BAMFnana Bread

Anyone can cook. All you need is some kind of heating implement and creativity. Oh, and the Joy of Cooking. The Joy of Cooking is my all-time favorite cook book. Whether you own the most recent edition, in all of its modern glory, or the edition that tells you how to skin a squirrel, this cookbook is great. My edition tells me how to cook an octopus ("make sure first that your victim is dead -- by striking it a conclusive blow on the head."), and make a Birthday Bread Horse. Really, how can you go wrong?

Which brings me to banana bread. I felt a burning desire last Friday to bake banana bread. So I did. I used the Joy of Cooking 1975 edition recipe, which can be found on page 624 for "Quick Banana Bread," then used the ingredients I had on hand. This recipe calls for shortening, which I rarely cook with, so I used butter instead. This, along with using 2 eggs made for a delicious, cake-like banana bread. In a failed attempt to keep myself from eating all of the banana bread over the weekend, I put it in a ziploc bag and froze it. This just made the banana bread even more delicious and tempting. It lasted until Monday night.

BAMFnana Bread - Joy of Cooking 1975 edition and Janney

Preheat oven to 350

Mix (it said sift, but I couldn't find the sieve in my house. Nothing bad happened.)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Blend until creamy:

1/3 cup butter

2/3 cup sugar

Beat in:

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups ripe banana pulp

Add dry ingredients in about 3 parts to the sugar mixture. Beat the batter after each addition until smooth.

Mix in: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Place batter in a greased bread pan. Bake the bread for about 1 hour (I actually baked it for more like 1 hour and 15 minutes because I forgot about it, but it was still good, just slightly blackened on the sides). Cool before devouring (or for bonus points freeze it and eat it frozen).

I'm sure there are ways you could make it healthier. I want to experiment using olive oil instead of butter, applesauce instead of butter, egg whites, whole wheat flour, etc. But sometimes a girl's just got to have butter, white flour, cane sugar, and egg yolks.

From Cleaning to Cocktail Party:

Let's be honest, before you can get around to cooking, cleaning, gardening, building things, doing heavy lifting, and all of the other wonderful things that a modern woman with an inner 1950's housewife may find herself doing, you need the proper uniform.

Well you don't need it... Holey jeans with a t-shirt, or a white tank top and running shorts are fine for doing homemaker-y things.

But having a fun uniform sure makes things more fun. Here are some suggestions for articles of clothing that are great for a day of laundry, working in the garden, cooking some excellent food, or even just kicking butt and taking names.

Item #1: The American Shirtdress

My raspberry American Shirtdress was the best 50 cents I ever spent. I got it for 50 cents at a yard sale. It's great for a morning in the garden, or cooking and cleaning. Add sneakers, and you can go power-walking. Add heels and pearls, and you feel like Betty Draper.

Item #2: Overalls

My overalls were free. Some foolish person was giving them away. They have been faithful companions as I do battle with thistles and poison ivy in the garden, built a stage for a music festival, baked pies, done things with my horses, and taken finals. Don't spend much money on a pair of overalls. I found the perfect pair of overalls when I wasn't even looking. It may take months and months, but if you build it, they will come.

Item #3: A Blue Jean Skirt

This is the least obscure item on the list. I slip on my blue jean skirt with a t-shirt because sometimes I have things to get done, but I just don't want to wear pants. This is also good if you don't like the American Shirtdress, or haven't found the perfect one for you yet. A blue jean skirt is casual yet classy if the right length. It can take you from cleaning to clubbing with a change of shoes, shirt and jewelry. Plus, if you can't find one that is the length you want, you can make one yourself. But that's for another blogpost.

Extra Credit: A Bandana

Whether you wear it like a peasant, a pirate, or Rosie the Riveteer, bandanas are great for days when there's no point in washing your hair because you're just going to get it dirtier anyway.

Happy housewife-ing!

Make a Recycled No More Hormonal Birth Control Card

One of my good friends switched from hormonal birth control to an IUD this year. In a fit of creativity, I made a congratulations/good luck on getting an IUD card for her. Unfortunately, I threw it away before I could give it to her. Here's how you can make one. This is the perfect card for someone who has recently gotten an IUD, a Nuva Ring, or a hysterectomy.

1. You know how every time you refill your birth control prescription, instead of just giving you another pack of pills to put in those plastic holders, they give you pills and another plastic holder? Well this is a good way to reuse those.

Take a pill holder.

2. Cut a notecard so it slides into the pill holder. If you want to get really creative, you can take an empty pill packet and write the letters of the card recipient's name where the pills would be.

3. Write some message congratulating them for not being on hormonal birth control (or whatever the situation may be).

4. Ta da!!!

Move Over, Martha Stewart

I've always wanted to be the next Martha Stewart. In the age of the interwebs, what better place to start than with a blog? In this blog I will provide cleaning, cooking, crafting, fashion, and health tips for the 2o1o's woman who has an inner 1950's housewife. Not that I have any idea of how I'm supposed to live my life or anything. Which is why I'm perfectly qualified to write this blog.

So my first topic for the modern woman with an inner 1950's housewife is: Microwaving eggs.

You can microwave a freaking egg.

An egg.

Like from a chicken.

A freaking E-G-G.

To microwave an egg (sunny side up/over-easy style), here's what you do:

1. Spray a deep ceramic soup/cereal bowl with cooking spray or take a paper towel and rub it with olive oil.

2. Crack the egg into the lubricated bowl.

3. Cover the bowl with a paper towel.

4. Microwave on the normal microwave setting for 30-45 seconds.

5. Remove the paper towel and enjoy your freaking microwaved egg!