CNN iReport

My Grandmother Vera (Ruiz) Vasquez was in her early teens when the great depression hit.  She spoke of the time with great disgust in her voice as if it was the most awful time of her life.  She mostly spoke of being hungry and having to wear old boots that didn't fit.  She said they were already so poor and they had so many kids in her family but then the Great Depression hit and they really had nothing.  Not even food to eat.  They would raise chickens and she said her mother would chase the chicken, snap it's neck to kill it and pluck the feathers.  She said no part of the chicken would be wasted.  They would boil the feet to make soup and then they would eat the boiled feet too.  I suppose we have lived in such properous times that we cannot imagine having to eat like that.  Living through such harsh times made her value food.  Her freezer was always super packed.  You couldn't even put a bag of ice in there.  She would even freeze cactus (Nopales) to eat in the winter time with scrambled eggs.  I guess to her, food was more valuable than ice.  Her motto at the table was to eat as much as you want, but not to waste the food.  (Take all you want, but eat all you take).  I still think that's a valuable saying so I tell it to my kids to hopefully teach them not to be wasteful.  My grandma Vera would also save and wash ziploc baggies, small pieces of foil and would never get rid of old clothes or shoes.  She is 91 years old today but is a victim of alzheimer's disease.