The Thrifty Frontier Kitchen

Old West cooks were magicians in the kitchen when it came to making the most of leftovers.

- SHERRY MONAHAN

On the American frontier, thrift was not only a necessity but also a philosophy of day-to-day living and survival. At the German Pietists’ 26,000-acre Amana Colonies east of Iowa City, Iowa, the women who ran the 50 community kitchens followed thrift to another level, cooking three meals a day, as well as two snack breaks, for the communal village where all resources and property were shared. – COURTESY NYPL DIGITAL COLLECTIONS, 1907 –

Frugal frontier cooks often turned their kitchen leftovers into amazing dishes, and many housewives prided themselves on creating unique recipes with them. Various newspaper stories included tips and recipes on how they could do this, which stretched even the smallest of morsels.