted about that I am determined to make everything you suggest. The muffins are especially good sprinkled with crystal sugar and served for dinner next to scrambled cheesy eggs.

I think I'll make the gingerbread tonight. Can I serve just that for dinner?

[Kyla]

We're right about where you are. Having enough, but having to be extra vigilant. Feels a bit draining. I think gingerbread and beer (well, wine in my case) sounds like a delightful salve. :) Now I just have to find someone to make it for me.

[Veronica Mitchell]

This was a wonderful post. Now i need to go beat away the wolves from my door.

[Becky]

I believe I find myself firmly landing in your neck of the financial woods. Especially since (voluntarily) ending my lucrative teaching career. One salary brings perspective to what we really "need" in life.

And affordable Gingerbread is definitely one of them.

[Julie Bo Boolie]

What is it about impeding Christmas (a time for joy and celebration) that makes us all so stressed about money... stupid commercialism. So hard not to get caught up in it isn't it?

I'm sure your Christmas will be perfect (with buttered slabs of gingerbread how could it not?)

[Bon777]

Happy Monday! I think I'll join you for gingerbread and a beer. It sounds like small town Canada fine dining to me.