something coming soon.
When I can figure out how to get a list of the other posts in this category here, it will be. For now, just some pictures. =)
flickr stream.
About the Site
I’ve been meaning to put together a “comprehensive” post about what the site is about, so I figured now was as good a time as any.
First, an introduction, I’m Brian. I’m a homemaker living in Orange County, I love cooking, gardening, keeping house, and spending time with my two lovely ladies. I’m concerned about finances and frugality, Peak Oil, and other “save money, cherish time, do things yourself from scratch” type issues. I also am a perfectionist, and am quite happy when the house is clean, we’ve had a great meal, and my garden is flourishing. The sections of the site and posts tend to reflect these type of issues. I’m not a trained chef, a trained gardener, or a trained homemaker. What I do have is a lot of energy, an endless desire to learn, and this vision of the perfect homemaker in my head.
The perfect homemaker, the one that lives in my head anyway, I like to call The Tuscan Housewife. There’s nothing particularly Tuscan about the vision, other than that we eat a lot of Italian food for a variety of reasons, and we live in a climate that is similar to that of much of mid-Italy. But, this is my imagination, so bear with me.
Anyway, The Tuscan Housewife grows much of the family’s produce, knows how to make the most of the harvest, and eats well and frugally. The house is clean, the yard active, and the kitchen always producing things of wonder. She has a dry sense of humor, a lot of acquired wisdom, and endless energy for keeping her family healthy and happy. This is what I aspire to.
My gardening is influenced mostly by my region. I come from farmers and gardeners, and we’ve always been a “gardening” family, but I still read a lot and stumble through ideas about what could work. We live very close to the ocean in the Southern Californian climate, which creates a very unique working environment, and not one that is written about frequently. People 5 miles from me have a completely different climate to work in, and so I have to learn a lot the hard way.
My cooking is influenced by Mom first and foremost, with heavy doses of Marcella, Rick Bayless, Giada, Lidia Bastianich, Mario, Michael Chiarello, Alice Waters, Indian and Southeastern Asian cuisines, and lately the Zuni Cafe. I cook from scratch mostly, meat only occasionally, and I really try and stretch the dollar when I can. The Tuscan Housewife is a great example here, because the Italian countryside is not full of rich women. Making the most of what you’ve got and can grow seems to be a heavy theme, and I embrace it fully.
I’m sure I’ve got more to say on this topic, but I’m going to cut it short for now, and I’ll update the post when I think of things. Hopefully if you don’t know me, now you do.
posted to Site Updates, at 01:05 PM. permalink
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