New Domesticity?

I really like listening to podcasts. I originally got into them this summer when I was looking for a free option to audiobooks (damn, those get pricey!) to listen to during car trips. Now I listen to them when I exercise, cook, and clean my house. I love the broad variety of information, opinions, and entertainment that podcasts offer.

One of my favorite podcasts is Stuff Mom Never Told You from HowStuffWorks.com. This podcast offers an examination of different pop culture, historical, and everyday issues from a feminist perspective.

Recently, Stuff Mom Never Told You featured an episode about something called "New Domesticity," which is the recent resurrection (fueled by the internet and social media) in traditional homemaking, handicrafts, family styles, and child-rearing activities that are so prominently featured on online sources like Pinterest, personal living blogs, Instagram, etc. "New Domesticity" includes a broad range of activities: knitting, sewing, cleaning, cooking from scratch, bread making, canning, preserving, crafting, attachment-style parents, raising chickens, homeschooling-the list goes on and on. If you've been on Pinterest, you know what I am talking about.

In the podcast, Cristen, one of the hosts of Stuff Mom Never Told You, interviewed Emily Matchar, who has a blog on the subject and a book (Homeward Bound) coming out in May.

The entire interview was very thought-provoking for me because I had never considered the things I like to do and learn about (creating my new home, cooking, and baking) as a "new" concept. I also had never really considered them a feminist concept. I love cooking food, so does my mother, so too does Mark Bittman. I like creating my new home, but my father also strives to do this too. I have always considered creating a home, cooking in it, and cleaning it not as an issue of feminism, but just as one of those things that grownups do. I've never looked at my role as a woman cooking and cleaning, just as a person.

Likewise, there was another aspect of the episode that has had me thinking for the past couple days. This was one piece that I have really been pondering because it makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. In the interview, Cristen asked Emily if she noticed a trend in the type of women who embraced this new domesticity and who avidly shared it on social media. Emily replied that she did notice some common aspects of these women: (1) they were intelligent, creative, and highly educated and (2) they did not have careers that challenged them creatively (either because they had forgone their careers for motherhood, were underemployed, or were not in jobs that challenged their creative minds).

Here is what has really been bothering me about this: I don't like the implication that domestic tasks are something women seek only when their careers don't work out for them. I don't embrace the concept that domesticity is a fall-back activity. I think this mindset perpetuates the feminist claim that domestic tasks, those traditionally done by women, are less valued. Do women seek out these traditional "women's work" activities only when they have exhausted the superior employment of building a professional career? Is this causation, or just correlation?

On this subject, I am going with another interpretation. New domesticity is not the refuge of a failed career, it is just another creative outlet that allows women and men to be constructive in their immediate surroundings that is just as important as career-world work. I do not see it as a transfer of energy from career to home, from the outside world to the inside world, that happens when things don't go so well professionally. Instead, it is just another outlet for creative energy to thrive in a very palpable (and palatable if cooking is your thing), observable way that many people, men or women, find intrinsically satisfying and comforting. New domesticity isn't something you retreat to as a second choice, it is just another medium for expression that is just as valuable and enjoyable as heading off to work Melanie Griffith style.

I don't think that I like to refinish furniture, find interesting ways of including more kale in my diet, or more natural cleaning alternatives because I don't like my job. I believe that I am creative in my career and at home, that these two separate factions in my life just call for different kinds of creativity-both of which are equally important.

Prune-Err-Plum Sauce

I cleaned up my fridge this evening and I had to throw out a bunch of slimy asparagus. Tossing uneaten food fills me with guilt. As a penance, I decided to do something with a very odd item that has been hanging around my fridge: Prune juice.

Now, now, now, before you cast aspersions on my gastrointestinal health, I want you to know that I originally bought this juice for a healthy muffin recipe (read: hockey pucks). What the heck does one do with prune juice? I didn't feel like baking tonight, so using it as a natural sweetener in muffins and breads was out. I started trawling the usual internet suspects like epicurious.com. I briefly considered something Moroccan. Perhaps, I pondered, I could cook some couscous in the juice, add some chickpeas, a little cumin, and a dash of cinnamon  But, then I realized that what I thought was couscous in my cupboard was actually quinoa. Plus, I didn't have any fresh mint.

