Baking is one of those things that most housewives start out not so great at, but eventually master.
There are so many aspects to baking, - cupcakes, cookies, cakes, breads, and the fancier things like pastries, croissants, and pies.
When I first got married I had a basic understanding of baking. In fact I fell in love with my husband when he spent the evening helping me bake cookies for our youth group fundraiser. In the years since I have made a LOT of baked goods. I even made a wedding cake once for a good friend (something I can say I have done but will never do again!)
Recently we went Gluten Free in our home. Various health reasons have created this change for us and now I feel like I am learning to bake all over again!
I used to make all our sweets from scratch, now I find myself using a lot of box mixes as we make this transition. There is so much to learn about gluten free baking and the different flour options. It is a bit overwhelming at times.
Being Gluten Free I have found we don't eat as many sweets as we used to (which is a good thing) but we still eat quite a bit of bread. Bread is where I suggest every young housewife start. There is nothing better then fresh baked bread. This is where I will be starting once again. Pouring through recipes looking for the simplest one to start with and going from there.
Life was so much easier with all purpose flour, but not quite as healthy for us.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
~A is for Apron~
I love my apron's!
I don't think there is anything I could say to sum up an apron better than this poem!
I don't think there is anything I could say to sum up an apron better than this poem!
"GRANDMOTHER'S APRON"
THE PRINCIPAL USE OF GRANDMA'S APRON WAS TO PROTECT THE DRESS
UNDERNEATH, BUT ALONG WITH THAT, IT SERVED AS A POTHOLDER FOR
REMOVING HOT PANS FROM THE OVEN.
IT WAS WONDERFUL FOR DRYING CHILDREN'S TEARS, AND ON OCCASION
WAS EVEN USED FOR CLEANING OUT DIRTY EARS.
FROM THE CHICKEN COOP, THE APRON WAS USED FOR CARRYING EGGS,
FUSSY CHICKS, AND SOMETIMES HALF-HATCHED EGGS TO BE FINISHED
IN THE WARMING OVEN.
WHEN COMPANY CAME, THOSE APRONS WERE IDEAL HIDING PLACES FOR
SHY KIDS.
AND WHEN THE WEATHER WAS COLD, GRANDMA WRAPPED IT AROUND HER
ARMS.
THOSE BIG OLD APRONS WIPED MANY A PERSPIRING BROW, BENT OVER
THE HOT WOOD-STOVE.
CHIPS AND KINDLING WOOD WERE BROUGHT INTO THE KITCHEN IN THAT
APRON.
FROM THE GARDEN, IT CARRIED ALL SORTS OF VEGETABLES. AFTER THE
PEAS HAD BEEN SHELLED, IT CARRIED OUT THE HULLS.
IN THE FALL, THE APRON WAS USED TO BRING IN APPLES THAT HAD
FALLEN FROM THE TREES.
WHEN UNEXPECTED COMPANY DROVE UP THE ROAD, IT WAS SURPRISING
HOW MUCH FURNITURE THAT OLD APRON COULD DUST IN A MATTER OF
SECONDS.
WHEN DINNER WAS READY, GRANDMA WALKED OUT ONTO THE PORCH,
WAVED HER APRON, AND THE MEN KNEW IT WAS TIME TO COME IN FROM
THE FIELDS TO DINNER.
IT WILL BE A LONG TIME BEFORE SOMEONE INVENTS SOMETHING THAT
WILL REPLACE THAT 'OLD-TIME APRON' THAT SERVED SO MANY WORTH-
WHILE PURPOSES.
REMEMBER:
GRANDMA USED TO SET HER HOT BAKED APPLE PIES ON THE WINDOW
SILL TO COOL.
HER GRANDDAUGHTERS SET THEIRS ON THE WINDOW SILL TO THAW.
THEY WOULD GO CRAZY NOW TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW MANY GERMS
WERE ON THAT APRON.
I DON'T THINK I EVER CAUGHT ANYTHING FROM AN APRON---
EXCEPT LOVE.
