Granny's Hard Times Recipes An Online Hit

93-Year-Old Shares Cooking Tips From Great Depression In Internet Videos

(CBS)  Cooking the recipes she learned as a girl during the Great Depression, not so mild-mannered great-grandmother Clara Cannucciari minces garlic -- but never words.

CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller reports that back then, her family ate what they could afford, or did without.

"Every night was pasta," Cannucciari recalls. "When we got sauce, that was on Sunday."

There was also a lot of egg drop soup eaten in her childhood Chicago home. The two ingredients: eggs and water.

Now Clara's Depression Meals, which on average cost 50 cents a serving, are a surprise hit on the Internet.

The 93-year-old shares a lifetime of savings tricks on her Web videos, along with family memories. In the first episode she explains that for one dish, "We would turn off the gas and let it cook on its own heat so we could save money."

Her Webisodes include pasta (of course), potatoes and stale bread with water and oil.

Cannucciari says, "We went through a lot of hard times." She thinks today's generation is a bunch of whiners in comparison.

CBS News brought her grandson, Chris Cannucciari, along for an interview. He first taped her for the family and then posted the videos online.

Explaining his grandmother's newfound fame, he says, "People started searching the word 'depression' a lot, and the cooking show came up. People saw it, liked it and kept watching."

Chris then created a Facebook page, and a blog for Clara's worldwide fans to let her know what they think.

Cannucciari says she doesn't like the spotlight much, but a new generation is soaking up every word.

[marbru-2009]

My mother-in-law used to tell the story of how she could make one chicken last all week for her family of four during the depression. I've never been able to figure out how she did that!

[mandylou4u]

This woman came from the time of common sense. Now days I call it uncommon sense, hehe. I love her recipies and I still use the ones my great grandma gave me. Most young people today wouldn't know what to do if their signal went out on the cell phone. I know because of my granny, if the lights went out, I would survive just fine. Keep it up Granny!!

[greta_olson]

THANK YOU FOR THE WORDS OF WISDOM!

She has some great recipies on her website...

Time to rekindle the family.

[mswolfestock]

My mother was born on Black Thursday, October 29, 1929. She was the sixth of seven kids and then her father died when she was four years old. They survived on pasta and beans, Christmas from the Salvation Army, and the kindness of neighbors and strangers.

Talk to anybody who made it through the Depression - their stories of triumph over adversity should inspire us and remind us what is really important in life.

Mom is comfortably retired (and I'm so thankful for that) but she can still squeeze a nickel until it screams. Clara is cut from the same cloth.

[hsudul]

I may somewhat angry with all the media I have written to you numerous times
to please acknowledge my kitchen advice called "Savvy KItchen Soltuions" and why
is this important beucase it is readily available on Amazon.com In these tough econonic
times one needs to consider the entire culinary picture. Howto keep a green kitchen,
the easiest simplest ways to clean, how to save energy and most inmportant of all=is
how safe is your kitchen? The world obbessed with recipes... I would say there is a glut
of recipes... KItchen Advice is nearly nil. Yes I am a senior and yes Ilived thru the 40's
but apparently I don't have connectons like Grandma does... I keeping trying but I guess
my next step will be a website.

[happyass3]

I agree with this woman, we have become a nation of whiners and I am certainly going to look up her recipes to get some ideas.