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Post by ForeverWaltons on Mar 27, 2015 10:08:13 GMT -5
No way one chicken fed the whole family. Cabbage and carrot and spuds were main stays because they were easy to grow and "wintered" well. Oh Turnips as well but I don't like them...rutabaga yes...yum. Okay now I am hungry! That is what I thought! It would take a half dozen chickens to find a family that large. And, you need young chickens for frying! But, one old, tough chicken could make a whole pot of soup or stew!
I know for a fact that one chicken would feed a family of ten. I'm not saying that it filled them up. My mother-in-law had seven siblings and along with her parents, there were ten of them. She always told me that when they had a chicken for supper her daddy and momma got a breast a piece. There were two thighs, two legs, two wings and two feet. My mother-in-law and one of her other sisters always each got one of the feet.  Everyone always got the same piece from the chicken every time one was served.
I always told her if your parents always wanted a breast piece okay. But with the children they should have rotated the pieces so everyone would eventually get a leg, a wing, a thigh, a foot. Her daddy wouldn't allow that, she always got stuck with a foot and she hated it because of the slim pickings of it.
My father-in-law will not eat any kind of fowl (chicken/turkey/etc.) nor eggs, chicken hot dogs and such. When he was a young boy he saw a chicken get splattered by a car and from that day forth has never let any kind of fowl or eggs cross his lips. My mother-in-law always had to make pork dressing instead of turkey or chicken dressing. If she made chicken for any meal, she would have to make him some other kind of meat to eat.
He went on a mission trip to Romania back in the mid nineteen nineties. Families would always have him in their home for a meal and every time they served chicken. He knew how poor the families were and what a sacrifice it was for them to serve a chicken. He still could not bring himself to eat chicken. He told us all that he was grateful for two things - that every family had an open window at the table and a dog outside. He would cut the chicken off the bone and when they weren't looking throw his pieces of chicken out to the dog. That's the main reason he didn't become a preacher, he knew he would face too many chicken meals over the years.
I have teased him in the past by telling him that if he passes before I do...I am going to put a frozen Butterball turkey in his arms to buried with. He told me that he didn't have a problem with that because he'll be dead. Maybe I need to tell him that I'll tar and feather him instead. LOL! (Just joking, I love my father-in-law).
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Post by twinkle on Mar 27, 2015 16:10:03 GMT -5
I have noticed that the Waltons ate a ton of fried chicken! (I am sure it was an easy meal for the producers to put on the table.) But, in real life, I don't believe a large family would have eaten that much fried chicken. Fried chicken is not the most economical way to prepare chicken (oil, breading, etc.). But there they were, eating chicken (or a BIG ham) at every other meal! I would have baked the chickens (also easier then frying and less messy) and then used the frame to make soup. Two meals from one bird! Also, leftover chicken could be diced and used in salads, potpies, and other recipes. What do you think? Bake or fry to get the most for your money? I would think that in a family like the Waltons leftovers simply would not happen...if its anything like my family of five  it has always struck me that those chickens of Olivia's would not have been very fat birds so I cannot see how one or even two of them would yield enough flesh to fill all those stomachs. Seeing as they ate chicken almost every night I am wondering how they kept their chicken population large enough to keep up! |
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Post by Kathy Lee on Mar 27, 2015 16:43:31 GMT -5
It always made me wonder about all those fried chicken dinners. Unless Yancy the chicken thief helped fill the Walton chicken coop a little! And, all that lemonade! Where in Heaven did all that sugar come from? |
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Post by RebeccaLee on Mar 27, 2015 17:40:02 GMT -5
It always made me wonder about all those fried chicken dinners. Unless Yancy the chicken thief helped fill the Walton chicken coop a little! And, all that lemonade! Where in Heaven did all that sugar come from? What about all the lemons? Iced tea yes even apple cider. |
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Post by Kathy Lee on Mar 27, 2015 19:48:02 GMT -5
It always made me wonder about all those fried chicken dinners. Unless Yancy the chicken thief helped fill the Walton chicken coop a little! And, all that lemonade! Where in Heaven did all that sugar come from? What about all the lemons? Iced tea yes even apple cider. Iced tea with a few mint leaves from the garden. That is how we made it. Doesn't even need sugar or very little. I wonder how hard it was to get lemons during the depression. Wasen't an orange a big treat at Christmas? Wouldn't lemons be dear also? |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2015 8:05:04 GMT -5
Hi Nicolle
Fine now although have been ill since before Christmas. V busy with Grandchildren as the newest isn't well and needs a lot of attention. But things will improve my daughter took him to see a specialist in Harley St. London where the best Doctors are and she helped a lot. Other than my daughter has to have a very restrictive diet.