UNDERNEATH, BUT ALONG WITH THAT, IT SERVED AS A POTHOLDER FOR
REMOVING HOT PANS FROM THE OVEN.
IT WAS WONDERFUL FOR DRYING CHILDREN'S TEARS, AND ON OCCASION
WAS EVEN USED FOR CLEANING OUT DIRTY EARS.
FROM THE CHICKEN COOP, THE APRON WAS USED FOR CARRYING EGGS,
FUSSY CHICKS, AND SOMETIMES HALF-HATCHED EGGS TO BE FINISHED
IN THE WARMING OVEN.
WHEN COMPANY CAME, THOSE APRONS WERE IDEAL HIDING PLACES FOR
SHY KIDS.
AND WHEN THE WEATHER WAS COLD, GRANDMA WRAPPED IT AROUND HER
ARMS.
THOSE BIG OLD APRONS WIPED MANY A PERSPIRING BROW, BENT OVER
THE HOT WOOD-STOVE.
CHIPS AND KINDLING WOOD WERE BROUGHT INTO THE KITCHEN IN THAT
APRON.
FROM THE GARDEN, IT CARRIED ALL SORTS OF VEGETABLES. AFTER THE
PEAS HAD BEEN SHELLED, IT CARRIED OUT THE HULLS.
IN THE FALL, THE APRON WAS USED TO BRING IN APPLES THAT HAD
FALLEN FROM THE TREES.
WHEN UNEXPECTED COMPANY DROVE UP THE ROAD, IT WAS SURPRISING
HOW MUCH FURNITURE THAT OLD APRON COULD DUST IN A MATTER OF
SECONDS.
WHEN DINNER WAS READY, GRANDMA WALKED OUT ONTO THE PORCH,
WAVED HER APRON, AND THE MEN KNEW IT WAS TIME TO COME IN FROM
THE FIELDS TO DINNER.
IT WILL BE A LONG TIME BEFORE SOMEONE INVENTS SOMETHING THAT
WILL REPLACE THAT 'OLD-TIME APRON' THAT SERVED SO MANY WORTH-
WHILE PURPOSES.
REMEMBER:
GRANDMA USED TO SET HER HOT BAKED APPLE PIES ON THE WINDOW
SILL TO COOL.
HER GRANDDAUGHTERS SET THEIRS ON THE WINDOW SILL TO THAW.
THEY WOULD GO CRAZY NOW TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW MANY GERMS
WERE ON THAT APRON.
I DON'T THINK I EVER CAUGHT ANYTHING FROM AN APRON---
EXCEPT LOVE.
Monday, January 25, 2016
~The ABC's of Being a Housewife~
There are a lot of words to describe the life of a housewife. Cooking, cleaning, meal planning, enjoyment, satisfaction. etc.
So many thoughts to express, so I am thinking a nice little series of the ABC's of being a housewife.
Stay tuned....
So many thoughts to express, so I am thinking a nice little series of the ABC's of being a housewife.
Stay tuned....
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
~Housewife or SAHM?~
Is there a difference between a housewife and a SAHM? I think there is.
I hear moms talk about how they love being home with their kids, but they hate the day to day housework, or that once the kids are in school they will get a part time job to keep themselves from getting bored. I don't have little ones anymore, but I still find that I am so busy doing just day to day stuff combined with my hobbies that I don't have a chance to be bored.
When my husband and I were dating we talked about our future, even before we knew it would include each other. He wanted a wife that would be home to take care of him, his children and his home. I wanted a husband that knew the value of having a wife at home to provide for him while he provided for us.
We never talked about what I would do when the kids were older and grown, b/c my role was not that of a SAHM, it was that of a housewife. If we had never been blessed with children I would still have been home taking care of him, and that is where I will be when our kids have moved out and started lives of their own.
Over the years I have tried a few things here and there to try to ease the burden from him, bringing in a bit of money. However we quickly learned each time that other things suffered b/c of it. If I was at work, we needed someone to watch the kids, which meant our kids were not with one of us but with someone else.
