50's Housewife Cleaning

Today I came across this funny blog post and I just couldn't stop myself from reposting it. Call me absolutely crazy, but I would LOVE to quit my job and be a stay at home, back to the basic, back in time, kinda wife and mother. These days I am dreaming about June Cleaver and Donna Reed, wishing I could zap myself back a good 40-50 years and live life as a 100% focused mom and wife. Granted, there are some modern day advancements I would miss such as blogging and Grey's Anatomy, but I yearn for days of super clean houses, simpler times and a strong sense of family. Maybe I am just having a moment in my life, who knows! Anyway, I thought it would be fun to share, enjoy! (Sorry for any weird, off colors, not sure how to fix it since I copied this!)

(I borrowed this from the blog http://www.jenbutneverjenn.com/2010/05/keeping-of-house-1950s-style.html)

 I’ve compiled the advice, and here’s the daily housekeeping schedule I’ll attempt to follow for the 50s Housewife Experiment:

1. Throw back the covers
2. Open up the blinds and windows
3. Freshen up
4. Make and serve breakfast
5. Clean up breakfast
6. Complete a 10-minute exercise regime
7. Shower, do hair and make-up, get dressed
8. Gather a basket for tidying. As the rooms of the home are tackled, pick up items that aren’t where they belong and place them in a basket. Redistribute them where they should be as you enter a new room
9. Straighten up the living and dining room, including picking up potential clutter, light dusting, fluffing / straightening pillows, and watering plants or flowers
10. Make the beds
11. Tidy the bedroom, including light dusting
12. Hang up any clothes that may be about or ensure dirty ones are in the hamper
13. Do a light tidy of the bathroom including removing and replacing used towels, refilling toilet paper and soap (if needed) and cleaning the sink and basin area including soap dishes
14. Review the menu for the current day and the next and compare it to what’s currently available in the home. Make note of anything that needs to be prepared ahead of time or marketing (shopping) that needs to get done
15. Begin long-advance preparations for dinner (such as making dessert)
16. Wipe down kitchen work surfaces and inside the fridge
17. Dispose of garbage
18. Rinse dish cloths and hang to dry
19. Sweep or mop the kitchen floor
20. Handle errands that might take you out of the home (such as marketing, volunteering, going to the post office, getting an item fixed, etc), bookkeeping, correspondence, or indulge in a hobby
21. If returning from the grocery store, wash vegetables, wrap them and put them away. Place rest of groceries or purchases in their proper place
22. Have a quick lunch <- Yoinks?
23. Start advance food conditioning like crisping vegetables or thawing frozen foods
24. Handle weekly chore for the day (more on that below!)
25. Set the table for dinner
26. Arrange the living room for evening enjoyment (such as “the Mister’s” newspaper, book, and cigarettes)
27. Do a quick sweep of the floors and ensure entrance ways are clear
28. Prepare a special dish for dinner
29. Freshen up before the husband returns from work. Consider changing into something more festive if the day dress is plain
30. Set out a tray with equipment for making cocktails, should “the Mister” want to serve drinks before dinner
31. Greet husband “gayly”
32. Serve dinner
33. Clear table and wash dishes
34. Pour boiling water down the sink to ensure pipes are flushed
35. If necessary, pack the husband’s lunch for the next day. Set aside a lunch tray in the refrigerator for yourself if having leftovers
36. Set table for breakfast
37. Ensure breakfast foods are available and do any make-ahead preparations for it
38. Shoot yourself in the head Enjoy an evening of relaxation

If that isn’t enough, each day there is a once-a-week chore to tackle, which is basically a deep clean of a particular room. It’s not your typical “wipe the tub” cleaning. Nope. It’s stuff like:

• Use metal polish on bathroom fixtures
• Clean and disinfect all kitchen appliances
• Scald and disinfect bread boxes and garbage pails and bins
• Replace flowers with fresh bouquets

In addition, laundry should be done at least twice a week (including bedding) and floors should be mopped / vacuumed on a similar schedule.

There is also a recommendation in there to try to squeeze a 10 – 30 minute nap in the afternoon (if not because you’re actually tired but to “look more refreshed” for he-who-wants-to-be-greeted-with-prettiness when he gets home).

