I don't remember when I came across this absolute gem of a woman, but it was before she passed away in 2013 at the age of 98. Her grandson started filming her to share her recipes, knowledge, and stories with the world. She even came out with a cookbook called "Clara's Kitchen: Wisdom, Memories, and Recipes from the Great Depression" by Clara Cannucciari and Christopher Cannucciari. I found it at Barnes and Noble and was thrilled! I have made this "Poor Man's Meal" many times, even before I got the cookbook. It was highly approved by my ex-boyfriend and my son, so it's a keeper. I recommend her YouTube channel and the cookbook to everyone, not only for the frugal and (mostly) good for you recipes, but also for the history of those times and the charm and wisdom of this wonderful woman. Here is the link to her whole channel: Clara's Kitchen May she rest in peace.
This came up in a search for depression recipes and I literally did a double take. All I can thinkof is that you'd have to be pretty desperate to make water pie. It calls for a cup of sugar which seems like a lot of sugar to use in that era.