Ask The Helpful Housewife

A Trip to the Mailbox

I don't know why I've never mentioned it on this site before, but I've been subscribing to Making It Home magazine for a while now.  The latest issue recently arrived in my mail box, and it has been such a pleasure to read!  It is a faith based publication about being a woman/mother/homemaker, and it's not exclusive to mothers who stay home, mothers who work, or mothers for that matter!  It's for every woman out there.  There is so much packed into such a thin magazine, but there are some wonderful tidbits of advice, housekeeping helps, mom-talk, and women's topics.  There's even a blog to accompany it, written by Catherine herself.  If this interests you, go check it out...  I keep mine on my bedside table, and read and re-read it in the evenings.  It's a calming selection, and one that helps keep me centered.

New Book I'm Loving...

Organic Housekeeping is available in hardcover from Amazon for $30.00, but I bought my copy at Sam's Club for $19.12.  So far I am really enjoying it!  I happened across it when I was picking up a few other things we needed, and decided to go ahead and get it.  Normally, I will check out a book at the library before purchasing just to see if I like it or not, but this one called to me.  I actually am enjoying it, but even if I didn't it was worth buying as a reference book for all the great recipes for natural cleaners in it.  This would be a great starter housekeeping manual for someone who was just setting up house and was very environmentally conscious...  and for those of us who want to start making at least a small difference in the ecosystem!  I recommend it -- see if your library has it if you want to review it as well.  If you decide you want to buy it, try Sam's Club, BJ's or Costco first!

The Good Home Cookbook, coming October 2006

Over at Collector's Press (which is where I have gotten my incredible library of retro books from) they are putting together a new cookbook, "The Good Home Cookbook".  I was one of the lucky ones who was able to participate as a recipe tester for this massive work!  (I tried out recipes for "Ambrosia", "Baked Apples", "Old Fashioned Tapioca Pudding" and more, just to name a tiny few!).  If you would like a peek at some of the recipes in advance or just to read about the creation of this cookbook and the journey it will have taken before it is published in October 2006, just head on over to the blog by Richard Perry, Collector's Press founder, at this link.  If you want to get your hands on the cookbook before they are sold out, you can pre-order it at Collector's Press on this page.

New Address

The new official email address for this site is:  thehelpfulhousewife@hotmail.com

All future emails and questions should be sent to this address.  Since typepad won't allow me to change the previous email link to this address, I simply removed that link from the sidebar and will be sure to include this email link in the closing portion of each post.  That way it is always accessible to click on it!  Be sure to add it to your address book!

My Former Self in a Past Life!

"She not only ironed the pants in the family, she wore them too. The housewife of the 1940s and 1950s was a lean, mean, household machine. Armed with “amazing” new products and tools guaranteed to make her life easier and more efficient, she smiled her way through the day. A domestic goddess in ruffled apron and coiffed hair, she was the epitome of postwar perfection."

I love this book!  I swear, I was meant to live then.  I adore the entire culture of that era housewife!  Now, this is not the only book in the series, and I have several of them.  I especially like the cookbooks I own from the retro series.  Talk about wonderful comfort food!  Go to the retro series page at www.collectorspress.com to see the whole line.  Fun fun fun!!!!