Then, instead of searching "prune," I typed in "plum" and found some recipes for Asian-style plum sauce. Now, I have never had plum sauce before. Most "Asian" sauces that you can get in restaurants around my area are brown and vaguely menacing. However, I liked the look of the ingredients and I decided to do my own adaptation with the items that I had readily available in my fridge and pantry. Most of these recipes called for actual plums or whole prunes, but using prune juice instead worked out fine.

I looked at a couple different recipes to get a general idea of the flavors that are supposed to stand out. I also considered my current food cravings. I have a cold, so I really wanted something spicy and bold. As I sometimes say, I wanted some food that would punch me in the face. And this sauce does, in a good way.

Ingredients:

1/2 tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. of non-packed dark brown sugar (a very light 1/4 c.)
4 c. prune juice (the kind that only had prunes and water in it-they usually keep it on the bottom shelf at the grocery store so the little old ladies can reach it easily)
1/4-1/2 tsp. cinammon
1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 inch piece of raw ginger, minced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tbs. tamari (or soy sauce, if you wish)
1 tbs. (or more) Sriracha sauce (you could sub in cayenne pepper)

First, I caramelized the chopped onions in a saucepan until they were very brown. I found that they were getting too dry (maybe I had the heat on too high), so I added a little prune juice for the last 5 minutes or so. Then, I threw in the garlic and ginger and gave it a stir. After that, I added the apple cider vinegar to deglaze the pan. Finally, in went the rest of the ingredients. I let the whole thing cook down until it was very reduced (under 1 cup). I think I reduced mine a tad too much. You want it to be thick, but not look too syrupy. After I let the whole thing cool for a bit, I threw it in the blender to turn it into a nice smooth sauce. I poured the concoction in a small sterilized (boiled) glass jar and will be storing the sauce in the fridge.

I think that this would be really good on some tofu and greens. It would also make a nice dipping sauce.

After I had decanted my sauce, I still had some residue in the saucepan. It was suddenly time for dinner (8:30, where did the time go?), so I decided to make something of that too. I added some water to thin out the quite solidified remnants, boiled some brown basmati rice (I cook mine like pasta), and threw in some arugula at the end. I did not use the tender baby arugula that you get at the store for the price of your first born. My mom has a hoop house and a bumper crop of arugula that is slightly past ideal. This older, more experienced arugula is still good sauteed or wilted. The bite of the arugula paired very nicely with the sweetness of the sauce. Great success.

A Little Break

Source

It snowed here on the 26th and it has been gray and dark ever since. I am not the kind of person who gets excited about snow. I enjoy it only briefly (when I see the doodles romp through it) and then I get hit by the winter blues. Someday in the not so distant future, I really hope to be able to move somewhere where there is no snow and the days seem a little longer. Until then, I have some creative coping mechanisms.

Last night had a tropical theme. We made a dinner of flounder, mango and avocado salsa, and coconut rice.

I liked the salsa the best.

We threw on some Hawaiian music records (there are so many of these in thrift stores-why was this such an obsession?).

That's my silly ukulele.

We popped my summer lights on the Christmas "tree" and burned a tropical scented candle.

Time to take this baby down today.

We wanted to watch The Descendants to keep with the theme but could not find it on Netflix or in Redbox. Therefore, we settled for Wet Hot American Summer and giggled over Paul Rudd's hilarious mess hall scene.

I was always a sad excuse for a sorority girl, but I think that liking themed activities stuck with me. Anything to chase away the winter!