My sister died in January so another blow. Oh well things can only get better.
Hope you are okay
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Post by patriciaanne on Mar 29, 2015 9:10:41 GMT -5
Hi Nicolle Fine now although have been ill since before Christmas. V busy with Grandchildren as the newest isn't well and needs a lot of attention. But things will improve my daughter took him to see a specialist in Harley St. London where the best Doctors are and she helped a lot. Other than my daughter has to have a very restrictive diet. My sister died in January so another blow. Oh well things can only get better. Hope you are okay So sorry to hear all this, Kelvin. Prayers for you and your family that the rest of the year turns around for you and your family and everyone is restored to good health soon. Very sorry about the loss of your sister. May she rest in peace. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2015 12:04:33 GMT -5
Thank you patriciaanne
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2015 12:14:35 GMT -5
I'm sorry for your loss Kelvin. Someone accurately described life as a rollercoaster. I agree. We must remember to keep our heads up and count our blessing as often as we can. Sending prayers your way, Kelvin. We've missed you.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2015 7:31:32 GMT -5
Nicole - thank you
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Post by jlena56 on Jan 6, 2021 11:45:42 GMT -5
I think more people probably fried chicken back then. Flour was cheap and they would have made their own buttermilk. Oil can be reused to fry again. Fried chicken can be eaten cold and they would take it on picnics. I thought baked chicken became popular when frying was deemed bad for your health. when I cook fried chicken I use flour and spices |
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Post by dayton3 on Jan 6, 2021 17:29:19 GMT -5
As far as meat is concerned chicken is far, far economical than beef or pork as it only takes on average two pounds of feed to produce each pound of chicken while for beef and pork it takes several times that much.
There is reason that one of the early 20th century presidential candidates was promising a "chicken in every pot".
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Post by carol on Jan 6, 2021 21:46:28 GMT -5
As far as meat is concerned chicken is far, far economical than beef or pork as it only takes on average two pounds of feed to produce each pound of chicken while for beef and pork it takes several times that much. There is reason that one of the early 20th century presidential candidates was promising a "chicken in every pot". True but as others have pointed out in this thread in order to feed 11 people one meal they would have had to kill 3-4 chickens. As much as The Waltons ate chicken it wouldn't have taken long to deplete their flock. |
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Post by Easton on Jan 6, 2021 22:41:08 GMT -5
^ That's not a problem if they have a good caterer.  |
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Post by journaler on Jan 7, 2021 8:42:10 GMT -5
^ Another possible reason why the Waltons ate so much fried chicken -- maybe Kentucky Fried Chicken was near Burbank Studios! Maybe the crew liked the taste of Colonel Sanders' secret recipe. On her Facebook page Kami mentioned, "Sometimes, it was Kentucky Fried Chicken brought in" for the meal scenes.
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Everyone always got the same piece from the chicken every time one was served.
it has always struck me that those chickens of Olivia's would not have been very fat birds so I cannot see how one or even two of them would yield enough flesh to fill all those stomachs. Seeing as they ate chicken almost every night I am wondering how they kept their chicken population large enough to keep up!