While there were certainly brand name cleaning products available to her, the 50s housewife used a lot of simple household products as well – such as baking soda, vinegar, lemon, castile soap and borax – not to mention a good deal of elbow grease. She used things like cheese cloth, rags and old newspapers instead of paper towels. This actually all suits me fine as I figure these are all environmentally friendly options – and who knows – they might even work better than the contemporary products.

I’d also like to note - and will bold this so that a certain someone sees it - that all the guides indicate that a husband shouldn’t expect to be waited on hand and foot. He is fully capable of putting away his coat when he arrives home, fetching and putting away the objects he uses and properly hanging and / or putting his clothes away after undressing. Extras like helping with the dishes after dinner are also "courteous contributions."

Recipe: Creamy Tomato Rigatoni

I have really missed blogging! Work responsibilities have thrown me for a loop and by the time I get finished with family life I am just too darn tired to blog. I need to start making time for blogging because it is my little get away from the hustle and bustle of real life.

Anyway, autumn appears to be in full swing around here. That doesn't mean we will not see 80 degree temps again until next year, this is St. Louis after all! I love summer, but autumn is pretty high up there on my list. I love the sights and sounds and smells of the season. I especially love the food that represent autumn. I have been doing a lot of cooking lately and I cannot wait to share my recipes. Tonight I made a very simple pasta dish. While this isn't necessarily an autumn dish it sure was tasty and comforting after a weekend of camping in the cold. Best of all, my boys GOBBLED this down in record time. I think this may be one of the pastas that I will add into my regular rotation. Served with a green salad and crusty bread, you have yourself quite the meal!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 white wine
1 can of crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 heavy whipping cream, warmed to room temp
salt & pepper to taste
1 pound whole wheat rigatoni
basil to taste

Directions:
1. Melt butter in a saucepan, add chopped onion and cook until onion is soft.

2. Add the chopped garlic and saute until you can smell the strong garlic odor.

3. Add white wine and cook down until almost evaporated. Stir often.

4. Stir in crushed tomatoes and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 15-20 minutes.

5. Stir in heavy whipping cream, season with salt, pepper and basil.

6. While the sauce cooks a bit longer, boil the rigatoni until just tender. Drain and return to pot.

7. Combine pasta and sauce and serve with sides of your liking.

Again, not the healthiest, but yummy! I used canned organic tomatoes since my garden tomatoes have not produced much this year. The basil was from our garden and tasted great.

I need to start taking pictures and posting my creations!!

Recipe: Fajitas

Every Sunday morning I sit down with my pad of paper and pen and I create a weekly meal plan for dinners. Breakfasts and lunches are fairly easy, but dinners can be a bit of a struggle for many reasons. While I try to limit most of our evening activity I can't totally exclude everything. Thursday is our busy night thus far, with soccer practice AND Tiger Cubs so on that evening so we usually eat dinner out someplace semi-healthy (think Bread Co). Alex is also in this super picky food mood right now so it is no telling what he will or will not eat. Seriously, the kid could scarf down chicken on Tuesday and by Thursday he hates it....so is the life of a 4 year old! Right now the boys, especially Brennan, are on a Mexican kick so at least once a week I try to make something themed around beans, rice and cheese. I am a vegetarian and by the looks of Alex's food preferences he is leaning towards a mostly meat-free diet so beans are a great source of protein for us. I know Brennan is getting protein from the chicken, but the beans are an added bonus of protein, fiber and other vitamins/minerals.

Tonight I decided we would have fajitas. I hate cooking meat so I was quite happy when Bryan volunteered to grill the chicken. Best of all, we cooked everything outside so my kitchen stayed fairly clean! Here is the recipe we used for Tequila Lime Chicken and Veggie Fajitas:

Ingredients:


1lbs of all natural, organic chicken breast
Tequila (to your liking, we just splashed some in to mix all of the ingredients)
Lime juice (to your liking)
4 peppers (I used a combo of red, orange, yellow and green)
Onion
Fajita dry mix (I used a store bought brand, but it contained the least amount of ingredients)
1 cup water

Whole wheat and/or corn tortillas, shredded cheese, sour cream, etc.

Directions:


1. Place sliced chicken breast, tequila, lime juice, 1/2 cup water and half of the fajita dry mix into a zip lock bag, marinate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Slice onion and peppers into strips; place veggies into zip lock bag along with the rest of the tequila, lime juice, 1/2 cup water and the rest of the fajita mix, marinate at least 30 minutes.