Food Files: Slow Cooker

It was suggested to me by a smart lady that I should try a slow cooker. I have heard that this is basically the laziest cooking option available-you literally throw junk in a pot and ignore it all day. As one who gets grumbly in the kitchen, this is a fabulous option for me. I need food waiting when I get home from work. Some people can go a long stretch without eating or chow down on a cup of soup or bowl of cereal and call it a meal. I am not one of those people. I go from okay, to a little hungry, to a screaming, crying, shaking, absolute mess in about fifteen minutes. My special dude (this moniker is the closest male alternative that I could get to "special lady friend," which is what he calls me [Big Lebowski reference here]) knows to tread softly when I start complaining of hunger. On more than one occasion, he has asked me to please eat something dammit before daring to come over. I know I come by this honestly. My mom used to carry snacks around for my dad and my sister basically faints if she has less than three meals a day. Therefore-flourish of trumpets-solution:

Inadvertent outfit post: Sweater (Marc Jacobs-thrifted), Tank (J. Crew-outlet), Shorts (thrifted and hacked by moi), Shoes (Toms). You can't see it here, but I am wearing a gold pretzel necklace. Aren't you jealous?

Food Files: Reluctant Summer Pasta

Let's talk cooking. Feeding oneself is a basic adult task.

My mother is a great cook and I've been spoiled by her homegrown, home-raised meals for years. Me? I'd rather not be in the kitchen.

It's not that I exactly hate to cook; I just don't want to do it everyday. I have this beautiful image in my head of happy homemaking-cooking lovely, fresh, local, seasonal meals that cover all my food groups. But...this makes a lot of dishes to wash and it feels like it takes so long and there are other things I would rather be doing and [insert many more excuses here].

Unfortunately, this reluctance to make myself some darn food left me toting a cruddy can of soup to work. Not fulfilling. So, I buckled down and threw together this summer pasta.

Ingredients:

1 yellow bell pepper (from my mom's garden)
1 red bell pepper (from the grocery store-whoa, these are expensive!)
1 bunch of asparagus minus 1/2 (I waited too long to use it and some of the stalks were a bit funky)
2 boxes of cherry tomatoes (they were buy 1, get 1)
Log o' goat cheese minus some I smeared on a Wasa cracker for breakfast
1 handful of fresh basil (mom's garden again)
Balsamic vinegar
Sugar
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Process:

I had to sort through these for good ones.

1. Sort through your asparagus, pick the non-funky ones, snap off the ends, and break the remainder into 2 inch or so pieces. If you are more on top of your fridge, congratulations! You don't have to throw away your food!

2. Then, spread out your asparagus on a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle liberally with salt. Roast the asparagus in an oven set at about 350 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes or until the fronds are slightly brown around the edges. Let cool.

I wish I could give more detailed instructions about the roasting, but my oven is wonky. It shoots to about 450 degrees when you have it set to only 200. I have to just check on things frequently and play it by ear. You can probably figure out how to roast some asparagus. If I can do it in an oven determined to turn itself into a flaming pit, you can manage in a better behaved appliance.

This knife definitely needs to be sharpened. I more squished than chopped. 

2. Cut up your peppers. Don't worry if they aren't uniform pieces. I personally ignore such culinary shortcomings.

This homegrown pepper tasted awesome. Thanks, mom!

3. Slice some cherry tomatoes. I made them relatively small. I also forgot that I am slightly allergic to tomatoes and have had a raw mouth for a couple days.

Hello, lycopene. 

4. Throw in some basil. Due to the sorry state of my "knife," I decided to rip rather than chop.

This looks like Christmas. But don't even think of eating it at Christmas. It would be totally out of season. 

5. Make some pasta! I choose these little spirals because (1) I love this kind and (2) the box was on sale. It was the protein added variety, which is good as the protein count on this dish is a bit low and I plan on eating it as a meal.

This pasta is For-Ti-Fied.

6. Hold on to your hats. We are about to get all fancy. I made a balsamic reduction to drizzle on the pasta. It was simple, I put about a 1/2 c. of balsamic vinegar (you don't have to use expensive stuff here), added about 1 Tbs. of sugar and let it cook down until it was a nice syrupy consistency. Be careful not to burn your pot doing this. I had a handy nonstick little pot. I will probably be poisoned by the Teflon, but at least I don't have to scrub, right?

This little pot is ah. dorable.

7. Now for the fun part! Throw everything together in a big bowl. Drizzle with more olive oil, pour in the balsamic, sprinkle with extra salt and pepper to your taste. Mix well. Now is also the time to add cheese, if you wish. I put in goat cheese because it tastes fresh and, well, I had it in the fridge. Parmesan or feta would also be lovely.

