This month marks the beginning of a new column by Glynnis Whitwer called Creating Home. Each month, Glynnis will share tips on how to create a healthy, beautiful, organized and God-honoring home – such as how to stock a medicine cabinet or create a welcoming place for guests. These columns are aimed at the young woman who is just starting out in her own home, whether it’s an apartment, condo, or house. If you are an established homemaker, please share these columns with a young woman you know and share your own thoughts by leaving a comment.
My first home-away-from-home was a rented room. After living with my parents during my junior college years, I rented a bedroom in a five-bedroom house. Four other college students also rented rooms, and it was quite a lively place. My room consisted of a mattress on the floor and a dresser. I didn’t even have a desk or chair to call my own. After years of enjoying home cooked meals, I’ll never forget the panic of realizing I had to fend for myself.
I knew how to make Kraft macaroni and cheese, Chef Boyardee Pizza, and egg salad. I remember walking around a grocery store wondering how in the world I was going to feed myself. My clearest memory was looking at some raw chicken, and thinking “I think I can bake that.” I bought it, took it back to the house, sprinkled salt and pepper on it, baked it till it was stringy and dry, and that was dinner. Thankfully, I worked at a steak house and got free meals. Those last 2-1/2 years of college, I ate lots of hamburgers.
After a semester of renting that room, a friend and I got an apartment together. She had a better sense of meal preparation than I, and with her help, my cooking repertoire expanded slightly.
I also learned some things from my husband. After we got married, I remember serving him a dinner plate with one piece of meat on it, and nothing else. Really. No potato or vegetable accompanied the slab of beef. I can still picture his face when he kindly asked me, “Is there anything else?”
You are probably wondering why my mother didn’t teach me to cook. Before I go any further, I should tell you that I had wonderful parents. My father was a high school biology teacher, and my mother stayed home until my little sister and I were in high school. Then she took a job as our church secretary and worked her hours around our school hours.
My mother was (and still is) a very efficient person. Although I had chores around the house, it was easier for her to do the cooking herself. When I did help in the kitchen, it was chopping celery. When I helped iron, it was my father’s handkerchiefs. I had a wonderful childhood, and most importantly, grew up loving Jesus. I have SO MUCH to be thankful for. I just didn’t get much coaching on becoming a home-keeper.
In the past 30 years, I’ve learned a lot about creating a home. In fact, it’s one of my passions. And I want to pass that on to other younger woman. So this month we are launching this column, where I’ll share tips I’ve learned. In fact, I’m going to share some ideas for how to start building a well-stocked kitchen – so you know what to do with that chicken breast.
A piece of advice you’ll hear often from me is to start smart practices now, while you are young. The most important area of your life where this applies is in your eating. Yes, exercise is important. Yes, rest is important. But you eat multiple times a day, and what you eat really matters. So start now being smart.
Although fast food might be easy and affordable – you can’t beat a dollar menu – it’s really not a healthy practice for long. For example, McDonald’s dollar menu contains a double cheeseburger and fries, but that burger has 490 calories, plus 51% of your recommended daily sodium intake and 60% of your recommended saturated fat. The fries add another 17% fat, and 10% sodium. Yikes!
A healthier alternative is to purchase your own meat and fish from the grocery store, and start buying one seasoning or condiment at a time. Here are some of my favorite seasonings:
-Pam or similar non-stick product – purchase it with garlic flavor and use it to sauté zucchini.
-Garlic Salt – good on just about everything-Cavender’s Greek Seasoning – great on chicken
-McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning – good on any beef
-McCormick Rotisserie Chicken – rub into a whole chicken and bake
-Pesto – spread on fish and bake
-Mango Chutney – Grill pork chops and use as dip (chutney can be expensive, so shop around)
Sometime Ross or Marshall’s has condiments in their cooking section. Cost Plus and Trader Joes have good prices. Check there for other seasoning ideas. If you see a spice or condiment that looks interesting, pick it up and go online for recipe ideas. Bit by bit you’ll start to develop some recipes you love – and you’ll cook like a rock star!
I’ve run out of space for this post, but if you visit my blog today, I’ll share some simple menus you can create, using these seasonings.
Happy cooking and I’ll be back next month (On the 1st Tuesday) with more tips on Creating Home.
In His Love,
Glynnis Whitwer
http://www.glynniswhitwer.com/
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I think our moms must be a lot alike. I'm going to enjoy learning from you. Thanks for the seasoning tips!
I've started making my own seasonings (fajita, steak, etc.) from recipes that use basic seasonings such as garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, etc. So you can buy those inexpensive seasonings and make more exotic ones for a fraction of the cost. You can find those recipes at http://www.recipezaar.com (my favorite recipe site).
YAY! Can't wait for 1st Tues.s I need all the help I can get
I started helping with the cooking at home while I was a senior in high school. My Mother stayed at home until I was in 10th grade and had to go to work due to some unfortunate circumstances. So I started to help cook. I still had a lot to learn.
Thank you for the tips! I love Pam and the Greek Seasoning as well!
Well, I have been doing this homemaking gig for close to 30 years now. In spite of that, I can tell already that I will be enjoying these weekly columns immensely.
Already looking forward to what you'll share next week?
Love this new column…have always enjoyed Glyniss' blog and look forward to her thoughts her, as well. Have to say – a plate with just a piece of meat…too funny!! And everyone lived to tell about it:)
Can't wait until next month!!! Great tips!!
I love this. Personally, I'm a pretty good cook. I've always love it & since my mom taught school all day & then taught piano in the afternoons, I was usually in charge of dinner being the oldest. My sister, however, never really learned & now being married, she is having to quickly learn how to follow a recipe. She's great at it but I think she was just scared at first. Maybe I should be a better sister & go over & teacher her some of the things I'm inventing. I have finally graduated to the phase of reading a recipe or menu & using that as a starting place then doing whatever I want after.
I'm going to love this series. I am still a single, working gal but I aspire to be a classy homemaker one day. I have never been great at the homemaking stuff but now with my new home, I'm ready to start improving those skills.
I am on this journey right now, trying to figure out how to be the wife that I am supposed to be. I loved today's entry & look forward to the next one! Can this be a weekly post!! LOL…. =)