3. Place chicken breast slices onto grill, discarding marinade mix. Grill until fully cooked.

4. Place veggies inside a grilling basket, discarding marinade mix. Grill to your liking (I prefer tender-crisp).

5. Once all the meat and veggies are grilled start assembling your fajitas and enjoy!

Bryan likes meat, veggies, shredded cheese and hot sauce. Brennan will only eat meat, beans and shredded cheese on his fajitas. Alex likes black beans, sour cream and shredded cheese fajitas. I make mine with black beans, veggies, shredded cheese and light sour cream. I guess in a true sense these are not traditional fajitas, but I love making them because everyone can make their dinner to their specific liking. I served black beans and fresh kiwi as sides. It was a hit with everyone!

Breakfast

Of all of the meals and snacks eaten, I am a firm believer that breakfast is the most important meal of the entire day. After resting and repairing your body all night long, you need healthy, nutritious foods to get your system up and running. I am always amazed at what people believe is food, especially breakfast foods. Sure, my family indulges in the occasional doughnut and on rare instances I do let the boys buy a box of sugar laden cereal, but these "treats" are eaten on special occasions like vacation or on Saturday morning. During the week I make it a point to serve a healthy breakfast every morning. As a preschool teacher I ask my students, usually during circle time, what they ate for breakfast. I usually hear Pop Tarts, Coco Puffs, Toaster Strudels or nothing at all. The last response concerns me more than a bowl of Honey Smacks. How can a parent send their child, especially a tiny child, off to school with nothing in their tummy?!

Breakfast does not have to be some elaborate, time consuming task. While we always eat at the table, one could easily create a portable healthy meal to feed in the car or at the bus stop. Here is a list of easy breakfast ideas:

Pancakes: I like to make double batches of whole wheat pancakes on Sunday morning. After we eat I layer pancakes between pieces of wax paper and freeze them in a zip lock bag. When the boys want pancakes on Tuesday morning all I do is reach into the freezer bag, grab a few frozen pancakes, pop 'em in the microwave and in less than one minute we have hot tasty cakes. In addition to making our pancakes with whole wheat flour, I also add in yummy extras such as pureed pumpkin & cinnamon, diced apples, pureed or whole blueberries (fresh or frozen depending what I have on hand), mashed banana and on occasion a few tablespoons of chocolate chips. If you add in fruit the cakes are sweet enough to even forgo the traditional maple syrup, making these super easy to eat on the run. And speaking of syrup, did you know that Log Cabin, Aunt Jemima, etc is NOT maple syrup? It is just high fructose corn syrup mixed with a bunch of artificial flavorings and other ingredients. Schnucks, Dierbergs, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, etc all carry 100% maple syrup. It is pricier compared to the $1.00 bottle of "syrup" you can get at Schnucks, but it is real, all natural maple syrup from a tree. I buy our maple syrup for about $6 at Trader Joe's. A little goes a long way!

Waffles: If you cannot make your own whole wheat waffles, but whole grain frozen waffles. Top with a smear of butter (peanut, almond, sunflower, soy) and some fresh sliced strawberries or banana and you have a fast, easy meal.

Burrito: Stuff a whole wheat or corn tortilla with scrambled egg, low fat cheese (and some diced veggies if so desired). You can eat this as you walk or drive.

Smoothie: Pour milk (skim, almond, rice, soy or coconut) into a blender with fresh/frozen fruit and a little low fat yogurt. If you have protein powder add in a teaspoon or tablespoon for added protein.

Oatmeal: I "stole" this recipe from my friend, Maria. Before you go to bed add 2/3 cup of old fashioned oats to 2/3 cup of milk (skim, almond, soy, rice, coconut....I like coconut milk). Mix and place in the fridge overnight. When you are ready to eat the next morning, pop the oats in the microwave and top with anything of your liking. I love to add a dash of cinnamon, a small scoop of sunbutter and some sliced banana. Yum!

Yogurt: A cup of lower sugar yogurt topped with sliced fruit and a few tablespoons of granola is a fast, healthy breakfast. Try Greek yogurt for added protein.

Other quick, easy, healthy ideas are fresh fruit such as apples and bananas, dried fruit packets (look for the sugar content), whole wheat cereals with higher protein/lower sugar content such as Kashi varieties, sunflower/soy/peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat bread/tortilla or a whole grain bagel with low fat cream cheese and sliced fruit.