Depression Era Cooking.

[graystone]

So, the first recipe I come to is "Mock Apple Pie". You make it from Ritz crackers. People in the Depression era had Ritz crackers but not apples? If you want an apple pie, why not make apple pie? Apples are abundant most places, store very well, and are easily canned. Novelty I guess. I've had this pie before, when I was a kid. My recollection was it tasted salty.

[graystone]

Crazy Cake is about the best chocolate cake I've ever eaten. My wife makes it for birthdays in our family. When the kids were little, they'd always ask for it. It's a dense chocolate cake with a a lot of chocolate flavor.

Crazy Cake.
My mom used to make this a olot for us kinds, her mom used to make it for her family.

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups cold water
Directions
1Sift flour, sugar, salt, soda, and cocoa together into a 9 x 13 inch ungreased cake pan. Make three wells. Pour oil into one well, vinegar into second, and vanilla into third well. Pour cold water over all, and stir well with fork.Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

[Lavender]

So, the first recipe I come to is "Mock Apple Pie". You make it from Ritz crackers. People in the Depression era had Ritz crackers but not apples? If you want an apple pie, why not make apple pie? Apples are abundant most places, store very well, and are easily canned. Novelty I guess. I've had this pie before, when I was a kid. My recollection was it tasted salty.

I have used large zucchini in Mock Apple Pie as well.

I peel the zucchini, then split the zucchini in half long ways, run a melon baller down the center of each halve, taking out the seeds. Then I slice across the halves.....about as thick as you would when slicing apples for pie.

I add a small amount of apple juice to the raw zucchini slices and microwave for a few minutes. I then proceed with regular apple pie recipe. This is a good way to use up the large zucchini towards the end of the season.