If I worked in the evenings when he was home with the kids then our marriage suffered. We didn't have the time to spend with each other keeping us connected as a husband and wife. Also if I was working I was too tired by the time I got home to get any cleaning done or dinner made and we would end up going out or ordering pizza. That meant what little amount I was making wasn;t really helping at all.
It came down to us realizing that the small amount of money I would try to bring in wasn't worth me being gone all day. Even with my kids being older, with two of them out of school and working and the third being able to take care of herself, he still needs me to take care of him.
There is really no greater feeling in the world than being needed by the man you love. So as my children start to leave the nest I will remain a housewife. My true calling, biding my time until I am a grandma that can spend her days baking cookies and playing with the grandkids.
I hear moms talk about how they love being home with their kids, but they hate the day to day housework, or that once the kids are in school they will get a part time job to keep themselves from getting bored. I don't have little ones anymore, but I still find that I am so busy doing just day to day stuff combined with my hobbies that I don't have a chance to be bored.
When my husband and I were dating we talked about our future, even before we knew it would include each other. He wanted a wife that would be home to take care of him, his children and his home. I wanted a husband that knew the value of having a wife at home to provide for him while he provided for us.
We never talked about what I would do when the kids were older and grown, b/c my role was not that of a SAHM, it was that of a housewife. If we had never been blessed with children I would still have been home taking care of him, and that is where I will be when our kids have moved out and started lives of their own.
Over the years I have tried a few things here and there to try to ease the burden from him, bringing in a bit of money. However we quickly learned each time that other things suffered b/c of it. If I was at work, we needed someone to watch the kids, which meant our kids were not with one of us but with someone else.
If I worked in the evenings when he was home with the kids then our marriage suffered. We didn't have the time to spend with each other keeping us connected as a husband and wife. Also if I was working I was too tired by the time I got home to get any cleaning done or dinner made and we would end up going out or ordering pizza. That meant what little amount I was making wasn;t really helping at all.
It came down to us realizing that the small amount of money I would try to bring in wasn't worth me being gone all day. Even with my kids being older, with two of them out of school and working and the third being able to take care of herself, he still needs me to take care of him.
There is really no greater feeling in the world than being needed by the man you love. So as my children start to leave the nest I will remain a housewife. My true calling, biding my time until I am a grandma that can spend her days baking cookies and playing with the grandkids.
Monday, January 18, 2016
~Why Blog?~
I am sure the question has been asked more than once, why a blog?
What do I have to say that is so important for others to hear? Maybe a lot, maybe nothing. I have come to realize that blogging, for me, isn't about who is reading so much as it is about what I need to say.
There a many reasons for blogging, tips to share and issues to raise. I find that I need an outlet. There are things I want to share, things I want to say. As a housewife, I don't see a lot of people during the day. I am usually home cooking, cleaning, taking care of animals and I love that, it is what makes me happy. I know there are others out there like me, even if they aren't in my backyard.
Blogging will eventually, I hope, connect me with others around the world that have shared interests and values. Blogging also provides a legacy.
My mother was older when I was born, I was the youngest of 5. I only ever knew one set of grandparents, hers. I have so many memories of my grandparents, being at their home, feeding the chickens and staying away from the rooster. I was 15 when my grandfather passed away and 23 when my grandmother passed away.
Even with the memories I have I never thought to talk to my grandmother about what it was like for her being a housewife. I have her cookbook, with recipes in her handwriting, but they are just recipes. There are no notes about why she liked the recipe or if her family liked them, or when she made them and how often.
Turning 40 has given me a sense of mortality. I look at my parents who are 76, and 80 and know I very well could have 40 more years on this earth with the opportunity to meet my grandchildren and great grandchildren and possibly even great great grandchildren. Then again I think about my father's parents who I never had a chance to meet and often wonder what they would have been like, and I realize that there is also a chance I may never meet any of my grandchildren.
This is one of the reasons I need to be more diligent about putting my thoughts out there. I want to leave a legacy for generations to read when I am gone. Maybe the generations that come after I am gone will get a sense of what I was like and see that being a housewife can be fulfilling, and rewarding.
