Fresh Blackberry Season Means Cobbler!

My first blackberry cobbler

Super yummy! Even my mother in law said that it was delicious which was a huge compliment! We just put a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top. Yummy!

Blackberry Cobbler

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups white sugar, divided

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons of cold butter

1/4 cup boiling water

2 tablespoons of cornstarch

1/4 cup of cold water

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

4 cups fresh blackberries, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, 1/2 c. sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Stir in 1/4 c. bowling water just until mixture is evenly moist.

In a seperate bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in cold water. Mix in remaining 1 cup sugar, lemon juice, and blackberries. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Transfer to cast iron skillet (I didn't have one so I put it in a big stock pot and boiled it and then transfered it to a pie dish). Bring mixture to boil, stirring frequently. Drop dough into the skillet by spoonfuls. Place skillet on the foil lined baking sheet.

Bake 25 minutes, or until dough it golden brown.

HAHA!! Home economics for the 50's housewife!

Home Economics For Women In The 1950's


From a 1950's high school home economics textbook, teaching girls how to prepare for married life.


1. Have dinner ready: Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal on time.
This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him, and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospects of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.



2. Prepare yourself: Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking.
He has just been with a lot of work- weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.


3. Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives, gathering up school books, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables.
Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too.


4. Prepare the children: Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces if they are small, comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes.
They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.


5. Minimize the noise: At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of washer, dryer, dishwasher or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.
Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad to see him.


6. Things to avoid: Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he's late for dinner.
Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day.


7. Make him comfortable: Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes.
Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind.


8. Listen to him: You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.


9. Make the evening his: Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment; instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and relax.


10. The goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can relax.

I'm not sure if I want to take this retro-housewife stuff that far! LOL! But its funny to see what they used to teach girls in prep for marriage.

The Goal!!

Yes I have a goal!
This summer a lot of things changed for me. My daughter was home for the summer, my husband was busy working swing shift and spending a month away doing his naval reserves duty. During this time however I realized that things have to change around here. My life is no longer just my own. I have a husband who counts on me...for everything from missing car keys to laundry. My daughter is only 7 and still thinks I need to wait on her manicured feet like the princess she truly is. Now really though...yes the hubby can't seem to wash a plate without my asking, and sometimes the lawn being a foot tall bothers him, but he really does love me and work a corrections job that he hates to support us. And though my daughter toes might be "shimmer pink" she does understand that mommy works hard to keep the house clean. But how hard has this mommy worked the past 8 months of this year? Not as hard as she would like people to believe.

I have a best friend from Washington. We are so much alike its pretty scary. Even our husbands seem like they were cut from the same mold. However she has jumped on to the all organic and homemade route long before me. Despite knowing its healthiest for me and my family I can't always afford the organic milk. BUT THAT'S WHEN IT HIT!  I can make my food. Really cook it. Not pull the box of pasta and sauce out of the pantry and through in cubed chicken from a can. No I can make my own sauces, my own pasta and all the yummy side dishes. So after spending two long hours on the computer..which is almost impossible considering the clinginess of my daughter, I can away with tons of recipes from my now favorite site http://www.allrecipes.com/ They had everything I needed.

So now the goal this year (school year since its easiest to start these things while the kiddo is in school full time) is to have homemade meals on the table almost every evening. Eating out only once or twice a month. But because one goal has never been enough I want to fulfill that idea in my head of the 50's housewife. Laugh if you want. I have always wanted to be the wife with the hot meal on the table, from scratch, and have a clean house ready for when my husband got home. So clean house and meals from scratch. What everyone women should be able to do, what I did the first 2 years of our marriage, and yet seems so simple but few actually do it.  So here we go. Lets see if I can pry myself off of facebook long enough to scrub the toilets and drag the ladder out of the garage so I can use it to dust the ceiling fans. <3

Popping my blog cherry!

My first blog! Yipee! I've done small update blogs on facebook and myspace, but to have my own complete space is something bigger! A place to share the way my life is shaping up. I welcome everyone to this space that is mine..all mine...*insert evil laugh*. Next step is creating a goal...a direction...hmmm....