It is a very pretty pasta salad.

This is a fresh summer dish. You can eat it slightly warm (as I prefer) or cool. If I did it again, I would have made more balsamic dressing. It was a good dinner and lunch and dinner and lunch. It kept well (I added a little extra oil to freshen it up).

So I ditched the canned fodder (for now). I like having something good in my fridge that I know is yummy and healthy. I have one other meal planned for this week. Let's see if it comes to fruition, or if I will be salvaging another vegetable for not old sections. Here's hoping.

What do you cook when you don't feel like cooking? Is anyone into crock-pot meals or freezing? Share your hints!

(My excitement over having cooked myself an actual meal is kind of telling of my level in this whole "growing up" progress, isn't it? I clearly have not been independent for very long.)

Bridal Shower

It was a sweet day.

Last weekend, I threw a small bridal shower for my dear friend at my parents' house. As the bride loves the restaurant Alice's Tea Cup in NYC, I decided to go with a tea party theme. Here is the run down of the party:

Decorations:
-fresh picked flowers
-vanilla votive candles
-a table runner with a bunny print (like the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland)
-pictures of the bride and groom scattered on the table (I printed them from Instagram so they would have that Polaroid feel)
-school pictures of the bride (not shown here as she would probably kill me)
-an adorable little porcelain bunny found at a thrift store

Table Setting:
A year or so ago, I bought a service for 16 at a thrift store for $25. The dishes are from Macy's and are dishwasher safe. I don't know what possessed me to buy SO MANY dishes. I really liked the pattern, a feminine floral. However, being able to serve 16 people isn't really a common concern for me. It turned out that these dishes came to good use at the party. They were perfectly suited for an afternoon tea. Although, I am not sure where I will store them or when I will possibly need that large a service again!

I made the labels for the food with index cards and colored pencils. 

The fruit salad was brought by another friend of the bride.

Desserts galore!

My sister's fiance frosted the red velvet cupcakes (his dog ate my first batch, so he made a whole new one at midnight the night before the shower). They were a little smudged, but totally delicious.

Molasses Crinkles and Double Chocolate Mocha Cookies. 

Food:
-fruit salad
-green bean and basil salad with Romano cheese (a big hit! made by my sister, adapted from an epicurious.com recipe [we omitted the shallots])
-chicken salad tea sandwiches (I used grapes and celery in the chicken salad)
-cucumber dill tea sandwiches
-red velevet cupcakes with buttercream frosting
-chocolate mocha cookies (these were amazing)
-molasses crinkle cookies
-lemon bars
-shortbread wedges
-assorted British tea cookies (purchased)
-dark chocolate Hershey Kisses

Line of teas (and coffee).

Beverages:
-sparkling mint lemonade (just club soda, frozen lemonade mix, and muddled mint from the garden)
-Moscato punch (Barefoot Moscato, frozen Bacardi Strawberry Daiquiri Mix [non-alcoholic], and frozen pink lemonade mix)
-green tea
-Earl Grey tea
-Peach Ceylon tea
-coffee

The gift opening area I set up right beside the dining area.

Gift table

The beautiful bride opening her cards and gifts.

Party Plan:
-punch and beverages
-light lunch fare
-desserts and tea
-one game (bridal mad libs) with prizes (the bride isn't much one for games and there was no way I was putting her in a toilet paper dress)
-gift opening

Little Extras:
-I wrapped nail polishes in a little piece of tissue paper and drew an "A" on them for favors (the bride's name starts with A). I put them beside each place setting.
-I also put an envelope beside each place setting so each guest could write down their current home address for thank you notes. I gave the envelopes and thank you cards to the bride after the party.
-Under each place setting, I put a little slip for a mad lib submission so that we could transition into the game could run smoothly.
-I handed out little gifts from The Body Shop for the three people who submitted the funniest mad lib words (my mom took the cake with this one).

Wish I Knew:
-Tea sandwiches or any sandwiches with thin bread aren't a great idea when you are trying to prep beforehand. The bread got a little dried out.
-Take more pictures.
-Don't get so stressed out. It isn't going to be perfect, but that's okay. It's a party-have fun!

All in all, a success!