What do I have to say that is so important for others to hear? Maybe a lot, maybe nothing. I have come to realize that blogging, for me, isn't about who is reading so much as it is about what I need to say.
There a many reasons for blogging, tips to share and issues to raise. I find that I need an outlet. There are things I want to share, things I want to say. As a housewife, I don't see a lot of people during the day. I am usually home cooking, cleaning, taking care of animals and I love that, it is what makes me happy. I know there are others out there like me, even if they aren't in my backyard.
Blogging will eventually, I hope, connect me with others around the world that have shared interests and values. Blogging also provides a legacy.
My mother was older when I was born, I was the youngest of 5. I only ever knew one set of grandparents, hers. I have so many memories of my grandparents, being at their home, feeding the chickens and staying away from the rooster. I was 15 when my grandfather passed away and 23 when my grandmother passed away.
Even with the memories I have I never thought to talk to my grandmother about what it was like for her being a housewife. I have her cookbook, with recipes in her handwriting, but they are just recipes. There are no notes about why she liked the recipe or if her family liked them, or when she made them and how often.
Turning 40 has given me a sense of mortality. I look at my parents who are 76, and 80 and know I very well could have 40 more years on this earth with the opportunity to meet my grandchildren and great grandchildren and possibly even great great grandchildren. Then again I think about my father's parents who I never had a chance to meet and often wonder what they would have been like, and I realize that there is also a chance I may never meet any of my grandchildren.
This is one of the reasons I need to be more diligent about putting my thoughts out there. I want to leave a legacy for generations to read when I am gone. Maybe the generations that come after I am gone will get a sense of what I was like and see that being a housewife can be fulfilling, and rewarding.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
~New Year, New Tools!~
So here at Apron Acres, I am a housewife, farmer, rancher, photographer, fashion designer, baker, crafter, etc. I wear many many hats, one being a complete DIYer. One of the prized tools in my arsenal is my sewing machine.
She is very special to me, I have had her almost as long as I have had children, and with my oldest being 20 years old that is a long time. Well she broke.
My oldest moved out briefly last year, and for four months I had a beautiful sewing room. When she moved back in i had to relinquish it, b/c that is what a mom does. Since then I haven't sewed as much as I would like b/c the only place to set up was my coffee table so she sat in the corner next to the couch until I needed her.
The dog broke her. We have three dogs, a nine year old Min Pin, a 4 year old American Bulldog and a 3 year old Pit Bull. I love them all but the house isn't quite big enough for the two big dogs lol
Dozer (the ABD) decided to squeeze into the corner where my baby sat and he trampled her.
So I ordered a new machine.
I am nervous to say the least. I hate change. I like everything to be neat and orderly (though I am not sure I have ever actually experienced that) and I don't like learning new things, well I do but on my time.
My new girl should be here Friday and hopefully she will work wonders for me, though I can't quite bring myself to let the old one go. I think she might need to go to the hospital and have some work done.
She is very special to me, I have had her almost as long as I have had children, and with my oldest being 20 years old that is a long time. Well she broke.
My oldest moved out briefly last year, and for four months I had a beautiful sewing room. When she moved back in i had to relinquish it, b/c that is what a mom does. Since then I haven't sewed as much as I would like b/c the only place to set up was my coffee table so she sat in the corner next to the couch until I needed her.
The dog broke her. We have three dogs, a nine year old Min Pin, a 4 year old American Bulldog and a 3 year old Pit Bull. I love them all but the house isn't quite big enough for the two big dogs lol
Dozer (the ABD) decided to squeeze into the corner where my baby sat and he trampled her.
So I ordered a new machine.
I am nervous to say the least. I hate change. I like everything to be neat and orderly (though I am not sure I have ever actually experienced that) and I don't like learning new things, well I do but on my time.
My new girl should be here Friday and hopefully she will work wonders for me, though I can't quite bring myself to let the old one go. I think she might need to go to the hospital and have some work done.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
~Who I Am!~
“Who Am I?” is a question every woman asks themselves at some point in
their life. Tomorrow marks the beginning of 2016, and the beginning of my 40's!
