When most women were out making a career for themselves, I was a stay at home mom. When most husbands were out enjoying some free leisure time, my husband was working long hours equivalent of a second job so that I could stay home with our five kids. Even with long hours and frugal life style, money still wasn’t an easy thing for us.
During the lean years, when it was time to pack my husband’s lunch, braunschweiger was a staple. Have you had braunschweiger or do you know what it is? Wikipedia says, braunschweiger is, “40% pork liver or scalded beef liver, 30% scalded pork jowl, 20% lean pork trimmings and 10% bacon ends and pieces. Added seasonings include salt and often include white pepper, onion powder or chopped onion, and mace.” Sounds yummy right?!?!? Well my husband never minded the stuff and it was dirt cheap.
Things have change…We live on the farm where hubby works so I pack very few lunches. He just pops in and we eat a simple lunch like grill cheese, fried egg sandwich or leftovers except for about a week in the spring and three weeks in the fall when farming takes him further away from our house. Now I pack better lunches…left over chicken or homemade pizza. I haven’t purchased the braunschweiger for years.
I was in the grocery store on Monday and passed by the meat area where the braunschweiger was. I smiled and tossed a roll in the cart.
Today when I was making his lunch, I got out the braunschweiger and made the sandwiches. I got his lunch packed and then quickly wrote a note and put it in his lunch box.
I enjoy looking back and remembering the days when all we could afford was the cheapest meat. I am so thankful for those days…I’m thankful that hubby was willing to work extra long hours so I could be home with the kids. For us, I think it was the right choice even if it included braunschweiger…. Thanks and enjoy your sandwiches honey!
We grew up with braunschweiger also. Today that stuff is not cheap. Had a lot of spam also.
My husband and I made the same tough choices when we were starting out. I’m so glad now for those experiences, they taught us so much that we would have missed out on if everything had been handed to us. I still love braunschwieger though — tasty on crackers.
We always called it “liverwurst” and I loved it! My mom was a so-called stay-at-home mom to us 4 kids, which meant she was eternally in the car driving us to Camp Fire stuff, Boy Scout stuff or church stuff!
I LOVE braunschwieger, liverwurst, liver cheese or whatever you want to call it. My family hates it. More for me!!!
During our very lean years, I could make 3 meals out of one whole chicken. Necessity and being broke are the mother and father of invention. lol
We still have braunschweiger occasionally, usually during fresh tomato season because that’s the best b. sandwich – with mayo and tomato! Now, dear hubby is a die hard mustard on b. and I’m a die hard mayo person, and I can tell you one time during our ‘lean years’ -even before kids- I packed our lunches and when we each got to work and discovered we had taken the wrong lunch, we both went hungry until dinner time! When I do get it now, I will only get the b. in natural casing. It really does make a difference in the taste.
braunschweiger (a.k.a Liverworst)….still like it. We had it lots as a kid
Our first grocery budget was $25 a week! I have the same fond memories of Hamburger Helper (the store brand)!
Jo thanks so much for posting this as it gives us all some hope. I to ate “liverwurst” and spam as a child. I grew up just fine. Just recently though with being broke, a single mom and now haveing to get a new car I have been a little down. I need this reminder to see what I have come from and to know that where I am is better than the past. Its just a hard pill to swallow when you just bought a car and now the money that you have coming is going to have to buy a new one! I wanted to treat myself and get some fabric. Guess that is out as I can’t even afford thrift store right now. =) At least I have my crumbs to get me through.
Love your story, I can certainly relate. We have been married 44 years. He went to Viet Nam and back in one piece. So when we started a family I remember lots of spam and boiling bags, you could get them 5 for a dollar. I really am thankful for those days. Made us better people. Thanks for sharing Jo.
Now you made me hungry for braunschweiger, haven’t had it in years. Plus a little liver pudding and onion sandwich sounds good too right now. I’m glad that I learned a lot from my parents and from my own tougher times, because it makes it easier now. I’m having an easier time cutting back and making do than some of my friends who never experienced tough times in the past.
Thanks for sharing.
I am also grateful for my husband who ususally worked two jobs so that I could stay home with (and homeschool) the kids.
Yep, I know what braunschweiger is and I like it. While it’s not so cheap any more I have to have some every once in a while…on toasted bread with yellow mustard. DH wouldn’t touch either the braunscheiger or the mustard with a ten foot pole. What I really miss is my Grandma’s homemade liverwurst…and I don’t know how to make it so will have to settle for the braunschweiger.
Yes, I am one of those “old timers” who grew up on a farm……my mom made liverwurst sandwiches all the time. I still like them.
I like Spam too…..but how mom used it was to fry it up and serve it with pancakes or waffles for breakfast. Yummmmmm. Now I make a sandwich with it on dark soft rye, mustard and lettuce.
Thx for good memories.
My husband loves braunschweiger. Especially fried. Me-not so much I need to leave the house if it is frying. He also likes fried baloney and is in heaven if Spam is served. Many of us learned skills from the school of hard knocks and we made do. We also skrimped and saved to live and we turned out just fine.
My Grandmother had braunschweiger in her fridge. I never thought of it as a cheap food. I loved it. Recently I went to purchase it and saw the fat content and was shocked. Unfortunately no more braunschweiger for me anymore. :(
Aren’t our memories amazing? We were just talking about this the other day – minus the liverwurst. ;-) Ours were hillbilly steaks – fried bologna! Our own bisquit sandwiches for breakfast made out of Bisquick and very thin slices of sausage. I was a stay at home mom too and the kids remember these times as pretty good too. ;-)