December can feel like a whirlwind. Between decorating, shopping, holiday parties, and keeping your family’s usual routines afloat, planning meals often gets pushed aside. Yet, you still need to serve three meals a day, even during the busy holiday season. That’s where a vintage meal plan can save you time, money, and stress. It even provides for good, old-fashioned comfort food for the family dinner table.
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1940s Vintage Menus For Early December
Although I love to cook 1950s menus, I usually use 1940s and 1930s recipes because they use far fewer prepared foods and are mostly made from scratch.
These meals use ingredients you likely already have in your pantry, saving money and reducing food waste. They’re designed to fill your family up, leaving everyone satisfied without overindulging. Plus, cooking from scratch creates a sense of accomplishment and the family table is the heart of family culture
Monday Menu
Breakfast
- Sliced bananas
- Oatmeal with top milk
- Scrambled eggs
- Cinnamon toast
- Coffee for adults, cocoa for children
Lunch
- Vegetable soup
- Peanut butter sandwich
- Celery
- Baked custard with orange slices
- Graham crackers
- Tea for adults, milk for children
Dinner
- Spiced apple juice
- Braised liver
- Noodles au gratin
- Buttered green beans
- Bread and butter
- Shredded carrot salad
- Stuffed baked apples with custard sauce
- Coffee for adults, milk for children
Tuesday Menu
Breakfast
- Stewed apricots
- Hot wheat cereal with top milk
- Poached eggs
- Toast with butter and marmalade
- Coffee for adults, cocoa for children
Lunch
- Tomato soup
- Grilled cheese sandwich
- Carrot sticks
- Winter fruit cup
- Molasses cookies
- Tea for adults, milk for children
Dinner
- Chilled tomato juice
- Pork chops with orange stuffing
- Baked potatoes
- Glazed carrots
- Bread and butter
- Chopped salad
- Cranberry tarts
- Coffee for adults, milk for children
Wednesday Menu
Breakfast
- Freshly sliced oranges
- Oatmeal with top milk
- Soft-cooked eggs
- Toast with butter and marmalade
- Coffee for adults, cocoa for children
Lunch
- Scotch broth
- Egg salad and lettuce sandwiches
- Cottage cheese and pineapple
- Saltines
- Cocoa for all
Dinner
- Bouillon
- Beef patties
- Roasted sweet potatoes
- Brussels sprouts
- Hot biscuits
- Spiced beet salad
- Date pudding
- Coffee for adults; milk for children
This is an Advent binder for the vintage housewife. Each day includes a vintage Christmas poem or story, a housewife activity of the day from the Betty Crocker Busy Days of December countdowns, a 1950s decorating project for the day, and a vintage holiday recipe.
Thursday Menu
Breakfast
- Grapefruit halves
- Oatmeal with top milk
- Scrambled eggs
- Toast with marmalade
- Coffee for adults, cocoa for children
Lunch
- Vegetable soup
- Corned beef sandwich
- Celery sticks
- Fresh pear
- Oatmeal raisin cookies
- Tea for adults, milk for children
Dinner
- Tomato juice cocktail
- Roast pork shoulder with applesauce
- Browned potatoes
- Buttered onions
- Bread and butter
- Molded cranberry salad
- Caramel custard with crisp wafers
- Coffee for adults; milk for children
Friday Menu (Fish for Fridays!)
Breakfast
- Stewed prunes
- Oatmeal with top milk
- Soft-boiled eggs
- Toast with butter and marmalade
- Coffee for adults, cocoa for children
Lunch
- Cream of spinach soup
- Toasted tuna melts
- Sliced oranges
- Chocolate pudding
- Tea for adults, milk for children
Dinner
- Orange juice cocktail
- Baked bass with tartar sauce
- Mushroom pilaf
- Broccoli-cheese casserole
- Bread and butter
- Orange and onion salad
- Coconut cream
- Coffee for adults, milk for children
Saturday Menu
Breakfast
- Stewed apricots
- Hot wheat cereal with top milk
- Poached eggs
- Toasted English muffins
- Coffee for adults; cocoa for children
Lunch
- Cream of celery soup
- Bacon-lettuce sandwiches
- Winter fruit cup
- Frosted cupcakes
- Tea for adults, milk for children
Dinner
- Grapefruit and orange cup
- Chicken and dumplings
- Glazed sweet potatoes
- Buttered spinach
- Bread and butter
- Romaine salad
- Apple pie
- Coffee for adults, milk for children
Sunday Menu
Breakfast
- Tomato juice
- Dates in wheat cereal with top milk
- Sausage links
- Pancakes with syrup
- Coffee for adults, cocoa for children
Old-Fashioned Sunday Dinner
- Fresh fruit cup
- Roast beef with brown gravy
- Roast potatoes
- Buttered carrots
- Creamed peas with pearl onions
- Individual Yorkshire pudding (popovers)
- Celery and olives
- Sponge cake with ice cream
- Coffee for adults, milk for children
Sunday Supper
- Navy bean soup
- Cheese and crackers
- Fruit salad
- Gingersnaps
- Cocoa for all
If you would like, you can check out the rest of my mid-century dinner menus. And if you make the menus, share a pic on Instagram and tag me! (Are you following me on Instagram? I share a lot of vintage homemaking quick wins over here!)
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