I began my life as someone’s daughter, then I became someone’s wife and shortly after someone’s mother. I am still all three of those things; daughter, wife and mother, I have recently come to realize that isn't just who I am it is who I want to be.
I am a housewife.
I have never regretted getting married at 18 and having my first child at 19. I wouldn’t change my life for the world. Getting married meant I was no longer just a daughter. My children are getting older and starting lives of their own, that means I am no longer just their mother. My husband encourages me to follow my dreams, he is my life and I have come to realize my dream has always been to be a housewife.
Transitioning from daughter to wife was simple. Becoming a mother was the natural progression after becoming a wife. Discovering who I am among those three things has been the hardest thing I have ever done.
As my children grew older I began to feel that being a housewife wasn't enough. That I should be doing something "important" with my life. It took a number of years of unhappiness to understand that what I had been doing was important. Finding joy in what you do everyday is the most important thing someone could ever do.
How can I tell others who I am when I don't know myself? It took some time to understand that I didn't need to define myself beyond being a daughter, wife and mother, I can find who I am among those three things.
I am someone who…
……….believes family means everything
……….hates coffee but LOVES the Vanilla Chai Latte from Dunkin’s (hot or cold)
……….loves to clean the kitchen but hates doing laundry
……….misses the pop music from the 80’s (Like NKOTB and Tiffany)
……….primarily listens to country music but it is too much like pop music today
……….has never liked yoga pants but will gladly sit by my fireplace in a maxi skirt
……….thinks that a vacation anywhere but on a cruise ship is just not worth taking
……….prefers to read over watching TV but never misses The Walking Dead
……….loves reading historical western romance (my guilty pleasure lol)
……….is a farmer wanna-be, with my chickens, rabbits, cats and dogs
……….I am a DIYer, who loves power tools!
……….finds more enjoyment than I ever thought possible in cleaning a chicken coop
……….is finding out new things about myself everyday
I have learned that being a housewife is not just something to do while I am raising children, it is my calling. It is who I am!
I began my life as someone’s daughter, then I became someone’s wife and shortly after someone’s mother. I am still all three of those things; daughter, wife and mother, I have recently come to realize that isn't just who I am it is who I want to be.
I am a housewife.
I have never regretted getting married at 18 and having my first child at 19. I wouldn’t change my life for the world. Getting married meant I was no longer just a daughter. My children are getting older and starting lives of their own, that means I am no longer just their mother. My husband encourages me to follow my dreams, he is my life and I have come to realize my dream has always been to be a housewife.
Transitioning from daughter to wife was simple. Becoming a mother was the natural progression after becoming a wife. Discovering who I am among those three things has been the hardest thing I have ever done.
As my children grew older I began to feel that being a housewife wasn't enough. That I should be doing something "important" with my life. It took a number of years of unhappiness to understand that what I had been doing was important. Finding joy in what you do everyday is the most important thing someone could ever do.
How can I tell others who I am when I don't know myself? It took some time to understand that I didn't need to define myself beyond being a daughter, wife and mother, I can find who I am among those three things.
I am someone who…
……….believes family means everything
……….hates coffee but LOVES the Vanilla Chai Latte from Dunkin’s (hot or cold)
……….loves to clean the kitchen but hates doing laundry
……….misses the pop music from the 80’s (Like NKOTB and Tiffany)
……….primarily listens to country music but it is too much like pop music today
……….has never liked yoga pants but will gladly sit by my fireplace in a maxi skirt
……….thinks that a vacation anywhere but on a cruise ship is just not worth taking
……….prefers to read over watching TV but never misses The Walking Dead
……….loves reading historical western romance (my guilty pleasure lol)
……….is a farmer wanna-be, with my chickens, rabbits, cats and dogs
……….I am a DIYer, who loves power tools!
……….finds more enjoyment than I ever thought possible in cleaning a chicken coop
……….is finding out new things about myself everyday
I have learned that being a housewife is not just something to do while I am raising children, it is my calling. It is who I am!
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